Radio And TV
Live Performances
Miscellaneous Tracks
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this new text was written by myself with invaluable aid from David Priest. not always up to date i'm afraid.

demos and out-takes

bowie talks bootlegs 9kb 4 secs

that's where my heart is 721kb 2:22

i want my baby back 798kb 2:38

bars of the county jail 616kb 2:03

i'll follow you 595kb 1:59

glad i've got nobody 756kb 2:31
these tracks are officially released but they are not overly easy to come by so i will put them up here and humbly apologise to the good people at Rhino for stealing from them. the cd in question is "Early On (1964-1966)" Rhino R2 70526. there, i can't say fairer than that. the first three tracks are demos recorded in 1965 and produced by the legendary (in my house) Who producer Shel Talmy. like most of Bowie's '64-'66 output they are fairly derivative but That's Where My Heart Is shows Bowie playing with vocal styles very early on in his career. The last two tracks are full band takes featuring The Lower Third but are probably just rehearsal takes judging by the quality of the musicianship. very interesting indeed.

silly boy blue 340k 2:54
that's a promise 273k 2:19
these are the two sides of an acetate which was heavily bootlegged in the 1980s. the tracks were recorded in February 1966 at the R.G.Jones studios in Morden, Surrey, this time backed by the newly auditioned Buzz. Silly Boy Blue appeared on the Deram album with different lyrics while That's A Promise remains unreleased in any other form. The jump in the latter track is due to damage to the acetate.

over the wall we go 479k 4:05
this track is another of Bowie's 'earlier, funnier' songs. A solo demo was recorded in early January 1966 and this group version was recorded in July of that year. Broadcast on pirate station "Radio London" in August 1966 but never released as a single it eventually found it's way to collectors pressed onto an acetate backed with a demo of Love You Til Tuesday recorded at the same time. It was later recorded by "Oscar" which was the pseudonym for actor Paul Nicholas.

love you til tuesday 376kb 3:12
as with "Over The Wall We Go" Bowie recorded a solo demo of this track in January 1966 but that version is not available to collectors. This July demo does however and is interesting as is is the only version to contain the extra lyrics in the bridge section. found on an acetate backed with "Over The Wall We Go."

lieb dich bis dienstag 360kb 3:04
mit mir in deinem traum 463kb 3:57
Ken Pitt had booked David on a couple of German music shows and it was his idea to record two of David's better compositions in a foreign language. This is something Bowie has continued to do throughout his career, and has now managed French, German, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian and Mandarin off the top of my head. Jerry Hopkins claims that Bowie learned several German versions of his songs recorded during the filming of the "Love You Til Tuesday" film which Pitt hoped to sell to overseas tv stations. That was 1969 and to me it seems more logical that these were recorded at the same time as the first album i.e. late 1966, early 1967. Correct answers on a postcard please. The two tracks, "Love You Til Tuesday" and "When I Live My Dream" respectively were pressed into an acetate which was auctioned at Sothebys in 1988. Two of the many tracks that were planned for the Deram anthology, a project that David blocked.

i'm waiting for the man 517kb 4:20
recorded with Riot Squad in April 1967 at the Decca studios and produced by Gus Dudgeon. was this very polite version of this Velvet Underground track which was later savaged at the BBC by Mick Ronson.

little toy soldier 237k 2:01
a very dark song also recorded with Riot Squad. Bowie heard an acetate of the first Velvet Underground album that Ken Pitt picked up on a trip to New York. It obviously impressed him as he recorded "I'm Waiting For The Man" and borrowed lines from "Venus In Furs" for this track. The song is about Sadie and her wind up soldier that whips her until she bleeds. Incredible.

when I live my dream (alternate vocal) 437kb 3:44
what it says really. An acetate of a version of "When I Live My Dream" with a different vocal. Probably a demo vocal pressed up for an acetate judging by some of the bum notes.

karma man 341kb 2:54
an early mix of one of the best pre "Space Oddity" tracks that was pressed into an acetate and found a way into our eager hands. One of the several tracks that Bowie wanted released as a single but were rejected by various record companies.

the mirror 227kb 1:29
threepenny peirrot 220kb 1:52
columbine 175kb 1:29
when i live my dream (version 1) 418kb 3:34
when i live my dream (version 2) 213kb 1:48
these tracks are from the 'Peirrot In Turquoise' bootleg that is very well known but still pretty hard to get hold of. Lindsay Kemp writes in "The Bowie Companion" that the first three songs were written especially for his mime show that the bootleg took its name from. Also used in the play were "When I Live My Dream" and "Sell Me A Coat" The versions featured here were recorded for use in the 'Looking Glass Murder' a play produced for Scottish tv.

london bye ta-ta 391kb 2:34
This is the March 1968 Tony Visconti take of a track that was never released, another track rejected as a single by Decca, the final straw for Bowie who left soon after. Interestingly the same fate met the 1970 remake which Mercury dropped in favour of "The Prettiest Star". At a push I would say that the re- make is better but this version does have a glorious Visconti string arrangement which can't be overlooked.

luv 184kb 0:37
Luv (with pop cards) is the name of a long lost ice cream the advertising of which Bowie, on Ken Pitt's advice, sang and starred in. Another Pitt masterstroke which lead to the Pepsi ad. 20 years later. This version is now complete but strangely Ken Pitt offers different lyrics in "the pitt report". the ad was recorded on 22nd january 1969 and mr bowie took home 25 guineas.

even a fool learns to love 82kb 0:42
also from 1968 is this oddity. A long story so i'll keep it short. in France a song appeared by the name of 'Comme D'Habitude' with a nice tune and crap lyrics. the race was on to write an English language version. David wrote this and Paul Anka wrote 'My Way.' Mr Sinatra (gawd bless 'im) made a decision, Paul made millions, David made commercials to pay the bills. Bowie's lyric was sung over the top of the original and that was pressed into a presumably unique acetate which Ken Pitt owns.

space oddity 699kb 5:22
janine 436kb 3:43
an occasional dream 367kb 3:07
conversation piece 395kb 3:22
ching a ling 386kb 3:17
i'm not quite 342kb 2:55
when i'm five 283kb 2:25
love song 699kb 5:58
life is a circus 652kb 5:34
lover to the dawn 551kb 4:42
these demos were recorded for Bob Grace of Chrsalis Music in February 1969, in David's bedroom at Clairville Grove, Chelsea, where he had shared a flat with his girlfriend, Hermione, and John Hutchinson. David had split from Hermione and Feathers had split too. This demo tape features some of the material David and Hutch had been performing as Feathers, and now as a duo. "I'm Not Quite" was later released as "Letter To Hermione", maybe the split was too recent for the subject to be namechecked so soon. The track "Lover To The Dawn" is an early version of "Cygnet Committee" with extra happy bits thrown in. I personally think he made the right decision to strip the track down. The melody is obviously a favourite of Bowie's, it was used either backwards of forwards in these two tracks and also "Ching-A-Ling" and "Saviour Machine." One song, a cover of Lesley Duncan's "Love Song", was covered by Elton John on the "Tumbleweed Connection" album. The other cover is "Life Is A Circus" a track by Djin that nothing seems to be known about. Only one track been released officially. "Space Oddity", is featured on the Ryko SOUND AND VISION box set. There is a slight warping during some of the tracks which is present on all bootleg issues of this recording which is presumably on the master tape which, after the Ryko release, is assumed to still be in Bowie's possession. The style of the music is very reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, another market David was having a go at cracking.

wild-eyed boy from freecloud 550kb 4:42
This acoustic version of the song was used as the B-side to the 1969 'Space Oddity' single. It was re-released on the Sound+Vision boxed set. This version however, is taken from the original Dutch single which contains an additional spoken intro , unavailable anywhere else. I have boosted the levels of the intro which is almost inaudible otherwise. Paul Buckmaster played on and arranged the track.

all the madmen (extract) 530kb 1:48
don't get excited this is just for the really curious. sometime in January 1971 David wore his famous Mr Fish 'man's dress' to a party in Los Angeles given by Mercury Records promoter Rodney Bingenheimer. sitting cross legged on a waterbed Bowie sang this song from 'The Man Who Sold The World' and amazingly it was recorded. one verse, terrible quality, utterly pointless but totally unique and the sort of thing Bowie fanatics spend years searching for.

all the madmen (fake) 1313kb 4:29
a very famous bootleg that i have included here so you can see what level people will go to to produce a fake. basically this is the left channel of the official version spread accross both channels with a layer of rehearsal type noises dubbed over the top and a couple of sections taken out. very similar to the 'Vampires Of Human Flesh' fakes and the 'demo' of 'Karma Man' doing the rounds.

lightening frightening 459k 3:55
this track was released on the Ryko "The Man Who Sold The World" but with a faded in intro. This is the full length version. An odd track, it really doesn't seem to fit in with other 1970 recordings. Excellent stuff though, great harmonica.

tired of my life 362kb 3:05
this is often referred to as the first song Bowie ever wrote. I assume this is derived from an interview and would be grateful if anyone could help me out here. The song was later re-written as "Its No Game" for Scary Monsters and this version is thought to have been recorded at Haddon Hall in 1970.

changes demo 392kb 3:20
kooks demo 350kb 2:58
amsterdam demo 347kb 2:57
bombers demo 327kb 2:47
rather obviously demos for planned "Hunky Dory" tracks. Record Collector magazine describes Bowie's piano playing on the first two as "clumpy."

right on mother 300kb 2:33
Peter Noone, formerly of Hermans Hermits recorded two Bowie tracks, "Oh You Pretty Things" as an a-side in April 1971 and "Right On Mother" as a b-side in October 1971. This trac k was never fully recorded and this version , a demo from an unknown date, is the only known one available.

hang on to yourself (with gene vincent) 259kb 2:12
this is an early version of the Ziggy Stardust song that was was recorded during a jam with Gene Vincent in 1971. This version has lyrics that resemble those recorded by Bowie on the Arnold Corns version of the song.

miss peculiar (how lucky you are) 547kb 3:35
how lucky you are 524kb 3:25
A few words about A rnold Corns before notes on these specific tracks. Towards the end of 1970 Bowie had secured a new publishing deal with Chrysalis music and was frequently recording demos at Radio Luxembourg studios. Bowie, who at this time was still under contract to Mercury, had no intention of recording new material under his own name, so he created semi official outlets in the Arnold Corns and Nick King pseudonyms. In early 1971 Tony DeFries had sorted out the contractual problems and was negotiating a new recording contract with RCA. David had already started recording material for two albums, one of these became Hunky Dory while the other, which never materialized was the Arnold Corns album Looking For Rudi. "Miss Peculiar" was one of a handful of songs recorded under the name The Nick King All-Stars and at least four different versions of the song exist. The rarest being David's original piano / vocal demo recorded at Haddon Hall in May 1970. The first version listed here is the most common version, believed to have been recorded in February 1971, and featuring David on lead / backing vocals and pia no , with John Cambridge on drums and Tony Visconti on Bass (although Tony says he's never heard of this song!) Two versions were recorded at Trident Studios on 23rd April 1971. The second version listed here features the vocals of Micky "Sparky" King. The other version, recorded with David's own vocal has yet to surface among collectors but both versions exist in stereo and mono formats.

rupert the riley 867kb 2:57
Rupert The Riley is another Arnold Corns track about David's car and this time Bowie is singing backing vocals with Sparky King once again on lead vocals.

looking for a friend 332kb 2:10
on June 17th 1971 Arnold Corns recorded four demos at the Radio Luxembourg studios, three of which were released by the B&C label in September 1971. two tracks "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang Onto Yourself" were radically changed and ended up on "Ziggy Stardust." The third track and in my opinion the best was "The Man In The Middle" the b-side of the second single, which apart from a semi official release on 12 inch in 1985 has not seen the light of day since. The fourth track was not known about until this 1985 release and is a version of "Looking For A Friend" with Freddi Buretti on lead vocals. This is a demo version featuring Bowie on very rough vocals and was probably recorded in late 1970 or early 1971.

don't be afraid 783kb 2:54
a very rare track that has hardly been bootlegged due to it's low quality, this is probably a Hunky Dory out-take. This is David at his most T Rex and I doubt if it will ever find an official outlet.

bombers (warhol segue) 374kb 3:11
there are a lot of versions of this track in circulation, a demo, a BBC session, several different length studio versions and a fully orchestrated version. Bombers was originally slated for release on "Hunky Dory" but was replaced by "Fill Your Heart." This take includes the segue that still exists on the album and shows how the track would have fitted in. another track which was lin ked with the near legendary 'bridging' album between Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust.

eight line poem 340kb 2:54
this is an ultra rare piece, and this is it's first wide circulation as it is still not available on cd and is also extremely rare on tape. as part of an attempt to get a record deal with RCA an acetate was pressed of one side of the as yet unfinished Hunky Dory album. most tracks were as we now know them except this track. the vocal is very different, less theartrical, more laid back and in keeping with the music. i think the right choice was made if this take was ever considered for the album but this is still a very interesting peice and one that will hopefully one day receive wide circulation in cd quality.

shadowman 847kb 3:43
often listed as a Hunky Dory out-take this track was referred to in the Ryko re- issue of Ziggy Stardust as being recorded for that album but being left unfinished. Interestingly that information refers to it as "Shadowman" but that is its bootleg title, it was originally called "The Man" For me this is the best Bowie out-take and one of his best songs ever. That it remains unreleased is a mystery to me.

something happens (higher quality) 637kb 2:11
This demo was recorded in 1971 for the planned album between Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust. The sound quality on this track is absolutely horrible but i have done my best to make it as listenable as possible. Sounds bad but you can make out a tune and snatches of lyric and it has historical importance. This is probably the reason why it was never bootlegged.

holy holy 487kb 3:11
the original January 1971 Mercury single a-side which was later re-made by the Spiders during the Aladdin Sane sessions. This is a much more sedate version and really pales next to the more familiar Mick Ronson onslaught of the re-make.

all the young dudes 455kb 3:52
henry and the h-bomb 403kb 3:26
it's alright 508kb 4:20
in May 1972 Bowie was working with Mott The Hoople, the result of which was the huge hit single "All The Young Dudes" which rescued the band's career and became an anthem overnight. during the sessions Bowie recorded a few Mott The Hoople songs and, along with Bowie's demo of All The Young Dudes backed by Mott, two are presented here. Henry And The H-Bomb remained unreleased in any form until a Mott version was released as part of an anthology a few years ago. i can't find any mention of It's Alright anywhere and assume it is not a Bowie composition. the version of All The Young Dudes blows away the Rarestonebowie version and features a huge organ sound and a great delivery. the other two tracks are of great interest too, being totally new to the majority of Bowie collectors, myself included up to yesterday. put your hand up Mr Dan Gallo for providing these tracks for us all.

starman 377kb 3:13
starman instrumental 498kb 4:15
Bowie performed this single on Top Of The Pops in the UK on April 14th 1972 singing live over this backing track. Here is most of the vocal version and the entire instrumental, which is simply the well known recording with most of the vocals removed. It is actually a few seconds longer than the official version, and you can hear Mick Ronson's original ending that was faded out for the official release. In both cases I have added a few bars of the original to the beginning to make them sound a little better.

a lad in vein 738kb 6:18
surprisingly little is known about this track. It very probably comes from the Aladdin Sane sessions, and has no specific title so this one, being the most common, is as good as any. Elements of the track are scattered all over the Aladdin Sane album and most people were rather surprised when it was left off the Ryko re-issue of the album. All sorts of mystery surrounds this track, particularly whether it is the track "Zion" that was talked about during the recording of "Aladdin Sane" or another track in its own right. There is also some suggestion that its similarity to Sweet Thing makes it a Diamond Dogs out- take.

dodo 581kb 4:25
David worked with Lulu for a while in the 70s, most successfully co producing Lulu's version of "The Man Who Sold The The World" and its b side "Watch That Man" with Mick Ronson in 1974. It is rumoured that she recorded some more of Bowie's songs but this is the only confirmed recording. released on the Ryko re- issue of Diamond Dogs was a two and a half minute edit of this song. here at last is the full length version with David and Lulu singing a duet.

right 552kb 4:43
can you hear me 637kb 5:26
somebody up there likes me 767kb 6:33
fame 597kb 3:55
the "Young Americans" album has a long history, initially having a different name, "The Gouster." After becoming Young Americans David played an early version to a journalist which at this time included the tracks "Who Can I Be Now" and "It's Gonna Be Me." At this point enter John Lennon. "Fame" and "Across The Universe" were recorded and the two aforementioned tracks were replaced. There are several version of most of the "Young Americans" tracks on tape in the vaults on recently some of these have been finding there way to collectors. the first three tracks here have been doing the rounds for some time but Fame is an absolutely new track, never before heard by the public. It's a great version, much clearer and featuring a great flute part. better than the released version I think.

let's twist again 418kb 3:34
this tracks has been available on tape for years and is rumoured to be a collaboration between David and John Lennon, presumably from the "Young Americans" sessions. Much as I would like it to be genuine, I really think this is either a deliberate fake or a genuine mistake that has reached mythical proportions.

station to station 1,129kb 9:39
TVC15 636kb 5:26
sister midnight 719kb 6:08
five years (takes 1 & 2) 226kb 1:55
five years 658kb 5:37
panic in detroit 745kb 6:22
fame 448kb 3:49
changes 514k 4:23
queen bitch 367kb 3:08
rebel rebel 444kb 3:47
jean genie 990kb 8:27
life on mars 217kb 1:50
recorded in Vancouver on the 2nd of February 1976, these are amazing rehearsal versions of tracks that were performed all through the 1976 tour. The most interesting track here is "Sister Midnight" a track co-written by Bowie and Iggy Pop for "The Idiot." Several live versions exist but this is the closest to a studio version and is exceptionally good. A professionally recorded video exists of this rehearsal and I presume that it is the source of these recordings due to the tell tale hiss in quiet sections which is commonly found on second generation video copies. to be played at maximum volume.

sleeping next to you (instrumental) 398kb 3:23
sleeping next to you (vocal) 646kb 5:31
madman (short) 344k 2:56
madman 802kb 6:51
Bowie appeared on the Marc show in September 1977, a week before Bolan's untimely but now rather trendy deat h i n a car crash . They jammed two song s in a Manchester hotel room for the performance and these are what collectors have from those rather lengthy and repetitive sessions. On the night Bowie sang "Heroes" and the duo were to play "Sleeping Next To You" as the final credits rolled but Bolan fell off the stage a few seconds into the song. It turned into a bad week for him all things considered. Madman was covered by The Cuddly Toys in July 1980 after Marc distributed copies of the entire tape amongst fanclub members. the longer version of Sleeping Next To You features a couple of minutes of false starts and profanity from David who is upset with his playing. most interesting on the full tape of Madman which, aside from a couple of false starts includes a two complete version and very diff e rent arrangements, the second a much more bluesy take featuring some nice guitar from i presume Marc.

walking through that door 286kb 2:26
skunk city 43kb 0:22
these two tracks are alleged to feature Bowie and Marc Bolan, the latter al so featuring Gloria Jones who sings like she drives. i've never been convinced but am assured they are all in there so here they are for your delight. Little is known about these recordings but some sources claim that they stem from the same session as "Sleeping Next To You" and "Madman." I think this is possible in the case of the latter but the quality of the former seems to suggest that it has been mixed in a studio and the fact that it features a full band pretty much rules it out of those jams.

velvet couch 316kb 2:41
piano la 248kb 2:06
These very nice recordings were made on 05-10-1979 at the Ciarbis Studios in New York, together with John Cale. Velvet Couch is particularly beautiful with lyrics that almost seem to be about the room the two are in. They have only been bootlegged once, on a 7" called Two gentlemen in New York. Even though the sound quality isn't that great I wonder why they haven't been released on CD?

because i'm young 1401kb 4:42

up the hill backwa r d s 969kb 3:15

scream like a baby 951kb 3:09

kingdom come 1132kb 3:49

it's no game 1107kb 3:44
is there life after marriage ? 520kb 4:26
two 1/4" reel-to-reel studio tapes marked 'Monitor Mixes', were auctioned at Christie's in 1989 (selling for �320) and from them came these amazing recordings. They are early versions of Scary Monsters tracks and all vary considerably from the released versions, most obviously on "Because I'm Young" which was re-written as "Because You're Young" with new lyrics. During the sessions an instrumental track called "Is There Life After Marriage ?" was recorded but this probably isn't it. This is more likely a ru n through of Cream' s "I Feel Free" which was recorded and dropped, to be later recorded for "Black Tie White Noise." A reliable source who has heard the masters assures me that their quality is far better than the, still amazing, cd bootlegs currently in circulation.

al alba 621kb 5:18
'Day In Day Out' was translated in Spanish by Carlos Alomar and this is the result. Bowie said in a Dutch television interview (Countdown, if I remember right) that it will never be heard as it is 'awful, really bad'. It was broadcast once on Spanish radio, and the DJ said the tape would be destroyed after the broadcast.

radio and tv performances

Back To Top

five years 438kb 3:44
queen bitch 352kb 3:00
oh you pretty things 367kb 3:07
i have already posted one track from the BBC tv show Old Gr ey Whistle Test and now here are all three. great happy versions of these songs, if only you could see the video, the Spiders never looked better.

fame 375kb 3:12
can you hear me 496kb 4:14
young americans 768kb 6:33
in 1975 David appeared on the Cher Show performing three numbers. the first, Fame was solo and the other two were duets. this is a wonderful version of Can You Here Me, benefitting greatly from Cher's breathy vocal. the famous medley presented here at last. some think it's dreadful, i love it. Bowie does Vegas, it could have stayed like this for 20 years. here is the full track listing, if it's wrong please blame Pimm Jal de la Parra.

Song Sung Blue
One
Da Do Run Run
Wedding Bell Blues
Then Maybe
Day Tripper
Blue Moon
Only You
Temptation
Ain't No Sunshine
Youngblood

heroes 411kb 3:30
sleeping next to you 131kb 1:06
as discussed elsewhere, Marc Bolan's last public appearance not in a box was on his 'Marc' show singing a new duet with old pal / arch rival Bowie. First up Bowie sang a great version of "Heroes" and then the two got together to play "Sleeping Next To You" over the credits. Sadly our last image of Marc is him falling of stage and David laughing at him. Here it is so you can laugh too.

heroes 350kb 2:59
unfortunately this tracks is from replayed Top Of The Pops, a long running British TV icon. It suffers from a sudden fade but is a worthwhile download nonetheless, with it's much gentler, upbeat vocal.

baal's hymn 862kb 3:40
ballad of the adventurers 342kb 1:27
remembering marie a 386kb 1:38
the dirty song 166kb 0:42
drowned girl 572kb 2:26
at the outset of the '80s Bowie's releases were still very much in the mould of obscure cult artist. after the success of the 'Scary Monsters' album he returned to one of two of his loves, acting and Bertolt Brecht. appearing in the BBC production of the relatively obscure 'Baal' bowie performed well but was unlucky to be programmed against Laurence Olivier on a different channel. pop star versus stage legend, he was never really going to get a fair trial. to be honest the play itself is rather leaden with the director only adding to the problem. the highlights are the songs which Bowie re-recorded in the studio and released as an ep in 1982. in the play the songs are sung live with Bowie accompanying himself on banjo. these versions have never been released and the play is rarely shown in Britian, let alone elsewhere in the world. 'Baal's Hymn' is sung as narration in the play and i have edited all the segments together to create a complete song which explains the jerky nature of the track and the hard strum at the end of most of the verses. the other tracks are basically as sung in the play with a couple having some mid-song banter cut out. Brecht has written better songs and Bowie's banjo playing is rudimentary but these songs have a lot of charm and i prefer them to the overblown official versions. the vocalisations are pretty much unique, Bowie's voice quite unaffected and having a singing in the shower quality about it. 'The Drowned Girl' is probably the highlight, both lyrically and musically and 'Ballad Of The Aventurers' is wonderfully venomous. i think this is the first time these tracks have been presented in this fashion.

a big hurt (bbc) 1015kb 3:27
baby universal (bbc) 924kb 3:09
if there is something (bbc) 1008kb 3:26
heaven's in here (bbc) 1945kb 6:38
stateside (bbc) 1930kb 6:35
here we go again. i'm sorry, so sorry that this is an official release but it is impossible to get hold of so i am posting it here. i promise any Bowie official out there that if i am asked to remove the official material i will do so, can't say fairer than that. anyway as part of the publicity blitz surrounding the second and (in my ever present opinion) best Tin Machine album a return to the BBC session studios for the first time in nearly 20 years. what do we get? well 'Stateside' was always a bloated vanity showcase for Hunt Sales and is predictably over blown here. 'Baby Universal' is good, one of the TM high points and it's a nice rough demo type version here. if you like the other tracks then you will like the versions here if not then they probably don't hold much for you. tip top stereo quality though.

andy warhol 287kb 2:27
lady stardust 398kb 3:23
repetition 348kb 2:58
the supermen 361kb 3:04
white light white heat 427kb 3:38
shopping for girls 402kb 3:26
aladdin sane 408kb 3:29
the man who sold the world 463kb 3:57
quicksand 554kb 4:44
as part of the 50th birthday celebrations Bowie gave a rather special interview to BBC Radio One. As well as the usual questions, top music celebrities kissed his feet and asked their own personal questions. The highlight however was the Beeb persuading David to record ten songs for broadcast, an excellent mix with the possible exception of the overplayed "White Light White Heat." Nine were broadcast at first with "I Can't Read" havi n g to wait 6 months until the 17th of August fo r airplay. All essential listens but for me "Shopping For Girls" and "Repetition" are the stand outs.

scary monsters(and super creeps) 466kb 3:58
recorded in 1997 for US radio, Bowie a nd Re eves give this track a rather odd Johnny Cash spin.

dead man walking 490kb 4:11
i can't read 599kb 5:06
jean genie 527kb 4:30
scary monsters(and super creeps) 328kb 2:47
seven years in tibet 548k 4:41
One of the big features of the 1997 tour was the huge amount of personal appearances Bowie and the band made on radio and television shows. h ere is a set recorded for Boston Radio station SCBN on the 8th April 1997 featuring Bowie and Reeves. a great set performed before a studio audience was one of the first times these now familiar acoustic versions were played.

dead man walking 474kb 4:03
jean genie 490kb 4:11
scary monsters(and super creeps) 300kb 2:33
i can't read 542kb 4:38
seven years in tibet 456kb 3:54
the supermen
later the same day David and Reeves were in Atlanta at radio 99X performing pretty much the same set, which is a shame. still wonderful songs though, this version of "I Can't Read" is my favourite. the extract of "The Supermen" is a great surprise too.

dead man walking 522kb 4:27
my favourite track from "Earthling" and my favourite performance from the Jack Docherty tv show on Channel Five in Britian. a perfect, fragile delicate performance that really captures the song.

dead man walking 500k 4:16
will the acoustic versions of this track ever stop? this is number four here !! from the May 10th 1997 "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." this acoustic performance with Reeves was far and away the highlight of the US tv performances that year. for me this is at least as good as the album version, and better than some of the weaker "Earthling" tracks.

rosie girl 90kb 45 secs
Bowie sang this cute version of "China Girl" to Rosie O'Donnell when he appeared on her show in 1997.

KROQ intro 531kb 1:48
KROQ jean genie 2182kb 7:26
KROQ panic in detroit 1245kb 4:14
KROQ i'm afraid of americans 1512kb 5:09
KROQ the man who sold the world 1906kb 3:44
KROQ fame 1342kb 4:34
KROQ scary monsters (and super creeps) 1586kb 5:24
KROQ little wonder 1765kb 6:01
on december the 6th 1997 david and the band appeared as the special guests at the 8th annual KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. to begin with the set is actually barely acoustic. maybe that is the point and i am missing it but whatever. as with all sets there are highs and lows. the highs in this case are 'The Man Who Sold The World' which is just the mix available on the 'Strangers' single but is a nice version. 'Panic In Detroit' is good to hear, especially Gail-Anne's backing vocals. 'Little Wonder' works too, a little long but interesting in the middle considering how quickly the released version has become annoying. as for the rest they are interesting if a little overplayed. 'I'm Afraid Of Americans' makes another loud and in my opinion unwanted appearance but it's not up to me what they play. the intro by the way is a very brief few words with the stars of Scream 2 but the band are warming up in the background so it's there if you are interested.

twentieth century boy (with Placebo) 573kb 3:54
anyone not heard about this song yet? i actually don't rate it too highly. basically a carbon copy of the T Rex version with another singer, the same as the 'Velvet Goldmine' version. Bowie is almost inaudable but i suspect that will change when th e o ff ic ial cha rriddddy version is relea sed.

live

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got to get a job 791kb 6:45
Recorded on 6th june 1972 at the Kingston Poly this is the only known recording of this James Brown cover, taken from the Soul Asylum bootleg. Bowie also played Hot by James Brown on this tour, but there are no recordings of that song available.

white light white heat 587kb 5:00
waiting for the man 655kb 5:41
sweet jane 466kb 3:59
Bowie and the Spiders performed a gig at the Royal Festival Hall in London on the 8th of July 1972. this was a Friends Of The Earth, save the whale fundraiser a nd Bowie got blistering reviews. appea ring as a guest and on an English stage for the first time ever was Lou Reed, recently ex Velvet Underground. They played three Velvets numbers together with Bowie on backing vocals and it is great to hear Mick Ronson playing these tracks with Lou singing. History in the making as Bowie took the mantle of rock God from the washed up Lou and carried it into the 70's. my opinion of course.

this boy 282kb 2:24
bowie performed this Beatles track at several of his Ziggy Stardust shows and this rather poor quality version is from Aylesbury Friars on the 18th July 1972.

my death 631kb 5:23
great track and brilliant performance, this is live at the Boston Music Hall October 1st 1972. compare this to the latest live versions and see what 25 years of cigarettes will do.

drive in saturday 490k 4:11
a wonderful acoustic live version of this song, performed at Pirate's World, Fort Lauderdale on the 17th November 1972. The quality is not great, it's an audience tape, but the performance makes up for this. another acoustic performance in perfect quality from a gig in Cleveland, Ohio on the 22nd September 1972 has recently surfaced but has yet to find it's way to collectors.

jean genie / love me do 1071kb 9:09
a little bit of personal history here. my first ever Bowie bootleg was a tape of the "Retirement Gig" as it used to be known, the Spiders final performance at the Hammersmith Odeon, 3rd July 1973. it is still one of the best bootlegs there is, the raw power of the band that was washed out of the official release is so powerful on this release. thsitrack was left off the official release supposedly at Jeff Beck's request along with Round And Round which has never been bootlegged. this track is unique, the only time on record that Bowie segued Love Me Do into the song and a fantastic example of Mick Rinsons playing, sparring with Jeff Beck with sensational results. also included here is the speech Bowie made informing the audience and, i beleive, the band that they were splitting up. pointlessly chopped up on the official release the screams of horror from the audience tell the whole story. awesome.

dodo 633kb 5:24
everything's alright 282kb 2:24
i can't explain 629kb 2: 08
jean genie 1723kb 5:52
sorrow 344kb 2:56
i got you babe 475kb 4:03
space oddity 629kb 5:22
time 604kb 5:09
filmed at the Marquee, London between the 18th and 20th of October 1973 was the 1980 Floor Show special for NBC. by this time Woody Woodmansey had quit the Spiders but Trevor Bolder and Mick Ronson stayed on for one last performance. these recordings feature the only live versions of the Pin Ups tracks and what is as far as i know the only version of Space Oddity with a full brass part. i have already posted a version of I Got You Babe but this version has a few extra seconds at the beginning and is from a better quality source. she still can't sing though.

all the young dudes 1585kb 5:24
listening to this track will pretty much explain it, Mott The Hoople live with the song's writer on backing vocals. this is a great song and Ian Hunter really does it proud, this being a great version. camping it up all the way through calling for boys to come out of the audience because he wants them. bowie repotedly travelled 600 miles in a taxi across America in one day to fulfill his promise to perform with the band. recently David has expressed some regret that he gave the song away which is a shame because i think Mott have always done it better than him.

all the young dudes 459kb 3: 55
this is a live recording from the LA Universal Amphitheatre in September 1974. Bowie is often quoted as saying "for my gay boyfriends" in his introduction but is quite obviously saying "but I gave away to friends," referring to Mott The Hoople.

imagine 545kb 4:39
the song needs no introduction really. Bowie's old friend John Lennon was shot dead on the 8th December 1980, striking fear into the hearts of many performers, not least Bowie. the Serious Moonlight tour finished up in Hong Kong Coliseum on Dec 8th 1983 and, Hong Kong being the last place the two had been together it was almost inevitable that Bowie would sing this track. a surprisingly good and upbeat performance given the circumstances and lack of rehearsal.

tonight (with Tina Turner) 1144kb 3:54
let's dance (with Tina Turner) 1115kb 3:48
one again apologies to the record company concerned but what else could i do. david in a lovely suit teamed up with Tina to sing the duet they performed on the 'Tonight' which was one of the better tracks. the other song is a medley of the two tracks by the name of 'Let's Dance' As a little aside a playground favourite when i was a young nipper at school was 'hey baby won't you take a chance and put you hands in my underpants.' hilarious stuff when you are seven. i always find david's voice rather odd when he speaks here. maybe i'm just used to the cod thick sarf london of today.

dancing in the street 409kb 3:29
Recorded at the Prince's Trust concert in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 12th june 1986. This recording was taken from a rare black and white video and later bootlegged on a Rolling Stones boot called From Now To Then, this is the only live performance of this song. It wasn't broadcast because Mick Jagger wasn't pleased with the performance. The introduction was done by Paul McCartney, by the way. Great to hear three of the most influential persons in music of the last few decades on the same stage together.

i wanna be your dog 1244kb 4:14
without getting too deep into an analysis of The Glass Spider Tour, it was a good idea that went very wrong. some sections did shine out though, particularly this track which is yet another Iggy composition. dragging out Charlie Sexton may not have had much street cred but the line up of four guitars, Frampton, Sexton, Alomar and Bowie does provide the required level of noise to make this ever so basic song work. once again this version is from an official video release filmed in Sydney 1987. this was at the end of the tour and Bowie's voice is really feeling the strain. there are bootleg versions around but this is one is better quality and it's not doing much harm, is it?

look back in anger 814kb 6:57
Recorded live in London on 1st july 1988 with La La La Human Steps, taken from the Look Back In Anger bootleg LP. This is the first recording Bowie made with Reeves Gabrels. A studio version of this song was released on the re -issue of Lodger. Thi s track later evolved into 'Now', which was played on the 1989 Tin Machine tour. 'Now' later became 'Outside'.

shakin' all over 322kb 2:44
Performed on a few of the 1989 Tin Machine shows, this particular version of the song by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates is from the 29-06-1989 Kilburn show. It was officialy released on the 'You belong in rock 'n' Roll' limited edition CD in tin can.

now 712kb 6:05
This song was played a couple of times on the 1989 Tin Machine tour. The music was based on the new version of Look back in anger performed live in 1988 with Reeves Gabrels and later re-recorded and released as a bonus track on Lodger. This song later transformed into 'Outside', with some different lyrics. This particular version is from Bradford, 02-07-1989.

jean genie-gloria-maria 922kb 7:52
Bowie has played parts of a lot of different songs during Jean Genie over the years. On the Sound and Vision tour Bowie used the song 'Gloria' by Them, and on a few shows he also used 'Maria' from the West Side Story musical. This version is from a radio broadcast of Lisbon 14-09-1990.

cosmic dancer 418kb 3:34
This Marc Bolan song was recorded at 06-02-1991 in LA, whenBowie joined Morrissey on stage as a guest. The quality isn't that bad but the screaming girls make it hard to hear and vocals after Bowie arrives on stage. This was taken from a Morrissey bootleg single.

debaser 273kb 2:20
This Pixies cover was played regularly on the 1991 Tin Machine tour and is an example in my opinion of why the Tin Machine concept failed. Without a clear leader and only one album of material the band were forced to perform ill advised covers with anyone who fancied a go taking the lead vocal. Quality control went out the window and all the covers were bad. i may post Maggies Farm here one day but i don't know why. This particular version is from a radio broadcast of Chicago 7th december 1991. It was bootlegged on a CD called The Blade And The Tongue.

betty wrong 2523kb 8:36

waiting for you 1015kb 3:27
well i am a naughty boy. these tracks are top quality stereo copies of tracks from the 'Oy Vey Baby' video. it is very hard to get hold of though so i'm sure the record company won't mind. they are the two tracks of interest on the video although watching it does make me realise that my criticism of TM is a little harsh, they were a good live band. when the Sales' would shut up that is. 'Betty Wrong' is of interest because it has extended sax parts throughout and is very different to the album version. two and a half meg you scream... sorry, decided to hit you with good quality this time. if anyone would like a smaller one, just let me know and i will compress it slightly. the second is interesting for the wrong reasons. Reeves has a go at singing. for my rant on the free for all approach to vocals within the band, see 'Debaser' above. it's a Neil Young song done a great injustice. i'm amazed he let Reeves play at the Bridge benefit.

go now 518kb 4:25
This Moody Blues song was often performed on the 1991/1992 Tin Machine tour, with Tony Sales as singer and is probably the most successful of the Tin Machine covers. It was only officially released on the Oy Vey Baby video and NME's 40th anniversary 3CD The Ruby Trax, which is where this version is taken from. It was recorded somewhere in Japan in early 1992.

under pressure 538kb 4:35
all the young dudes 436kb 3:43
heroes 587kb 5:01
on April the 20th 1992 Bowie was among many artists who took part in the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at Wembley Stadium, London which unfortunately is remembered by most for Bowie's questionable reading of the Lord's Prayer. far more important is the fact that Bowie and Mick Ronson got together one last time to perform together. it was known that Mick was dying of cancer and the sadness of the moment was not lost on many. all the performers played with Queen as thier backing group and Bowie's first track was a duet with Annie Lennox, made up to look like pris from Blade Runner. (trivia note, the inscription on the flowers Bowie sent to his brother's funeral used a line from the same film.) the band were then joined by Ian Hunter from Mott The Hoople and Mick Ronson for a run through of the formers biggest hit. then, as at Live Aid, Bowie sang Heroes, the song somehow meaning so much in both contexts. forget the rest, the day belonged to Mick and Mick alone.

subterraneans / scary monsters (and super creeps) 981kb 8:23
reptile 696kb 5:56
hallo spaceboy 587kb 5:00
hurt 633kb 5:24 554kb 4:44
on the first leg of the 1995 Outside tour Bowie was joined by Nine Inch Nails. They opened the shows with these tracks. the h ighlight for me is Hurt, an awesome d ue t by Bowie and Reznor and the eerie Subterraneans is outstanding too. big files but worth the download although the NIN wall of sound in Reptile and Hallo Spaceboy is not ideally suited to the real audio treatment.

lust for life 724kb 6:11
live at Loreley, Germany June 1996. Bowie singing a song he co-wrote with Iggy in '77.

aladdin sane 530kb 4:31
jean genie 634kb 5:25
fuck you all night long 143kb 1:12
anyway anyhow anywhere (extract) 112kb 0:56
i can't read 681kb 5:48
the man who sold the world 503kb 4:17
heroes 803kb 6:51
let's dance 598kb 5:06
For the last few years Neil Young has held the Bridge Benefits to raise money for the Bridge School for children suffering from Cerebal Palsy and this tracks are from the Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, 19th October 1996. this is the whole set and includes amazing re-workings of one of Bowie's most famous songs in what is his first ever full band acoustic gig. "Let's Dance" for instance has lost all of it's 80s chic and is turned in a much more menacing version which seems almost like a cover version. Reeves does a great job playing the Stevie Ray Vaughn lead guitar note for note and all up this is a revelation. "Heroes" too is totally unique, a very understated performance vocally although i do find Reeves overplays his hand slightly as ever. Don't get too excited about the inclusion of "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" its only the first line but never performed live before so kind of unique. The other tracks are in heavy circulation already in acoustic form, another "I Can't Read" anybody? The other surprise is the "Fuck You All Night Long" track whick is way out of left field indeed. There is a glorious quality stereo soundboard recording of both nights sets which i do not have. These come from a video copy which is still great quality but mono. When i get stereo copies they will be here but you will have to have these for now.

planet of dreams 532kb 4:32
this track is officially released on the Long Live Tibet benefit CD for The Tibet House Trust Charity. credited to David Bowie and Gail Ann Dorsey this captures what i beleive is the only performance of this song.

i'm waiting for the man 527kb 4:30
white light white heat 466kb 3:58
dirty boulevard 532kb 4:32
queen bitch 441kb 3:46
Four tracks from the birthday bash, 9th January 1997 at Madison Square Garden. the rest of the set is posted elsewhere on the net but as far as i know these tracks are only available here. Lou Reed in his home town sings on all of these tracks, the first two from the days of the Velvet Underground and the third being from his amazing comeback album "New York" the first and I imagine last time Bowie will perform it. being unique this is the best track of the bunch for me with Bo wie's mock NYC accent being a highlight. "Queen Bitch" is Bowie's homage to Lou and it's great to hear them singing it as a duet.

i can't help thinking about me 122kb 1:02
this is great, Dave having a bit of fun in San Francisco in 1997.

oh superman 1087kb 9:17
i've made no secret of my feelings for Bowie's drum 'n' bass dabblings in the past, but this live track is the exception. perfectly fusing Gail Anne Dorsey's vocal with a great laid back beat to produce a great cover of this Laurie Anderson track. possibly the highlight of the Earthling tour. long but beautiful.

miscellaneous

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you're holding me down 321kb 2:44
Bowie's first single was "Liza Jane" as Davy Jones and the King Bees. After David left, the rest of the band released this single which does feature George Underwood but not Bowie, although a lot of people claim it does. It's pretty awful and is here for the curious.

left right left 532kb 2:15
you'd better get a better hold on 499kb 2:07
silver treetop school for boys 506kb 2:06
sugar chocolate machine 531kb 2:15
when i'm five 679kb 2:53
little boy 737kb 3:08
well here are a few tracks by the "only famous for recording Bowie songs" Beatstalkers. a pretty dodgy '60s wannabe hippy Kinks type act, they play an important part in the history of bowie as they provide versions of songs sold to them by bowie that he is not known to have recorded himself. the first of these is 'silver tree top school for boys' not a bad song, not a good song, it is a nondescript slice of 60s britpop but does feature our Dave on backing vocals so is worth a listen for that. Bowie of course recorded 'When i'm Five' and this is a very strange version indeed. a listener by the name of Joao from Brazil read my remarkably incorrect infomation about these tracks and decided to put me out of my misery. this information arrived in my inbox and i will reproduce it here for all interested parties.
{'Machine' perhaps}
raw power 201kb 1:18
fairly self explanatory when you listen to it is this rough excerpt from the Raw Power sessions featuring Bowie on backing vocals i am assured.

rca record mirror flexi 688k 5:52
given away with a 1974 issue of Record Mirror was this amusing promotional item, to coincide with the release of "Knock On Wood." Nothing rare included here but worth a listen for the great soundbites from the Pythonesque speaker.

to know him is to love him 310k 2:38
put here also purely for the sake of the curious is this Steeleye Span track from their 1974 album "Now We Are Six." Not talked about very much, this is Bowie as session saxophonist, a role he never repeated.

golden years 377kb 3:13
this is the original instrumental music track for "Golden Years", played over the closing credits of the Stephen King film of the same name.

heroes (remix) 618kb 5:16
an excellent remix by Aphex Twin aka Richard James. After Phillip Glass released his "Heroes Symphony" this mix was made by using the orchestral version and the original lyric. This is legally available, released as a bonus disc with the Japanese release of the symphony, but is here because it is very hard to get hold of.

madman 355kb 3:02
as discussed before, The Cuddly Toys recorded a version of Bowie and Bolan's Madman and here it is for the curious. Actually not a bad track and i'm not sure of the outcome but i do remember that Steve Harley also claims to have been involved in the writing of this track.

cool cat 585kb 3:50
this is one that Bowie fans have a real problem finding. it has only appeared on one Queen bootleg that i know about. Bowie does some Satellite Of Love type backing vocals and an odd Mickey Rourke style rap in the middle.

fire girl 654kb 4:18
cry for love 663kb 4:21
a couple of demos from Iggy Pop's 1986 'Blah Blah Blah' album featuring the co- producer on later mixed out backing vocals.

don't let me down and down (indonesian) 1412kb 4:49
one of the best tracks from the "black tie white noise" album , this is and indonesian version found on the Singaporean issue of the album on cd. some say it is not bowie singing but to me it sounds like our man so i will get back to you on that one.

name dropping 94kb 47 secs
this is not musical, just a funny little poke at david's propensity for name dropping. i believe it comes from the "An Earthling @ 50" tv special.

buddah of suburbia 134kb 3:44
a piece of music broadcast on the The Buddah of Suburbia but not used on the album. Very nice.

kodak ad 191kb 39 secs
here is an odd one. a 1996 Kodak Advantix commercial that has "music by David Bowie" written on the screen. it turns out that Kodak Japan said that the music had no title, but that Kodak USA had asked Bowie to compose some original music for their commercial in 1995. Kodak Japan inserted the scenes of Japanese singer Kyoko Koizumi for the original US version of that TV commercial in 1996. that would make the music something left out of 1.outside most probably. anyway i have looped it round a few time so you can hear it for longer. to look at the ad go to this link where Evan Torrie has the whole thing.

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