New EP of rare David Bowie 'Is It Any Wonder?' released

Parlophone Records has proudly announced that David Bowie Is It Any Wonder? — a six track EP of unreleased and rare tracks — is to be released over the next six weeks…

David Bowie

On 8 January, the day that would have been David Bowie’s 73rd birthday, Parlophone Records announced that two new posthumous releases have been scheduled for 2020: A streaming EP of unreleased and rare tracks, titled David Bowie Is It Any Wonder?, and the ChangesNowBowie session recorded in New York, which will be out on Record Store Day (18 April).

The first of these is a previously unreleased version of The Man Who Sold The World, released as a streaming-only 1 track digital single in celebration of both David’s birthday and the 50th anniversary of the writing and recording of this classic. Five more songs will be released on a weekly basis from 17 January.

The Man Who Sold The World (ChangesNowBowie version) is taken from the 9-track session ChangesNowBowie, recorded for radio and broadcast by the BBC on David’s 50th birthday on 8 January 1997.

The broadcast featured an interview with David by Mary Anne Hobbs interspersed with specially recorded birthday messages and questions from the likes of Scott Walker, Damon Albarn, Bono, Robert Smith and many more.

This mostly acoustic session was a stripped back affair featuring some of David’s favourites of his own compositions and was produced by Bowie himself, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati.

David Bowie ChangesNowBowie release Is It Any Wonder

ChangesNowBowie was recorded and mixed at Looking Glass Studios in New York in November 1996 during rehearsals for David’s 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden. Gail Ann Dorsey (bass, vocals), Reeves Gabrels (guitars) and Mark Plati (keyboards and programming) accompanied David on the recording.

ChangesNowBowie will be released in limited quantities on LP for Record Store Day on 18 April 2020. The cover art for the album will feature a stunning black and white portrait of David by renowned photographer Albert Watson, taken in New York in 1996. More details surrounding the album will be announced in the days to come.