most people would have seen someone filming them and just walked passed but David smiles and i love that! especially as its a shy smile and therefore cute!! aww what a great video :)
Many thanks for your interest .Soon after i posted this clip , D B's New York office contacted me to request a copy of it for himself . To my eternal shame and horror i have still not managed to find the original cine footage so this is the best copy i can offer until it turns up..
Your father was a visionary for sure !! But he emanates from Bowie such a particular aura... For this video, I hope your father is in heaven, I thank you and your father from the bottom of my heart ! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
This is great! Magic, must be one of the very earliest bits of footage of Bowie, thanks for sharing! :) I recognised this straight away too, so I either saw it in the V&A as you said, or in that 'Five Years' BBC documentary recently. Thanks again :)
That is wonderful, I very much hope that you're able to find the original cine footage, and isn't it lovely to know that he is out there & casting an eye over things. Again thank you so much for sharing this so generously it is a real and rare treat to see. xxx
Thanks Momasu for the update. i've been very keen to date and locate the clip and you seem to have solved the mystery for us. Now if only someone could identify the guys at the start of the clip.... I don't know if there's a connection so it would be really cool if they were recognized, or even spotted themselves and posted a comment. Very glad to see the positive reaction as i've had this clip for many years and i've been meaning to upload it .
This could possibly be the second earliest footage of David Bowie released. He appeared on tv in 1963-4 when he was seven teen and he started doing music videos in 1967. I absolutely love this video it’s extremely precious well done ❤❤
Thank you for your comment. The appreciation of the happy coincidence of my dad’s enthusiasm for his camera hobby and David Bowie’s natural graciousness in smiling at the lens, makes this a unique clip. I’m so glad it’s reached so many fans.
Emma Wallaku thanks, it was fun talking to Robert Elms about my fathers chance encounter with such an icon. Slightly nerve racking but showed a real interest in the story.
Joe, if he was recording at Central Sound, this was in the back of La Giaconda. Your father was also filming (a brief glimpse) on St. Giles High Street round the corner from Denmark Street - there is a glimpse of an archway door where the guy is walking down the street around 1.48. This archway leads into Denmark Place, an alleyway behind Denmark Street.
Hi Mike To me that is one of the best memories of this whole adventure. There was I trawling through this 3 hour VHS tape that my dad had converts all our ciné film memories onto. As you suggested my immediate reaction was part OMG what's this here but coupled with disbelief in my own judgement. Which prompted a good few evenings where unsuspecting dinner guests would be subjected to a cued up VHS player and a questioning as to the identity of the star of our family home movies. It soon eliminated any doubt especially when my long time friend Tony Horkins, media journalist and accomplished Famous Musician Interviewer, confirmed the ID parade, even as he helped me to digitalise the clip on his fancy Apple Computer.
+Joe Salama Well if I had been among your dinner guests I would have been able to remove all doubt as well; there's no question. If that guy from the Beeb railroads you into coughing up the original ciné reels to digitize them, make sure you arrange to get a copy. I'd love to see a higher quality version to get a look at the other people...
Hi there Joe, I work for a programme called BBC Inside Out, we're currently working on a documentary about David Bowie's early years and were wondering if it might be at all possible to use your footage? Thanks, Aidan.
This is indeed Denmark St as I know you know. Sadly this footage isn't in our film, but Bowie's bassist on Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs - the man who played live with him on Marc's last TV show when they did Heroes LIVE - is, namely Herbie Flowers! ua-cam.com/video/0YvZIBsz0CM/v-deo.html
Definitely Tin Pan Alley as Denmark St. was nicknamed in those days. Never fails to wow the Bowie fans this and the V&A have continued to use it in their Bowie Is ... Show.
Thanks for the reply! I just wrote you a long reply, but it didn't get saved.... So annoying! It wasn't super important, just a personal story relating to the video, nothing of historical value or anything. Oh well, I'll get back to you on that if I have time. Not even sure this reply will be posted, it turned out a bit long! :)
Better late than never, right? Oh dear, I think what I wanted to say was that I had recently moved to London and I was unfamiliar with the city. I did however know about this video, really admire Bowie and always wondered where Denmark St. was. (Don't ask me why I didn't use Google maps.... Haha! )So one day I find myself on a street, probably thinking a bit about Bowie and as I look up on a wall I see the "Denmark Street" sign! So I ended up on this very street, and of course thinking of this video. The circle was full, sort of. Sorry you had to wait 2 years for this non-story but I remember feeling very happy that day on Denmark St. All thanks to you posting this! It's the little things sometimes that makes for good days.
i just think it is complete asshattery that a guy has taken your footage and uploaded it to you-tube again (credit given of course) 6 hours ago as reports of Bowie's death were coming out. i first stumbled on your dad's amazing footage here several years ago and wanted to post it to Facebook today . When i searched for your upload it showed 2 uploads, one being yours"the original" .........and another (uploaded today), the ...........i don't want to be vulgar on your comments here so I will spare you my opinion of him. i tried to flag it, but not having any ownership of the footage i was left with nothing to do other than take the time to notify you of this .......fella ua-cam.com/video/Hhsn3euuS2o/v-deo.html if it is of no concern, then no worries. I just thought it was cheap and you might want to know. Thanks for the upload!
+Cabe Booth Thanks for the tip Cabe . i read your message just after I'd finished reporting the very same asshattery to You Tube for removal hopefully. Appreciate the help and glad you enjoyed the clip . Great shame he's gone.
+Joe Salama good..... it wasn't very hunky dory of him. more along the lines of the asshat that he is. he probably owns racks and racks of asshats. Racks of asshats that he can pick from every day to go out and be an asshat.
most people would have seen someone filming them and just walked passed but David smiles and i love that! especially as its a shy smile and therefore cute!! aww what a great video :)
The camera loves him....always did.
It sure did. It's like he glowed with an inner light, even just walking along the street.
people, (not that i have to tell you but) this IS gold. precious precious gold right before your eyes!
This is so very cool. What a surprise this must have been to recognize DB on a random video your father shot. Awesome and thanks for sharing :)
Many thanks for your interest .Soon after i posted this clip , D B's New York office contacted me to request a copy of it for himself . To my eternal shame and horror i have still not managed to find the original cine footage so this is the best copy i can offer until it turns up..
Your father was a visionary for sure !! But he emanates from Bowie such a particular aura... For this video, I hope your father is in heaven, I thank you and your father from the bottom of my heart ! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
This is great! Magic, must be one of the very earliest bits of footage of Bowie, thanks for sharing! :)
I recognised this straight away too, so I either saw it in the V&A as you said, or in that 'Five Years' BBC documentary recently.
Thanks again :)
What an exceptional piece of footage!
Well that is certainly not something that happens every day, wow!
A 17/18 yr old Bowie..never camera shy.
That is wonderful, I very much hope that you're able to find the original cine footage, and isn't it lovely to know that he is out there & casting an eye over things. Again thank you so much for sharing this so generously it is a real and rare treat to see. xxx
Thanks Momasu for the update. i've been very keen to date and locate the clip and you seem to have solved the mystery for us.
Now if only someone could identify the guys at the start of the clip.... I don't know if there's a connection so it would be really cool if they were recognized, or even spotted themselves and posted a comment. Very glad to see the positive reaction as i've had this clip for many years and i've been meaning to upload it .
That is just amazing! And thank you for sharing such a rare piece of footage ... you should post it on his official facebook page! Fabulous
Uh...great footage of a young David Bowie (who had the star quality !)
this is AMAZING!!! you have made me very very HAPPY :-) :-) :-) THANK YOU so very very much!!!
i agree with everything Vinca66 said ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The guys at the beginning are members of Bowie's band at the time, The Mannish Boys.
Fantastic. Looks pretty damn cool there. And was probably in his teens.
This could possibly be the second earliest footage of David Bowie released. He appeared on tv in 1963-4 when he was seven teen and he started doing music videos in 1967. I absolutely love this video it’s extremely precious well done ❤❤
Thank you for your comment. The appreciation of the happy coincidence of my dad’s enthusiasm for his camera hobby and David Bowie’s natural graciousness in smiling at the lens, makes this a unique clip. I’m so glad it’s reached so many fans.
Fantastic!!! I'm so glad you uploaded this!
Just heard you on Radio London. This is lovely footage. Thank you.
Emma Wallaku thanks, it was fun talking to Robert Elms about my fathers chance encounter with such an icon. Slightly nerve racking but showed a real interest in the story.
Joe, if he was recording at Central Sound, this was in the back of La Giaconda. Your father was also filming (a brief glimpse) on St. Giles High Street round the corner from Denmark Street - there is a glimpse of an archway door where the guy is walking down the street around 1.48. This archway leads into Denmark Place, an alleyway behind Denmark Street.
Absolutely fantastic!!
It's funny how he smiles shyly and waves lol :)
Beautiful footage
Ciao David Jones, il tuo viaggio è stato bellissimo
That's the best coincidence I've seen yet :D
I'm curious about what your reaction was when you saw the footage and identified Bowie... "Wait... could you wind that back a bit....? HOLY _____"
Hi Mike
To me that is one of the best memories of this whole adventure. There was I trawling through this 3 hour VHS tape that my dad had converts all our ciné film memories onto. As you suggested my immediate reaction was part OMG what's this here but coupled with disbelief in my own judgement. Which prompted a good few evenings where unsuspecting dinner guests would be subjected to a cued up VHS player and a questioning as to the identity of the star of our family home movies. It soon eliminated any doubt especially when my long time friend Tony Horkins, media journalist and accomplished Famous Musician Interviewer, confirmed the ID parade, even as he helped me to digitalise the clip on his fancy Apple Computer.
+Joe Salama Well if I had been among your dinner guests I would have been able to remove all doubt as well; there's no question. If that guy from the Beeb railroads you into coughing up the original ciné reels to digitize them, make sure you arrange to get a copy. I'd love to see a higher quality version to get a look at the other people...
Thank you so much for sharing!
Very cool! Should have synched up some 'Davey Jones' for the soundtrack!
Hi there Joe, I work for a programme called BBC Inside Out, we're currently working on a documentary about David Bowie's early years and were wondering if it might be at all possible to use your footage? Thanks, Aidan.
+Aidan Dunford Could you contact me or give me your contact details to discus this .
Wow that is sooooo cool.
Fascinating!
This is indeed Denmark St as I know you know. Sadly this footage isn't in our film, but Bowie's bassist on Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs - the man who played live with him on Marc's last TV show when they did Heroes LIVE - is, namely Herbie Flowers! ua-cam.com/video/0YvZIBsz0CM/v-deo.html
That really is exceptional! How did they do the exact same movements five times in a row? ;)
WOW!!! SO cool!!
Great video!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Vinca66, for the pointer! ;)
Amazing footage. Thank you. Could i suggest that the date is more likely late 1965/early 1966 !!
Wow! :)
is it the guys from 'The King Bees' group Bowie was with in London perhaps???
What an amazing coincidence! Did you find out what street it's on? Is it Denmark street as someone suggested in the comments?
Definitely Tin Pan Alley as Denmark St. was nicknamed in those days.
Never fails to wow the Bowie fans this and the V&A have continued to use it in their Bowie Is ... Show.
Thanks for the reply! I just wrote you a long reply, but it didn't get saved.... So annoying! It wasn't super important, just a personal story relating to the video, nothing of historical value or anything. Oh well, I'll get back to you on that if I have time. Not even sure this reply will be posted, it turned out a bit long! :)
My Biz When you can bring yourself to type it all out again I'd be intrigued to read it. meantime thanks for your interest.
Better late than never, right? Oh dear, I think what I wanted to say was that I had recently moved to London and I was unfamiliar with the city. I did however know about this video, really admire Bowie and always wondered where Denmark St. was. (Don't ask me why I didn't use Google maps.... Haha! )So one day I find myself on a street, probably thinking a bit about Bowie and as I look up on a wall I see the "Denmark Street" sign! So I ended up on this very street, and of course thinking of this video. The circle was full, sort of.
Sorry you had to wait 2 years for this non-story but I remember feeling very happy that day on Denmark St. All thanks to you posting this! It's the little things sometimes that makes for good days.
Holy shit is all I have to say
i just think it is complete asshattery that a guy has taken your footage and uploaded it to you-tube again (credit given of course) 6 hours ago as reports of Bowie's death were coming out. i first stumbled on your dad's amazing footage here several years ago and wanted to post it to Facebook today . When i searched for your upload it showed 2 uploads, one being yours"the original" .........and another (uploaded today), the ...........i don't want to be vulgar on your comments here so I will spare you my opinion of him. i tried to flag it, but not having any ownership of the footage i was left with nothing to do other than take the time to notify you of this .......fella ua-cam.com/video/Hhsn3euuS2o/v-deo.html if it is of no concern, then no worries. I just thought it was cheap and you might want to know. Thanks for the upload!
+Cabe Booth
Thanks for the tip Cabe . i read your message just after I'd finished reporting the very same asshattery to You Tube for removal hopefully. Appreciate the help and glad you enjoyed the clip . Great shame he's gone.
+Joe Salama good to know good to go oh, and thanks yes I did enjoy the clip and his career and life
+Cabe Booth
gone now you tube took action and removed it.
+Joe Salama good..... it wasn't very hunky dory of him. more along the lines of the asshat that he is. he probably owns racks and racks of asshats. Racks of asshats that he can pick from every day to go out and be an asshat.