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David Bowie (May 5 1979) LP Exclusive 

  • Writer: David Bowie
    David Bowie
  • May 5, 1979
  • 1 min read

Updated: May 6

Publication: Record Mirror

Date: May 5 1979

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Pages: Front Cover

Title: David Bowie – LP Exclusive / Doll By Doll / Wings


Overview

This Record Mirror cover from May 5 1979 features a striking close‑up portrait of David Bowie, photographed by Bruno Webster.

The image captures Bowie in his late‑’70s transitional phase — intense, minimal, and enigmatic — coinciding with the release of his album Lodger.


The bold red masthead and clean layout reflect Record Mirror’s late‑decade design shift toward sharper, more modern presentation.

Cover lines promote Bowie’s LP Exclusive, alongside features on Doll By Doll and Wings, with a note about a Free LP offer inside.



Priced at 18p, the issue represents the magazine’s evolution from pop weekly to serious music journalism.

Feature Spread – “THE ARTFUL LODGER”

Record Mirror feature – “THE ARTFUL LODGER,” review by Tim Lott, May 5 1979.
Record Mirror feature – “THE ARTFUL LODGER,” review by Tim Lott, May 5 1979.



Inside, Record Mirror dedicates a full‑page review to Bowie’s new album Lodger, written by Tim Lott. The headline — THE ARTFUL LODGER — plays on Bowie’s restless creativity and nomadic persona. The layout uses a geometric blue overlay framing a live photograph of Bowie performing, microphone in hand, mid‑gesture — a visual echo of his theatrical stage presence.

Lott’s review situates Lodger within Bowie’s Berlin‑era trilogy, following Low and “Heroes”, describing it as both cosmic and grounded, experimental yet accessible. He notes Bowie’s continued fascination with displacement, travel, and cultural collage, calling the record “his most cosmopolitan album so far.” The piece highlights tracks such as DJ, Red Money, and African Night Flight, praising their rhythmic invention and lyrical irony.

Related Material — Record Mirror 

(May 5 1979 Issue)

  • Associated Album: Lodger (RCA PL 13254, released May 1979)

  • Related features: Doll By Doll, Wings, and Free LP promotion

  • Additional formats and promotional material listed in the archive index

Copyright Notice — Record Mirror 

(May 5 1979 Issue)

All magazine artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied


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