David Bowie Gets ‘High’ in Louis Vuitton Ad
David Bowie may not be touring or attending awards shows as of late, but he has no problem donning French Revolution-era garb or attending a harpsichord-soundtracked costume party, should he get the invite. In a new ad for Louis Vuitton, the Thin White Duke looks royal enough to live up to that title. The spot features the “Venetian Mix” of a song from Bowie’s latest album, The Next Day –“I’d Rather Be High.” Where the original is a loose, guitar-driven, post-new-wavey alt-rock number, the new version sounds downright elegant. Harpsichords gild the riff with little filigrees and, in this version, Bowie has pushed his voice back in the mix for the chorus to give the track a dreamy quality that makes perfect sense at the end of the ad, when his female companion awakens and grabs a conveniently placed item that bears the brand’s signature “LV” logo.
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Although Bowie hasn’t been gracing stages lately, he has been far from inactive. Last month, he released a video for a remix of the Next Day song “Love Is Lost,” which former LCD Soundsystem main man James Murphy handled. Bowie also launched his own channel on SiriusXM, and he announced the release of The Next Day Extra, an expanded edition of his latest album, which features previously unheard recordings, like the Venetian Mix of “I’d Rather Be High,” and DVDs of his videos. That release is out now.