David Bowie | A Space Oddity-era letter, outlining Bowie's entrepreneurial endeavors

David Bowie

Autograph letter signed (“Bowie”), to Dick Jones of The Drama Band

3 ¼ pages (204 x 330mm). Written recto and verso, on two leaves, in felt tip pen, written from Flat 1, 24 Foxgrove Road, Beckenham, Kent, [summer 1969]; old folds, some marginal browning, staple at upper left, a few holes primarily at folds and closed tears.

"There you go, baby..." 

In the summer of 1969, around the time Space Oddity was released as a single, David Bowie wrote to Dick Jones of The Drama Band, inviting him to perform at the Arts Lab—or “Growth,” as it was known—a nightclub Bowie ran at The Three Tuns in Beckenham. 

Dick,

Firstly, this is to confirm that we wish you to appear at the Three Tuns, Beckenham High St on Aug 3rd, somewhere between the hours of 7.30 & 10.45 for a duration of anything you like but for not less than 3/4 of an hour.

The bread that shall pass hands will be £10 English currencies, in accordance with the rules of the system. There you go, baby.

Dick Jones recalled that Bowie sent him the present invitation a couple of days after meeting up with Drama Band for a rehearsal. During their session, they explored how to incorporate Bowie’s mime skills into the band’s performance. Jones said: “Arriving in a cluttered red Fiat 500, he played us several songs including a two-section version of Space Oddity…With the 12-string placed to one side, he solemnly keyed the tiny stylophone with its little attached metal pencil!”

The lengthy invitation continues:

On the subject of ayency (sic) my ideas are embryonic and fluid but what we do have together is the following: 1. 4 bands (local) who have no work:

a) Sin Therio, an awkward sounding tribal/folk sound

               b) Oswald K. poetry/free-form/Jazz/Rock

c) Giles & Abdul

Indo/blues duo with vocals

d) Midget, a 30 piece rock-orchestra

Midget is the most exciting venture yet, but I also have a lot of feeling for the others.

2. A number of colleges and labs call us for suggestions as to who they could book.

3. A telephone, paper, and office facilities.

4. Mary Finnigan, joint co-ordinator of the Lab (known as GROWTH). A good talker and hustler.

5. ENTHUSIASM.

So as not to stamp on the toes of 'Catalyst' we would steer away from mass agency concepts ie not have 3000 blues-groups on books. We would concentrate only on music/visual/oral–activity media.

The Drama Band played at the club twice, on one occasion supporting Bowie. Mary Finnigan, point 4 in David’s pitch, was a journalist and live in the Foxgrove Road flat with her two young children. Bowie had moved out of his parents’ home and in with Finnigan, for a time they ran The Three together, developing it into the successful Beckenham Arts Lab club.

The present piece of correspondence is exceptional as it so clearly demonstrates in his early professional days Bowie’s passion for performance, and the sort of creative energy that would make him a cultural icon.

A marvelous letter from Bowie’s Space Oddity days.