David Bowie.Photo: Geoff MacCormack
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Madeira, 1974
Geoff MacCormack
Bowie was not a fan of flying—in fact, MacCormack says, he “had a bit of a premonition thing going that he shouldn’t fly for five years, so he didn’t.”
“It was really windy, and we were on our way to New York on the SS France, which we nearly missed because we were having such a good time in Paris,” MacCormack recalls. “I think I took this with an Instamatic camera, a little plastic thing. But I love that. I love the kind of ragged quality of it. It looks like a snap. And he took a really, really s— one of me, which he was wont to do, unfortunately, with the same pose.”
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Chicago, 1973
“That is Kansai’s name in Japanese. So it’s a valuable photo really, even though the quality’s not great, but it’s great,” he says. “And he looks good!”
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The Man Who Fell to Earth set, 1975
MacCormack recalls a story relayed in the book in which he and Bowie, along with some other friends, trekked out to Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad, New Mexico on a day off from shooting. As they headed back to set, they stopped at a greasy spoon—and quickly stuck out among the crowd.
“It was full of kind of rednecks and whatever, and at one point David had a leather jacket on, and people were kind of staring at us because we were English and odd,” he says. “He had this kind of Elvis Presley snarl on his face, like he was quite a tough guy, and I clocked that. And then I looked below and he was actually standing like that, and that’s what people were looking at. It didn’t matter how tough he was trying to look, that was the giveaway!”
He adds: “It’s just a pose he sometimes did. It’s good fun, isn’t it?”
04of 18Bournemouth, 1973Geoff MacCormackBowie and MacCormack had returned from Russia for a British tour when he photographed his friend signing autographs in the seaside town of Bournemouth.“This was before he really was huge—this was when he was on his way,” he says. “But he was seriously on his way then.“MacCormack adds that the female fans in the photo were later identified after Bowie’s website asked if anyone recognized them.
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Bournemouth, 1973
Bowie and MacCormack had returned from Russia for a British tour when he photographed his friend signing autographs in the seaside town of Bournemouth.
“This was before he really was huge—this was when he was on his way,” he says. “But he was seriously on his way then.”
MacCormack adds that the female fans in the photo were later identified after Bowie’s website asked if anyone recognized them.
05of 18Somewhere Over Europe, 1973Geoff MacCormackAs MacCormack previously explained, Bowie did not like airplanes. But after they missed a train headed home from Russia, the pair had no choice but to travel via the sky.“We had to detour and go to somewhere else to get a hovercraft,” MacCormack says. “So this is at a point where somebody pointed out to David that hovercrafts actually fly. That look sort of says, ‘Oh s—.’ [But] he did it! He was a captive audience.”
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Somewhere Over Europe, 1973
As MacCormack previously explained, Bowie did not like airplanes. But after they missed a train headed home from Russia, the pair had no choice but to travel via the sky.
“We had to detour and go to somewhere else to get a hovercraft,” MacCormack says. “So this is at a point where somebody pointed out to David that hovercrafts actually fly. That look sort of says, ‘Oh s—.’ [But] he did it! He was a captive audience.”
06of 18Los Angeles, 1975Geoff MacCormackBowie was photographed hard at work on his 1976 albumStation to Stationwith producer Harry Maslin at Cherokee Studios in L.A.The album, the star’s 10th, featured cover art taken fromThe Man Who Fell to Earth, and included songs like “Golden Years” and “Words on a Wing.”
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Los Angeles, 1975
Bowie was photographed hard at work on his 1976 albumStation to Stationwith producer Harry Maslin at Cherokee Studios in L.A.
The album, the star’s 10th, featured cover art taken fromThe Man Who Fell to Earth, and included songs like “Golden Years” and “Words on a Wing.”
07of 18The Man Who Fell to Earth set, 1975Geoff MacCormackMacCormack says he didn’t take “loads” of pictures of Bowie, as he didn’t want to be constantly snapping photos in his friend’s face. Still, he’d occasionally catch Bowie pulling a gloriously brooding mug, like in this photo.“That’s a cheeky one, isn’t it? I love that,” he says. “Sometimes he’d give me the odd look, a little bit of recognition. And that was one time.”
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MacCormack says he didn’t take “loads” of pictures of Bowie, as he didn’t want to be constantly snapping photos in his friend’s face. Still, he’d occasionally catch Bowie pulling a gloriously brooding mug, like in this photo.
“That’s a cheeky one, isn’t it? I love that,” he says. “Sometimes he’d give me the odd look, a little bit of recognition. And that was one time.”
08of 18Santa Fe, 1975Geoff MacCormackThe Man Who Fell to Earthwas filmed primarily in New Mexico, and MacCormack believes this photo —which features Bowie looking effortlessly cool as he lugs tree branches with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth — was taken on a ranch in Santa Fe. Still, he’s… not entirely sure about that.“I’m totally mystified about this picture because I don’t remember taking it!” he says. “It looks like Santa Fe, if you look at the house, it’s got that kind of look about it.“Still, he says with a laugh, “Why would he be moving trees? It’s beyond crazy.”
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Santa Fe, 1975
The Man Who Fell to Earthwas filmed primarily in New Mexico, and MacCormack believes this photo —which features Bowie looking effortlessly cool as he lugs tree branches with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth — was taken on a ranch in Santa Fe. Still, he’s… not entirely sure about that.
“I’m totally mystified about this picture because I don’t remember taking it!” he says. “It looks like Santa Fe, if you look at the house, it’s got that kind of look about it.”
Still, he says with a laugh, “Why would he be moving trees? It’s beyond crazy.”
09of 18Russia, 1973Geoff MacCormackMacCormack refers earlier to a “s—” photo that Bowie took of him — and here it is in all its glory. In the photo, MacCormack poses outside the Trans-Siberian Express, which they used to travel back to Europe.“I’ve got a sneaking suspicion he really was taking, not the picture of me, but the guy up in the corner picking his nose. I think that was the interest. That was the money shot,” MacCormack laughs.Though Bowie was certainly a talented musician, not everyone can be a gifted photographer.“It is just such a terrible shot of me after the lovely one I took of him!” jokes MacCormack. “And I just think he drifted at that point.”
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Russia, 1973
MacCormack refers earlier to a “s—” photo that Bowie took of him — and here it is in all its glory. In the photo, MacCormack poses outside the Trans-Siberian Express, which they used to travel back to Europe.
“I’ve got a sneaking suspicion he really was taking, not the picture of me, but the guy up in the corner picking his nose. I think that was the interest. That was the money shot,” MacCormack laughs.
Though Bowie was certainly a talented musician, not everyone can be a gifted photographer.
“It is just such a terrible shot of me after the lovely one I took of him!” jokes MacCormack. “And I just think he drifted at that point.”
10of 18En Route to Siberia, 1973Geoff MacCormackWhile traveling on a ship to Siberia to catch the boat train to the Trans-Siberian Express, Bowie signs an autograph for a fan while sitting with MacCormack.“I gave someone my camera and said, ‘Could you just take a shot?'” he recalls. “[David] was always good with people. He was always really, really pleasant with them.”
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En Route to Siberia, 1973
While traveling on a ship to Siberia to catch the boat train to the Trans-Siberian Express, Bowie signs an autograph for a fan while sitting with MacCormack.
“I gave someone my camera and said, ‘Could you just take a shot?'” he recalls. “[David] was always good with people. He was always really, really pleasant with them.”
11of 18The Man Who Fell to Earth set, 1975Geoff MacCormackDuring rehearsals for the film, Bowie practices his shot on set.“I only showed this picture just recently,” he explains. “I kind of used bits and bobs, and my wife found lots of stuff and said, ‘Well, what about this? This is great.’ And I think sometimes other people can go, ‘Why aren’t you using this? This is great.’ And now it’s been around I really like it.”
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During rehearsals for the film, Bowie practices his shot on set.
“I only showed this picture just recently,” he explains. “I kind of used bits and bobs, and my wife found lots of stuff and said, ‘Well, what about this? This is great.’ And I think sometimes other people can go, ‘Why aren’t you using this? This is great.’ And now it’s been around I really like it.”
12of 18The Man Who Fell to Earth set, 1975David Bowie.Geoff MacCormackBowie embraced his inner male model with this brooding gaze. “I call that the Marlon Brando shot,” says MacCormack.He snapped this one of his friend through glass that had rainwater on it, which gave it an “almost filtered effect.”
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David Bowie.Geoff MacCormack
Bowie embraced his inner male model with this brooding gaze. “I call that the Marlon Brando shot,” says MacCormack.
He snapped this one of his friend through glass that had rainwater on it, which gave it an “almost filtered effect.”
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MacCormack previously displayed some of his Bowie shots at an exhibition at the Brighton Museum Gallery — including this one of a barefoot, gun-slinging, wine-drinking Bowie, which he says was a big hit among fans.
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En Route to Japan, 1975
“It wasn’t that gross, but we’d been spoiled,” he explains. “We’d been on two gorgeous ships, and then this one was less gorgeous.”
While on board, they posed for a photo with ship stewards — and a man they thought looked a whole lot like Colonel Sanders.
“We thought he was Colonel Sanders! We truly believed that we were in the presence of Colonel Sanders at that point,” he says.
15of 18The Man Who Fell to Earth set, 1975Geoff MacCormackAs they were childhood friends, MacCormack says it took joining Bowie on tour to realize just how fast his star was rising.“Seeing the what were now huge crowds, especially in a place like, say Tower Theater in Philly, which was like this holy place of rock, and the audience were crazy,” he recalls. “It was a bit like, ‘Oh, this is a hoot. We’re just doing this. It probably won’t last.'“He continues: “But I loved what he’d done to simplify the art form. He was at that point, and I thought that was a really clever thing to do, to fashion himself like that… It was really a package that wasn’t fragmented like his career before.”
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As they were childhood friends, MacCormack says it took joining Bowie on tour to realize just how fast his star was rising.
“Seeing the what were now huge crowds, especially in a place like, say Tower Theater in Philly, which was like this holy place of rock, and the audience were crazy,” he recalls. “It was a bit like, ‘Oh, this is a hoot. We’re just doing this. It probably won’t last.'”
He continues: “But I loved what he’d done to simplify the art form. He was at that point, and I thought that was a really clever thing to do, to fashion himself like that… It was really a package that wasn’t fragmented like his career before.”
16of 18Château d’Hérouville, 1973Geoff MacCormackMick Ronson, the late guitarist, songwriter and producer who worked frequently with Bowie, stands anxiously before a French quintet during the recording of “Sorrow,” a track on Bowie’s seventh albumPin Ups.The album was recorded in France at Château d’Hérouville, an 18th-century castle-turned-recording studio that played host to everyone from Pink Floyd and the Bee Gees to Elton John and Iggy Pop.“You can see how nervous Mick is, but he’s so clever,” says MacCormack. “I mean, he was so clever and good at what he was.”
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Château d’Hérouville, 1973
Mick Ronson, the late guitarist, songwriter and producer who worked frequently with Bowie, stands anxiously before a French quintet during the recording of “Sorrow,” a track on Bowie’s seventh albumPin Ups.
The album was recorded in France at Château d’Hérouville, an 18th-century castle-turned-recording studio that played host to everyone from Pink Floyd and the Bee Gees to Elton John and Iggy Pop.
“You can see how nervous Mick is, but he’s so clever,” says MacCormack. “I mean, he was so clever and good at what he was.”
17of 18Los Angeles, 1975Geoff MacCormackBack in Cherokee Studios, Bowie lays down vocals forStation to Station.“He would’ve been in the vocal booth,” says MacCormack. “You don’t get too close [to the mic] because you pop if you get too close.”
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Back in Cherokee Studios, Bowie lays down vocals forStation to Station.
“He would’ve been in the vocal booth,” says MacCormack. “You don’t get too close [to the mic] because you pop if you get too close.”
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Italy, 1973
“We went for a vacation in Rome, and that’s him signing autographs on the train, going out to, probably, another boat,” he says.
source: people.com
