bowietrackbytrack:
Track 82: Oh! You Pretty Things (BBC Sound Of The Seventies: 21-09-71)
Hunky Dory was in the can, and as the machinery geared up for its release, Bob Harris at the BBC offered Bowie a studio session. This broadcast is unique – and utterly brilliant. Just Bowie and (guitarist, pianist and arranger) Ronson. Very minimalist – unplugged before Unplugged. The songs are presented at their most stripped down, but more than that, this session is illustrative of the importance Ronson had taken in Bowie’s life and craft. David Bowie is – at this point of time, and for the next few years – Bowie and Ronno. And here it’s Bowie and Ronson on acoustic guitars; or Bowie on acoustic and Ronson on electric, or bass; or Ronson on piano and Bowie’s voice, and so on. The tracks on the session include two oldies (one from The Man Who Sold the World, one a fave old cover) and five from the new album (again, one of which is a cover). Although two songs were not broadcast (see more stuff below) Amongst the cuts is Oh! You Pretty Things. It was the demo of this song – with Bowie moving to the piano as compositional tool – that kicked off the Hunky Dory period and then led to Bowie’s second hit – albeit only as songwriter for someone else (Peter Noone - see trackbytrack 76). This recording is the oldest release of the track with Bowie at the helm (it had been played live at the BBC Bowie and friends concert back in June, but it was never broadcast, and is now lost - see trackbytrack 80). Here it is just Ronson on piano and Bowie’s voice. Beautiful… beautiful… beautiful…
‘Oh! You Pretty Things’: Track 2 of Sound Of The Seventies: Bob Harris (21-09-71). Broadcast 4 October 1971. Written by David Bowie. Available on various bootlegs.
Oh! You Pretty Things on Pushing Ahead of the Dame
BBC Sound Of The Seventies: Bob Harris (21-09-71) tracklist:
The Supermen on Youtube. Available on Bowie At The Beeb
Oh! You Pretty Things (see above)
Eight Line Poem
on Youtube. Available on
bootlegs
Kooks
on Youtube. Available on
bootlegs
Fill Your Heart
on Youtube. Available on
bootlegs
Amsterdam
on Youtube. Not broadcast. Available on
bootlegs
Andy Warhol
on Youtube.
Not broadcast.
Available on
bootlegs
Tagging Bowie lovers if u wish, just mssg me: @wingedbelievereagle
