Erdal Kizilcay is a Turkish born multi-instrumentalist who spent over ten years collaborating with David Bowie on a number albums including 1987’s Never Let Me Down, 1993’s The Buddha of Suburbia and 1995’s Outside. He also played bass guitar in two consecutive world tours: The Glass Spider Tour of 1987 and 1990’s Sound + Vision Tour.
In celebration of the excessive, theatrical, some would say overblown Glass Spider Tour, a Glass Spider Band has emerged featuring two original members; Erdal himself and keyboard player Richard Cottle. They are joined by new personnel and will be recreating Bowie’s greatest hits on 17 December 2013 at the Under The Bridge venue in London. We caught up with Erdal a few weeks ago to talked to him about working with David Bowie and touring with him in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
SuperDeluxeEdition: How did this new Glass Spider show come about?
Erdal Kizilcay: The company Bloomberg wanted to do a Bowie thing. Me and Richard Cottle [are involved] – he also played on that record. I did the whole album, the Never Let Me Down album. About 80% of that album is me. Bloomberg wanted to do a Bowie thing with Tom Wilcox – he’s organising this Glass Spider concert in December and he’s curator of the ICA. Next week we’re also doing Iggyfest at the ICA, since I also did the Iggy Pop album Blah Blah Blah.
SDE: Was that the first time you worked with David, on the Blah Blah Blah album?
EK: Absolutely, yes…. [pause] sorry no! We’re talking about 25 years ago, even more actually. I was called in to Montreux, to Mountain Studio to help with his demos for the Let’s Dance album. Nile Rogers was there and they needed a bass player, and I had a name for myself here in Switzerland, so they called me in.
Continue reading “Bowie collaborator Erdal Kizilcay on “Glass Spider” and “Never Let Me Down””
