How does music reflect the times we live in directly or indirectly? They say “Music is a healing force”. Well, the music of my first professional band, The Collective, had a lot to heal for the world of 1971. The times were a’changing! The Vietnam War was raging and on May 4, 1970, four Kent State University students (down the road from Antioch College and the home base of The Collective) were killed and nine injured when members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire during a demonstration protesting the Vietnam War. It was barely 3 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. Black Panthers Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were gunned down in Chicago on December 4, 1969. All this was happening when I thought to form The Collective in collaboration with Antioch music professor Lester Knibbs and my future wife Margaux Simmons.
Fifty-Two Years: The Complete Singles “ includes both sides of every single – all in their original mixes/edits – that Bowie released in his five decade long career. As the music industry moved away from 7? 45s in the ’90s and ’00s and toward CD EPs, 12? dance mixes and downloads, every effort was made to keep with the original singles concept so some of these other formats are included, if there were unique versions, and it appeared that The Thin White Duke had intended it to be a stand alone release or to promote a new album. Each of his forays into different genres/personas are fully documented here.