DAVID BOWIE IMPACTS THE GLOBE WITH HIS WORLDWIDE RELEASE OF `hours…’

DATE: OCTOBER 15, 1999

FROM: TRESA REDBURN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

DAVID BOWIE's newly released Virgin album hours…–hailed by Rolling Stone with a four-star review–is making big noise around the world, with impressive chart entries and critical accolades.

Featuring the single "Thursday's Child" and the radio rock track "The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell," the album debuted in the Top 10 in 10 countries: Israel (1), Austria (4), France (7), Germany (4), Greece (9), Italy (7), Japan (5), Norway (4), Sweden (2) and the U.K. (5). In France, BOWIE was given one of the country's most prestigious honors, the "Commandeur des Arts et Lettres" (Insignia for Services for Arts & Culture) by the French Minister of Culture, Catherine Trautmann as a "sign of our heartfelt recognition of your talent and the contribution you have never ceased to make to so many cultural fields."

Meanwhile, BOWIE's performance October 9 from Wembley Stadium for NetAid was beamed around the world. His set list included "The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell" and "Seven" from hours…, as well as favorites such as "China Girl," "Life On Mars" and "Rebel Rebel" (which the Los Angeles Times dubbed "sizzling").

BOWIE's also receiving attention for his new video for "Thursday's Child." Dark and relective, it was directed by disturbing genius Walter Stern, the man responsible for the chilling touches in The Prodigy's "Breathe" and "Firestarter," Massive Attack's "Teardrop" and Madonna's "Nothing Really Matters" (among others). In "Thursday's Child," Stern spins more metaphorical webs by confronting today's BOWIE with an unexpected apparition of his younger self in the mirror.

On the magazine front, BOWIE graces the October cover of Flaunt magazine, with a cut-out self-portrait that may also be used as a mask (for Halloween). In the piece, BOWIE discusses a multitude of topics including the past and future, as well as giving some sage advice: "All we have to do is hold onto that one core thing: Treat every 24 hours as the most special thing because tomorrow is never promised."

In other BOWIE-related news, he is co-producing the Los Angeles production of "Hedwig And The Angry Inch." On the big screen, he'll co-star in November in Everybody Loves Sunshine along with Goldie; he'll also portray a mysterious neighbor to a boy afflicted with terminal cancer in a Canadian feature Exhuming Mr. Rice. On November 1 BOWIE will perform on the special 1000th edition of Rockline (the nationally syndicated radio program), to be followed by performances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien Tuesday, November 16 and The Rosie O'Donnell Show Wednesday, November 17.

Here's a sampling of the critical raves so far for hours…:

"First and foremost…hours… is a testament to the serenity that comes with legend status, maturity and endurance…Bowie's eccentric sense of melody twists around the ear like a space oddity, getting under the skin, plucking the heartstrings and stirring up feelings of alienation we never knew we had…settings full of atmosphere, spunk, grit and nuance: hours… is an album that improves with each new hearing."
ROLLING STONE Greg Tate 10/28/99

"`Thursday's Child' slinks on an understated trip-hop groove, with one of those classic Bowie vocals that's both intimate and remote. The melody twists into abstraction, leading the singer into a lonely place where he looks back over his young life and tries to wash away regret with forgiveness."
–SPIN Barry Walters November `99

"Rather than dabbling in the esoterics of pop's outer electronic edge, Bowie surfs it with aplomb. Where others toy awkwardly with studio effects, Bowie marshals them in service of a new batch of winning songs, including standouts like `Survive' and `The Pretty Things are Going to Hell,' that will shine among his trove of rock classics."
–PEOPLE Steve Dougherty 10/11/99

"Here is a man facing the angst of aging but with a realism that comes only after conquering the similar angst of youth. Bowie is in fine form from start to finish, scouring the emotional depths of his generation's current state in ways his contemporaries rarely do. And hey, what better stylistic about-face right now than to get seriously quiet? He continues to work at the height of his powers, and it's simply amazing how he still impresses."
–THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Ben Wener 10/1/99

"…it's great to hear this rock chameleon once again finding his true colors."
–THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION Doug Hamilton 10/7/99

"…he sings with authority about aging and mortality, deftly trading on his status as an elder statesman and on the audience's knowledge of his history…the best of hours… compares favorably with his best stuff, period…Bowiephiles will be pleased to note that his golden years aren't over, not by a long shot."
–NEWSDAY Jon Young 10/10/99

"Bowie holds it together by lending the listener a sense of anticipation of intelligence and subtle exploration. The best artists continue to challenge themselves and their patrons. Bowie is a prime example."
–THE TENNESSEAN Tom Roland 10/4/99

"In many ways, the disc revisits 1972's introspective Hunky Dory. That link is clearest on a gorgeous `Survive,' where Bowie ponders mortality as he sings `who said time is on my side?'"
–MEAN STREET George Paul October `99