Back in 1997, Bowie opened up in a rare interview about his life and legacy.
He had nothing to hide.
He presses the invite to his lips and gives it a smooch.
Credit: Ke.Mazur/WireImage
He leaps up and down.
He breaks into song: Ive got the golden ticket!
Ive got the golden ticket!
Iman requests the pleasure of your company…!'
How hot is that?
This is not supposed to happen to dumb people like me.
Actually, it wasnt supposed to happen to Bowie, either.
But the artist formerly known as Aladdin Sane opted for all the young dudes.
I didnt want to do that sort of tribute-y retrospective thing, Bowie says.
Im not a nostalgic person.
Indeed, Bowie refuses to go gently into his golden years.
He shuns his old hits in concert.
The thing I always wanted more than anything else was creative success.
He set the prototype for so many things, says Corgan.
Its the chameleon aspect, says Grohl.
He can do anything well.
He can look like a bum, he can look like a supermodel.
And he looked fantastic.
These days Bowies hair is back to bright orange.
Hes still emaciated thanks, he says, to Imans health-conscious cooking.
DAVID BOWIE: Quite emotional, I must say.
Its more than the song itself; its the fact that its the first hit that I ever had.
Some people in the audience seemed choked up.
It was all a bit gulpy, wasnt it?
See, I dont mind one moment like that.
I hate going to shows like that, because I feel manipulated.
I actually got away with playing eight completely new songs at this show!
I thought that was quite a coup.
But people really go bonkers for the oldies.
Does that bother you?
I understand how audiences react.
Its just that Im perverse about the way that I perform live.
My reason for performing is not to yo an audience.
Its to present what I believe are exciting new ideas.
I definitely wont bore an audience.
If you want to go with what Im doing, you will be entertained.
But on the other hand, Im not there to be just kind of a walking jukebox for you.
Yeah, I know.
But you mustve known that already.
Im very aware of the impact Ive had in Europe.
But my impression of the reception Id had in America was Oh, here comes this eccentric limey again.
I never felt that Id contributed much to the fabric of American rock.
Earthlinghas a song called Im Afraid of Americans.
Why are Americans afraid of dance music?
I mean, this is the country of dance.
Does it frustrate you, since youre now exploring dance music?
It does, because I dont really see much of a future for drum-and-bass in the States, frankly.
I dont think itll catch on in a major way over here…. What makes America great is its pioneer, independent spirit, not its corporate togetherness.
Station to Station[1976] andLow[1977].
Some of my best work was in those two albums.
I understand Hunky Dory and Ziggy; they are indeed a lot more hummable.
Do you have a Bowie incarnation that you loathe?
I have a couple of albums that Im absolutely quite embarrassed about.
Yeah because it was my fault.Tonight[1984] andNever Let Me Down[1987].
Those two albums for me were my nadir; they were just awful.
I shouldnt have gone into the studio and made albums when I felt as I did.
Id totally fallen out of love with writing music at that time.
When Madonna inducted you into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you didnt show up.
She really went up in my estimation because of that.
Like Madonna, youre credited with creating this ambisexual image in rock & roll.
It wouldve happened without me.
But you were so candid about your sexual preferences.
So whatever I was going through, I used to tell people about it.
Theyve known me just as the straight guy who had this kind of dodgy past.
So I dont think its any surprise to them.
[Laughs] I love saying that!
What acting projects do you have lined up at the moment?
Im not a keen actor.
Its very low on my list of priorities.
Im not enamored of the process; I find it incredibly vegetating.
I just end up sitting outside the trailer, talking with people about God knows what.
I couldve been doing this, this, and this!
I did go shopping as Andy a couple of times, just for the hell of it.
It was heart stopping!
I shopped in his neighborhood, down in SoHo, so the reactions were so bizarre.
People were nearly dropping on the streetespecially older people who had seen Andy around the neighborhood a lot.
I would walk around the corner and theyd go [gasps], Oh, my God!
I had a couple of days of just feeling like a practical joker.
Considering your lifelong obsession with extraterrestrial life, do you watchThe X-Files?
I dont watchThe X-Files, no.
Im pleased to say Ive got too many things to do.
I dont watch much television, because of that.
I do believe in extraterrestrials, but its not a significant part of my life.
Do you believe in alien abductions?
[Slipping into a Cockney brogue] Well, Ive abducted a few people in my time!
With their consent, of course.
