David Live

David Live is David Bowie’s first official live album, originally released by RCA Records in 1974. The album was recorded in July of that year, on the initial leg of Bowie's US Diamond Dogs Tour, at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. (The second leg, a more soul-oriented affair following recording sessions in Philadelphia for the bulk of Young Americans, would be renamed 'Philly Dogs').

The album catches Bowie in transition from the Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane glam-rock era of his career to the 'plastic soul' of Young Americans. While the cover featured a picture of Bowie in his latest soul threads – baggy trouser suit complete with shoulder pads and braces from October 1974 – the music was recorded in July of that year when he was showcasing his two most recent studio albums of original material, Diamond Dogs and Aladdin Sane, as well as selected favourites from Ziggy Stardust and earlier.

The tour was Bowie's most ambitious to date, featuring a giant set designed to evoke "Hunger City", the post-apocalyptic setting for Diamond Dogs, and his largest band, led by Michael Kamen. For "Space Oddity" (recorded at the time but not released until the album's 2005 reissue) Bowie sang using a radio microphone disguised as a telephone whilst being raised and lowered above the stage by a cherry picker crane. The tour was documented in Alan Yentob's Cracked Actor (1975).

Background and recording

Capturing the music on tape was itself problematic; most of the backing vocals, as well as the saxophone, needed to be overdubbed in the studio later (a fact noted on the original album sleeve as well as the reissue) because the performers were often off-mike. The Tower Theater concerts also gave rise to a backstage revolt by Bowie's touring band. David Sanborn and Hugh McCracken (who had learned in a conversation with John Venable of The Record Plant Remote that the concerts were being recorded) informed other band members that a non-contractual recording was about to occur. The band confronted Bowie an hour before the first show and refused to take the stage. Venable offered that Record Plant hold the tapes until financial negotiations were settled so the recording could proceed. About twenty minutes before showtime, Bowie agreed that each band member would receive what they judged was a more reasonable $5,000 fee, per member.^[2] Several musicians involved in the Tower Theater performance (including Mike Garson and Herbie Flowers) have since remarked that the tension provoked by this confrontation was audible in the stilted performances found on the live album. The Concerts were recorded by Keith Harwood and David Hewitt on the Record Plant NY Remote Truck.

Reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
Blender	^[4]
Robert Christgau	C–^[5]
MusicHound	3/5^[6]
Pitchfork Media	7.7/10^[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[8]
Select	4/5^[9]

The finished album has been criticised for Bowie’s 'obsessive' rearrangements of the songs and for the strained quality of his vocals. Opinion of the playing is also divided, despite the presence of such acclaimed guests as Michael Kamen, Earl Slick and David Sanborn, as well as Flowers, Mike Garson and Tony Newman from the Diamond Dogs sessions. However some of the interpretations earned praise, such as the upbeat jazz-Latin version of "Aladdin Sane" and the atmospheric instrumental additions to "The Width of a Circle" from The Man Who Sold the World. The record is also notable for including Bowie’s first release of "All the Young Dudes," a song originally given to the band Mott the Hoople for their 1972 album of the same name.

Mick Jagger commented about the album at the time, saying he thought "Knock on Wood" was "awful". Jagger went on to say, "If I got the kind of reviews that he got for that album, I would honestly never record again. Never."^[10]

Bowie later commented that "David Live was the final death of Ziggy… And that photo on the cover. My God, it looks like I’ve just stepped out of the grave. That’s actually how I felt. That record should have been called 'David Bowie Is Alive and Well and Living Only in Theory'".^[11]

Chart performance

David Live made No. 2 on the UK charts (the tour had only visited North America), No. 5 in Canada (where the tour had opened)^[12] and No. 8 in the US. "Knock on Wood" was released as a single, reaching No. 10 in the UK. A reissue of the album in 2005 finally included a complete song list from the original concerts plus a new mix by Tony Visconti, said to be an improvement over the fidelity of previous releases.

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie except as noted.

LP: RCA Victor / APL2-0771 (UK)

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"1984"	3:21
2.	"Rebel Rebel"	2:42
3.	"Moonage Daydream"	5:10
4.	"Sweet Thing I. "Sweet Thing" II. "Candidate" III. "Sweet Thing (Reprise)""	8:48
Total length:		20:01

Side two
No.	Title	Length
5.	"Changes"	3:36
6.	"Suffragette City"	3:46
7.	"Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)"	4:58
8.	"All the Young Dudes" (made famous by Mott the Hoople)	4:19
9.	"Cracked Actor"	3:29
Total length:		20:08

Side three
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Rock 'n' Roll with Me"	Bowie, Warren Peace (for the music)	4:19
11.	"Watch That Man"		4:23
12.	"Knock on Wood" (originally by Eddie Floyd)	Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper	3:08
13.	"Diamond Dogs"		6:34
Total length:			18:24

Side four
No.	Title	Length
14.	"Big Brother I. "Big Brother" II. "Chant of the Ever-Circling Skeletal Family""	4:11
15.	"The Width of a Circle"	8:14
16.	"The Jean Genie"	5:19
17.	"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"	4:49
Total length:		22:33 (81:06)

Compact disc releases

This album has been released on CD twice to date, the first being in 1990 by Rykodisc/EMI (containing two bonus tracks and Bowie’s introduction to the audience of his band) and the second in 2005 by EMI/Virgin containing two additional bonus tracks (though the version of "Panic in Detroit" had previously been released as the B-side to the UK single release of "Knock on Wood", and reissued on the 1982 compilation Rare), a reordering of these and previous bonus tracks into their correct position in the original set list order, and a new mix by Tony Visconti.

1990 Rykodisc/EMI

Disc one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"1984"		3:20
2.	"Rebel Rebel"		2:40
3.	"Moonage Daydream"		5:10
4.	"Sweet Thing I. "Sweet Thing" II. "Candidate" III. "Sweet Thing (Reprise)""		8:48
5.	"Changes"		3:34
6.	"Suffragette City"		3:45
7.	"Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)"		4:57
8.	"All the Young Dudes" (originally by Mott the Hoople)		4:18
9.	"Cracked Actor"		3:29
10.	"Rock 'n' Roll with Me"	Bowie, Peace (for the music)	4:18
11.	"Watch That Man"		4:55

Disc two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Knock on Wood" (originally by Eddie Floyd)	Floyd, Cropper	3:08
2.	"Diamond Dogs"		6:32
3.	"Big Brother I. "Big Brother" II. "Chant of the Ever-Circling Skeletal Family""		4:08
4.	"The Width of a Circle"		8:12
5.	"The Jean Genie"		5:13
6.	"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"		4:30
7.	"Band Intro" (Bonus track)		0:09
8.	"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" (originally by Ohio Players)	Leroy Bonner, Joe Harris, Marshall Jones, Ralph Middlebrooks, Dutch Robinson, Clarence Satchell, Gary Webster	3:32
9.	"Time"		5:19

2005 EMI/Virgin

Disc one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"1984"		3:20
2.	"Rebel Rebel"		2:40
3.	"Moonage Daydream"		5:10
4.	"Sweet Thing I. "Sweet Thing" II. "Candidate" III. "Sweet Thing (Reprise)""		8:48
5.	"Changes"		3:34
6.	"Suffragette City"		3:45
7.	"Aladdin Sane"		4:57
8.	"All the Young Dudes"		4:18
9.	"Cracked Actor"		3:29
10.	"Rock 'n' Roll with Me"	Bowie, Peace (for the music)	4:18
11.	"Watch That Man"		4:55

Disc two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Knock on Wood" (originally by Eddie Floyd)	Floyd, Cropper	3:08
2.	"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"	Bonner, Harris, Jones, Middlebrooks, Robinson, Satchell, Webster	3:32
3.	"Space Oddity" (Bonus track)		6:27
4.	"Diamond Dogs"		6:32
5.	"Panic in Detroit" (Bonus track)		5:41
6.	"Big Brother I. "Big Brother" II. "Chant of the Ever-Circling Skeletal Family""		4:08
7.	"Time"		5:19
8.	"The Width of a Circle"		8:12
9.	"The Jean Genie"		5:13
10.	"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"		4:30
11.	"Band Intro"		0:09

Rock Concert/David Bowie at the Tower Philadelphia

A cut-down version of David Live called Rock Concert was released as a single disc by RCA in the Netherlands in 1979. In 1982 it was again released in the Netherlands as David Bowie at the Tower Philadelphia.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rebel Rebel"	2:40
2.	"Changes"	3:34
3.	"Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)"	4:57
4.	"All the Young Dudes" (originally recorded by Mott the Hoople)	4:18
5.	"Cracked Actor"	3:29
6.	"Rock 'n' Roll With Me" (Bowie, Peace (for the music))	4:18
7.	"Watch That Man"	4:55
8.	"Diamond Dogs"	6:32
9.	"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"	4:30

Personnel

David Bowie – vocals
Earl Slick – guitar
Herbie Flowers – bass
Michael Kamen – electric piano, Moog, oboe, arrangements
Tony Newman – drums
Pablo Rosario – percussion
David Sanborn – alto sax, flute
Richard Grando – baritone sax, flute
Mike Garson – piano, Mellotron
Gui Andrisano – backing vocals
Warren Peace – backing vocals

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1974	UK Albums Chart	2
1974	Canadian RPM 100 Top Albums Chart	5
1974	US Billboard Pop Albums	8
1974	Norway's album chart	12

Single

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1975	"Knock on Wood"	UK Singles Chart	10
1975	"Knock on Wood"	Norway's single chart	10

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – USA	Gold	7 November 1974 (1974-11-07)

Notes

↑ Amazon.com: David Live: David Bowie: MP3 Downloads
↑ Edwards, Henry; Zanetta, Tony (1986), Stardust: The David Bowie Story, ISBN 0-07-072797-X
↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r736051
↑ "David Live – Blender". Blender. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
↑ Christgau, Robert (5 August 1976). "CG: david bowie". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 151. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
↑ "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: David Bowie: David Live / Stage". Pitchfork Media. 20 September 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
↑ "David Bowie: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
↑ Griffiths, Nick (November 1990). "Diamond Jubilation". Select. p. 124.
↑ The Rolling Stones - Off The Record by Mark Paytress, Omnibus Press, 2005, page 245. ISBN 1-84449-641-4
↑ A reference to Jacques Brel, some of whose songs Bowie had covered, and his revue Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 26 April 2011.

References

Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record
David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story
Nicholas Pegg (2000). The Complete David Bowie

David Bowie

Discography Songs Awards and nominations Filmography Tours

Studio albums	David Bowie (1967) David Bowie (1969) 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 Low "Heroes" Lodger Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) Let's Dance Tonight Never Let Me Down Tin Machine (with Tin Machine) Tin Machine II (with Tin Machine) Black Tie White Noise Outside Earthling Hours Heathen Reality The Next Day Blackstar

Live albums	David Live Stage Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby (with Tin Machine) LiveAndWell.com Live EP (Live at Fashion Rocks) Live Santa Monica '72 VH1 Storytellers A Reality Tour

Soundtracks	Christiane F. Love You till Tuesday Labyrinth The Buddha of Suburbia Lazarus

EPs	Baal Earthling in the City Live EP (Live at Fashion Rocks) The Next Day Extra

Compilations	The World of David Bowie Images 1966–1967 Changesonebowie The Best of Bowie Changestwobowie Rare Golden Years Fame and Fashion Changesbowie Early On (1964–1966) The Singles Collection RarestOneBowie The Deram Anthology 1966–1968 The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974 The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979 BBC Sessions 1969–1972 Bowie at the Beeb All Saints Best of Bowie Club Bowie The Collection The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 iSelect Nothing Has Changed Bowie Legacy

Box sets	Sound + Vision Bowie Box Set The Platinum Collection Five Years (1969–1973) Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)

Concert videos	Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Serious Moonlight Glass Spider A Reality Tour VH1 Storytellers

Promotional films	Love You till Tuesday Jazzin' for Blue Jean Bowie – The Video Collection Black Tie White Noise Best of Bowie

Tours	Ziggy Stardust Tour Diamond Dogs Tour Isolar Isolar II Serious Moonlight Tour Glass Spider Tour Tin Machine Tour Sound+Vision Tour It's My Life Tour Outside Tour Outside Summer Festivals Tour Earthling Tour Hours Tour Mini Tour Heathen Tour A Reality Tour

Related articles	Berlin Trilogy Major Tom The Thin White Duke Jareth Omikron: The Nomad Soul Symphony No. 1 "Low" Symphony No. 4 "Heroes" "Bowie" The Sovereign Toy We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions Heteropoda davidbowie Lazarus Death Art collection

Book:David Bowie / Part 2: Singles and songs Category:David Bowie

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