Watch an endearingly nervous 26-year-old David Bowie in his first TV interview

David Bowie on the Russell Harty Plus show

published 11 January 2016

Wearing one chandelier earring, platform sandals, and a double-breasted red-and-purple suit, a 26-year-old David Bowie sat down for his first major TV interview, on the British Russell Harty Plus show, in 1973.

While most of the interview and performance has been wiped, this clip was resurrected for a later show. It's a visual time capsule of Bowie's beautiful contradictions — his peacock-proud look distracts from his softspoken demeanor. Slouched, picking at his nails, Bowie laughs nervously at the rather stiff questions asked of him — "What does David Bowie think of David Bowie?" "Do you believe in God?"

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Lauren Hansen produces The Weekâ€™s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.