This Bassey back to Bowie..

We hear you loud and clear man?

Sorry.
Anyway, we have our first double birthday celebration...

Happy Birthday David Bowie

Born 8th January 1947

How can David Bowie be 65?  How?  And while we are asking questions just how did the foxiest of Goblin Kings manage to breathe let alone strut in trousers that tight? (I have seen Labyrinthine on the big screen.  They are tight) How am I going to choose one Bowie track to try and sum up a career based on being flexible, undefined and generally chameleon like?  Well I know the answer to the last one at least - I am not.

Bowie is an artist with such range, history and talent I just can't condense his back catalogue into a couple of paragraphs.  Instead I'll just choose one of my favourites...

Back in the dim and distant past, in my first year at college, I was an extra in an indie film based on the premise that a teenage boy discovers his absent father is David Bowie.  He tracks Bowie down to challenge him (and presumably claim back 16ish years of child support and pocket money).  Mr Bowie is apparently playing the seediest, flea pit of a some time strip club in the wilds of Sheffield.  Well, that is where we were dancing to this song in a painfully self concious way....  As my BBC debut on Jackanory has never found it's way on to Youtube, I assume this masterpiece of Northern Grit remains hidden in a vault somewhere too....

What makes me smirk now is I thought I was such a rebel when I was 16.  I had no idea have safe and vanilla I was then!

Rebel Rebel

Reached No 5 in the UK Charts in 1974

Which Bowie track is your choice?

Happy Birthday Dame Shirley Bassey

Born 8th January 1937

Dame Shirley Bassey, what can I say?  She is an institution, a national treasure.  She was possibly the only recording artist in existence my Grandfather and I agreed on.  She always seems like she'd be quite fun to meet but Divaerish enough not to disappoint.

She preforms with such gusto and drama and bling and wawa pedal.  Her voice is huge and I just love it.  It seems impossible now that in her youth people told her to shut up rather than sing louder.  She's Welsh, she's proud and I want to look that good at 32 never mind 75.
Goldfinger
Reached No 21 (I know!) in the UK Charts in 1964