David Bowie is (part 8): 'I'd rather stay here'

Original UK cover

At the beginning of 1970 Bowie's half-brother Terry who had been having schizophrenic episodes for a while had been admitted to Cane Hill, a mental asylum not far from Beckenham. Bowie's aunt Pat later criticised Bowie for abandoning his half-brother although there seems to have been little he could have done for him. Nevertheless Bowie appeared to feel guilty, perhaps a form of 'survivor's guilt' that Terry had inherited the madness that afflicted their mother's family while he had not.

In any case it was the inspiration for one of the best tracks on his next album, The Man Who Sold the World, namely 'All the Madmen'. Bowie describes Cane Hill 'a mansion cold and grey', 'high' and on the 'far side of town'. He also sings, 'I'd rather stay here with all the madmen' (including Terry), than remain on the outside with all 'the sad men'.

The Man Who Sold the World has a hard-edged, heavy rock sound that propells Bowie's songs into new dimensions. There has been discussion about how much this was down to Bowie and how much this was down to guitarist Mick Ronson and bassist/producer Tony Visconti who did a lot of the work arranging the songs while Bowie was elsewhere. I prefer to think of it as a dialectical relationship. Bowie inspired Ronson/Visconti to come up with the arrangements that in turn inspired Bowie to deliver his side of the bargain. This is borne out by the fact that when Ronson/Visconti when on to form 'Ronno' shortly afterwards the results were less than impressive. This album, however, is a classic, Bowie's first truly great album.

 

The Man Who Sold The World
All songs written and composed by David Bowie

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	'The Width of a Circle'	8:05
2.	'All the Madmen'	5:38
3.	'Black Country Rock'	3:32
4.	'After All'	3:52

Side two
No.	Title	Length
5.	'Running Gun Blues'	3:11
6.	'Saviour Machine'	4:25
7.	'She Shook Me Cold'	4:13
8.	'The Man Who Sold the World'	3:55
9.	'The Supermen'	3:38

   

Original US cover (with Cane Hill in the background)

In late 1970 it seemed as though all the pieces were finally dropping into place for David Bowie. However, over the next few months everyone except his girlfriend Angie would desert him. First it was producer and bassist Tony Visconti. Visconti decided he needed to spend time with his other up-and-coming artist: Marc Bolan. Bolan had just shortened the name of his band to T-Rex and Visconti produced his next single and album. 'Ride a White Swan' would be Bolan's breakthrough single. Meanwhile Bowie went back into the studio to record his next single. As all of the songs on The Man Who Sold the World were deemed to have too much of a hard rock edge and too dark a lyrical content to be commercially viable for a single release, Bowie recorded a new song 'Holy Holy'. This version has never been released again, always replaced by a version re-recorded in 1972 during the Ziggy Stardust sesssions. Shortly afterwards Ronson and Woodmansey decided to go back to Hull and Bowie hired Tony DeFries, a lawyer, to rid him of his out-of-touch (as Bowie saw it) manager Ken Pitt. In a few months time DeFries would assume the role of Bowie's manager but for the moment with the failure of yet another single, DeFries lost interest. Bowie was creatively isolated and alone. However it was this state of affairs that would, in the end, be the making of him.

 

In 1971 Bowie cocooned himself in Haddon Hall. With Visconti off with Marc Bolan, his flat was empty so Bowie installed an upright piano. Instead of his 12-string guitar, Bowie now started writing on the piano. The result was a slew of great piano-based songs such as 'Changes' and 'Life On Mars?' but perhaps one which is overlooked is 'Oh! You Pretty Things'. The song, which like McCartney did with 'Yesterday', Bowie woke up humming, was given to Peter Noone formerly with Herman's Hermits to record and was released as a single. It got to number 12 in the charts. So Bowie's first big hit since 'Space Oddity was sung by someone else, although Bowie plays piano on the track. Bowie was happy, however, and he would go on to record it for his next album.
 

Burretti and Bowie

David Bowie formed the fictional band Arnold Corns around this time. This was one of Bowie’s side projects and Bowie wrote the songs. The 'singer' was 19 year old dress designer Freddie Burretti (also known as Rudi Valentino). With the help of Mick Ronson, Mick Woodmansey and Trevor Bolder, Arnold Corns was created during the spring of 1971. Bowie was writing material that later became his fourth album, as well as songs earmarked for Burretti. Burretti as the frontman was a total fabrication. Bowie sang on all the recorded material.

 

The band’s first single was 'Moonage Daydream' with the B-side 'Hang On to Yourself', released on B&C Records in May 1971 and was a flop. Both these songs later reappeared on Ziggy Stardust in new versions with updated lyrics. The Arnold Corns versions appeared as bonus tracks on the Rykodisc CD re-release of The Man Who Sold the World. A second single 'Looking for a Friend' with the B-side 'Man in the Middle' was planned but scrapped. In 1972, B&C issued 'Hang On to Yourself' with the B-side 'Man in the Middle' as the second single.

 

1972 re-issue cover

On 30 May 1971 Angie Bowie gave birth to Duncan Zowie (pronounced Zoe) Haywood (after David's father) Jones. At first known as Zowie Bowie, he would later change his name to Joe and then Duncan Jones (he is now a film director). Bowie wrote the song 'Kooks' about his new-born son and just a few days later he was performing it at the BBC for their In Concert programme.


At the last minute Bowie phoned Mick Ronson whose band Ronno had not been doing too well. Ronson did the BBC session and he also brought Woodmansey and Ronno's new bass player Trevor Bolder with him. Thus this session marks the first time the future 'Spiders' played together. Shortly after the four went into the studio to record Bowie's fourth album.

 

Post Script

In 1974 Bowie produced a version of 'The Man Who Sold The World' for the singer Lulu. Bowie sings backing vocals and his band play on the track.

Bowie also wrote another song called 'Right On Mother' for Peter Noone in 1971 although this one failed to chart. To hear them, click on the links to Bowie's demo and Noone's single. Incedentally, Bowie played the piano on Noone's version. Herbie Flowers wrote the B-side, 'Walnut Whirl' and played bass on Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side, which was produced by Bowie.
 

Next time: everything's going to be fine