David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes (Nacho’s 2020 Extended Video)

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This video is a new extended edit of David Mallet’s ground-breaking Ashes to Ashes promo video, recut to the full-length version of the enduring Bowie classic.

David Mallet’s original promo video from 1980, was made for the 7” single edit of Ashes to Ashes. The 7” version of Ashes to Ashes removed almost a minute from the full-length version – it abbreviated the intro and redacted the middle section of the song.

To create this full-length version, I’ve augmented Mallet’s original Ashes to Ashes video, with scenes from the previous video he made with Bowie – the 1979 remake of Space Oddity, which had featured on the Will Kenny Everett Make It To 1980? TV show.

The two videos have much in common. Two of the scenes in the Ashes to Ashes video replicate almost exactly two scenes from the Space Oddity one. Firstly the yellow padded room scenes, with Bowie dressed in white shirt, black trousers and green boots. And secondly, stark black and white scenes of him in a space suit, seated on a futuristic chair, in a dramatically exploding kitchen.
Mallett’s original video starts with a slow fade-in wash of solarised colour, closing in on the beach with Bowie in Pierrot costume. Throughout the video, scenes slowly merge into one another with long cross dissolves, working to the dream-like chord changes of the song.

In contrast, my intro and the other additional scenes I work in, are cut to Dennis Davis drum beats. For instance, I have the kitchen explosions going off, in time to Davis’ crisp beats.

At the beginning of this video we hear Davis counting off time. This is from the original Power Station master tape of the February 1980 backing track recording of Ashes to Ashes. The backing track was revealed a couple of years ago by Tony Visconti, in an interview with Dennis Davis’ son Hikaru.

NB I put together a series of videos, based on that interview which can be found on Hikaru’s The HD Projects channels. The one pertinent to this video is:

Tracing My Dad • Vol. 10 • Tony Visconti discusses Dennis Davis and David Bowie • Part 4 [ 79/80 ]

Tracing My Dad Vol. 10 – Tony Visconti discusses Dennis Davis and David Bowie Part 4 (79/80)

Lastly, my video ends with an excerpt of a 1981 interview with Bowie, discussing the Ashes to Ashes video.

Hope you dig it!

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Credits
Video Source:
David Bowie • Ashes to Ashes official promo video • Directed by David Mallet • 1980
David Bowie • Space Oddity • The Will Kenny Everett Make It To 1980? Show • Directed by David Mallet • Shot at Ewart Studios, Wandsworth, London • 18 September 1979 • Broadcast 31 December 1979
David Bowie Plus Five • Audio Visual Room NYC • Interview by Karen Mecklenburg • Broadcast by WNYC TV • 29th October 1981
Music Source:
David Bowie • Ashes to Ashes • Recorded at the Power Station, New York, February 1980 & Good Earth, London, April 1980 • Produced by David Bowie & Tony Visconti • From the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) released 1980
Musicians
David Bowie • vocals, keyboards
Chuck Hammer • Roland GR500 guitar synthesiser, Eventide harmoniser and multiple analogue tape delays
Carlos Alomar • guitar
Andy Clark • synthesiser
Roy Bittan • piano
George Murray • bass
Dennis Davis • drums
David Bowie & Tony Visconti • Production
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Always more videos to follow, so please keep your electric eye on me babe!
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.
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