Record Store Day came and went somewhat uneventfully for most of us, the highlights being: TBlas turning 30 years old, Twitter aflame in RSD shout-outs, and David Bowie re-re-releasing a pair of 7″ Singles packaged together for the first time since 1979 (originally released separately in ’65).
The release contains two fantastically early releases of two tracks each, Bowie’s second & third respectively:
- 1A: I Pity The Fool (The Manish Boys) – previously recorded by Bobby Bland.
- 1B: Take My Tip (The Manish Boys)
- 2A: You’ve Got A Habit of Leaving (Davy Jones & The Lower Third)
- 2B: Baby Loves That Way (Davy Jones & The Lower Third)
The guitar solos on I Pitty the Fool are performed by a young studio musician by the name of Jimmy Page (who secured minor fame fronting for a band named after an oxymoronic dirigible) – The B-Side, Take My Tip, is David Bowies first writing credit and the highlight of the four songs. At the time he was known as Davy Jones and performed as The Manish Boys. The second single was released under the name Davy Jones & The Lower Third. After releasing his next single, Bowie would alter his name to forever avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkeys.
While the singles seem to share very little with Bowies eventual glam-rock hits and offer few hints that would explain his later stardom, they never-the-less provide a glimpse of a consummate performer eager to break into a crowded British rock scene.
Break-in he did.
And now you know.
You always find the most interesting stuff on the early careers of artists! Too bad I’m too young to remember much about David Bowie…. 🙂