David Bowie BBC Sessions
David Bowie recorded twelve radio sessions for the BBC between 1967 and 1972. Many of the tracks – but not all – were released on the Bowie at the Beeb 2-CD Set (2000). Some of the tracks missing from the first few sessions not included on Bowie at the Beeb 2-CD Set appear on later editions of David Bowie (1967) and David Bowie (1969).[1] A few more tracks appear on BBC Sessions 1969–1972 (Sampler) [1996]; Bowie at the Beeb 4-LP Edition [2016]). However, many of the missing tracks from the Bowie at the Beeb 2-CD Set are only available on bootlegs and online. Finally, three tracks are lost, and one other track only exists in edited form. This is because many of the original mastertapes are long gone, with sometimes only the broadcast tapes existing, meaning songs that were recorded but not originally broadcast, or only broadcast in edited form, are lost; or in at least one case, only a partial recording of a broadcast exists, with the broadcast tape no longer available. This article gives an overview of all the sessions, along with where they have received their official release.
Top Gear: 18 December 1967[]
Bowie's first session for BBC Radio was recorded on the 18 December 1967, soon after the release of his first album, David Bowie (1967). The session was recorded at Piccadilly Studios and arranged and performed by Arthur Greenslade and his 16 piece orchestra with Bowie on vocals and playing guitar. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews.[2]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[3] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Love You till Tuesday" | Bowie | 3:00 |
|
|
| 02 | "When I Live My Dream" | 3:35 | |||
| 03 | "Little Bombardier" | 3:28 | |||
| 04 | "Silly Boy Blue" | 3:25 | |||
| 05 | "In The Heat Of The Morning" | 2:40 |
Top Gear: 13 May 1968[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[4] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "In The Heat Of The Morning" | Bowie | 3:03 |
|
Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
| 02 | "London Bye Ta-Ta" | 2:36 | |||
| 03 | "Karma Man" | 3:00 | |||
| 04 | "When I'm Five" | Bowie | 3:08 |
|
|
| 05 | "Silly Boy Blue" | Bowie | 4:37 | 20 Jun 1968 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
Dave Lee Travis Show: 20 October 1969[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[5] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" | Bowie | 4:04 | 26 Oct 1970 |
|
| 02 | "Let Me Sleep Beside You" | 4:49 | (not broadcast) |
| |
| 03 | "Janine" | 3:05 |
The Sunday Show [Live]: 5 February 1970[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[6] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Amsterdam" | Jacques Brel trans. Mort Shuman |
3:02 | 8 Feb 1970 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
| 02 | "God Knows I'm Good" | Bowie | 3:29 | ||
| 03 | "Buzz The Fuzz" | Biff Rose | 2:21 | bootleg / online only | |
| 04 | "Karma Man" | Bowie | 3:02 | ||
| 05 | "London Bye Ta-Ta" | 2:36 | |||
| 06 | "An Occasional Dream" | 2:51 | |||
| 07 | "The Width of a Circle" | 5:58 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) | ||
| 08 | "Janine" | 3:30 | bootleg / online only | ||
| 09 | "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" | 4:20 | |||
| 10 | "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" | 5:07 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) | ||
| 11 | "Fill Your Heart" | Biff Rose | 2:21 | bootleg / online only | |
| 12 | "I'm Waiting for the Man" | Lou Reed | (unk) | (not broadcast) | lost |
| 13 | "The Prettiest Star" | Bowie | 2:40 | 8 Feb 1970 | bootleg / online only |
| 14 | "Cygnet Committee" | 8:54 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) | ||
| 15 | "Memory of a Free Festival" | 6:40 | 8 Feb 1970 (3:41 edit) |
|
Sound Of The Seventies: 25 March 1970[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[7] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "I'm Waiting for the Man" | Lou Reed | 5:49 |
|
|
| 02 | "The Width Of A Circle" | Bowie | 5:38 | bootleg / online only | |
| 03 | "Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud" | 4:44 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) | ||
| 04 | "The Supermen" | 3:19 | (not broadcast) |
|
In Concert [Live]: 3 June 1971[]
"The date of this session has been widely misquoted as 5 June", writes Pegg "but BBC records and Bowie at the Beeb confirm 3 June is correct".[8]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[9] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Queen Bitch" | Bowie | 4:31 | 20 Jun 1971 | bootleg / online only |
| 02 | "Bombers" | 3:14 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) | ||
| 03 | "The Supermen" | 3:08 | bootleg / online only | ||
| 04 | "Oh! You Pretty Things" | (unk) | (not broadcast) | lost | |
| 05 | "Looking For A Friend" vocals Mark Carr-Pritchard |
3:22 | 20 Jun 1971 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) | |
| 06 | "Almost Grown" backing vocals Geoffrey Alexander |
Chuck Berry | 2:46 | ||
| 07 | "Kooks" | Bowie | 3:46 | ||
| 08 | "Song for Bob Dylan" vocals George Underwood |
4:46 | bootleg / online only | ||
| 09 | "Andy Warhol" vocals Dana Gillespie |
4:08 | |||
| 10 | "It Ain't Easy" vocals Bowie, Alexander, Underwood |
Ron Davies | 3:00 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
Sound Of The Seventies: 21 September 1971[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[10] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "The Supermen" | Bowie | 2:52 |
|
Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD Set (2000) |
| 02 | "Oh! You Pretty Things" | 3:17 |
| ||
| 03 | "Eight Line Poem" | 2:57 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD Set (2000) | ||
| 04 | "Kooks" | 3:23 | bootleg / online only | ||
| 05 | "Fill Your Heart" | Biff Rose | 2:49 | 1 Nov 1971 | bootleg / online only |
| 06 | "Amsterdam" | Jacques Brel trans. Mort Shuman |
3:08 | (not broadcast) | bootleg / online only |
| 07 | "Andy Warhol" | Bowie | 2:52 |
|
Sound Of The Seventies: 11 January 1972[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[11] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Hang On to Yourself" | Bowie | (unk) |
|
lost |
| 02 | "Ziggy Stardust" | 3:19 | bootleg / online only | ||
| 03 | "Queen Bitch" | 3:04 | bootleg / online only | ||
| 04 | "I'm Waiting for the Man" | Lou Reed | 5:24 | bootleg / online only | |
| 05 | "Lady Stardust" | Bowie | 3:19 | 31 Mar 1972 | bootleg / online only |
Sound Of The Seventies: 18 January 1972[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[12] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Queen Bitch" | Bowie | 2:59 | 7 Feb 1972 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
| 02 | "Five Years" | 4:24 | |||
| 03 | "Hang On to Yourself" | 2:50 | |||
| 04 | "Ziggy Stardust" | 3:20 | |||
| 05 | "I'm Waiting for the Man" | Lou Reed | 5:25 | (not broadcast) |
Sound Of The Seventies: 16 May 1972[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[13] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Hang On To Yourself" | Bowie | 2:50 |
|
Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
| 02 | "Ziggy Stardust" | 3:24 | |||
| 03 | "White Light/White Heat" | Lou Reed | 3:48 | ||
| 04 | "Suffragette City" | Bowie | 3:29 | ||
| 05 | "Moonage Daydream" | 4:59 | 25 Jul 1972 |
Johnnie Walker Lunchtime Show: 22 May 1972[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[14] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Starman" | Bowie | 4:05 | 6–9 Jun 1972 (4 shows) |
Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
| 02 | "Space Oddity" | 4:17 | (not broadcast) | ||
| 03 | "Changes" | 3:30 | |||
| 04 | "Oh! You Pretty Things" | 2:58 | 5 Jun 1972 |
Sound Of The Seventies: 23 May 1972[]
| Track | Title | Written by |
Length | Broadcast date(s)[15] |
Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Andy Warhol" | Bowie | 3:15 | 19 Jun 1972 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
| 02 | "Lady Stardust" | 3:21 | |||
| 03 | "White Light/White Heat" | Lou Reed | 3:56 | bootleg / online only | |
| 04 | "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" | Bowie | 3:09 | Bowie at the Beeb: 2-CD set (2000) |
References[]
General[]
- O'Leary, Chris, Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie from '64 to '76, Zero Books, 2015 – ISBN 9781780992440
- Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie: Expanded and Updated Seventh Edition, Titan Books, 2016 – ISBN 9781785653650
Specific[]
- David Bowie
- BBC music