January 22, 2008

DAVID BOWIE PIN-UPS

Uncovering a Classic.


In 1973 (when I was 13), a friend gave me a copy of David Bowie's Space Oddity, he like the title track, but could not stand the rest of the LP. I, on the other hand became a lifelong Bowie fan.

At about the same time Bowie released this, his 5th major label release, PinUps (the album with the strange cover, that's `60's model extrordinaire Twiggy - the one on the left). I grabbed a copy, and immediately loved it (I've burnt through several LP, cassette, and CD copies over the years). Took me a long time before I realized the impact these songs had on Bowie when he was younger, and the impact his versions and the originals had on my lifelong musical tastes.

The album was the finale for the famed Bowie backup band THE SPIDERS FROM MARS: Mick Ronson – guitar, piano, vocals, Trevor Bolder – bass, Aynsley Dunbar – drums (replacing Mick Woodmansey). Bowie recorded "White Light/White Heat" during the sessions, but did not use it, insted donating the backing track to Mick Ronson (one of the great underrated guitarists) for use on his first solo LP Play Don't Worry.

Several years back I had heard that David was recording tracks for a PIN UPS II....but maybe that was just a rumor.

Though I've enjoyed the original versions of these songs for many years, a while back I decided to collect them all together and play them back in the LP's order

Tracks in the order they appear on the 1973 LP

"Rosalyn" – The Pretty Things (1965)
"Here Comes the Night" – Them (1965)
"I Wish You Would" – Billy Boy Arnold (1955)
"See Emily Play" – Pink Floyd (1967)
"Everything's Alright" –The Mojos (1964)
"I Can't Explain" – The Who (1965)
"Friday on My Mind" – The Easybeats (1967)
"Sorrow" – The Merseys (1966)
"Don't Bring Me Down" – The Pretty Things (1965)
"Shapes of Things" – The Yardbirds (1965)
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" – The Who (1965)
"Where Have All The Good Times Gone" – The Kinks (1965)

The later CD bonus tracks:
"Growin' Up" – Bruce Springsteen (1973)
"Amsterdam" – Jacques Brel (1959)





















my blacklight bowie portrait, 1993
(focus on the dot on his head for 20 seconds,
and tell me if the picture does not go 3D!)


The original tunes that were on this classic album...remember, if you like what you hear, go out and by more material by all these artiast!

ROSAYLN by THE PRETTY THINGS

rosylyn.mp3

HERE COMES THE NIGHT by THEM

here comes the night.mp3


I WISH YOU WOULD by THE YARDBIRDS

I wish you would.mp3


SEE EMILY PLAY by PINK FLOYD

see emily play.mp3


EVERYTHINGS ALRIGHT - THE MOJOS

everything's alright.mp3


I CAN'T EXPLAIN by THE WHO

I can't explain.mp3


FRIDAY ON MY MIND by THE EASYBEATS

friday on my mind.mp3


SORROW by THE MERSEYS

sorrow.mp3


DON'T BRING ME DOWN - PRETTY THINGS

don't bring me down.mp3


SHAPES OF THINGS by THE YARDBIRDS

shapes of things.mp3


ANYWAY ANYWHERE ANYHOW by THE WHO

anyway anywhere anyhow.mp3


WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE by THE KINKS


where have all the good times gone.mp3


DAVID BOWIE

BOWIE PINUPS

THE WHO

THE KINKS

PINK FLOYD

YARDBIRDS

THEM/VAN MORRISON

THE PRETTY THINGS

1 comment:

Gonzo said...

Found your blog via IckMusic. Huge Bowie fan here, so I had to check it out. Good stuff!

There was a rumored Pin Ups 2. I read an interview a few years ago where Bowie mentioned it, saying that it was an ongoing plan that gave him a backlog of covers, but he instead pulled a few out for his last few albums (Pixies, Jonathan Richmond, Neil Young, George Harrison).