David Bowie - "Golden Years"
(live on Soul Train, 1975)

Far from the confident, rosy cheeked Bowie of Christiane F, the actual Station to Station period was not full of health and vigor for the Thin White Duke. Two guesses what he's actually full of. Here, in this amazing piece of footage, dead-eyed Dave faces a fresh faced crowd of teenage dance machines on the colossal Soul Train. He stutters and stammers out a few answers, while trying at every opportunity to shoehorn info about his avant garde sci fi film, the Man Who Fell to Earth, which the kids could care less about. Then, they switch on the lip synch, and Bowie flips a showman switch of his own. Sure he's not singing, but the transformation is still amazing considering the shrinking violet who had just been speaking. That this particular song (StS's big hit) makes so much sense in the Soul Train setting, only aids to the magic trick.

David Bowie (w/ Klaus Nomi) - "TVC15"
(live on Saturday Night Live, 1980)

You have to love a big star who uses high profile public appearances to mess with people, and get wider exposure for cult figures in the process. Here, by 1980, Dave looks in much better health than he did during the original Station publicity. The fetching ladies suit is just a smokescreen for the real bizarro aspect, performance art cabaret types, Klaus Nomi and his band member Joey Arias, freaking it up in the background. They pull in a TV mouthed poodle, mime around, and add back-up vocals, maybe? Anyway, I firmly admire the weirdness. All Arcade Fire attempted was a weak, weak, guitar smash. Not even some of their patented drumming on a helmet enthusiasm. Of course, Bowie's song is once again impeccable. The pop/soul/funk of Young Americans beginning to bleed away towards Low's prickly brilliance. An under appreciated gem.

David Bowie - "Stay"
(Dinah Shore Show, 1976)

The Dinah Shore show was like an even lamer 70's version of the Ellen Degeneres Show or the View aimed squarely at the housewife set. For full blown what the fuck factor, nothing can beat the footage of Dave backing up his man Iggy Pop in that white bread setting. I can't believe no one has uploaded that one to You Tube, but the snippets you can see here are amazing. Back to the subject at hand, we have suave David charming the ladies with his liquid samba dance moves, Carlos Alomar's giant afro swaying in time for support. Of further note is how with it, Henry "Fonz" Winkler is, immediately ready to vouch for Bowie's importance and then standing still, uncomfortably grinning.

David Bowie - "Sister Midnight"
(1976 rehearsal footage)

Though I share the deepest sorrow for the absence of the full Iggy/Dinah interaction, it's still important to note the symbiotic Pop-Bowie relationship. This high quality rehearsal footage shows David tackling "Sister Midnight," a track that could have seamlessly added some dark heft to Station to Station, but instead found a home on Iggy's Bowie produced classic the Idiot. Production wise, the Idiot was basically a dry run for the Low sessions to come, all dark rhythm and detached vocals. He handles it well, but the delegation was probably the better choice. This song just aches for a sneering roughness that seems a bit too much like play acting coming from the frail Duke.

Bonus: Bowie participates in Karate lesson
(Dinah Shore show, 1976)

Self explanatory.