David Bowie 1970-1971 Wonder The Chronology

📍 Beckenham, England
🏛️ The Three Tuns Public House
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ The Arts Lab

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: ‘The Prettiest Star’
🗒️ Notes: On his 23rd birthday, David records a new single featuring Marc Bolan on lead guitar. The session, produced by Tony Visconti, was reportedly tense due to the rivalry between the two stars.

📍 Beckenham, England
🏛️ The Three Tuns Public House
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ The Arts Lab

📍 Lewisham, London, England
🏛️ Old Tiger Heads
🎤 David Bowie

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: ‘The Prettiest Star’ (Final Mix)
🗒️ Notes: Completion of the single. David also prepares for a short promotional trip to Scotland.

📍 Beckenham, England
🏛️ The Tree Tuns Public House
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ The Arts Lab

📍 Beckenham, Kent 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Three Tuns

🎤 Artist: David Bowie
🗒️ Notes: David’s final regular Sunday night appearance at the Beckenham Arts Lab. After this, he officially shifts his focus to his new electric band and rehearsals at Haddon Hall.

📍 Aberdeen, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
🏛️ Johnston Hall, University of Aberdeen

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Trio)
🗒️ Notes: Following his TV appearance on ‘Cairngorm Ski Night’, David performs with Tony Visconti and Tex Johnson. This rare Scottish gig was organized to cover travel costs for the trip north.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Marquee Club / Haddon Hall

🎸 Event: First meeting with Mick Ronson
🗒️ Notes: John Cambridge brings guitarist Mick Ronson from Hull to meet David at the Marquee. They retreat to Haddon Hall later that day to rehearse. The chemistry is instant.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ BBC Paris Cinema

📻 Session: The Sunday Show (John Peel)
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: First major performance with the new electric line-up.
Setlist: ‘Amsterdam’, ‘God Knows I’m Good’, ‘Buzz The Fuzz’, ‘Karma Man’, ‘London Bye Ta-Ta’, ‘An Occasional Dream’, ‘The Width Of A Circle’, ‘Janine’, ‘Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud’, ‘Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed’, ‘Fill Your Heart’, ‘The Prettiest Star’, ‘Cygnet Committee’.

📍 Beckenham, England
🏛️ The Three Tuns Public House
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ The Arts Lab (Sunday Session)

📍 Chalk Farm, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Roundhouse (Implosion Club)

🎤 Artist: The Hype (Live Debut)
🗒️ Notes: David (Rainbowman), Mick (Gangsterman), Tony (Hypeman) and John (Cowboyman) perform in superhero costumes. The audience is baffled, but Glam Rock is born.

📍 London, England
🏛️ Streatham Arms
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ Harry The Butcher

📍 Basildon, Essex 🇬🇧
🏛️ Basildon Arts Centre

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: An early gig where the band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound continues to evolve.

📍 Beckenham, England
🏛️ The Three Tuns Public House
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ The Arts Lab (Final Sunday Session)

📍 Hounslow, England
🏛️ The White Bear
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: One of the earliest club dates for the new electric line-up.

📍 London, UK 🇬🇧
🏛️ Mercury Records

💿 Release: ‘The Prettiest Star’ / ‘Conversation Piece’
🗒️ Notes: Official release of the single. Featuring Marc Bolan on guitar.

📍 Hull, England
🏛️ Hull University
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Mick Ronson’s homecoming gig. The band travels to Hull on the day of the single release.

📍 London, England
🏛️ Regent Street Polytechnic
🎤 Artist: The Hype

📍 London, UK 🇬🇧
🏛️ Advision Studios

🎧 Recording: Album Rehearsals
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: The band works on heavy arrangements for the upcoming album during daytime rehearsals.

📍 Camden, London, England
🏛️ The Roundhouse, Atomic Sunrise Festival
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Evening performance at the ‘Atomic Sunrise’ festival.

📍 Sunderland, England
🏛️ Filmore North, Locarno Ballroom
🎤 Artist: The Hype

📍 Bromley, Kent 🇬🇧
🏛️ Bromley Register Office

💍 Event: Wedding Day
🗒️ Notes: David marries Angela Barnett. The ceremony is low-key, followed by a small gathering. This partnership would define much of his 70s image.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Playhouse Theatre (BBC)

📻 Session: Sounds of the 70s
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: The final recording session featuring John Cambridge on drums.

📍 West Croydon, England
🏛️ The Star Hotel, Broad Green
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: A chaotic gig where the band’s new “superhero” costumes continue to polarize the audience.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Office of Kenneth Pitt

⚖️ Event: Termination of Management
🗒️ Notes: David informs Kenneth Pitt that he no longer requires his services. A pivotal move that shifts his career towards a more aggressive, commercial direction.

📍 Scarborough, England
🏛️ The Penthouse
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ Cancelled

📍 Heaton Chapel, Stockport, England
🏛️ Poco-A-Poco Club
🎤 David Bowie
🗒️ Cancelled

📍 Harrogate, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Harrogate Theatre

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: Optreden met 12-snarige gitaar en Revox-bandrecorder. The Hype speelt niet mee omdat er op dit moment geen drummer is.

📍 Heaton Chapel, Stockport, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Poco-A-Poco Club

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: Tweede nood-optreden zonder band. Het publiek reageert koel op de solo-set met tapes; de roep om een volledige rockband (The Hype) wordt groot.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Haddon Hall

🎸 Event: Woody Woodmansey joins the band
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Met de komst van drummer Woody Woodmansey uit Hull is de klassieke bezetting van The Hype weer compleet. Repetities voor het nieuwe album beginnen direct.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ LWT Studios

📺 TV: The Cilla Black Show (Recording)
🗒️ Notes: David records a performance of ‘The Prettiest Star’. However, the performance is never broadcast and the tape is later wiped, making it a “lost” piece of history.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Advision Studios

🎧 Recording: The Man Who Sold The World (Sessions)
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: De band begint officieel aan de opnames voor het nieuwe album. De zware, elektrische sound van The Hype wordt hier vastgelegd.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: The Man Who Sold The World (Sessions)
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Voortzetting van de albumsessies. De ritmesectie van Visconti en Woodmansey begint hier de strakke, zware basis te leggen voor nummers als ‘The Width of a Circle’.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: The Man Who Sold The World (Sessions)
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: David werkt aan zanglijnen terwijl de band experimenteert met de arrangementen. De sfeer is gefocust nu de nieuwe line-up op elkaar ingespeeld raakt.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Talk of the Town

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: David receives an Ivor Novello Award for ‘Space Oddity’. He performs the song accompanied by the Les Reed Orchestra. The event is broadcast live via satellite to several countries.

📍 Scarborough, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Penthouse

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Originally scheduled for April 2, this rescheduled gig marks the first live performance with Woody Woodmansey on drums. The band’s heavy, electric sound is now fully formed.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Advision Studios

🎧 Recording: The Man Who Sold The World (Final Sessions)
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Completion of the album’s core tracks. The chemistry between Ronson, Visconti, and Woodmansey during these sessions creates the definitive ‘heavy’ sound of the record.

📍 London, UK 🇬🇧
🏛️ Mercury Records

💿 Release: ‘Memory of a Free Festival’ (Single)
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Release of the re-recorded, more electric version of the song. This marks the studio debut of Mick Woodmansey on a Bowie record. Despite its anthemic quality, it fails to chart.

📍 Cambridge, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Jesus College, Cambridge University (May Ball)

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Performance at the college’s May Ball. Despite being billed as David Bowie, he performs an acoustic-leaning set with The Hype (Ronson, Visconti, and Woodmansey).

📍 Manchester, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ BBC Studios (Manchester)

📻 Session: The Dave Lee Travis Show
🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Recording session for the BBC. The band performs ‘The Width of a Circle’ and ‘Waiting for the Man’, showcasing their increasingly heavy live sound.

📍 Shortlands, Bromley, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Queens Mead Recreation Grounds

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Beckenham Summer Festival. A year after the original festival, David and the band perform a heavy set. This is often cited as one of the last true Arts Lab events.

📍 Camden, London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Roundhouse (Implosion)

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: The band performs alongside Kevin Ayers and Bridget St John. Their electric, proto-metal sound continues to baffle yet intrigue the underground audience.

📍 Southend-on-Sea, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Fickle-Pickle Club (The Cricketers Inn)

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: A standard club date where the band further refines the material for the upcoming album.

📍 North Acton, London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ The White Hart

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: Performance at a popular local rock venue. The chemistry between Ronson and Bowie is now the focal point of the live show.

📍 Southend-on-Sea, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Eastwoodbury Lane (Shelter Charity)

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: An open-air charity concert for the homeless. The Hype performs a powerful set, despite the makeshift stage and local festival atmosphere.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Gem Projects Offices

⚖️ Event: Partnership with Tony Defries
🗒️ Notes: David officially signs with Tony Defries and his firm, Gem Projects. Defries begins the process of ‘re-packaging’ Bowie, leading to the eventual creation of Mainman and the global success of the 70s.

📍 Hampstead, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Haverstock Arms

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: A performance at this popular Hampstead pub. The band’s heavy, electrified set continues to showcase the evolving chemistry between Bowie and Ronson.

📍 Scarborough, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Penthouse

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: A return to the venue where they performed in May. Despite growing internal tensions between David and the band members, The Hype delivers a heavy, electric set characteristic of this period.

📍 Southall, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ The White Hart

🎤 Artist: The Hype
🗒️ Notes: One of the final performances of the original Hype line-up. Shortly after this period, Tony Visconti would depart to focus on production.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Seymour Hall

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: A solo acoustic performance for a Gay Liberation Front (GLF) benefit. This rare appearance occurs while The Hype is effectively in hiatus following internal disagreements.

📍 United States 🇺🇸
🏛️ Mercury Records

💿 Album Release: The Man Who Sold The World (USA)
🗒️ Notes: The album is released in the US nearly six months before the UK. It features the “cartoon” cover art. Critics are impressed by the heavy, guitar-driven sound of The Hype, but initial sales are slow.

📍 Beckenham, Kent 🇬🇧
🏛️ Haddon Hall

🎧 Event: Writing Sessions
🗒️ Notes: David spends the month in his flat at Haddon Hall, composing on his new Chappell grand piano. Many songs for ‘Hunky Dory’, including ‘Changes’, begin to take shape during these weeks.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Gem Projects

⚖️ Event: End of the Transition Year
🗒️ Notes: David ends 1970 having fully transitioned from a folk-singer to a heavy rock frontman with The Hype. Under Tony Defries’ guidance, plans are finalized for David’s first promotional trip to the USA in early 1971.

📍 London Heathrow Airport 🇬🇧
🏛️ Departure for USA

✈️ Event: First Trip to America
🗒️ Notes: David leaves for his first promotional tour of the US. Famously, he wears a Liberty-print ‘man-dress’ designed by Michael Fish, causing a stir at customs and during his stay.

📍 Washington D.C., USA 🇺🇸
🏛️ Mercury Records Promotion

📸 Event: US Press Tour Begins
🗒️ Notes: David begins a series of interviews to promote ‘The Man Who Sold The World’. This trip is purely for promotion; due to visa restrictions, he is not allowed to perform live.

📍 Hollywood, Los Angeles 🇺🇸
🏛️ Radio & Press Interviews

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Promo)
🗒️ Notes: Bowie conducts a marathon of interviews wearing his Michael Fish dress. He famously tells journalists: “The skirt is the next big thing for men.”

📍 Los Angeles, USA 🇺🇸
🏛️ Home of Tom Ayres

🤝 Event: Meeting Iggy Pop
🗒️ Notes: David meets his idol **Iggy Pop** for the first time at a party hosted by Tom Ayres. This meeting is a pivotal moment in rock history, influencing David’s future direction.

📍 New York City, USA 🇺🇸
🏛️ Max’s Kansas City

🤝 Event: Meeting the Warhol Crowd
🗒️ Notes: David meets members of **The Factory**. He also meets **Lou Reed** for the first time, although he later famously admitted he initially mistook Doug Yule for Lou.

📍 Beckenham, Kent 🇬🇧
🏛️ Haddon Hall

🎸 Event: Trevor Bolder joins the band
🗒️ Notes: Mick Ronson recruits bassist Trevor Bolder from Hull to replace Tony Visconti. The classic line-up of the future Spiders from Mars is now fully assembled for the first time.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Radio & Press

💿 Event: UK Release of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’
🗒️ Notes: The album is finally released in the UK by Mercury Records. It features the iconic **Michael Fish dress** cover (the ‘drag’ cover), which causes significant controversy in the British press.

📍 Stepney, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Greyhound

🎤 Artist: David Bowie
🗒️ Notes: A low-key gig where David reportedly performed a mix of older material and new songs on acoustic guitar, testing the waters before the full band return at the Roundhouse.

📍 Camden, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ The Roundhouse

🎤 Artist: David Bowie & Friends
🗒️ Notes: First live appearance of the new line-up featuring Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, and Woody Woodmansey. This rhythm section would soon become famous as The Spiders from Mars.

📍 Hilversum, Netherlands 🇳🇱
🏛️ Studio Maslow (AVRO TopPop)

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: David records a legendary promotional clip for the single ‘Holy Holy’. He famously performs wearing the blue Michael Fish ‘man-dress’.

📍 Brussels, Belgium 🇧🇪
🏛️ Amerikaans Theater (BRT)

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: Performance for the program ‘Tienerklanken’. David appears in the Michael Fish dress and is interviewed about his unconventional outfit, showcasing his provocative new image to the Belgian public.

📍 Paris, France 🇫🇷
🏛️ Studio de l’ORTF

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: Arrival in Paris for a three-day promotional visit (May 5–7) for the French release of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’. David conducts various TV and press interviews.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: Hunky Dory (Start of Sessions)
🎤 Artist: David Bowie & The Band
🗒️ Notes: Official start of the album sessions. While focusing on piano tracks with Rick Wakeman, this date also marks the first time the Ronson/Bolder/Woodmansey trio works together in the studio. These are the very first ‘sparks’ of what will become The Spiders from Mars.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Press Interviews

📸 Event: Promotion of ‘Holy Holy’
🗒️ Notes: Despite the focus on new album material, David continues to promote his recent single in the UK press, often discussing his ‘bisexual’ image and the ‘man-dress’ concept.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: ‘Life On Mars?’
🎤 Artist: David Bowie & The Band
🗒️ Notes: Work begins on one of David’s most enduring masterpieces. The sessions are fast-paced, with the band recording much of the core material in just a few takes.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ BBC Paris Cinema (In Concert)

📻 Session: The John Peel Show
🎤 Artist: David Bowie & Friends
🗒️ Notes: A 60-minute special featuring the live debut of many ‘Hunky Dory’ songs. Setlist: ‘Queen Bitch’, ‘Bombers’, ‘The Supermen’, ‘Looking For A Friend’, ‘Almost Grown’, ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’, ‘Kooks’, ‘Song For Bob Dylan’, ‘Andy Warhol’, ‘It Ain’t Easy’.

📍 Pilton, Somerset 🇬🇧
🏛️ Worthy Farm (Glastonbury Fayre)

🎤 Artist: David Bowie (Solo)
🗒️ Notes: David performs a legendary solo set at dawn (approx. 5:00 AM). Accompanied by his 12-string guitar and piano, he debuts new songs like ‘Changes’ and ‘Life On Mars?’. He famously refuses to be paid for the performance.

📍 Hampstead, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Country Club, Haverstock Hill

🎤 Artist: David Bowie & Friends
🗒️ Notes: A warm-up gig featuring the Hunky Dory line-up (Ronson, Bolder, Woodmansey). This performance in a small club setting is crucial for the band’s development before recording the Ziggy Stardust material.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Gem Projects / RCA Records

💿 Event: The ‘BOWPROMO’ Pressing
🗒️ Notes: 500 white-label promo LPs are pressed to secure a new record deal. It features early mixes of ‘Hunky Dory’ tracks. This strategic move by Tony Defries directly leads to David signing with RCA Records.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Marquee Club

🎸 Event: Mick Ronson Guest Appearance
🗒️ Notes: David watches from the audience as Mick Ronson performs as a guest guitarist with Michael Chapman. This shows the growing stature of Ronson as a guitar hero in the London scene.

📍 Hampstead, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Country Club, Haverstock Hill

🎤 Artist: David Bowie & Friends
🗒️ Notes: Another club date with the future ‘Spiders’ line-up. The band is incredibly tight, having just finished the bulk of the Hunky Dory recordings.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
🗒️ Notes: Official start of the recording sessions for the next album. Tracks like ‘Hang On To Yourself’ and ‘It Ain’t Easy’ are worked on. The transition to the Ziggy persona begins here.

📍 Aylesbury, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Friars Club

🎤 Artist: David Bowie & Band
🗒️ Notes: Cancelled. The performance is rescheduled to September 25, allowing the band more time to rehearse the new ‘Ziggy Stardust’ material.

📍 Aylesbury, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Borough Assembly Hall (Friars)

🎤 Artist: David Bowie
🗒️ Notes: A legendary performance. David debuts his new look with red plastic boots and performs songs from ‘Hunky Dory’ and the upcoming ‘Ziggy Stardust’. The crowd’s ecstatic reaction convinces David he is on the right path to stardom.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ Press & Media Appearances

📸 Event: First Meeting with Mick Rock
🗒️ Notes: David meets photographer Mick Rock for the first time. This marks the beginning of a legendary collaboration that would document the entire Ziggy Stardust era and create some of the most iconic images in rock history.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: Ziggy Stardust Sessions
🎤 Artist: David Bowie & The Band
🗒️ Notes: Intensive recording sessions for the ‘Ziggy Stardust’ album. The band (Ronson, Bolder, Woodmansey) records the definitive versions of ‘Star’, ‘Hang On To Yourself’, and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’.

📍 Soho, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Trident Studios

🎧 Recording: Album Track Perfection
🎤 Artist: David Bowie & The Band
🗒️ Notes: Recording and overdubbing sessions for ‘Velvet Goldmine’ and ‘Sweet Head’. Although these tracks were ultimately left off the original Ziggy album, they showcase the high energy and productivity of the band during this month.

📍 Greenwich, London 🇬🇧
🏛️ Underhill Studios

🎤 Artist: David Bowie & The Band
🗒️ Notes: Start of intensive rehearsals for the upcoming Ziggy Stardust studio sessions. Working in this converted warehouse, the line-up of Ronson, Bolder, and Woodmansey (the future Spiders from Mars) finalizes the arrangements for ‘Suffragette City’ and ‘Moonage Daydream’.

📍 London, England 🇬🇧
🏛️ BBC Television Centre

📺 TV: The Old Grey Whistle Test
🎤 Artist: David Bowie
🗒️ Notes: David performs ‘Queen Bitch’ and ‘Changes’ live. It is a landmark television appearance that showcases his new, sharper style to a national audience just before the album release.

📍 London, UK 🇬🇧
🏛️ RCA Records

💿 Album Release: Hunky Dory
🗒️ Notes: The official UK release of the album. Though critics at Melody Maker and NME give it rave reviews, the album is not an immediate commercial hit. It will take the success of Ziggy Stardust in 1972 to pull this masterpiece into the charts.

📍 Beckenham, Kent 🇬🇧
🏛️ Haddon Hall

🥂 Event: New Year’s Eve 1971
🗒️ Notes: David ends the year with his family and inner circle at Haddon Hall. With the Ziggy Stardust album nearly finished in the vaults, the stage is set for 1972 to be the year of his global breakthrough.