Sound + Vision box set cover artworkRecorded: 1969-1980; 1969-1997 (reissue)
Producers: David Bowie, Ken Scott, Tony Visconti, Harry Maslin, Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers, Derek Bramble, Hugh Padgham, David Richards, Tin Machine, Tim Palmer

Released: 19 September 1989; 2 December 2003 (reissue)

Sound + Vision was the first David Bowie box set, released in 1989 by Rykodisc.

It included several previously-unreleased tracks, as well as lesser-known albums tracks and rare single versions of songs.

Sound + Vision was the flagship release of Rykodisc’s reissue programme of Bowie’s back catalogue, which included his albums from 1969 to 1980.

The box set sold over 200,000 copies by April 1990. It won a Grammy Award for Best Album Package that year.

The original set came in a 12″ box, and was available as a six-LP, three-cassette, or three-CD formats. The CD version included a bonus CD-Video, which contained three live tracks plus the video for ‘Ashes To Ashes’.

A limited edition of 350 contained a certificate signed by Bowie, and was presented in a solid beech wooden case.

In 1994 Rykodisc reissued the box set, replacing the CD-Video with a CD-ROM. Another reissue the following year left out the bonus disc and presented the set in a smaller case.

1989 tracklisting

CD-Video/CD-ROM

Sound + Vision was reissued by EMI in 2003, with a widened scope which include studio recordings from 1982-1993, live performances from 1983-1997, plus some alternate versions of the 1989 tracks.

The 2003 version did not contain any video content. It was reissued on CD in a smaller slipcase by Rhino on 23 September 2014.

2003 reissue

  • ‘Baal’s Hymn’*
  • ‘The Drowned Girl’*
  • ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’*
  • ‘China Girl’*
  • ‘Ricochet’*
  • ‘Modern Love’ (Live)*
  • ‘Loving the Alien’*
  • ‘Dancing With The Big Boys’*

    • *Not included in 1989 box set

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