David Bowie visits Kenneth Pitt

On 10 May 1973 David Bowie paid a surprise visit to his former manager Kenneth Pitt.

Pitt had steered Bowie’s career from 1966 to 1970, until the singer chose Tony Defries instead. Pitt had not seen Bowie since they parted company, so was surprised with he and Angela Bowie dropped by at Pitt’s apartment at 39 Manchester Street, London.

I did not see David again until May 10, 1973, by which time he had finally achieved the great success for which he had so long striven. He and Angela sprang a surprise on me by turning up on my doorstep in Manchester Street soon after their return from Japan. They both looked marvellous and we leapt into each others arms and hugged and kissed and made such a commotion that the German nurse of the doctor on the ground floor looked out to see what was going on. Staring at David’s red hair, pink flared trouser suit and yellow platform boots she muttered ‘Gott in Himmel’ and quickly shut her door.

Angela, chic in black, sat herself on the lounge floor; David instinctively chose just the right setting for himself, the Victorian, green velveted chaise longue. When he got up to make some coffee I joined him in the kitchen, but it was as if he had never been away; he knew exactly where to find the coffee, the crockery and spoons. He seemed to me to be a relaxed, more assured version of the old David. He asked about old friends and places he remembered and suggested we had dinner together one night. We took the coffee into the lounge and Angela asked if I would like tickets for one of the Earls Court concerts.

‘Yes,’ said David, ‘come and see what your boy is doing.’