Spying Through a Keyhole is a box set by English musician David Bowie, released in April 2019. The set includes four 7" vinyl records containing nine songs written and performed by Bowie during 1968, the era in which he was writing for his album David Bowie (1969). All songs in the collection are presented in mono, demo form.
| Spying Through a Keyhole | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Box set by | ||||
| Released | 5 April 2019 | |||
| Recorded | January–November 1968 | |||
| Length | 27:12 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| David Bowie chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.0/10[1] |
Background
editAnnounced in January 2019, the box set was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Bowie's 1969 album David Bowie. The title is taken from one of the included, previously unknown songs called "Love Is All Around". Some of the songs in the collection ("London Bye, Ta-Ta", "In The Heat of the Morning", and "Space Oddity") have been released before, but not in this form.[2] A brief excerpt from "Space Oddity" is believed to be the first demo of the song that Bowie ever recorded.[1] The set includes early photos of Bowie, including one taken in his friend (and frequent album producer and musician) Tony Visconti's apartment in 1968.[3] The box set was made available on streaming services such as Spotify on 21 June 2019.[4]
Recording dates
editThe box set's liner notes suggest that all tracks, beside "Space Oddity", had been recorded between January and February 1968, just prior to the studio session for "In The Heat of the Morning" and "London Bye, Ta-Ta" in March 1968.[5] The two "Space Oddity" demos are speculated to have been recorded in November, when the song was claimed to have been written.[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by David Bowie
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mother Grey" (demo) | 2:59 |
| 2. | "In the Heat of the Morning" (demo) | 3:04 |
| 3. | "Goodbye 3d (Threepenny) Joe" (demo) | 3:20 |
| 4. | "Love All Around" (demo) | 2:51 |
| 5. | "London Bye, Ta-Ta" (demo) | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Angel, Angel, Grubby Face" (demo version 1) | 2:34 |
| 7. | "Angel, Angel, Grubby Face" (demo version 2) | 2:36 |
| 8. | "Space Oddity" (demo excerpt) | 2:41 |
| 9. | "Space Oddity" (demo – alternative lyrics [with John 'Hutch' Hutchinson]) | 4:05 |
| Total length: | 27:12 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[7] | 118 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[8] | 15 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 55 |
References
edit- ^ a b Andersen, Stacey (4 April 2019). "David Bowie Spying Through a Keyhole". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Sinclair, Paul (8 January 2019). "David Bowie / Spying Through A Keyhole – 7" box set of unreleased material". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Out Now: David Bowie, SPYING THROUGH A KEYHOLE". 5 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "STAK box set now available to stream". David Bowie. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ David Bowie – Spying Through a Keyhole Liner Notes, 2019, Parlophone
- ^ Bowie – Mercury Demos Liner Notes, 2019, Parlophone
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 15, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2019.