It didn't happen, of course. But there are a number of tantalising clues to suggest that this could have been on the cards.

In the newly-published biography of Arthur Brown (he of the Crazy World) it's reported that Arthur and David bumped into each other at a studio in Bermondsey, South London, in 1980. I don't know what David could have been recording in London at that time... but I do know there is a large rehearsal complex there, called Music Bank. It has a very decent soundstage for full production rehearsals. Could that have been what DB was up to when the God of hell fire stumbled across him?

Fast rewind to press reports circa 1980. Does anybody else recall David being reportedly enthusiastic about the idea of playing one or two small gigs with the audio and video being broadcast out to other satellite cities? Around the same time, I recall a news story in one of the music rags about DB working with a Swedish female backing singer. Anybody with a better memory than me remember any more details?

There are only a few things I can remember. One was a late 1979 radioprogram (I think it was called something like "David Bowie Rembers The 70's") where he selected some of his favourite songs (including his own work) and was interviewed during these segments.On this occasion they also asked him about a future tour and to which her replied that this was likely next year.
According to Pegg David was also visitied by an old friend actually a buddhist monk (can't remember the name) during the Recording Sessions for Scary Monsters, who wanted to convince him to appear on a festival in Lahsa.As we all know this never happened.
Further tour plans of course had to been pastponed after he was cast for The Elephant Man.
Well than came December 8th, 1980, which seemed to have scared him to the death.Which is pretty understandable taking into account that Lennon was a friend of him and that Chapman had also vsited one of Bowie's Elephant Man Performances (I even remember having read that Chapman had Bowie also on his Hitlist just in case he couldn't get Lennon.Taking into account that his main motive seemed to become "famous" by killing someone famous, this seems likely.).After that it seemed he couldn't get out of contract fast enough, as he chose not to renew his contract for the Elephatn Man when he was offered this option.Also by this time Bowie seemed to get more and more pissed with RCA.So I strongly doubt that there were reahearsals or any more plans for a Scary Monsters Tour by late 1980.
As for a Recording Session in late 1980.Wasn't he supposed to deliver a newly recorded version of Life On Mars ? for a movie soundtrack in 1981 (sorry again I can't rember the title) ?, plus he preformed the song on his Late Night Show Appearance of that year.

my uneducated guess at what a 1980/81 set list would look like

in no particular order:

Scary Monsters
Fashion
Ashes To Ashes
Up The Hill Backwards
Boys Keep Swinging
Red Sails
Look Back In Anger
Alabama Song
Heroes
What In The World
Breaking Glass
TVC15
Station to Station
Stay
Wild Is the Wind
Fame
Rebel Rebel
Panic In Detroit
The Jean Genie
Soul Love
Star
Hang On To Yourself
Life On Mars?
The Man Who Sold The World
Space Oddity


sorry i was bored

That would have been a mindblowing set list to see Bowie do

I remember about 7 years ago I put a post up on BWW about the "Horror of rooms" tour;

In 1981 David Bowie took the 'Horror of rooms' tour accross Europe and North America. The tour was to promote the Scary Monsters album.

The Band was;
Carlos Alomar - Guitar
Dennis Davis - Drums
George Murray - Bass
Chuck Hammer - Lead Guitar
Roy Bittan - Piano
Andy Clark - Synthesizer

The show would start in total darkness with the prerecorded tape of It's no game no.1 playing. When Bowie's vocals start there appears a single spotlight singling out Bowie sitting in a padded room at the side of the stage. This would be followed by an acoustic Space Oddity, which explodes into a full band version halfway through, before sequeing into Ashes to Ashes. At the end of this song the stage goes black again before white light almost whites out the stage as Look back in anger starts. This is followed by Scary Monsters and Teenage Wildlife.
The concert then continues with Fascination, Stay, which seques into John I'm only dancing (again) and Golden years before slowing down with Can you hear me and Win. Just as the Low/Heroes concerts had a Ziggy Segment, the Horror of rooms tour has a collection of Diamond dogs tracks Rock and roll with me, Sweet thing/candidate/Sweet thing, We are the dead, Diamond dogs finishing off with Rebel rebel.

Then it is bang up to date with Fashion,DJ Be my wife, Beauty and the beast and Boys keep swinging

The encores are Life on Mars, The man who sold the World before finishing off with It's no game no 2 and Heroes.

damn i forgot about DJ!

funny you should mention Diamond Dogs. i was thinking about 1984. the fact that it keeps appearing on compilations must mean someone likes it!
i always felt Diamond dogs was unfinished business, and we never got definitive versions of some of the songs. something you can't say about station to station

i imagine this more abrasive than 78, closer to the spirit of 76
pretty much a punk-funk thing with that spiky scary monsters gtr sound on top
the tv rendition of boys keep swinging on SNL was pretty wild
the tv version of life on mars from 1980 had a synth sound very like the 76 tour

i just wonder about the fact that Davis & Murray didn't appear on the fashion video or any of the tv appearances. i know they didn't appear on the 79 tv appearances but still came back for scary monsters so who knows

Guys, sorry to interrupt but this forum is not the place for fantasy set lists. I wish we would have something interesting to discuss too, trust me!

Just to gently stir us back on course, I remember this radio broadcast, one of the numbers David selected was Roxy's '2HB', he went into detail about how clever he thought the title was, 'To Humphrey Bogart' and the '2HB pencil', and how Bryan was an excellent artist etc.
Anyhow, to the point, does anyone know if this broadcast was ever made available either as a BBC Radio Transcription Album or a bootleg?

London Capital Radio - Nicky Horne You're Mother Would'nt Like It Show 14.5.79 (The one with the fans) pics online somewhere.

'Star Special' BBC Radio 1 Interview 20.5.79

From memory they covered similiar topics.

The 20-05-79 Star Special (which is the one where Bowie plays his favourite tunes) exists as a pre-FM bootleg, done by 100PCB I think. I think the same interview was also used (sans the actual songs) for those 80s interview picture discs?