That month David and The Pat Metheny Band boarded flight 184 intending to fly to New York. Imagine their surprise when they ended up in Singapore. This prompted them to record 'This Is Not America'.
The song was included on the film 'The Falcon and The Snowman'. A Sean Penn/Timothy Hutton film based on the Robert Lindsey novel about a bird who shocks the world by building a snowman, or something like that. Look, it doesn't matter does it? He only half-did a song that was used in the movie. Is the snowman so important? The snowman isn't even mentioned in the song for cryin' out loud.
After some controversy about why the snowman wasn't mentioned in the 'Falcon and The Snowman' song, David scuttled back to his Switzerland retreat. Coco the Monkey would fetch him things when he needed them, but it was hard to tell what Coco fetched as Bowie was guarding his privacy jealously. Perhaps glasses of water, perhaps something more sinister, like a Giant Death Ray. Most probably glasses of water though.
Interviews were becoming rare, several members of the press were blown up, shot down or vaporised attempting to get the David's front door and ring the bell. It was all too much so The Sunday Times began publishing stuff they made up, mostly about David's connection with Terry and the 'family curse', the fact that David had a map tatooed on his back (which led to treasure!) and the possiblity that 'TVC-15' stood for "Tender Vestible Christmas 15". The desperation of the time is caught with this headline :
The London Times - BOWIE RUMOURED TO HAVE HEADACHE!
It was no relief when in May 'Loving The Alien' was released in single format. You can't interview a single. It's only use was to either play frisbee with or listen to 'Loving The Alien' with. Perhaps David had retired.
Not so, for on 13th July David performed at the Live Aid Concert in Wembley Stadium. He had been rehearsing this for two weeks and played 'TVC-15', 'Jean Genie', 'Modern Love' and 'Heroes'. When he heard that the money was going to charity he threw his microphone down, kicked it, and shouted, 'Crap!'.
For Live Aid he had also recorded a video with Mick Jagger. 'Dancing In The Street'. It was about two absolute lunatics with obvious trouble controlling their bodily motions. 'Spastic In The Street' would have been a more aptly descriptive title, but this was Live Aid and everyone wanted to celebrate the Western World's dominance over poor African countries, so a more festive title was preferred.
Bowie and Jagger would go on to release this song as a single in August, promoting it with the video. Somehow it went to Number 1 and stayed there for a month. When Bowie heard that once again all profits would go to charity he threw his copy of the video on the floor, kicked it, and screamed 'For Gods Sake!'
With his music earnings being siphoned off to needy children, David decided it was time to dabble in film once more. He went to work on two projects that would be released next year :
'Absolute Beginners', directed by Julien 'Jazzing for Blue Jean' Temple, would feature Bowie as Vendice Partners, an advertising man intent on corrupting the young hero of the piece. He would squeeze him and remove his innocence, just as he had done to Coco the Monkey.
'Labyrinth', a directorial debut by Jim Henson, would feature plenty of muppets. Including one interesting sock muppet which Bowie would shove down his tights during filming. Bowie would play Jareth, The King of the Goblins (King of the Muppets).
Bowie would also write and record songs for both of these movies. 'If the proceeds go to charity, someone's going to get a knuckle sandwich' he announced ominously.
In October many began to doubt their sanity when they saw upon the record shelves 'The David Bowie Collection'. The old Decca collection had been trundled out again and given a new name. Had Jesus been here on Earth, he would have surely wept and denounced God. After all, what God would let this happen?