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RarestOneBowie

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Its has to be said that Bowie’s back catalogue is a bit of a mess.

The Rykodisc CDs from 1991 gave us some rarities that then slipped back into the Goblin King’s Labyrinth. Various anniversary editions have given us other bits and bobs and even the excellent ‘Sound & Vision’ box set has been expanded but also had mysterious subtractions.

So what are your favourite Bowie rarities or deep cuts?

This is one of mine – the sort of song most artists would give their left testicle for

2

Comments

  2. That’s good. YouTube is full of all sorts of rare and unusual releases, as I am just discovering. If I was back in my collecting days I would be wanting all those different foreign single picture sleeves or anything to do with Ziggy Stardust-era releases. I’m sure I have a CD somewhere with demo recordings from the Ziggy sessions.
    If I have to nominate something I would say anything to do with Arnold Corns.

  4. There was a deep cuts thread last year that had a video of an urgent, slightly manic acoustic version of Space Oddity. This was shown on the Kenny Everett Video show on New Years Eve 1979/80.

    What intrigued me was that this video was obviously done on the set of the Ashes to Ashes video. Bowie, looks the same and wears the same clothes. This makes me think that the original plan might have been to have this and Ashes to Ashes released at the same time? But then he didn’t release ATA until August 1980.

    Another “interesting” thing to note is when Kenny Everett introduces the clip, a nurse appears behind him at about 0.25. It looks like the same nurse in the video at 4.00 ish,.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2wWWUvROuI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2wWWUvROuI

  6. Wouldn’t mind an As and Bs compilation bringing together all those Decca, Deram, Pye 45s as ‘Early On (’64-’66)’ only half does the job.

    ‘Liza Jane’ to ‘Holy, Holy’ plus the Italian ‘Space Oddity’ (27 tracks, I think).
    Could even have a Marc Bolan equivalent.
    Someone get on the blower to Ace.

  7. Actually from that track list All the madmen is one of my favourites. However I keep going back to Amsterdam – I know its not his song but his vocal and the lyrics sum up the deviancy of his persona when he recorded it.

    • There was a great set pre the official release of the BBC sessions called ‘The Rise & Rise If Ziggy Stardust’. Just got a couple of great vinyl boots called ‘Ziggy at the Beeb’ which flow beautifully

      I’d like an official release of his 50th birthday session with great versions of Andy Warhol, Repetition and Aladdin Sane

  9. The 45s by The Who were all put out recently (on ‘vinyl’……yes, very useful) and they came from different sources (Fontana, Decca, Reaction, Track) so, whilst I suspect it wouldn’t be easy, where there’s a will there’s a way.

    But, please, bung ’em on a format most people still use.

  12. I’ve always rather liked this since hearing it sounding massively out of place in the middle of the Top40 run down one Sunday night.

    But I’ve taken dog’s abuse whenever I’ve played it to anyone or included it on mixCDs.

    (“Baal’s Hymn” – David Bowie)

  13. I bang on about Young Americans too much. This should have closed the album. Fame belongs on Station To Station (try slipping it between TVC15 and Stay).

    It’s Gonna Be Me (with strings)

    • Do you have the recent boot of “Young Americans Sessions”? It’s a bit of a fake with stuff ripped from 5.1 mixes and the deleted Rykodisc Cds but made me appreciate the album again

      • I have every CD iteration of Young Americans ever released. Plus, of course, the Sound + Vision box with some Young Americans outtakes. I was annoyed that a fortieth anniversary mega set with all the unreleased and contemporaneous tracks wasn’t issued last year. It appears there were more important things on Bowie’s and Visconti’s minds.

  17. This batty outtake from the Pin Ups sessions is my fave rare Dave. I first heard it on the Naked And Wired bootleg CD when bootleg CDs were just about the most precious thing you could own.

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