David Bowie – Speed of Life (Nacho Edit – 1978)

Speed of Life was originally a track from David Bowie’s 1977 album “Low” – the melodic yet brittle instrumental that opened the album.

The audio of this live version is from the 2005 Tony Visconti remaster of the David Bowie’s 1978 album, “Stage”.”Stage” was recorded live in 1978 on the “Isolar II” world tour. The recordings were made in the Spring of ’78, during the early part of the tour, at U.S. shows, in Philadelphia, Boston and Providence.

The footage used here is from the show at Dallas Convention Centre, in Texas, on the 10th of April, 1978. The show was shot by RCA as a promotional film for “Stage”. Thankfully the 21 minute film survived in great quality, and is easily the best record we have of the ’78 tour.

Speed of Life was played live on the 1978 Isolar II tour quite faithful to the original, though with a great deal more bounce. As Chris O’Leary states in his Pushing Ahead of the Dame, Speed of Life article, “Low begins mid-sentence, it’s opening track suddenly fading up”.https://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/2011…

The rather inauspicious way the track, and therefore the album, just starts up, always felt to me like we’d missed the beginning of something. Perhaps Bowie deliberately wanted to open the album that way, without fuss or fanfare?

Whereas the live version starts with a much more strident descending synth riff and immediately Dennis Davis leaps straight in with a quick-fire drum fill, and we are off at the Speed of Life! It’s place in the set was it seems, a deliberate pick me up after the gloomy Sense Of Doubt, and it preceded Breaking Glass, just as it did on Low.

It is 39 years since the Isolar II tour began, in spring 1978, and it’s almost 39 years to the day of the Dallas show itself. I’m choosing to upload this video on today, April 6th as a tribute to Dennis Davis who died one year ago on this day.

Dennis Davis, was David Bowie’s incredible drummer from his golden period, 1974 to 1980, Fame to Scary Monsters. After learning of Dennis’ death last year, I wrote:

I am often praising Davies’ drumming when I write about Bowie’s music. He was one third of the holy trinity of the then Bowie rhythm section, that also included Carlos Alomar on rhythm guitar, and George Murray on bass, AKA The D.A.M. Trio. Davies’ drumming astonishes me with its dexterity and precision, holding down perfect rock, funk and disco grooves whilst he rolls around the kit in the most surprising ways.

Here is part of Tony Visconti’s tribute to Davies, that he wrote last year:

“He was one of the most creative drummers I have ever worked with. He came into David Bowie’s life when we recorded some extra tracks for Young Americans and stayed with us through Scary Monsters and beyond. He was a disciplined jazz drummer who tore into Rock with a Jazz sensibility. Listen to the drum breaks on Black Out from the Heroes album. He had a conga drum as part of his set up and he made it sound like two musicians were playing drums and congas. By Scary Monsters he was playing parts that were unthinkable but they fit in so perfectly.”

In case you missed it, Dennis Davis extraordinary 10 year old son, Hikaru Davis, has started a beautiful initiative:

“Tracing My Dad – The Life and Music of Dennis Davis”.

It is a video tribute series to his late father, whereby Hikaru interviews the musicians that knew and worked with Dennis Davis.

Hikaru really wants to get more followers and comments and likes on his social media platforms, so it would be great if he could get some support from Bowie fans. You can find him online as The HD Projects:

www.facebook.com/thehdprojects
www.youtube.com/channel/UCY2aDqSy2_g6hysuYU7uOPw

Oh, and lastly… at the end of the video is a small bonus. It’s a remnant of an old project that I was never able to complete to my satisfaction. The footage is from the same Dallas ’78 show, tho’ perhaps some people haven’t seen it before. Actually, I’ve been desperate to do something with this footage, and even tried to make an entire video based around it. Anyway…

Hope you dig it!

Do me an’ yerself a favor – watch it in the Highest Def available with the sound UP LOUD!

Footage supplied by the db Digital Archive.

If anyone has any other footage, or ideas for another video project, of material from Bowie’s classic period, do please get in touch: nachomarcho@gmail.com

Putting this video together was another huge labour of love, made with love and with respect for the source.

I don’t own the rights, and I’m not making any money out of this etc. Just a fan making videos for other fans.

Nacho, April 6th, 2017.