Originally titled David Bowie: The First Five Years, Francis Whately's final instalment in his Bowie trilogy, Finding Fame, focuses on Bowie's early years.
Among the people interviewed are lifelong friends and fellow Bromley boys, George Underwood and Geoff MacCormack, plus interviews with people such as mime artist Lindsay Kemp, and former band members and producers such as Tony Visconti, Tony Hatch, Phil Lancaster and Woody Woodmansey. What is quite a coup is getting an interview from ex-girlfriend and band member, Hermione Farthingale, as well as from Bowie's cousin, Kristina Amadeus.
In the trailer, alongside footage from the Ziggy era and from Stansfield Road in Brixton, eagle eyed viewers might be able to identify recent aerial footage of Plaistow Grove, Bromley, cleverly made to look retro by the editing team, and photos from half a century ago at Haddon Hall and the bandstand.
The title change might be to reflect how the film now also features Bowie's Ziggy period, rather than just covering five specific years. As we know, Bowie did not find fame immediately, for after joining the Konrads in 1962, he had 7 years of jumping from band to band and numerous flop singles before he made a breakthrough with Space Oddity. Yet, even that was a one-off hit and was followed by more years of failing to reach the charts before Starman, 3 years later.
That Bowie didn't give up in the face of adversity, and had the self belief to continue on his journey despite all the setbacks, and that he went on to make such incredible music, is arguably a greater story than the years when he was enjoying fame and success.
