Producer Tony Visconti worked with David Bowie on several of the rocker’s albums throughout the years. In an interview with MOJO, the producer shared how Bowie grew from the first time he met him to produce his album ‘Blackstar’ in 2016.
Tony shared what fame and stardom brought into David’s life by explaining:
“In later years, wealth and fame introduced him to a whole circle of people who were out of my realm: very famous actors, gazillionaires, and all that. He moved into the art world. He could speak eloquently on any subject and fit in anywhere. If [he was with] a bunch of Londoners, he would go back to speaking like he came from Bromley.”
After finishing David’s 2013 album ‘The Next Day’ and starting his next one, ‘Blackstar,’ Tony shared that he was aware that Bowie might not have had much time left in his battle with liver cancer. He added:
“There was a lot of gravity about him in his final years; he was a deep thinker. But when he recorded ‘Blackstar,’ when he knew that his time could be limited, it didn’t stop his sense of humor in any way.”
Even though the singer was ill, he still showed up at the studio to record. Tony expressed:
“He was still very open and friendly. He told everyone, ‘I can’t come to the studio every day for medical reasons.’ But he was still happy as anything to be in the studio.”
Even though Tony is mostly known for his work with David, the producer is coming out with a ‘Produced By Tony Visconti’ box set. The box set will include tracks from Marc Bolan, Thin Lizzy, U2, The Damned, Rick Wakeman and several more artists that Tony had the chance to work with over the years.
You can read Tony Visconti’s interview with MOJO here and listen to ‘The Next Day’ and ‘Blackstar’ below.