Zinc Alloy: Marc Bolan And The Aliens - A Preliminary Report
"..This illustrated report was completed in January of this year. Aspects of Marc's life and work that are included include: His stories of meeting the man he called 'The Wizard' and the probable 'alien' significance of his name 'Zinc Alloy'. This A4 size report makes interesting reading and includes various pictures and cuttings…" [Nameless Wildness, July 1991]
"..A great title, this booklet is one of the most unusual things I have come across. The opening page sets off with a quote from Marc 'I believe that if you are one of the chosen people and there are many, there are certain people that are very funky people. If you are one of the chosen people those creatures will come to you because they dig you'. Er yes Marc. The booklet then goes into depth on the story of Marc and the Wizard in France and then Marc and Mickey's belief in UFO's cumulating in the author stating that Marc subconsciously used alien encounters as the basis for a great deal of his music. I found the book and the quotes from Marc equally both curious and bizarre…" [Gypsy Explorer, November 1991]
"The reason for my intense interest is twofold. Firstly, I have been a fan of Marc Bolan and T.Rex for over 20 years. Secondly, I have undertaken a great deal of research into the whole question of UFO's, alien 'abductions,' hypnotic regressions, crop pictograms, etc. working closely with many experts in their particular fields. When the "obvious" hits you between the eyes and you realise there is a link between the mystic lyrics of most of Bolan's songs and the 'alien abduction experience' it is quite a revelation!" [Mark Jones, 1991]
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February 1993
Graeme Clark: "Dan. Thanks a lot for 'GLOBE IN TRANSIT' stuff - most interesting.. What about 'TWIN PEAKS' then? Don't know Lynch's views on space aliens but all that 'owls are not what they seem' stuff is a little Strieber-esque, no? And Bowie was in the movie. Keep watching the skies.."
P.R.: "..please send me information regarding your discoveries about David Bowie. For some time now I have harboured suspicions about Mr.Bowie and a number of other prominent individuals, and I would very much like to hear your conclusions.."
E.D.: "I saw your advert in the latest FORTEAN TIMES and I was most intrigued. I have always thought that David Bowie followed a path different to other humans and I would be grateful to know your thoughts on the matter.."
R.I.: "..I can't wait to receive your reply. What better way to ease the acceptance of alien intelligences than on a psychological level, and music is an ideal medium. I hope this is a genuine hypothesis and not just a stupid joke.."
P.B.: "..Concerning David Bowie's alleged extra-terrestrial influences, particularly as shown by the lyrics of 'Jean Genie,' I feel that you are missing a very significant point in failing to realise that the word 'Jean' could be a simple homophonic pun on 'gene.' Your interpretation of the line featuring Marilyn Monroe and Snow White ignores Monroe entirely, and regards Snow White merely as an oblique reference to 'Little men'; However, is it not more fruitful to ask what these two women have in common? Answer: they are both artificially created to conform to an idealised blueprint! Remember that Snow White was somehow provided by the 'good fairy' in response to the seemingly infertile queen's wish - the thoughtful 'fairy' even bore in mind the queen's pre-selected coordinated colour-scheme! (Later in life, Snow White, presumably the crown princess, acquired her mysterious dwarfish team of advisors, and apparently spent some time in cryogenic suspended animation following an assassination attempt, but that's another story.) Likewise poor Marilyn had virtually every part of her (including her name!) cosmetically or surgically altered, in order to become the 'perfect woman.' I suggest that the 'Gene Genie' is clearly the externally human but internally totally alien hybrid creature we hear so much about these days..; seemingly human, it is in reality a highly adaptable and resilient 'reptoid,' designed to survive in extreme conditions (the phrase 'Loves chimney stacks' has nothing to do with Santa Claus; it refers to the hybrid's ability to thrive in a future world horribly polluted by industrial wastes!). There also seems to be a suggestion that the creature's diet may be rather unusual (though definitely not vegetarian…). All of this ties in rather well with that other Bowie song (the name of which escapes me) which tells us we've "got to make way for the Homo Superior," Whose emergence is connected with a hand reaching down from the sky (obviously a symbolic reference to alien genetic manipulation), and an explicitly identified race of advanced extraterrestrials (the 'golden ones') who will apparently land only after some mysterious catastrophe has wiped out the human race - possibly we make them nervous! It appears to me, bearing in mind the albums 'Space Oddity' and 'The Man Who Sold The World,' and of course 'Ziggy Stardust,' that the 'Gene Djinni' are the Fifth Column in our midst, ruthlessly plotting the downfall of the humans they superficially resemble (this is made most explicit in that curious and seldom-played early song, the name of which also escapes me, that specifically mentions cannibalism!) It also seems to me that Bowie himself, while initially identifying with the 'new man,' has had increasing difficulty deciding where his loyalties really lie (I think this shows up quite clearly in 'Scary Monsters & Super Creeps'). Certainly, he's come a long way since the Laughing Gnome.. This raises the question, is Bowie setting the stage to deliver a warning on behalf of friendly E.T.'s? Or is he merely suffering pangs of conscience about his role in an altogether less benign scheme? Or could it be that he has waited this long to deliver his message simply because the fate of Earth is as yet undecided? Is it beyond the bounds of possibility to imagine an organisation not unlike a Galactic equivalent of our United Nations debating the best way to deal with a troublesome planet?…"
David: "I have seen your ad. in the Fortean Times, and I am interested in what you have to say.. Let me just briefly outline an experience that I have had, as it may be relevent. Two years ago I tried an experiment to try to contact the alien beings that allegedly live amongst us. It was inspired by Timothy Good's experience in New York 1967 which he talked about on a Radio One Nicky Campbell interview. The type of being known as the 'Talls', 'Blondes' or 'Nordics' are highly telepathic and are living amongst us. I was at Charing Cross one afternoon and I endeavoured to contact these beings by telepathy. I repeated the question 'If there are any beings from elsewhere within the vicinity of Charing Cross Station, could you please come to me and prove it?' After a little while I boarded my train, and a 6' 5" tall, blonde haired, pale blue-eyed man sat directly opposite me. He had a long face with high cheek- bones and his eyes were slightly aslant. He looked similar to David Bowie, and was in his mid to late twenties. There was a positive telepathic communication that day, and the encounter left a profound influence on me. I am aware of David Bowie's interest in U.F.O.'s. 'There's a starman waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet…' etc. I have no doubt that he is at least part alien himself. But then we are all related to these beings geneticly. I have similar ideas about Christopher Walken and Sting. They are good people, they mean us no harm although some are negative and use the symbol here (GiT: drawing of eye in triangle). Thank you.."
Marc B.: "Dear Dan, I recently received your information about David Bowie + your theory regarding his having been influenced by aliens. I felt I had to write to you as you seem to have made the classic mistake of confusing the "menu with the meal." Obviously only a fool would deny that Bowie has made use of alien imagery but I would suggest that this is a result of his interest in such matters rather than him having been contacted by extraterrestrial intelligence. Even if, for example, "Jean Genie" is about an alien intelligence then simply because Bowie has written a song about it is hardly "proof" that he has been contacted. Music is not solely autobiographical except in the sense that any art must be as it reflects the psyche of the artist. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Shakespeare writes about the King + Queen of the Fairies, Oberon + Titania respectively but this is hardly proof that Shakespeare was involved in a discourse with fairies. Bowie has consistently used e.t. imagery at least since "Space Oddity" and the fact that he uses the word "capsule" in the song is merely because the song is about an astronaut's journey in a spacecraft or "capsule" and therefore necessitates the use of such words (GiT: the point I was making is that the word "capsule" also occurs in the song "Jean Genie" - if it were a song about Jean Genet or Iggy Pop, then it wouldn't). Your information regarding Strieber + Bowie is hardly conclusive (GiT: it wasn't intended to be) as anyone could have got hold of the information regarding "nose-bleeds" especially if they happen to be a multi-millionaire rock star with an interest in extra-terrestrial visitations. I am not writing to you to try and dissuade you from your view nor to refute it, but rather to express my view that your proof is, to be blunt, not proof at all. Bowie may have been contacted by aliens - I do not deny this but whence the conclusive evidence? He is interested in aliens + his music is evidence of this. Otherwise I enjoyed reading your information and would be interested in receiving more especially regarding the 'GLOBAL DECEPTION' conference.." (GiT: Marc also recommended 'Valis' and 'Radio Free Albemuth' by Phillip K.Dick, which he felt covered similar ideas to Globe In Transit)
March 1993
M.D.: "Dear Daniel Transit, Many thanks for your most interesting and informative David Bowie thesis. Immediately upon posting my request for info I found myself listening to a phone-in competition on Radio Midlands whereby contestants were asked to identify a piece of film music. The first contestant guessed, wrongly, that the theme was from "Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence" (a film which starred our man); the second correctly identified the film as "Heroes" (not a Bowie movie but a Bowie song). Shortly after, I switched over to Trent FM and was instantly assailed by Bowie's song "Fashion". Three Bowie references in the space of fifteen minutes seemed… interesting. Interesting also is the dance mix - called "The Keep On Praying Mix" - of Bowie's latest single, "Temple Adelphi". After the gruffly delivered refrain "Keep on praying" (a reference to Bowie's recitation of the Lord's Prayer at the Freddie Mercury Memorial Concert last year?) there follows a descending climax of ambient sound which I can only interpret as an evocation of the landing of a massive UFO (but how would I know?). The coming down to earth of an extraterrestrial power (the descent of the Heavenly Jerusalem at the End of Time?) is perhaps seen by Bowie as the answer to his prayer. I feel that the question of Bowie's degree of involvement hinges on whether he is directly "influenced by" aliens or is less directly inspired by his belief in and acquaintance with alien lore. Given a creative temperament and a capacity for identification and theatricality, belief and interest could be sufficient to account for the content of his lyrics and videos, however arcane. I say this perhaps because I am in a somewhat similar condition and can recognise the symptoms. Upon experiencing a total of four very clear UFO sightings during the years I lived in Sussex ('66-72) I plunged into the literature of UFOlogy and of all matters relating, to a degree approaching but not quite achieving identification. But I felt and continue to feel a great reluctance to express any of this in specific terms in my professional artwork.. but only in modes that are deliberately confused, ambiguous, surreal, preposterous or merely suggestive. Some sort of a sense of reserve or a horror-of-the-obvious has always restrained me from ever depicting a "conventional" UFO or ufonaut, though my ongoing sense of personal involvement in the whole enigma has always leaked through in an oblique manner and will be identifiable to anyone with eyes to see it, just as Bowie's lyrics are identifiable to anyone with ears. So I can empathise with Bowie's reluctance (so far) to be too obvious and with his tendency to obscure significance, though this may be something he learned from his most important human influence, Bob Dylan. Bowie's lines from "The Jean Genie": "He bites on a neon and sleeps in a capsule" can stand alongside Dylan's railroadman from "Stuck Inside of Mobile" who "smoked my eyelids and punched my cigarette". In fact, Bowie covers his tracks, in much the same way as Dylan does when dealing with mighty matters such as Anti- Christ and Apocalypse by disguising them as "silly love songs" or anti-love songs. Leonard Cohen inclines towards the same kind of indirectness in expressing the same themes.. I suppose I have to come full circle and recognise that "influence by" and "belief in" aliens may amount to the same thing. Encounters, abductions and other incursions seem to be enacted not so much in the physical realm as in the interface between the physical and the astral (Mount Kaf?) and in the astral itself, so rock-solid light-of-day encounters with flesh-and-blood entities from nuts-and-bolts spacecraft are not the necessary criteria for alien influence. Except when they are. This being the first GiT Bulletin I've seen, I don't know whether you've studied other influential persons in the light of possible alien influence. One possible candidate could be the late anti-guru Krishnamurti. His influence has been considerable and continues to increase, inspiring in the early years Aldous Huxley and Henry Miller and more recently David Bohm (the physicist) and luminaries such as Terence Stamp. Mary Lutyens' various biographical studies reveal a man guardedly controlled by non-human entities.. Incidentally, I suspect that the "Jean" of "The Jean Genie" refers to denims, indicating that the alien wears a human appearance and human dress, most particularly what was then considered the "uniform" of the teen generation, blue jeans. I could be wrong!…"
April 1993
Nicky Y.: "Dear Daniel, Having been drawn to your information on links between Bowie and aliens, I write to request further information from you. Have you ever researched Nic Roeg, a sub-plot from and link with Bowie.. P.S. Bowie's nose bleed appeared not only in the video 'Loving The Alien' but also in the early stages of the Man Who Fell To Earth film - the scene in the lift. Bowie portraying an alien disguised as a human. I would like to know how many humans walking this planet are wearing 'HUMAN' disguise."
Ruth F.: "Dear Daniel, Thank you for sending me 'The truth about David Bowie's "Jean Genie"' and 'A Statement about David Bowie, Whitley Strieber and Aliens.' I found both very interesting, and am eager to receive your next bulletin.. You say at the end of 'A Statement…' that this is just "the tip of the iceberg," and I wish to reserve judgement on your theories until more of this iceberg emerges. I will say, however, that I have long suspected (not as yet believed) that Bowie has been influenced by aliens. I have often wondered if he is an alien himself. As a human being, however, he has a unique mind and astounding imagination, shown by the vividness of characters such as the Thin White Duke and the musical landscapes created by 'Low' and 'Heroes.' I feel he is perfectly capable of having created his 'alien' characters from this imagination and sustained his interest due to their novelty and elusiveness; he seems to enjoy teasing fans and media alike by giving the impression he has much higher knowledge and experience than any of us. Maybe he has, through alien influence as you describe. I wait with open mind to hear more. A few comments on the two essays already received. For a start, I always assumed Jean Genie was about an alien!…. I have read other theories, such as the song being about Iggy Pop, many times but never really considered them deeply; I have always accepted my own instincts; the song is obviously about an alien. I felt that some of your theories were a bit weak, such as Bowie starring in 'The Hunger'; I felt it to be simply a coincidence that the book was written by Whitley Strieber. I think you should have mentioned that the film was about vampires; to those not familiar with it it may have seemed, from your enthusiasm, that it was about aliens (GiT: according to Whitley Strieber, the book was subconsciously influenced by his 'visitor' experiences).. Also, theories such as "snow white" being significant in respect to aliens as the dwarves were small, I feel to be rather far-fetched struggles for alien connections (although I have no explanation of this line myself) (GiT: subsequent to this letter being written, one of the key witnesses to the Linda Cortile New York alien abduction compared the appearance of Linda and the aliens leaving the apartment to 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves' - if this woman really saw the abduction and this is what Linda and the aliens brought to her mind, then it seems that I wasn't far off the mark in my interpretation) Having made that criticism, I must also add that other 'evidence', such as Bowie's nose bleeding in the 'Loving The Alien' video, is highly intriguing and impressive. Your thorough research demands respect for your ideas and I eagerly await more.. It is a subject I am sure has occurred to virtually every Bowie fan, and that deserves the attention which you are giving it.."
May 1993
Desmond L.: "..Many thanks for having forwarded me your speculations regarding the connection between Bowie and alien races. I found them suitably intriguing. Regarding 'The Man Who Fell To Earth,' I believe I might possess some information which you may not as yet have stumbled across. In his thinly disguised autobiographical work, 'Valis,' the science-fiction writer, Philip K.Dick describes his 'mental breakdown' during which he began to believe that he was being contacted on a regular basis by extraterrestrial intelligences. In the book, this 'delusion' is given objective credibility when 'Fats' (the fictionalised Dick) goes to see a science-fiction movie which validates much of the knowledge he believes he has received from 'other' minds; information that could hitherto be explained away as mere psychosis. The fact that both Dick and the producers of the film appear to share the same delusions, however, would seem to suggest that both originate from a common source. The film, called 'Valis' in the book, is, of course, 'The Man Who Fell To Earth.' I seem to recall that at some point Dick actually tracked down Bowie (the figure called 'Lampton' in the book), but was somehow disappointed; you may need to track down Dick's biography to confirm this. Whatever the case, if you have not already read it, 'Valis' makes for an extremely thoughtful read, and comes highly recommended. I hope that this is of some help to you. I remain interested in any further theories you might have. Peace.."
September 1993
Mark R.: "..I read your documents with great interest and would like to receive the free copy of your next bulletin, which you offered me. Although I had noticed some "alien" influence to Bowie's music before I heard of your research, this was very basic and obvious knowledge such as the screamingly blatant connection with Ziggy Stardust. Thus it was with some scepticism that I originally sent for a copy of your work. However, you will no doubt be pleased to hear that I was most impressed with your findings, well-put and intelligently thought-out.."
Paul K.: "..I thought you may be interested in the following bands whom I suspect may have alien influences. The Auteurs the new wave album has at least 26 references to the word star. "Belly" whose album is also called star song title "Feed The Tree" etc… I have suspicions that Elton John was being groomed to take over from David Bowie during the 1970's but the turmoil in his life during the 80's would appear to imply that the alien influence has gone. Note the Captain Fantastic & the brown dirt cowboy, love lies bleeding, Lucy & the sky with diamonds. Crocodile rock all of which imply Alien influence. I will try to research my suspicions in the near future and let you know my findings.. Respect.."
Steve B.: "..Thanx for the bulletins (GiT: copies of 'Madonna's Secret') I love sending off for stuff - you never know what you'll get - your bulletin was great - a real surprise - something different, crossing a few boundaries! Please send me a copy of your next bulletin.. surprise me again - Good luck.."
October 1993
Harjinder S.: "..I read with intrigue your article on Madonna and her hidden secret, it gave a whole new perspective on the ever changing Madonna.."
(GiT: this next letter is of special interest in the light of the subsequent Greenwich construction of the Millenium Dome, which has been compared to an alien spaceship (by Kirsty Wark on BBC TV's 'Newsnight,' among others). I had visited Greenwich on one occasion prior to receiving this letter, to see a play called 'Apocalyptic Butterflies')
Lyn Elliott: "Dear Daniel, Thanks for sending me issues 16 and 31.. Me & a friend saw something very strange on Sunday. We were sat in her flat (which is in the attic of a huge Georgian House in Greenwich, and has an unobstructed view of Greenwich Park and the observatory) when I noticed a black object which was stationary in the sky. It was very small but you could see it. I told her to look at it and see what she thought. We both watched for about 10 minutes and it started to move slowly to somewhere else and then remained stationary again. She got out some opera glasses and although it didn't magnify the object much, you could sometimes make out an oblong shape. It moved up and down, left and right and remained stationary for about 50 minutes in total. We had both seen a flash of light at different times too. My friend saw one just underneath the object and I saw one a bit above it. We called Greenwich observatory and told the man what we were seeing. He just said they got calls like that all the time (GiT: underlining mine) and to ring back Monday and speak to the astronomers who he assured us could explain it all. I said Monday was no good because the thing was there now and couldn't he go out and look? He said he couldn't as he was in-between shifts, but put me through to security, who seemed also unimpressed. My friend then took the phone and persuaded him to go out and look. He said he couldn't see anything. She rang city airport yesterday - they said no, it wasn't from there, and she rang the Civil Aviation Authority, who actually listened to her and said they will investigate it.."
December 1993
Maria R.: "..But I think the 'Alien' appeared in Bowies lyrics in 1967 with "The Laughing Gnome." Don't you think so? Maybe it was his association with something or someone… And I usually think what does his "Spiders" mean? "The Spiders from Mars," then "The Glass Spider." At the London press conference before the Glass Spider Tour (20 March, 1987) he said that the "Spiders" didn't come by chance. But I couldn't understand what the "Spiders" really mean.."
Ann: "..I'm a girl from Moscow and I've been Bowie's fan for 4 years. I'm eager to get your information about David Bowie's Alien influence. In fact, I've always thought that Bowie isn't just an ordinary human being.."
January 1994
Mike Y.: Thank you for your interesting material on the Bowie/Alien connection. Another consideration for you: the influence of H.P.Lovecraft on Bowie. This dovetails quite nicely with your thesis, as Lovecrafts books of fiction have been seen as being occult works by some Crowleyian writers (notably Kenneth Grant and Michael Bertiaux) who also associates occult/Lovecraftian themes with aliens/U.F.O.'s. The Bowie/Lovecraft connection is suggested in "Bowie An Illustrated Record" by Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray, pp.38,41. For Lovecraft/Aliens/Occultism might I suggest Kenneth Grant's "Cults of The Shadow" and Michael Bertiaux's "The Voudon Gnostic Workbook." Yes I'd appreciate a copy of your next bulletin (and possibly a few more stickers?). Many Thanks.."
William Clendenon: "..I can tell anyone without fear that the ADAMSKI UFO Scout ship photos are REAL. When the truth comes forth (as it will) ADAMSKI will come out of all the UFO mystery smelling like a rose… I have a lot more info - on the ADAMSKI scout ship propulsion that I have not made public but I will in due time. Engineers are checking my research papers out now for some time it looks good. Adamski will be proven truthful yet…"
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