Press conference: New York

Following the first US leg of the Ziggy Stardust Tour, David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars gave a press conference at RCA Studios in New York on 4 December 1972.

On our arrival back in New York at the end of the tour we headed over to RCA Studios where they had arranged a press conference for us. Bowie led us out to a room full of journalists and we took our seats. He introduced us individually and then said, ‘These are the Spiders From Mars and I am David Bowie.’ I remember it being a bit of a non-event really. It’s very obvious how it felt for us if you see the photos taken by Mick Rock. What followed were banal questions like ‘What brand of hair colour do you use?’ and ‘Is it a rinse or a dye?’ which I don’t remember Bowie even answering. Someone asked Mick [Ronson], ‘Why are you the only one wearing a hat?’ to which he answered, ‘I didn’t have time to wash my hair this morning.’

As no intelligent questions were forthcoming, Bowie announced his second US tour would open at Radio City on Valentine’s Day and that he was currently working on a new album that featured songs he’d written while touring America.

Following the event, Bowie and the Spiders undertook a week of recording at RCA for the Aladdin Sane album.