David Bowie, musical genius and master of the rebirth – Major Tom to The Diamond Dogs.

Some while ago I did an article about David Bowie’s Berlin Album Trilogy (Low, Heroes and Lodger) but there is so much more to this incredible artist that I thought I would post another article sharing some more of his unbelievable work.

David Bowie is rightly considered to be one of the most influential musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries. He was acclaimed by fans, critics and fellow musicians alike and was the master of reinvention. Throughout his long career he didn’t stay in the same place or style for very long. His music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music and throughout his lifetime he sold in excess of 100 Million records worldwide.

His first album was released in 1967 and reached No. 125 in the charts but his most popular period started with his second album Space Oddity in 1969. This playlist of songs covers the period between Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs, his 1974 release. After Diamond Dogs there was a marked change in style as Bowie made a departure from the glam rock style of his previous albums to one showcasing his interest in soul and R&B music. I might cover this and other career changes in a follow up playlist in the future.

“Space Oddity” is a song written and first released as a 7-inch single in 1969 before appearing as the opening track of Bowie’s second studio album, David Bowie which was later renamed Space Oddity. It became one of Bowie’s signature songs and one of four of his songs to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was Bowie’s first single to chart in the UK reaching the top five on its initial release and received the 1970 Ivor Novello Special Award for Originality. The song eventually made the number one spot upon rerelease in 1975. The video was produced in 1972. Interestingly enough, the mellotron is played by none other than keyboard maestro Rick Wakeman. He was a much in demand session musician at this time and has stated publicly that this is one of his favourite performances. The song is a classic….and I love it!

“The Width of a Circle” is a song written by David Bowie in 1969 for the album The Man Who Sold the World, recorded in Spring 1970 and released later that year in the United States and in April 1971 in the UK. It is the opening track to the album, a hard rocker with heavy metal overtones. Bowie had performed a shorter version of the song in concerts for several months before recording it. Featuring Mick Ronson’s lead guitar work and occasional choral effects from the band, this 8-minute song is divided into two parts. The music takes on a heavy R&B quality in the second half, where the narrator enjoys a sexual encounter with the Devil or some other supernatural being in the depths of Hell. For me, this was a highlight of any Bowie gig at which it was played.

“Quicksand” is a song written by Bowie and released on his 1971 album Hunky Dory. It was recorded at Trident Studios in London. This ballad features multi-tracked acoustic guitars and a string arrangement by Mick Ronson. The song again features Rick Wakeman who plays piano.

“Moonage Daydream” is a song by Bowie released on his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. It is this song that introduced the world to the character Ziggy Stardust who describes himself as a bisexual alien rock superstar who will save the Earth from the impending disaster described in the album’s opening track “Five Years”. It features saxophone played by Bowie and a guitar solo and string arrangement by Ronson. It is a great track and has received critical acclaim, with many deeming Ronson’s guitar work it’s clear standout. Other members of the band have called it the best song on the album.

“The Jean Genie” is a song Bowie released in November 1972 as the lead single to his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. On the album, it appears as the ninth and penultimate track.It spent 13 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 2, making it Bowie’s biggest hit to date. Amazingly it was kept off the top spot by Little Jimmy Osmond’s “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool”…….blimey!

I have gone a little off piste with the video clip here because this is a “lost” recording. It was recorded for Top Of The Pops on 3rd January 1973 and broadcast on 4th January 1973. It was lost and never seen again until it was broadcast by the BBC on 21st December 2011. It shows what a fantastic performer Bowie was. He was no slouch on that harmonica either. Outstanding…….

David Bowie’s remake of “Sorrow”, recorded in July 1973 at Château d’Hérouville, Hérouville, France, was the only single released in the UK from his Pin Ups covers album, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, and staying in the charts for 15 weeks.It was also Bowie’s first number one hit single in Australia, where it topped the charts for two weeks in February 1974.

“Diamond Dogs” is a 1974 single by Bowie and the title track of the album of the same name. The lyric introduces the listener to Bowie’s latest persona and his environment; Halloween Jack dwells on top of an abandoned skyscraper (“Manhattan Chase”, a.k.a. One Chase Manhattan Plaza) in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The guitar sound is heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones, and signalled Bowie moving away from glam rock and closer to a proto-punk Stooges-influenced sound. The track was considered by many commentators to be an unconventional single, and it only reached number 21 in the United Kingdom. According to NME critics Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray, “As a potential hit single, the title track from Diamond Dogs was something of a non-event. Too long, too bleak in vision, too tough to dance to… you know the drill”.

I hope you enjoy this selection.

Space Oddity – Space Oddity