#443: David Bowie, ‘Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)’
RCA, 1980
Music Frenz,
Do you ever just feel burnt out? Empty? And with absolutely nothing to say? This is me right this very second. I have nothing to say about this album other than, what a wonder David Bowie was and how grateful I am for his creativity and willingness to push the boundaries in all the things within his scope.
Is that enough? Can we end here? Must we go on?
We must. That is the point of this newsletter, to cope and accept and allow music to be my companion while I sit immobilized with very big thoughts or none at all.
So I will offer you some little dribbles of tea surrounding this album
Cuppa #1:
Lorne Michaels, the all-powerful Zeusy creator of SNL/NBC, was good friends with David Bowie. When this album came out in 1980, Michaels snorted a lot of cocaine and listened to the featured track, “Scary Monsters.” He proceeded to have such a bad panic episode that he never listened to the song again because of how triggering it was.
In 1997, David Bowie was the musical guest of SNL. In a sketch about pastries, Bowie refused to pronounce the word “flan” so that it would rhyme with “man.” He wanted to say it, “flawwwn.” Michaels required him to say it the way it was written. To exact revenge on the SNL staff, Bowie decided to surprise Michaels by playing Scary Monsters instead of the song he was there to perform, “Telling Lies.”
David Bowie - Little Wonder - Scary Monster (And Super Creeps) - (SNL 1997) on Vimeo
Lorne Michaels allegedly freaked out, was triggered, and banned David Bowie from SNL for three years. They eventually made up but….petty petty David Bowie.
Far Out Magazine did a great write-up on it – highly recommend it.
Also, don’t do drugs kids.
Tea 2:
Robert Fripp, of King Crimson, played the guitar on the Scary Monsters album. His instrument screams and cries and is perfect. He also was the lead guitarist for Bowie’s “Hero.”
Fripp was not credited as a “featured player” on either of these tracks nor even on the entire Scary Monsters album. Yes, he is mad about it and in the middle of disputes with the David Bowie estate. AND YES, he posted about the drama on….duh, duh, duh, duh….. Facebook. Read his post here.
WOOF! Now that we worked through that goss, let’s talk about something nice:
The hook in the second track of the album, Up The Hill Backwards goes like this-
It’s got nothing to do with you if one can grasp it. It’s got nothing to do with you if one can grasp it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, up the hill backwards, it will be alright.
Top Of The Pops - 1981.04.09 - David Bowie - Up The Hill Backwards (Legs & Co)
The bottom line to most of my (our) anxiety is that most things that stress me out have nothing to do with me. Worrying about things I have no control over is Nicolle at her strongest Gemini self. Will my job get more toxic? Will my boyfriend break up with me? Will my rheumatoid arthritis flare? Will my grandpa die while I am not with him? I want to be able to control these outcomes.
Oh, but my dear music frenz, none of these things have anything to do with me. Life will go on, people will make choices and the world will keep changing - ashes to ashes.
It has nothing to do with you either. But it will be alright. We will all be alright.
There will also be scary monsters and super creeps and a lot of the time we are going to be those scary monsters and most of the time I am going to be a super creep (know thyself, Nicolle).
David Bowie recorded this album after his bitter divorce from his wife, Angela Barnett. She granted David custody of their son with the intention that caring for his son would put an end to his drug use and stabilize his behavior. Angela, that is a crazy take. David Bowie also blackballed Angela from the entire entertainment industry eventually leading to suicidal behaviors.
It was a really heavy shift in both of their lives and this is how the album came to be. In fact, there is an entire Scary Monsters vinyl reprint with alternative takes called, “Fresh From Divorce: Scary Monsters.”
Angela eventually was alright. David Bowie was alright.
It will be alright.
David Bowie - Scary Monsters (Live, 1983)
Top songs: It’s No Game (Pt. 1), Up The Hill Backwards, Ashes to Ashes, Scream Like A Baby, Because You’re Young