1 oct 2021

A forgotten David Bowie album resurrected 20 years later

A forgotten album by the chameleon rock star who died in 2016 will be unveiled next November, two decades after its creation. The opportunity for the record company of the great David Bowie to unveil one of his –  very good –  unreleased tracks.

Four and a half years after his death,  David Bowie may not have yet revealed all his secrets. A lost album entitled Toy will finally see the light of day, two decades after its production. The record, which was supposed to be released in 2001, was a dive of the artist into his past. An astonishing gesture for someone who has always looked to the future. And no doubt an amusement for him, as its title suggests. In 2000, the man behind Ziggy Stardust re-recorded several tracks from his early days in the 60s in a New York studio with the legendary Tony Visconti producing. These little-known rock songs were written before Space Oddity (1969) brought the singer into the spotlight. The chameleon star had the idea of covering his own repertoire on an entire album after his 1999/2000 tour. David Bowie delivered new interpretations of his songs of yesteryear on stage to the delight of his fans.

 

Since September 29, we can listen to one of these unreleased tracks, the heady You’ve Got A Habit of Leaving. This is a small miracle because the album Toy, a low-quality version of which was leaked in 2011, was not released at the time because David Bowie’s record label, Virgin, wanted something more commercial. Everything was ready, however, right down to the strange cover showing David Bowie’s face associated with the body of a child. The dispute even led to the departure of the artist from Virgin, who then set up his own label, ISO Records. We will now be able to hear the forgotten album in its entirety in the box set David Bowie 5. Brilliant Adventure (1992 – 2001) which will be published on November 26. The edition will also include many other discs including remastered versions of the glam rock idol’s great classics such as Black Tie White Noise, The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside or Earthling. A beautiful object that will be released just before the end of year celebrations…

 

Casket David Bowie 5. Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) Parlophone/ISO Records/Warner Music, available November 26 on CD’s and vinyl.