The Sauna of the Stars: When MTV’s Founders Schvitzed with Bowie and McCartney
in the early days of MTV, securing buy-in from music’s biggest icons was a monumental task.A recently revealed story details a notably surreal encounter between MTV co-founder Tom Freston, David Bowie, and Paul McCartney, as recounted in Freston’s new memoir, Unplugged: Adventures From MTV to Timbuktu.
In his new memoir, Unplugged: adventures From MTV to Timbuktu, Freston recounts the improbable events surrounding the launch of the “I Want My MTV” campaign, a pivotal moment in the network’s history. The fledgling cable channel, still years away from becoming a cultural behemoth, needed star power to gain traction.The initial ambition was audacious: land Mick Jagger and Bowie for an advertising campaign.
According to Freston, the campaign’s genesis lay in a simple, yet effective, strategy. His colleague, Les Garland, was tasked with approaching jagger, who had previously expressed interest in a role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Freston, meanwhile, set his sights on Bowie – a bold undertaking for two young executives in their early 20s. Garland’s approach to Jagger was famously direct. As freston recalls, “‘Mick, we don’t have any money. But, if this is about money, I’ll give you a dollar.'” Garland then placed a single dollar bill on the table. To everyone’s surprise, Jagger laughed and agreed to participate, stating, “I like you, Garland. I’ll do it.”
With Jagger secured, Freston turned his attention to Bowie. He contacted Coco Schwab, a consistent figure in Bowie’s orbit despite the revolving door of managers and record labels. “I called her. ‘Would David be willing to do an ‘I Want My MTV’ commercial?'”
The pursuit led Freston and a colleague, Dale Pon, to the Swiss Alps with a camera crew and their equipment. Upon arrival, Bowie and his team took control of the shoot. Schwab directed the crew to set up at the base of a remote hill, and Bowie himself skied down the slope, embodying his “Let’s Dance” persona. “He looked like a surfer with blond hair, dressed in a slim parka and shades,” Freston wrote. Bowie directed the commercial himself, envisioning a scene where he would ski down, “swoosh at the bottom, rip off his sunglasses, and, with a broad grin, say, ‘I want my MTV.'” He even suggested adding the MTV logo to his skis in post-production. The spot was completed in just a few takes.
But the story didn’t end with the commercial’s completion. Following the shoot, Bowie extended an invitation to Freston to join him for a sauna session at his hotel.This invitation led to an encounter that would become legendary.
Freston described the scene: “Bowie was waiting in the spa. We walked together into the sauna. There was only one other person there. He was sitting on a high bench up in the back, deep in the fog. I squinted. It was Paul McCartney! Jesus Christ.Somehow, I’d made it into the Sauna of the Stars.”
The unlikely trio – Bowie, McCartney, and Freston – found themselves together, “naked, wrapped in towels, taking turns throwing water on the hot rocks.” Freston recalls a surprisingly candid conversation. “We shot the shit for half an hour. They were easy to talk to and eager to hear about MTV.I was full of gratitude.” The encounter, he admits, was almost astounding.
The “I Want My MTV” campaign, born on a ski slope and solidified in a Swiss sauna, became one of the most recognizable and effective advertising slogans in history.Dozens of stars eventually participated, but it was the initial, improbable connection with Bowie and McCartney – and the sheer audacity of the MTV team – that laid the foundation for the network’s global dominance.
