. . . or click on the link here for Audio Player – David Bowie – Top Gear – Dec. 24, 1967 – BBC Radio 1
Early David Bowie tonight. Long before The Spiders From Mars and Glam, David Bowie in 1967 was slowly making his way as a solo artist, a singer-songwriter and struggling to achieve both. Having released his debut single, The Laughing Gnome to little fanfare, even though it was considered a curiosity at the time, it failed to chart as well as his self-titled debut album which was released six weeks later, in April of 1967.
But it didn’t deter Bowie from making the rounds and doing his best to promote it. This session, done for the Top Gear program and aired on December 24, 1967 features a 16 piece orchestra with lush arrangements by Arthur Greenslade and a faint glimpse of what was to come. The quirky inventiveness of Bowie’s lyrics and his distinctive voice were harbingers of what would become an indelible stamp on Pop Music in the 70s. But in 1967 it was in the formative stages and there was still a lot of work to be done.
So consider this a work in progress in the development of an icon. Further evidence that talent just doesn’t appear out of nowhere, but it is slowly, sometimes painstakingly crafted over time.
Nice to remember, those of you struggling for a break.
