[Roy-at-tth]

If Gord is going through a divorce or some similar issue, as rumoured, that'd go a long way to explaining things.

If that is the case, all we can do is hope for the best for him and his family. Our music needs rightly come second to that!

[fingernailsonhull]

If Gord is going through a divorce or some similar issue, as rumoured, that'd go a long way to explaining things.

This was my thought as well. It was the rumoured reason for his house being for sale. So, if it's true, that's a pretty major life event and would completely explain the brakes being applied to the new release.

[johnwblake]

If Gord is going through a divorce or some similar issue, as rumoured, that'd go a long way to explaining things.

This was my thought as well. It was the rumoured reason for his house being for sale. So, if it's true, that's a pretty major life event and would completely explain the brakes being applied to the new release.

Sounds like a logical explanation. If this is the case, I hope everything works out for all involved.

[robbroncs]

can someone post the Killer Whale tank version of Dougie Stardust??? I seem to have lost mine :roll:

[Ry222]

Has it been discussed that maybe Bowie's death and Dougie Stardust were a complete coincidence and they pulled the album title as a result?

[Stayhip]

The title for the album was changed because of Bowie's death.

[arewhyehen]

Has it been discussed that maybe Bowie's death and Dougie Stardust were a complete coincidence and they pulled the album title as a result?

The title for the album was changed because of Bowie's death.

I held this album in my hands today at Rob's house. In my head I was imagining him telling me to keep it. Hahaha...probably one of the coolest and most rare albums I have ever seen in my life..

From what I was told, the new album was supposed to be light hearted and a bit of a parody. That is where the title Dougie Stardust came from, which most people connected to Bowie's Ziggy stardust. That is also where the mullet came from. The original front cover was the same as it is now with the kid and the mullet, but there were two arms catching him. The back cover was a parody of The Clash's London Calling. Same look and colours and design, but with the "Dougie Stardust" instead... With everything this year, Bowie passing, Gord getting sick and everything else, the album was renamed and the artwork was changed to be a bit more serious. When all of this went down, there were already some records in production and shipped out to different suppliers and stores, which probably explains it randomly showing up online all over. Companies would have been getting the update in their system. They all had to be tracked down and were destroyed My heart broke when I heard that. Rob has one of the only copies left in existence... It was something else...

[direwolf74]

Has it been discussed that maybe Bowie's death and Dougie Stardust were a complete coincidence and they pulled the album title as a result?

The title for the album was changed because of Bowie's death.

I held this album in my hands today at Rob's house. In my head I was imagining him telling me to keep it. Hahaha...probably one of the coolest and most rare albums I have ever seen in my life..

From what I was told, the new album was supposed to be light hearted and a bit of a parody. That is where the title Dougie Stardust came from, which most people connected to Bowie's Ziggy stardust. That is also where the mullet came from. The original front cover was the same as it is now with the kid and the mullet, but there were two arms catching him. The back cover was a parody of The Clash's London Calling. Same look and colours and design, but with the "Dougie Stardust" instead... With everything this year, Bowie passing, Gord getting sick and everything else, the album was renamed and the artwork was changed to be a bit more serious. When all of this went down, there were already some records in production and shipped out to different suppliers and stores, which probably explains it randomly showing up online all over. Companies would have been getting the update in their system. They all had to be tracked down and were destroyed My heart broke when I heard that. Rob has one of the only copies left in existence... It was something else...

Wow, very cool! Thanks for sharing. Did he let you take a photo of the cover by any chance?

[rob68]

Has it been discussed that maybe Bowie's death and Dougie Stardust were a complete coincidence and they pulled the album title as a result?

The title for the album was changed because of Bowie's death.

I held this album in my hands today at Rob's house. In my head I was imagining him telling me to keep it. Hahaha...probably one of the coolest and most rare albums I have ever seen in my life..

From what I was told, the new album was supposed to be light hearted and a bit of a parody. That is where the title Dougie Stardust came from, which most people connected to Bowie's Ziggy stardust. That is also where the mullet came from. The original front cover was the same as it is now with the kid and the mullet, but there were two arms catching him. The back cover was a parody of The Clash's London Calling. Same look and colours and design, but with the "Dougie Stardust" instead... With everything this year, Bowie passing, Gord getting sick and everything else, the album was renamed and the artwork was changed to be a bit more serious. When all of this went down, there were already some records in production and shipped out to different suppliers and stores, which probably explains it randomly showing up online all over. Companies would have been getting the update in their system. They all had to be tracked down and were destroyed My heart broke when I heard that. Rob has one of the only copies left in existence... It was something else...

So the tracklist was exactly the same as what came out on Man Machine Poem?

[kvisser]

Makes sense with Gord's choice for tour wardrobe as well...

[Rye]

Makes sense with Gord's choice for tour wardrobe as well...

I remember reading Gord's tour outfits were all picked out before he got sick.

Another thing I remember is sometime early in 2016 someone tweeted a picture of Gord with his jean jacket/hat on with clown face paint. The caption said something about, "find out really soon why Gord Downie is dressed up as a clown." The tweet was deleted later on. I can't remember who posted this, but I think it was a photographer in Toronto. Just another piece of Dougie Stardust art/promo material that fell by the wayside I guess.

Some people posted how surprised they were Gord's condition was kept under wraps. Similarity, it's surprising zero copies of Dougie Stardust leaked being that they had begun shipping. It's easy to forgot with the frenzy on all things Hip since May that prior to Gord getting sick that the band was relatively out of the public consciousness. For the Fully reissue tour and Now For Plan A you could get Hip tickets on Groupon and each record was selling fewer and fewer copies.

[arewhyehen]

Has it been discussed that maybe Bowie's death and Dougie Stardust were a complete coincidence and they pulled the album title as a result?

The title for the album was changed because of Bowie's death.

I held this album in my hands today at Rob's house. In my head I was imagining him telling me to keep it. Hahaha...probably one of the coolest and most rare albums I have ever seen in my life..

From what I was told, the new album was supposed to be light hearted and a bit of a parody. That is where the title Dougie Stardust came from, which most people connected to Bowie's Ziggy stardust. That is also where the mullet came from. The original front cover was the same as it is now with the kid and the mullet, but there were two arms catching him. The back cover was a parody of The Clash's London Calling. Same look and colours and design, but with the "Dougie Stardust" instead... With everything this year, Bowie passing, Gord getting sick and everything else, the album was renamed and the artwork was changed to be a bit more serious. When all of this went down, there were already some records in production and shipped out to different suppliers and stores, which probably explains it randomly showing up online all over. Companies would have been getting the update in their system. They all had to be tracked down and were destroyed My heart broke when I heard that. Rob has one of the only copies left in existence... It was something else...

Wow, very cool! Thanks for sharing. Did he let you take a photo of the cover by any chance?

No I didn't take any photos. I left my phone in the car and camera as well. I was welcomed into his home and wanted to respect his privacy. It wasn't until the end that I asked for a photo with him and had to get my camera. I am a big Jack White fan as well, and have a ton of rare vinyl from TMR and have only been buying vinyl since I was about 18, so we got on that topic and he pulled this out with a big smile on his face and said "Here is one you have never seen. Very few people have ever seen this." I was honestly just enjoying the moment..

[arewhyehen]

So the tracklist was exactly the same as what came out on Man Machine Poem?

Yeah, it was just an album rename and artwork redesign.

[ikky99]

No I didn't take any photos. I left my phone in the car and camera as well. I was welcomed into his home and wanted to respect his privacy. It wasn't until the end that I asked for a photo with him and had to get my camera. I am a big Jack White fan as well, and have a ton of rare vinyl from TMR and have only been buying vinyl since I was about 18, so we got on that topic and he pulled this out with a big smile on his face and said "Here is one you have never seen. Very few people have ever seen this." I was honestly just enjoying the moment.

hock: hock: I'm very envious of you! I believe Rob has always been the most accessible of Das Hips. I'd love to just talk about non-Hip stuff with him.

[potsie]

The title for the album was changed because of Bowie's death.

I held this album in my hands today at Rob's house. In my head I was imagining him telling me to keep it. Hahaha...probably one of the coolest and most rare albums I have ever seen in my life..

From what I was told, the new album was supposed to be light hearted and a bit of a parody. That is where the title Dougie Stardust came from, which most people connected to Bowie's Ziggy stardust. That is also where the mullet came from. The original front cover was the same as it is now with the kid and the mullet, but there were two arms catching him. The back cover was a parody of The Clash's London Calling. Same look and colours and design, but with the "Dougie Stardust" instead... With everything this year, Bowie passing, Gord getting sick and everything else, the album was renamed and the artwork was changed to be a bit more serious. When all of this went down, there were already some records in production and shipped out to different suppliers and stores, which probably explains it randomly showing up online all over. Companies would have been getting the update in their system. They all had to be tracked down and were destroyed My heart broke when I heard that. Rob has one of the only copies left in existence... It was something else...

Thanks for sharing this. I love the Dougie Stardust concept because it encapsulates one of the abiding characteristics of the band... that they have just the right amount of seriousness and irreverence (not too much Eagles, not too much Barenaked Ladies). It may have been a "too soon" thing, but I think the Bowie tribute was arguably even more fitting after his death. Of course the Man Machine Poem title was also perfect for Gord's situation.

The original street date that appeared online for Dougie Stardust was March 25th. Given Gord's diagnosis was made in November or December and Bowie died on January 10th, I'm surprised some records were still pressed. If records existed months prior to the release date it's quite amazing that the album didn't leak. Or maybe given the upheaval going on around that time, the decision to pull the plug on Dougie Stardust was more last minute.