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Ricochet: David Bowie 1983: An Intimate Portrait
A breathtaking, never-before-seen glimpse into life on tour with David Bowie, by the late singer's official tour photographer
In 1983 David Bowie set out on the Serious Moonlight Tour, his biggest ever. On the road with him was his official photographer, Denis O'Regan. Few artists and photographers have had such a close touring relationship. This book is the result: a never-before-seen photographic portrait of a year with Bowie, from the theatre of performance to his most unguarded moments. Introduced by O'Regan and with every single image personally approved by Bowie, this is an intimate view of an icon at the height of his fame.
In 1983 David Bowie set out on the Serious Moonlight Tour, his biggest ever. On the road with him was his official photographer, Denis O'Regan. Few artists and photographers have had such a close touring relationship. This book is the result: a never-before-seen photographic portrait of a year with Bowie, from the theatre of performance to his most unguarded moments. Introduced by O'Regan and with every single image personally approved by Bowie, this is an intimate view of an icon at the height of his fame.
- GenresNonfictionMusic
328 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 26, 2018
This book contains a series of images of a famous artist during one of his tours.
I found many of the photographs captivating, but the lack of captions was a bit disappointing – as this would have added context to the pictures.
I found many of the photographs captivating, but the lack of captions was a bit disappointing – as this would have added context to the pictures.
February 6, 2019
As a huge David Bowie fan I was excited to receive this book for Christmas. Full of beautiful photos following Bowie throughout his Serious Moonlight tour, this book is a must have for any fan. I especially love that this book isn't full of the same stage performance photos you see time and time again but photos of David behind the scenes.
October 23, 2020
3+. Created by Bowie's photographer on the Serious Moonlight Tour of 1983 (Let's Dance album), with Bowie's collaboration/approval. I was in the audience at the Rosemont Horizon (outside Chicago).
June 24, 2019
Wow, such beautiful photos!
January 28, 2022
Astonishing photos. Better captions would improve...
August 24, 2022
Great book. But could have been so much better if the pictures were in chronological order.
Now it's just random photos
Now it's just random photos
February 8, 2024
A glimpse of this fantastic artist. Great pictures mainly of the man himself. Such a talented person .
March 14, 2019
This is probably going to be quite a short review, because there’s not a whole lot that can be said about the book in question.
It’s a book of photos.
Of David Bowie.
On tour.
Approved by him.
It is, as you would expect, fabulous.
The shots are culled by the photographer, Denis O’Regan, and given royal approval by the Dame before he passed away. And they’re spectacular. Not because they capture one of rock’s great performers on tour at his uncontested commercial peak, but because they are, in 1983, prefiguring the ceaseless trade in candid photography that typifies online communication today.
Here’s a bloke walking down a flooded street. Here he is in a moment’s respite from the gym. And here he is waiting for luggage with his other fellow travellers.
The difference is that the bloke is David fucking Bowie, and even in his most bouffant-heavy stage of life, he still looks unearthly, and far more attractive than any human has any right to. Yes, even with those teeth.
That’s the real joy of the book: that Denis O’Regan has been able to take someone whose appearance, whose reputation was so lofty, and present him as a regular guy, True, there’s iconic photography here - certainly there’s some you’ll have seen before - but there’s also a pissed-off guy on a flight throwing the finger. There’s a bloke reading the paper. And, more often than not, there’s a man hanging out with his friends, cigarette in hand, smiling broadly.
It’s so human, and so warm that you kind of forget that his friends are, er, Mick, Jerry and Grace.
And even though there’s plenty of technically perfect shots of the guy on stage, the ones that really stand out are the ones that aren’t perfect: the ones that are a little blurred, or slightly wrong. Because they capture the moment, and the person.
Ricochet, shot through with handwritten lyrics from the song that gave it its title, is a precious time capsule. To look through it is to see a little bit of the Bowie that still lives on inside you, if ever you loved him.
And you did, admit it.
It’s a book of photos.
Of David Bowie.
On tour.
Approved by him.
It is, as you would expect, fabulous.
The shots are culled by the photographer, Denis O’Regan, and given royal approval by the Dame before he passed away. And they’re spectacular. Not because they capture one of rock’s great performers on tour at his uncontested commercial peak, but because they are, in 1983, prefiguring the ceaseless trade in candid photography that typifies online communication today.
Here’s a bloke walking down a flooded street. Here he is in a moment’s respite from the gym. And here he is waiting for luggage with his other fellow travellers.
The difference is that the bloke is David fucking Bowie, and even in his most bouffant-heavy stage of life, he still looks unearthly, and far more attractive than any human has any right to. Yes, even with those teeth.
That’s the real joy of the book: that Denis O’Regan has been able to take someone whose appearance, whose reputation was so lofty, and present him as a regular guy, True, there’s iconic photography here - certainly there’s some you’ll have seen before - but there’s also a pissed-off guy on a flight throwing the finger. There’s a bloke reading the paper. And, more often than not, there’s a man hanging out with his friends, cigarette in hand, smiling broadly.
It’s so human, and so warm that you kind of forget that his friends are, er, Mick, Jerry and Grace.
And even though there’s plenty of technically perfect shots of the guy on stage, the ones that really stand out are the ones that aren’t perfect: the ones that are a little blurred, or slightly wrong. Because they capture the moment, and the person.
Ricochet, shot through with handwritten lyrics from the song that gave it its title, is a precious time capsule. To look through it is to see a little bit of the Bowie that still lives on inside you, if ever you loved him.
And you did, admit it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews