Rehearsing had shifted from Montreux to Australia
as the Swiss were complaining about the noise. They still complained, but said it wasn't quite as bad as it had been. Asia began to complain about the noise though, so they eventually ended in Montserrat.In April all of Bowie's albums were re-released on compact disc through US distributors Rykodisc. Many people would be confused in these early days of cd technology and scratch the absolute crap out of them on their turntables. Some people wore them as badges as they made many pretty colours when light reflected off them. There were many caveman-like "ooh"s and "ahh"s at these "magic plates".
When EMI received the tapes for Bowie's next LP they were more then mildly surprised to find that it was titled 'Mr Brumby's Feather Crapfest'. Someone had played a joke. When they got the real tapes they were still surprised that it was titled 'Tin Machine', without his name on the cover.
In May it was released and reached No 3 in the British charts, and No 28 in the US charts. Was this because Bowie was in the band? We'll never know. Oh, the crap with that, of course it was because Bowie was part of the band.
Music Today - Tin Machine is worse than Hitler.
Crack City Gazette - We are more than a little insulted, and perplexed, that our nice town has been sung about in this way
Rolling Stone Magazine - Bowie's new album made us all very gloomy. Simon from the editorial department went into his isolation tank, and we haven't seen him for days. I hope you're happy David, I know Simon's therapist will be.
The LP would go on to sell more than a million copies. Meanwhile on May 31st the group was launched at the International Music Awards ceremony in New York. They failed to reach Earth orbit however due to a malfunctioning gyroscope, and made re-entry soon after.
In June plans were underfoot for Bowie and Melissa Hurley to marry. 'Get your foot off that!', screamed Bowie at the time, but they had been well trod on and mangled out of shape. A tentative date was set for Christmas in Switzerland with Mick Jagger as the best man. Mick knew what this meant and was very excited about getting to sleep with Melissa.
Tin Machine's proper concert debut was at the Wake Ballroom in New York.
Concert Review - That noise I hear everywhere now, that high pitched "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee", is that normal? Can anyone else hear it?
New Musical Express - WHAT? WHAT WAS THAT? I'M SORRY YOU HAVE TO SPEAK LOUDER!! WHAT? WHAT?
Rolling Stone Magazine - I'm naturally deaf, so I enjoyed the concert immensely. I especially enjoyed Bowie's beard.
It was also announced on this day that Bowie would be the Musical Director for Kylie Minogue's debut film 'The Delinquents', but then quietly withdrew. He was always making promises like this while engaged in sex.
Tin Machine's European debut came in Paris on June 29th. It was at La Cigale and many people fled the building with bleeding ears and terrible headaches. The police interjected at one point, asked Bowie to please turn it down a few notches, and complimented him on his beard.
Tin Machine would only do the briefest of tours this year, and concerts they did hold were only in small venues (despite ticket demands). Three shows in America, five in Britain and four on mainland Europe. In that time there was recorded to be 2,376 burst eardrums, 5,919 severe headaches, 328 exploded heads and 576 people dissatisfied with David's beard.
The issue of playing in places with a small capacity would cause problems. In Amsterdam they booked into a venue that could only hold 900. When 25,000 people tried to cram in there there were many cries of 'help! I'm dying!', 'I can't breath!' and 'Someone of the same sex is fondling my bottom!'. Bowie told them all to be quiet and then proceded to traumatise them all by playing loud crashing, clanging, catatonic style Heavy Metal music.
On July 15th Bowie opened the $1 million Brixton Community Centre. Someone told him to shut the damn door, it was cold and windy outside. So Bowie closed it again. He had donated 150,000 pounds to the project so he was mildly upset at such a reception.
By August Bowie's little tiny Tin Machine tour was over. He holidayed in Indonesia and after that would spend ten weeks in Australia rehearsing and recording some more with Tin Machine. The single 'Tin Machine' was released, with a band, album and single called Tin Machine nobody could really doubt that Tin Machine was Tin Machine, not David Bowie, not Bowie Machine or Tin Bowie, Tin Machine.
In October they released 'Prisoner of Love'. They had toyed with the idea of actually calling this song 'Tin Machine'. Bowie had actually started to call his son (Joey/Stickface/Lumpy) Tin Machine and would answer the phone "Tin Machine!". An October interview gives us a look into his state of mind :
The Sun - David is it true you were thumped and kicked by Axle Rose of Guns 'n' Roses earlier this month?
Bowie - You mean Tin Machine?
The Sun - No, you, yourself. Were you attacked by Axle?
Bowie - We're all part of Tin Machine.
The Sun - Are you understanding what I'm saying to you right now?
Bowie - Tin Machine.
Bowie and Tin Machine moved on from Australia, no-one could get any sleep. They arrived in New York later in the year for recording sessions.
In New York the press tried to recruit the help of Yoko Ono to break them up. Bowie did agree to support Yoko's Greening The World Campaign, in memory of John Lennon. But Yoko failed in her mission. If a sentence was uttered around him that didn't either contain the words 'Tin' or 'Machine' he would get awfully nervous as close up.