Hunky Dory (2015

Product Information

On 8 June, the band recorded "Song for Bob Dylan", [16] although according to Pegg this version was scrapped and the released version was not recorded until 23 June. Products labelled '*item fulfilled by Exertis on behalf of hmv' will be supplied to you directly by Exertis via their approved couriers. Defries told RCA that they "had nothing since the fifties" but they could "own the seventies" if they hired Bowie.

This story has been contested by other band members, including Bolder, who told biographer Kevin Cann: "[That's] rubbish. Hunky Dory hits on almost every level, and whilst it is certainly beaten by its successor (at least), it's still pretty damn close.It climbed to number three in the UK (two places higher than Ziggy Stardust), [3] [69] and remained on the chart for 69 weeks. following the 1972 release of Bowie’s breakthrough album THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS. Originally written for Bowie's friend Dana Gillespie, [49] the song is based around a riff played on two acoustic guitars that heavily resembles the intro of Ron Davies' "Silent Song Across the Land". To celebrate the album’s 50th anniversary, this limited edition picture disc comes with a printed cut out sleeve and a poster.

Release [ edit ] Left to right: Dana Gillespie, Tony Defries and David Bowie at Andy Warhol's Pork at London's Roundhouse in 1971.Compared to the guitar-driven hard rock sound of The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie opted for a warmer, more melodic piano-based pop rock and art pop style on Hunky Dory. The instrumentation echoes the music of The Man Who Sold the World, featuring "sinister" sound effects and Bowie's vocal accompanied by Ronson's acoustic guitar. In 2010, Time magazine chose it as one of the 100 best albums of all time, with journalist Josh Tyrangiel praising Bowie's "earthbound ambition to be a boho poet with prodigal style". After recording its demo at Radio Luxembourg, Bowie gave the tape to Grace, who showed it to Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits.

Bowie's vocals – recorded in one take – are delivered passionately during the chorus and almost nasally in the verses. Defries then paid off Bowie's debts to Mercury through Gem Productions, and the label surrendered its copyright on David Bowie (1969) and The Man Who Sold the World.

It has a, more or less, carbon copy of the original lyric insert and my copy also came with a second inner sleeve.

The style of the album cover, designed by George Underwood, was influenced by a Marlene Dietrich photo book that Bowie took with him to the photo shoot. The song embodies a philosophy that would become the touchstone of Bowie’s constantly morphing androgynous stage persona and perpetual stylistic experimentation.

Bowie and his new backing trio, soon to be named the Spiders from Mars, played for the first time on 3 June on BBC DJ John Peel's radio programme In Concert. It was only after the commercial breakthrough of Bowie's 1972 follow-up album Ziggy Stardust that Hunky Dory itself became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Within the context of his career, it is considered to be the album where "Bowie starts to become Bowie", definitively discovering his voice and style. Bowie, who was devoting himself to songwriting, turned to Chrysalis partner Bob Grace, who loved the demo of "Holy Holy" and subsequently booked time at Radio Luxembourg's studios in London for Bowie to record his demos.