David Bowie Part 1: Transition & Tribute (1992)
Part 1: Transition & Tribute – January/June 1992
📅 1992-01-01 to 1992-01-25
📍 Lausanne, 🇨🇭 Switzerland / London, 🇬🇧 UK
🏛️ Private Residence
🎸 Event: Winter Break & Strategic Planning
🗒️ Note: Tin Machine takes a three-week hiatus. Bowie spends this time in Switzerland and London, preparing for the final leg of the tour. Behind the scenes, tensions begin to rise due to the erratic behavior of certain band members, but the commitment to the Japanese dates remains firm.
🏛️ Private Residence
🎸 Event: Winter Break & Strategic Planning
🗒️ Note: Tin Machine takes a three-week hiatus. Bowie spends this time in Switzerland and London, preparing for the final leg of the tour. Behind the scenes, tensions begin to rise due to the erratic behavior of certain band members, but the commitment to the Japanese dates remains firm.
📅 1992-01-29
📍 Kyoto, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Kaikan Dai Ichi Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: The tour resumes after a winter break. While Japan remained a loyal market for Bowie, the democratic “band member” concept was met with respectful curiosity by the local audience.
🏛️ Kaikan Dai Ichi Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: The tour resumes after a winter break. While Japan remained a loyal market for Bowie, the democratic “band member” concept was met with respectful curiosity by the local audience.
📅 1992-01-30 & 1992-01-31
📍 Osaka, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Festival Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: Two nights in Osaka. These recordings were later used for the live album ‘Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby’.
🏛️ Festival Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: Two nights in Osaka. These recordings were later used for the live album ‘Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby’.
The Final Bow: Japan – February 1992
📅 1992-02-02 & 1992-02-03
📍 Fukuoka & Hiroshima, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Kouseinenkin Kaikan
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: The tour moves through the southern regions of Japan. The band’s interplay, particularly during the improvised sections of ‘Heaven’s in Here’, was at its peak during these dates.
🏛️ Kouseinenkin Kaikan
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: The tour moves through the southern regions of Japan. The band’s interplay, particularly during the improvised sections of ‘Heaven’s in Here’, was at its peak during these dates.
📅 1992-02-05 & 1992-02-06
📍 Tokyo, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ NHK Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: Two nights at the prestigious NHK Hall. These shows are recorded for high-definition television broadcast in Japan, capturing the band’s raw stage aesthetic.
🏛️ NHK Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🗒️ Note: Two nights at the prestigious NHK Hall. These shows are recorded for high-definition television broadcast in Japan, capturing the band’s raw stage aesthetic.
📅 1992-02-07
📍 Yokohama, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Bunka Taiikukan
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🏛️ Bunka Taiikukan
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
📅 1992-02-10 & 1992-02-11
📍 Sapporo, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Kouseinenkin Kaikan
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🏛️ Kouseinenkin Kaikan
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
📅 1992-02-13
📍 Sendai, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Sunplaza Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🏛️ Sunplaza Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
📅 1992-02-14
📍 Omiya, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Sonic City Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
🏛️ Sonic City Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
📅 1992-02-17
📍 Tokyo, 🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Budokan Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
📜 Set list: Goodbye Mr. Ed, If There Is Something, Baby Universal, Crack City, I Can’t Read, You Belong in Rock n’ Roll, A Big Hurt, Bus Stop, Stateside, Under the God, Betty Wrong, I’ve Been Waiting For You, Amazing, Heaven’s in Here, Sacrificed Yourself, Working Class Hero, You Can’t Talk, Shakin’ All Over.
🗒️ Note: Final Tin Machine Performance. This historic night at the Budokan marks the end of the band’s live career. Bowie emotionally thanks the audience, knowing he is about to return to his solo career and marry Iman in April.
🏛️ Budokan Hall
🎤 Artist: Tin Machine
📜 Set list: Goodbye Mr. Ed, If There Is Something, Baby Universal, Crack City, I Can’t Read, You Belong in Rock n’ Roll, A Big Hurt, Bus Stop, Stateside, Under the God, Betty Wrong, I’ve Been Waiting For You, Amazing, Heaven’s in Here, Sacrificed Yourself, Working Class Hero, You Can’t Talk, Shakin’ All Over.
🗒️ Note: Final Tin Machine Performance. This historic night at the Budokan marks the end of the band’s live career. Bowie emotionally thanks the audience, knowing he is about to return to his solo career and marry Iman in April.
📅 1992-03-15
📍 Lausanne, 🇨🇭 Switzerland
🏛️ Private Residence
🎸 Event: Strategic Pivot: Solo Career Resumption
🗒️ Note: Following the Japan tour, Bowie privately informs his management that Tin Machine is on “indefinite hiatus.” The escalating personal issues within the band made further collaboration impossible, leading to a refocus on his upcoming marriage and solo recordings.
🏛️ Private Residence
🎸 Event: Strategic Pivot: Solo Career Resumption
🗒️ Note: Following the Japan tour, Bowie privately informs his management that Tin Machine is on “indefinite hiatus.” The escalating personal issues within the band made further collaboration impossible, leading to a refocus on his upcoming marriage and solo recordings.
📅 1992-04-20
📍 London, 🇬🇧 UK
🏛️ Wembley Stadium
🎸 Event: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
📜 Set list: Under Pressure (with Annie Lennox), All the Young Dudes (with Mick Ronson & Ian Hunter), “Heroes” (with Mick Ronson), The Lord’s Prayer.
🗒️ Note: A monumental return to the solo spotlight. The reunion with Mick Ronson is the emotional highlight. Bowie’s decision to recite ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ at the end remains one of his most debated public moments.
🏛️ Wembley Stadium
🎸 Event: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
📜 Set list: Under Pressure (with Annie Lennox), All the Young Dudes (with Mick Ronson & Ian Hunter), “Heroes” (with Mick Ronson), The Lord’s Prayer.
🗒️ Note: A monumental return to the solo spotlight. The reunion with Mick Ronson is the emotional highlight. Bowie’s decision to recite ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ at the end remains one of his most debated public moments.
📅 1992-04-24
📍 Lausanne, 🇨🇭 Switzerland
🏛️ Registry Office
🎸 Event: Civil Marriage to Iman Abdulmajid
🗒️ Note: A private civil ceremony held with only two witnesses present. This marks the beginning of a stable personal era that would deeply influence the lyrical themes of his upcoming solo work.
🏛️ Registry Office
🎸 Event: Civil Marriage to Iman Abdulmajid
🗒️ Note: A private civil ceremony held with only two witnesses present. This marks the beginning of a stable personal era that would deeply influence the lyrical themes of his upcoming solo work.
📅 1992-05-15
📍 Montreux, 🇨🇭 Switzerland
🏛️ Mountain Studios
🎸 Event: Recording: ‘Real Cool World’
🗒️ Note: Bowie records his first solo material since 1987 for the ‘Cool World’ soundtrack. This session marks his reunion with producer Nile Rodgers and establishes the electronic/dance direction for the new album.
🏛️ Mountain Studios
🎸 Event: Recording: ‘Real Cool World’
🗒️ Note: Bowie records his first solo material since 1987 for the ‘Cool World’ soundtrack. This session marks his reunion with producer Nile Rodgers and establishes the electronic/dance direction for the new album.
📅 1992-06-06
📍 Florence, 🇮🇹 Italy
🏛️ Saint James Episcopal Church
🎸 Event: The Formal Wedding Ceremony
🗒️ Note: The “Royal Wedding” attended by guests including Brian Eno, Bono, and Yoko Ono. Bowie composes instrumental pieces for the ceremony, which would later form the basis for the track ‘The Wedding Song’.
🏛️ Saint James Episcopal Church
🎸 Event: The Formal Wedding Ceremony
🗒️ Note: The “Royal Wedding” attended by guests including Brian Eno, Bono, and Yoko Ono. Bowie composes instrumental pieces for the ceremony, which would later form the basis for the track ‘The Wedding Song’.
📅 1992-06-18
📍 Montreux & New York
🏛️ Various Studios
🎸 Event: Black Tie White Noise Sessions begin
🗒️ Note: Official production starts with Nile Rodgers. Bowie invites Mick Ronson to contribute a guitar solo to ‘I Feel Free’ and recruits jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie, emphasizing the album’s soul-jazz fusion aesthetic.
🏛️ Various Studios
🎸 Event: Black Tie White Noise Sessions begin
🗒️ Note: Official production starts with Nile Rodgers. Bowie invites Mick Ronson to contribute a guitar solo to ‘I Feel Free’ and recruits jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie, emphasizing the album’s soul-jazz fusion aesthetic.
📅 1992-06-20
📍 Montreux, 🇨🇭 Switzerland
🏛️ Mountain Studios
🎸 Event: Pre-production: Black Tie White Noise
🗒️ Note: Official start of the album sessions. Bowie recruits jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie and reunites with Mick Ronson in the studio to record a guitar solo for the Cream cover ‘I Feel Free’. The session aims for a fusion of alternative soul and jazz.
🏛️ Mountain Studios
🎸 Event: Pre-production: Black Tie White Noise
🗒️ Note: Official start of the album sessions. Bowie recruits jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie and reunites with Mick Ronson in the studio to record a guitar solo for the Cream cover ‘I Feel Free’. The session aims for a fusion of alternative soul and jazz.
Part 2: Urban Fire & Studio Mastery – July/December 1992
📅 1992-07-02
📍 Worldwide Release
🏛️ Victory Music / London Records
🎸 Event: Album Release: ‘Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby’
🗒️ Note: The band’s only official live album is released, featuring recordings from the ‘It’s My Life’ tour including tracks from Northport, New York, Chicago, and Tokyo. The album experiences a poor commercial performance, peaking at No. 30 in the UK charts.
🏛️ Victory Music / London Records
🎸 Event: Album Release: ‘Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby’
🗒️ Note: The band’s only official live album is released, featuring recordings from the ‘It’s My Life’ tour including tracks from Northport, New York, Chicago, and Tokyo. The album experiences a poor commercial performance, peaking at No. 30 in the UK charts.
📅 1992-07-15
📍 New York City, 🇺🇸 USA
🏛️ The Hit Factory / Power Station
🎸 Event: Core Album Recording Sessions
🗒️ Note: Production shifts to New York. Bowie focuses on a sophisticated soul sound, prioritizing artistic exploration over the commercial polish of his mid-80s work. The sessions are characterized by a heavy reliance on jazz-infused arrangements.
🏛️ The Hit Factory / Power Station
🎸 Event: Core Album Recording Sessions
🗒️ Note: Production shifts to New York. Bowie focuses on a sophisticated soul sound, prioritizing artistic exploration over the commercial polish of his mid-80s work. The sessions are characterized by a heavy reliance on jazz-infused arrangements.
📅 1992-08-10
📍 Global Release
🏛️ Warner Bros. Records
🎸 Event: Release of ‘Real Cool World’
🗒️ Note: The first solo single in five years is released for the ‘Cool World’ soundtrack. It serves as the public’s first introduction to the electronic-dance textures and house-influenced beats of this new era.
🏛️ Warner Bros. Records
🎸 Event: Release of ‘Real Cool World’
🗒️ Note: The first solo single in five years is released for the ‘Cool World’ soundtrack. It serves as the public’s first introduction to the electronic-dance textures and house-influenced beats of this new era.
📅 1992-08-10
📍 New York City, 🇺🇸 USA
🏛️ Various Studios
🎸 Event: Recording: ‘Black Tie White Noise’ Sessions
🗒️ Note: Bowie officially enters the studio for his first solo album since 1987. Although Reeves Gabrels is invited to contribute guitar parts, the project is strictly a solo effort, effectively marking the public end of the Tin Machine collective.
🏛️ Various Studios
🎸 Event: Recording: ‘Black Tie White Noise’ Sessions
🗒️ Note: Bowie officially enters the studio for his first solo album since 1987. Although Reeves Gabrels is invited to contribute guitar parts, the project is strictly a solo effort, effectively marking the public end of the Tin Machine collective.
📅 1992-09-01
📍 New York City, 🇺🇸 USA
🏛️ The Hit Factory
🎸 Event: Writing ‘Black Tie White Noise’
🗒️ Note: Inspired by witnessing the L.A. Riots firsthand while in Los Angeles with Iman, Bowie writes the album’s title track. The lyrics reflect on racial tension and the quest for harmony between different cultures.
🏛️ The Hit Factory
🎸 Event: Writing ‘Black Tie White Noise’
🗒️ Note: Inspired by witnessing the L.A. Riots firsthand while in Los Angeles with Iman, Bowie writes the album’s title track. The lyrics reflect on racial tension and the quest for harmony between different cultures.
📅 1992-11-20
📍 New York City, 🇺🇸 USA
🏛️ Studio Finalization
🎸 Event: Completion of Studio Sessions
🗒️ Note: Recording concludes for the album tracks, including ‘Jump They Say’ and the Scott Walker cover ‘Nite Flights’. Bowie performs nearly all the saxophone parts himself, reclaiming the instrument as a central part of his sound.
🏛️ Studio Finalization
🎸 Event: Completion of Studio Sessions
🗒️ Note: Recording concludes for the album tracks, including ‘Jump They Say’ and the Scott Walker cover ‘Nite Flights’. Bowie performs nearly all the saxophone parts himself, reclaiming the instrument as a central part of his sound.
📅 1992-11-23
📍 London, 🇬🇧 UK
🏛️ Victory Music HQ
🎸 Event: The Final Single: ‘Amlapura’ (Tin Machine)
🗒️ Note: The haunting ballad ‘Amlapura’ is released as a single in select territories. It fails to chart, serving as a quiet and overlooked coda to the band’s recording career. By this time, Bowie was already fully engaged in promoting his upcoming solo work.
🏛️ Victory Music HQ
🎸 Event: The Final Single: ‘Amlapura’ (Tin Machine)
🗒️ Note: The haunting ballad ‘Amlapura’ is released as a single in select territories. It fails to chart, serving as a quiet and overlooked coda to the band’s recording career. By this time, Bowie was already fully engaged in promoting his upcoming solo work.
📅 1992-12-05
📍 London, 🇬🇧 UK
🏛️ Nick Knight Studio
🎸 Event: Album Cover Photoshoot
🗒️ Note: Photographer Nick Knight captures the close-up portrait for the ‘Black Tie White Noise’ cover. The imagery emphasizes a clean, high-fashion aesthetic to match the sophisticated tone of the music.
🏛️ Nick Knight Studio
🎸 Event: Album Cover Photoshoot
🗒️ Note: Photographer Nick Knight captures the close-up portrait for the ‘Black Tie White Noise’ cover. The imagery emphasizes a clean, high-fashion aesthetic to match the sophisticated tone of the music.