Recording: Do Anything You Say

David Bowie and the Buzz recorded their single ‘Do Anything You Say’ on Monday 7 March 1966.

They had recorded a demo of the song at London’s Regent Sound Studio on 22 February.

The final version was taped at Pye Studios in ATV House, 40 Bryanston Street, London, along with its b-side, ‘Good Morning Girl’. The single was released on 1 April 1966.

The session was produced by Tony Hatch, who had worked on Bowie’s previous single ‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me’. The members of the Buzz were each paid £10 for the session.

We took over from the Lower Third. David had to make a transition over to this sort of backing. I don’t think Tony Hatch – who produced it – got it, but he let us do our thing. It was all very fresh. We rehearsed, went on TV, and made the record. It was all very quick. I didn’t think about ’til afterwards.

I don’t think Tony Hatch knew how to shape us into his kind of record, so he let David do what he did. I do like the scat thing he did on ‘Good Morning Girl’ with Chow’s organ behind it – I thought what he did was great.

I remember Tony Hatch didn’t come out – he remained behind the glass. So I didn’t have any feeling about him, he was just there. He must have been doing what producers do: booking the session. I never saw the money for that, but I don’t doubt he paid the money to Ralph Horton, our manager.

There wasn’t any clever overdubbing, or ‘do that again’. It was straightforward, as we’d been playing them a lot. I think Pye looked at David as a work in progress.