Bonus Episode: Phil Lancaster Recalls the Pranks, Girls, and Backstage Drama of Bowie's Early Band, the Lower Third

Off The Record: David Bowie

Our latest chapter focused on teenage David Bowie as he struggled for fame in the mid '60s. It was a frustrating period for the wannabe rockstar — a time of high hopes and repeated failures as he fronted a string of short-lived bands that followed in the wake of the Beatles and the Stones. David leapfrogged from group to group, hoping he'd find the right one to catapult him to success, but none ever made an impact on the charts. The strongest of Bowie's early bands was a group called the Lower Third. Though they were together for less than a year, they released the best of David's early songs. During his time in the group, David experimented with their setlist, stage presentation, and even makeup. There was also a more important metamorphosis — it was while fronting the Lower Third that David changed his surname from Jones to Bowie. Jordan speaks to Phil Lancaster, David's bandmate and author of the book 'From the Birth of Bowie.' From his vantage point on the Lower Third's drum kit, he watched a legend taking shape.

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