A decade after music historian and archivist Alec Palao discovered a collection of rare recordings labeled "Davie Jones," ten previously unreleased songs from David Bowie’s early career are being released for streaming and purchase. The tracks, which feature the artist performing under his birth name, were found within the archives of producer Shel Talmy, who had worked with notable acts such as The Kinks and The Who.
The new collection, titled The Shel Talmy Recordings, includes demos and remastered material. Six of the tracks will be issued on vinyl, a format in which Bowie has maintained significant commercial success; in 2022, he was recognized by Music Week as the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century. The project was licensed to Warner Music Group through Talmy Enterprises Incorporated, with royalties directed to the Bowie estate.
The recordings offer a glimpse into Bowie’s formative years in 1965 London, a period when he was actively experimenting with his sound. Dana Gillespie, a long-time collaborator and friend who met Bowie when he was 17, noted that the songs capture a young artist in the process of finding his voice. "They're songs that don't really sound like David but it's him trying to find his voice. He was experimenting," Gillespie said.
Palao described the collection as "visceral" and "raw," providing a unique look at the artist before he achieved global stardom with his 1969 breakthrough, Space Oddity. The release includes a remastered version of "I Pity The Fool," a track that Gillespie recalls Bowie sharing with her in a London listening booth during their youth. The album will be available through Warner subsidiary Parlophone, with limited edition vinyl copies sold at Record Store Day and HMV locations.
Source: BBC News
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