A collection of previously unheard 1965 recordings by David Bowie, from his early days as Davy Jones in 1960s London, is set for release on September 18. Some tracks feature a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page on guitar.
Compilation Details
The compilation, titled David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings, includes material recorded when Bowie was starting out as Davy Jones. One song, I Want Your Love, is available now—a bluesy rock'n'roll number. Other unheard tracks include Cupid, Leave Her to Me, You Gotta Tell Her, Certain Woman, Today, I Live in Dreams, I Do Believe I Love You, and an instrumental called Keep Up With the Jones. Some tracks have been previously released or are alternate versions.
Historical Context
Before his breakthrough with 1969's Space Oddity and the Ziggy Stardust persona in 1972, Bowie played sharp-suited, blues-influenced pop-rock typical of mid-60s London. Singles like Can't Help Thinking About Me and Do Anything You Say have been available before, but this compilation brings together unreleased material. At the time, Bowie used the name Davy Jones, changing it in 1966 to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees.
Producer and Session Musicians
The tracks were produced by Shel Talmy, known for hits like the Kinks' You Really Got Me and the Who's My Generation. Talmy frequently worked with Jimmy Page, then a session guitarist, who played with the Manish Boys backing Bowie. Nicky Hopkins, a pianist for the Rolling Stones and others, also appears on these recordings.
Two Talmy-produced singles, I Pity the Fool and You've Got a Habit of Leaving, were released earlier. Talmy said in 2017, “I thought he absolutely was going to make it. The only unfortunate thing is that he and I were about six years ahead of the market.”
Musical Significance
Music historian Alec Palao writes in the liner notes: “The sounds here should not be judged by the standards of his later career, but by the standards of what was happening in Britain at that precise point in time.” He adds, “David Bowie the artist is a book of chapters... a cardinal error would be to pit any of these episodes against the others... This collection, a primary chapter if not the very earliest instalment in David's musical journey, deserves legitimate consideration.”
Bowie revisited some of these songs in 2000 with his band for an album called Toy, but he focused on new material instead. Toy was released posthumously in 2021.
