The End of an Era: Earl Slick reflects on His Unique Bond with David Bowie
Throughout his illustrious career, David Bowie collaborated with a multitude of guitarists, including legends like Mick Ronson, Carlos Alomar, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, and Reeves Gabrels. However, one guitarist stood out as a recurring collaborator from the 1970s until the end of Bowie’s life: earl Slick. What was it about this Brooklyn-born musician that made him irreplaceable in Bowie’s world?
“I have my theories,” slick shares during a Zoom call from his New York City kitchen, casually enjoying a morning cigarette and a bottle of Gatorade. “When it came to needing that quintessential rock guitarist, it was either me or Mick. And Mick left us a long time ago.” (Ronson passed away in 1993.)
As for the other guitarists? “They’re all fantastic,” Slick acknowledges. “But none of them embody that rock essence. So, when Bowie needed that sound, he called me.”
A Journey Through Time: Slick’s Evolution with Bowie
Earl Slick was not a permanent fixture in david Bowie’s orbit, but he was a meaningful presence. Born Frank Medeloni nearly 73 years ago, Slick first joined Bowie in 1974, stepping in after the Spiders From Mars disbanded and Ronson departed. He contributed to Bowie’s Diamond Dogs tour and played on the Young Americans and Station to Station albums. Slick made a notable return in 1983 for the Serious Moonlight Tour, filling in for Stevie ray Vaughan, who had lent his talents to Bowie’s hit album Let’s Dance.
(Image credit: Ron Pownall/getty Images)
Nearly two decades later, Slick rejoined Bowie for the 2002 tour supporting the album Heathen.This collaboration led to work on its successor, Reality, and the subsequent A Reality Tour, which became Bowie’s most extensive and celebrated global tour.
During this tour, Slick witnessed a pivotal moment: Bowie’s heart attack on June 23, 2004, while performing in Prague. “It was astonishing how quickly he went from looking vibrant to appearing quite ill-almost overnight,” Slick recalls. “We were just a month shy of a year on the road.”
Although Bowie recovered, he canceled the remaining shows and never toured again. Slick returned for Bowie’s penultimate album, The Next Day, making him the only guitarist to have collaborated with Bowie across such a broad span of his career.
Celebrating a Legacy: The Upcoming Box Set
The music from Slick’s later years with Bowie is extensively documented in the forthcoming box set David Bowie 6. I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016), set for release on September 12. This collection is the latest installment in a series of thorough compilations and includes Bowie’s final albums, such as Reality and The Next Day, along with the live album from A Reality Tour and an unreleased recording from the 2002 Montreux Jazz Festival.
Additionally, the set features “Isn’t It Evening (The Revolutionary),” a track from Slick’s 2003 solo album, Zig Zag. Co-written with Bowie, it achieved Top 10 status on several U.K. charts when it was re-released last year.
This highlights the crucial role Slick played in Bowie’s later career, making it a fitting moment for him to reflect on his impactful years with the rock icon.
(Image credit: KMazur/WireImage)
Insights from a Rock Legend
How did being Bowie’s “rock” guitarist differ from your other experiences?
With bowie, I had to manage a pedalboard that covered decades of recordings.I’m not a fan of pedals, especially overdrive ones, but they were necessary. As an example,I needed two delay pedals just to recreate the sound for “Heroes.”
Though, Bowie gave me a lot of creative freedom. I coudl change things up during performances,and he appreciated that.If you watch concert footage, you’ll notice some unconventional arrangements. I often altered songs to keep things fresh, and he enjoyed that spontaneity.
After being away from Bowie for about 15 years, how did you reconnect in 2002?
It was quite a surprise. reeves had left, and Bowie was searching for a guitarist. His team found me through a website dedicated to my old demos. They reached out, and I promptly recognized it was Bowie’s people.
“we got a call saying, ‘Sit tight for a couple of days. David needs to rest. We’re taking a break.’”
– Earl Slick
The A Reality Tour is often regarded as one of Bowie’s finest. What was your experience like?
Performing those songs live was exhilarating, especially the rock tracks. It was the best band I ever played with alongside Bowie. The atmosphere was completely drama-free, and I had never seen him so relaxed and happy on tour.
What do you remember about the Prague concert when Bowie suffered his heart attack?
That gig was surreal. Initially,I couldn’t grasp what was happening. the venue was sweltering, and I noticed Bowie struggling with some notes. I thought he was just exhausted. We were all feeling the heat.
During “The Jean Genie,” he told me to keep jamming while he was having a heart attack. Then he started clutching his chest, and the tour managers rushed in to assist him. He briefly returned, but after a couple of measures, he left the stage. They initially diagnosed him with a blocked nerve,which turned out to be incorrect.
We performed at the Hurricane Festival in Germany a few days later,and he was feeling terrible. After the show, we received a call saying, “Hang tight for a few days. David needs to rest.” We were left in the dark.
Then we got the news: ”Guys, it’s over. You need to go home.” We didn’t receive any explanations, but we suspected he was undergoing surgery.
When we performed “Heroes” at the Hurricane Festival, I swear it was one of his best vocal performances. Just hours later, he was in the hospital.
Was there ever a discussion about him performing live again?
Yes, we were working on The Next Day. After I finished my part on “Set the World on Fire,” he looked at me and said, “This would be incredible live.” I was about to respond, but he interrupted, saying, “Don’t even think about it.”[[[[laughs]
That was the extent of our conversation about touring again. I could see he was serious; he wasn’t going anywhere.
It was disheartening as I genuinely believed we had at least one more great tour left in us. This was in the summer of 2013, so it’s possible he was already battling cancer. We’ll never know without a doubt, but it’s a possibility.
The Next Day was an unusual reconnection, wasn’t it?
Absolutely, it was classic Bowie. He began working on that record around 2011,and everyone involved had to sign an NDA. I was in touch with some of the musicians, but no one revealed anything.
Meanwhile, a friend of mine, a surgeon, had built a cobra car. I was doing a blues gig near his home in Montclair, New jersey, and he suggested we take a ride in the Cobra before the show.
“If we hadn’t blown up the car,I might not have been on that record.”
– Earl Slick
We drove for a bit, but then the car started acting up, sputtering and stalling. Just as we stopped, flames erupted from the engine. We called 911,and soon the fire department and police arrived,along with reporters. Somehow, word got out that I was in the car.
The next day, I received a text from Bowie: “Oh god, I saw the accident. Are you okay?” I replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. How are you?” “Good.” Over the next couple of days, he kept checking in, which was unusual for him.
I asked, “Are you trying to get to a point? What’s going on?” He responded, “Well, we’re making this record, and I need you to come in for a week or so.”
It’s funny how life works. If that car hadn’t blown up, I might not have been part of that project.Bowie had a way of bringing people back into his orbit when he needed them.
(image credit: Brian rasic/WireImage)
What was your collaborative process like with Bowie?
We would brainstorm together, especially on overdubs.Both of us loved incorporating melodic licks into the songs, and we would bounce ideas off each other. For example, the signature lick in ”Valentine’s Day” emerged after about 10 or 15 minutes of jamming. Much of our best work happened spontaneously; as soon as we found something that clicked, we went with it.
How do you perceive the late-period Bowie compared to your earlier collaborations?
in the early days, there were significant challenges, including substance abuse and management issues.Bowie was often in a different world. However, as time passed, he evolved, as we all do. By the 2000s, he had developed a sense of humor that was absent in his earlier years. He became more approachable and relatable, revealing a more authentic side of himself.
How did you choose your guitars for your work with Bowie?
I’ve always been a telecaster player, but for the Heathen tour, Bowie requested a humbucker sound, so I brought in some Les Pauls. By the time of the A Reality Tour,I primarily used my Les Pauls throughout the shows,with only a few instances of using my Teles and a Strat.
“It got on the charts and we had a hit single. Funny how timing works. I’m really glad it’s on the box set because it turned out to be his last hit.”
– Earl Slick
Having “Isn’t It Evening (The Revolutionary)” included in the box set is a fitting conclusion, especially after its recent success in the U.K.
That’s an captivating story. Back in 2002, while living in portland, I started experimenting with my guitar and recording ideas. I ended up with several pieces,so I reached out to Mark Plati to see if we could create an instrumental record together. Unbeknownst to me, he was in the studio with Bowie at the time. Bowie overheard and expressed interest in contributing.
I sent Bowie a few snippets, and he chose the one that became “Isn’t It Evening.” We recorded it and released it during the A Reality Tour,but it got overshadowed by the tour’s activities.
After years of sitting on that track, I thought it was time to release it as a single, especially with the memoir I was working on. We rearranged it, and it came out shortly after the book. It charted and became a hit. It’s remarkable how timing can work out, and I’m grateful it’s included in the box set as it turned out to be his last hit.
