John Richards

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Show with John! David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, was released on this day in 2016, also his birthday (born 1947). And then, two days later, he died.

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947. You can go enjoy the classic 1972 music video for "Space Oddity" here: bit.ly This track was the first and only single released in advance of Bowie's 1969 self-titled second album.

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947. In his 2003 interview with Performing Songwriter magazine, Bowie explains that the song "Inchworm," which was sung by Danny Kaye in the 1952 movie Hans Christian Andersen, was a big influence on "Ashes To Ashes." Said Bowie: "I loved it as a kid and it's stayed with me forever. I keep going back to it. You wouldn't believe the amount of my songs that have sort of spun off that one song. Not that you'd really recognize it. Something like 'Ashes to Ashes' wouldn't have happened if it hadn't have been for 'Inchworm.' www.songfacts.com This song is also about David Bowie’s own experiences with addiction. In 1977, David Bowie’s friend and producer Brian Eno brought David Bowie to Berlin to begin recovery. This journey resulted in three seminal David Bowie albums: Low, Heroes, and Lodger. They are known as The Berlin Trilogy, also called his “Berlin Period.”

On this day in 1990, Sinéad O'Connor released "Nothing Compares 2 U," a song originally written and composed by Prince. It was released as the second single from her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Prince wrote and recorded this song in 1984, but didn't release it. Instead, he gave it to The Family, a band that was signed to his Paisley Park record label. The Family released the song on their 1985 self-titled album, which ended up being their only LP. Their version was never released as a single and the song was seldom heard until Sinéad O'Connor covered it five years later. This album was nominated for four Grammy Awards in 1991, including Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Music Video, Short Form for "Nothing Compares 2 U", winning the award for Best Alternative Music Performance. However, O'Connor refused to accept the nominations and award.

For YOUR Washington Huskies! Prince admitted the success of this film and its music was overwhelming. "In some ways Purple Rain scared me," he noted in The Observer. "It's my albatross and it'll be hanging around my neck as long as I'm making music."

Happy birthday to Andrew Wood, born on this day in 1966. American singer-songwriter of Mother Love Bone and Malfunkshun, he is cited as one of the "founding fathers" of the Seattle's grunge movement. He died March 19, 1990 at 24 years old. Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" tells the story of Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood, his heroin addiction, and his fiancé, Xana La Fuente. La Fuente danced in a strip club to support the pair as Wood tried to break through in the music industry, hence the "dancer" in the title. She only lasted one hour before deciding it wasn't for her. - bit.ly -- Watch Pearl Jam cover "Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns" at Madison Square Garden last year: www.youtube.com

This is the title song from Gabriel's newest album. He says, "...“i/o” means 'input / output.' You see it on the back of a lot of electrical equipment and it just triggered some ideas about the stuff we put in and pull out of ourselves, in physical and non-physical ways. That was the starting point of this idea and then trying to talk about the interconnectedness of everything. The older I get, I probably don’t get any smarter, but I have learned a few things and it makes a lot of sense to me that we are not these independent islands that we like to think we are, that we are part of a whole. If we can see ourselves as better connected, still messed up individuals, but as part of a whole, then maybe there’s something to learn?"

By request for Kathleen! Australian alt-rock trio Middle Kids' new album, "Faith Crisis Pt. 1," will be out on February 16th. -- “I grew up with a solid framework for what life is, but I got to a point when I started to question some of the fundamental truths of what I believed. It was very painful and disorienting. I began to have this feeling that I couldn’t hold together all the things I valued, family, creativity, work, safety, community, spirituality,” says lead singer Hannah Joy about "Bend." -- Watch her in the video for this powerful song: www.youtube.com

#539 on the listener voted best albums of the last 50 years! R.I.P., beloved Shawn Smith., who died in 2019 at age 53: www.kexp.org Here's a live performance at KEXP that includes "The Day Brings": www.youtube.com

New music from J Mascis! The album, 'What Do We Do Now' is out February 2. Enjoy Live Video from the Dinosaur, Jr. front man's 2018 KEXP In-Studio, hosted by DJ Troy Nelson with Sub Pop CEO Megan Jasper! bit.ly www.jmascis.com

We just got our hands on a Wilco cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” released on the day Bowie would have turned 77 years old. The band said in a statement: “... it’s always an honor and a challenge to tackle any of David Bowie’s space-soaring arrangements. Striving to reach the heights of his freedom and talent is a wise goal for any band.” Recorded in April, Wilco's version appears on a forthcoming compilation called Live on Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers. Out April 19, the album gathers performances from NPR Music and West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage live performance show.

A Depeche Mode cover of "Heroes" on what would have been David Bowie's 76th birthday.

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947. Bowie played the sax on this track, and his guitarist, Mick Ronson, arranged the strings. Rick Wakeman, who would later became a member of the prog rock band, Yes, played the piano parts at the beginning and end. The piano Wakeman played? The famous 100-year old Bechstein at Trident Studios used by Elton John, The Beatles and Genesis

Mannequin Pussy is coming to The Crocodile on Tuesday, April 30th, 2024. -- Here's a review of "I Don't Know You," "a delirious float of a song that revels in the obsessive joys of tending to a new crush.": exclaim.ca

TORRES plays a 21+ show at Neumos in Seattle on Tuesday, March 26th, 2024! -- Mackenzie Scott's first album since 2021's "Thirstier,' will be released on January 26th. It features “Collect,” which Scott calls “the rage song I’ve been trying to write for years.” -- See the Dani Okon-directed video: www.youtube.com

Seattle's Goodness was led by Carrie Akre, formerly of Hammerbox and also a solo artist. Goodness features Akre (vocals), Danny Newcomb (lead guitar), Garth Reeves (guitar), Fiia McGann (bass), and Chris Friel (drums). Akre, Friel, and Newcomb later joined Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Rick Friel to form the rock band The Rockfords. --- Goodness performed "Superwise" at Neumos/Moes 10/20 year celebration in 2014: www.youtube.com

Echo & The Bunny People will be at the Showbox SoDo on June 3rd, a 21+ event. Take me to the top I need more not less And don't ever tell me when to stop

"Affliction" is the second single from the forthcoming album Signal to Noise coming February 2024. This release includes the single and never before released "B-Side" the demo version of "Affliction". (bandcamp) blacknitecrash.bandcamp.com

For Stephen in Dallas! Don't you love the great bass line in this song? Here's a live version from 2019: www.youtube.com Adorable's debut album 'Against Perfection' turned 30 last year; originally released March 1, 1993. albumism.com

A Bowie cover on what would have been his 77th birthday! Enjoy this article about "Bowieology" and the field of Bowie studies: lareviewofbooks.org

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947. "Hey man, oh Henry, don’t be unkind, go away..." Here's an in-depth analysis of this second single from David Bowie's famous glam-rock album: americansongwriter.com

This is the thirteenth track from Modest Mouse's debut album, released on April 16th, 1996. Modest Mouse's first two albums were re-released in 2014 by Isaac Brock's Glacial Pace imprint. Calling them "best new reissue," Pitchfork said "they are a reminder of the group's insular, visionary oddness.": bit.ly

"LAST CHEMO! I am so thankful for modern medicine and that the treatment worked on me for my second rodeo. I wore a kimono to every chemo as did friends here and from around the globe. Today we will march around in our kimonos after treatment on first hill. If you see us give us a honk! Can you play Durand Jones "lord have mercy" to get the chemo party started? F cancer Love Dawnelle in Rainer Beach with the best support team EVER"

On this day in1935, Elvis Presley, aka The King, American singer, guitarist, and actor (The Blue Moon Boys) was born. He died August 16, 1977 aged 42.

Wow! This Robyn Hitchcock ditty was the first song we played when we moved into our new home -- an amazing venue for the station, for gathering and listening to live music, and for providing support to touring artists - thanks to the support of our listeners! Learn more from this 2015 article at The Stranger: tinyurl.com

Our own Larry Mizell, Jr. was the host when Blue Scholars performed "Slick Watts" live in the Caffe Vita Bean Room at the 2010 Capitol Hill Block Party: www.youtube.com

Arrows is the third studio album by the Anacortes, Washington-based band The Lonely Forest - thelonelyforest.bandcamp.com --- Here's The Lonely Forest performing "I Don't Want To Live There" live from the Bumbershoot Music Lounge in 2014 - www.youtube.com

Echo & The Bunny People will be at the Showbox SoDo on June 3rd, a 21+ event. This song first appeared on the Echo & The Bunnymen compilation album Songs To Learn & Sing in 1985, where it was the only new song on the track list. The following year, it was used in the movie Pretty In Pink. - www.songfacts.com --- - www.bunnymen.com

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947! In 1973, Bowie spoke to NME about this song: "I wanted to get the same sound the Stones had on their very first album on the harmonica. I didn't get that near to it, but it had a feel that I wanted – that '60s thing." - www.songfacts.com

Sleater-Kinney will be at The Showbox (with Palehound) on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 2nd and 3rd, 2024. -- Their tenth studio album (and second since the departure of drummer Janet Weiss), "Little Rope," will be out on January 19th. www.sleater-kinney.com

"Miss Misery" was featured in the closing credits and the soundtrack of the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, the song was nominated for Best Original Song in the 1998 Academy Awards. He was beat out by Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' from the Titanic soundtrack.

By request on what would have been his 77th birthday, this Bowie cover appeared in the Life Aquatic. "Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs acoustically in Portuguese," Bowie noted in the album's liner notes, "I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with." - bit.ly

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947! Five more years! This is the opening track to "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars." An announcement airs that the world will end in five years' time because of a lack of natural resources. David Bowie chose five years as the length of time following a dream he had in 1971 in which his late father came to him and told him that he had only five years left to live and that he must never fly again.

Happy birthday to David Bowie, born on this day in 1947! Enjoy this a cappella version where you can truly hear the talent behind Bowie and Freddie Mercury's vocal ranges.

GO HUSKIES!