BOOK REVIEW: Bowie, Cambo And All The Hype.

TITLE: Bowie, Cambo, And All The Hype
AUTHOR: John Cambridge
PUBLISHED BY: McNidder And Grace

John Cambridge (Cambo) had a life-long friendship with David Bowie but has only now decided to share his experiences with the well-known singer and songwriter. Cambo recalls his friendship and musical collaborations with Bowie in this endearing account of his life and musical escapades.

Cambo started his early musical career as a drummer in various clubs and bars in and around Hull. He started practising his drumming skills on Beano annuals in his bedroom prior to being able to afford to buy a drum kit. He has kept every stage pass and aide-mémoire from every gig he performed at, plus an autograph book filled to the brim with signatures from performers from the 60’s and 70’s. He has performed with Robert Palmer and Marc Bolan plus many others and was instrumental in introducing Bowie to guitarist and producer, Mick Ronson. He is cited to have performed the ‘first ever glam rock gig’ with Bowie’s Hype at the Roundhouse in 1970.

Cambo traces his career with the bands in which he was drummer, such as The Gonx, The Hullabaloos, ABC, Treacle, The Rats, Junior’s Eyes and Bowie’s Hype and details how whilst he was in ABC backed up-and-coming artists, as they were then, such as The Searchers, The Fortunes, Family, Zoot Money, Geno Washington, Pink Floyd. Manfred Mann, The Small Faces and Alan Price.

He was friends with Bowie for 50 years, their first meeting being in July 1969; Bowie and his first wife Angie actually stayed with Cambo in his home in Hull, with his parents at one time, and they even shared the same bed Cambo and his brother slept in. Personal disclosures about his early family life and his parents are recalled in the book along with the affection he felt for Bowie and the admiration Cambo had for him shines through each page where he’s mentioned. He lived with Bowie at Haddon Hall when he had his first hit record 'Space Oddity' and toured with him in Junior's Eyes.  He also had the privilege of being Bowie’s Best Man when Bowie married Angie in 1970.

The book includes pictures of personal letters received from Angie Bowie to Cambo’s parents, one from Iman Bowie asking for Cambo’s contribution to a special book she was putting together as a gift to David for his 50th birthday and a press cutting about Cambo’s reunion with Bowie. There’s also a picture of Bowie’s reply letter to Cambo’s daughter’s wedding invite. Transcripts of Cambo’s personal emails sent to and received from Bowie are also included. 

Cambo cites that he never thought of Bowie as ‘the star’; he was always David to him. That was how he’d got to know him in their younger days whilst both were struggling musicians. Also, he says their relationship was ‘all very natural and relaxed’; and this is how this memoir comes across.  It is a very relaxing read with interesting anecdotes and memories of the relationship Cambo had with a much loved music icon. Cambo has relayed his life-long friendship with Bowie from their early beginnings through to Bowie’s passing in January 2016.  It is a tender memoir remembering happy times with a person greatly admired and now sadly missed.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard