The release
The ChangesNowBowie songs were first broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on David Bowie’s 50th birthday, 8 January 1997. The broadcast included a new interview by Mary Anne Hobbs, and birthday messages and questions from stars including Bono, Scott Walker, Robert Smith, and Damon Albarn.
The announcement of the album’s release, along with the Is It Any Wonder? EP, was made on 8 January 2020, on what would have been Bowie’s 73rd birthday.
Also on that date, a previously-unreleased version of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ was made available on streaming platforms. This was one of the ChangesNowBowie recordings, and was the first of six unreleased and rare tracks released online over six weeks under the title Is It Any Wonder?.
Somewhat confusingly, however, the ChangesNowBowie version of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ was left off the CD and vinyl edition of Is It Any Wonder?, which followed in March 2020. On those limited edition releases the song was replaced with ‘Fun’ (Clownboy Mix).
ChangesNowBowie was originally scheduled for release on 18 April 2020, which was meant to be the annual Record Store Day. However, due to Covid-19 and the resulting closure of many retail stores, it was delayed until 29 August, the first ‘drop’ of that year’s three RSD events, when it was released on CD and vinyl.
The vinyl edition was limited to 5,000 copies, whereas only 2,000 copies of the CD version were made available.
Press announcement
“We spoke of was and when”It’s likely that some of you have been expecting something on what would have been David Bowie’s 73rd birthday, after announcements on 8th January for the past couple of years. Indeed, if the calendar has clicked over to that date where you are, then you have possibly already found something.
Now it’s 8th January in the country of his birth, here’s that announcement…
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? – STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL
‘The Man Who Sold The World’ (CHANGESNOWBOWIE VERSION) FIRST OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS
CHANGESNOWBOWIE LIMITED EDITION NINE TRACK LP/CD OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL TO BE ISSUED FOR RECORD STORE DAY 18th APRIL, 2020
8th January 2020 London
Parlophone Records is proud to announce DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? a six track EP of unreleased and rare tracks to be released over six weeks.
The first of these is a previously unreleased version of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’, released today as a streaming-only 1 track digital single in celebration of both David’s birthday and the 50th anniversary of the writing and recording of this classic. Five more songs will be released on a weekly basis from 17th January.
’THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD’ (CHANGESNOWBOWIE VERSION) is taken from the 9-track session ChangesNowBowie, recorded for radio and broadcast by the BBC on David’s 50th birthday on 8th January, 1997.
The broadcast featured an interview with David by Mary Anne Hobbs interspersed with specially recorded birthday messages and questions from the likes of Scott Walker, Damon Albarn, Bono, Robert Smith and many more.
This mostly acoustic session was a stripped back affair featuring some of David’s favourites of his own compositions and was produced by Bowie himself, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati.
CHANGESNOWBOWIE was recorded and mixed at Looking Glass Studios in New York in November 1996 during rehearsals for David’s 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden. Gail Ann Dorsey (bass, vocals), Reeves Gabrels (guitars) and Mark Plati (keyboards and programming) accompanied David on the recording.
CHANGESNOWBOWIE will be released in limited quantities on LP and CD for Record Store Day on 18th April, 2020. The cover art for the album will features a portrait of David by renowned photographer Albert Watson, taken in New York in 1996.
More details about the album will be announced shortly.
DAVID BOWIE ‘THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD’ (CHANGESNOWBOWIE) IS AVAILABLE NOW ON PARLOPHONE
DAVID BOWIE CHANGESNOWBOWIE RELEASED ON PARLOPHONE ON 18TH APRIL, 2020 FOR RECORD STORE DAY
#BowieIIAW #CHANGESNOWBOWIE
Strange that this is a “limited” release,….only because it’s such a strong set. The whole set plays through as a comment on how society is twisted and ends on a very cool note with the song “Quicksand” sounding like something he could have recorded just before his passing. As I listened I kept thinking how “dark times’ make for great releases….except this wasn’t recorded “now”!
I totally agree – these versions are awesome