Diamond Dogs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the 2007 film starring Dolph Lundgren, see Diamond Dogs (film).
- For the 2001 novella by Alastair Reynolds, see Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days.
| Diamond Dogs | ||
| ||
| Studio album by David Bowie | ||
| Released | April 24 1974 Rykodisc Reissue October 16 1990 | |
| Recorded | Olympic and Island Studios, London Ludolf Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands October 1973 – February 1974 | |
| Genre | Rock, Glam rock | |
| Length | 38:25 | |
| Label | RCA Records | |
| Producer(s) | David Bowie | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie chronology | ||
| Pin Ups (1973) | Diamond Dogs (1974) | David Live (1974)
|
Diamond Dogs is a concept album by David Bowie, originally released by RCA in 1974. Thematically it was a marriage of the novel 1984 by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Bowie had wanted to make a theatrical production of Orwell's book and began writing material after completing sessions for his 1973 album Pin Ups, but the late author’s estate denied the rights.<ref name="Strange Fascination">David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story: pp.210-217</ref> The songs wound up on the second half of Diamond Dogs instead where, as the titles indicate, the 1984 theme was prominent.
Though the album was recorded and released after the 'retirement' of Ziggy Stardust in mid-1973, and featured its own lead character in Halloween Jack ("a real cool cat" who lived in the decaying "Hunger City"), Ziggy was seen to be still very much alive in Diamond Dogs, as evident from Bowie's haircut on the cover and the glam-trash style of the first single "Rebel Rebel".<ref name="Strange Fascination" /> As was the case with some songs on Aladdin Sane, the influence of The Rolling Stones was also prevalent, particularly in the chugging title track.<ref>Nicholas Pegg (2000). The Complete David Bowie: p.63</ref> Elsewhere, however, Bowie had moved on from his earlier work with the epic song suite, "Sweet Thing"/"Candidate"/"Sweet Thing (Reprise)", whilst "Rock 'n' Roll With Me" and the Shaft-inspired wah-wah guitar style of "1984" provided a foretaste of Bowie's next, 'plastic soul', phase. The original vinyl album ended with the juddering refrain "Bruh-bruh!", a corruption of "(Big) Brother", repeating insistently ad infinitum.
Diamond Dogs was the first Bowie album since 1969 to not feature any of the 'Spiders From Mars', the backing band made famous by Ziggy Stardust. Instead, Herbie Flowers played bass with drums being shared between Aynsley Dunbar and Tony Newman. In a move that surprised some commentators, Bowie himself took on the lead guitar role previously held by Mick Ronson, producing what NME critics Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray described as a "scratchy, raucous, semi-amateurish sound that gave the album much of its characteristic flavour".<ref>Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p.14</ref> Diamond Dogs was also a milestone in Bowie's career as it reunited him with Tony Visconti, who provided string arrangements and helped mix the album, and who would go on to co-produce almost all his work for the rest of the decade.
The record was Bowie's glam swansong; according to author David Buckley, "In the sort of move which would come to define his career, Bowie jumped the glam-rock ship just in time, before it drifted into a blank parody of itself".<ref name="Strange Fascination" /> Though it made #1 in the UK charts and #5 in the US, Diamond Dogs has been criticised as rough in sound and pretentious in theme. However, Bowie's raw guitar style and vision of urban chaos, scavenging children and nihilistic lovers ("We'll buy some drugs and watch a band / And jump in the river holding hands") has also been credited with anticipating the punk revolution that would take place in the following years.<ref>Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Ibid: p.64</ref>
The cover art features a striking half-dog, half-Bowie figure painted by Guy Peellaert. It was controversial as the full painting clearly showed the hybrid’s genitalia. Very few copies of this original cover made their way into circulation at the time of the album's release. According to the record-collector publication Goldmine price guides, these albums have been among the most expensive record collectibles of all time, as high as thousands of US dollars for a single copy. The genitalia was quickly airbrushed out for the 1974 LP’s gatefold sleeve, although the original artwork (and another rejected cover featuring Bowie in a cordobes hat holding onto a ravenous dog) was included in subsequent Rykodisc/EMI re-issues.
Bowie played much of this album on his 1974 US tour (featured on David Live) and some on the Station to Station tour in 1976, but apart from "Rebel Rebel" has rarely performed any of the material in concert since.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by David Bowie except where noted.
- "Future Legend" – 1:05
- "Diamond Dogs" – 5:56
- "Sweet Thing" – 3:39
- "Candidate" – 2:40
- "Sweet Thing (Reprise)" – 2:31
- "Rebel Rebel" – 4:30
- "Rock 'n' Roll With Me" (Bowie, Warren Peace) – 4:00
- "We Are the Dead" – 4:58
- "1984" – 3:27
- "Big Brother" – 3:21
- "Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family" – 2:00
[edit] Rereleases
Diamond Dogs has been rereleased on CD three times to date, the first being in 1990 by Rykodisc (containing two bonus tracks), the second in 1999 by EMI (featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks) and the third, most recent, in 2004 by EMI being the album's 30th Anniversary Reissue and containing a bonus disc with additional material. An early instrumental version of "Sweet Thing" called "Tragic Moments" (known in bootleg circles as either "Zion" or "A Lad in Vain") was scheduled for inclusion but remains unreleased.
[edit] 1990 rerelease bonus tracks
All songs written by David Bowie.
- "Dodo" (Previously unreleased, recorded 1973) – 2:53
- "Candidate" (Demo version, recorded 1973) – 5:09
[edit] 2004 rerelease bonus disc
All songs written by David Bowie except where noted.
- "1984/Dodo" (Recorded 1973) – 5:29
- "Rebel Rebel" (US single version, 1974) – 3:00
- "Dodo" (Also known as "You Didn't Hear It From Me", recorded 1973) – 2:53
- "Growin' Up" (Bruce Springsteen) (Recorded 1973) – 2:25
- "Candidate" (Demo version, recorded 1973) – 5:09
- "Diamond Dogs" (K-Tel Best of Bowie edit, 1980) – 4:41
- "Candidate" (Intimacy mix) – 2:58
- "Rebel Rebel" (2003 mix) – 3:09
[edit] Personnel
- David Bowie – vocals, guitars, saxes, Moog synthesizer, Mellotron
- Mike Garson – keyboards
- Herbie Flowers – bass
- Tony Newman – drums
[edit] Additional personnel
- Alan Parker – guitar on "1984"
- Aynsley Dunbar – drums
- Tony Visconti – strings
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | UK Albums Chart | 1 |
| 1974 | Billboard Pop Albums | 5 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | "Rebel Rebel" | UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| 1974 | "Rebel Rebel" | Billboard Pop Singles | 64 |
| 1974 | "Diamond Dogs" | UK Singles Chart | 21 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | July 26 1974 |
[edit] Notes
| David Bowie |
|---|
| Studio Albums |
| David Bowie | Space Oddity | The Man Who Sold The World | Hunky Dory | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | Aladdin Sane | Pin Ups | Diamond Dogs | Young Americans | Station to Station | "Heroes" | Low | Lodger | Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) | Let's Dance | Tonight | Never Let Me Down | Black Tie White Noise | Outside | Earthling | 'hours...' | Heathen | Reality |
| With Tin Machine |
| Tin Machine | Tin Machine II |
| Live Albums |
| David Live | Stage | Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture | Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby | Santa Monica '72 | Bowie at the Beeb | LiveAndWell.com |
| Soundtracks |
| Christiane F. | Labyrinth | The Buddha of Suburbia | |
| Related Articles |
| Tony Visconti | Brian Eno | Mick Ronson | Iggy Pop |
