David Bowie discussing how America impacted the album, 1999 That was the first time a real outside situation affected me so 100 percent that it changed my way of writing and the way I look at things. The whole Hunky Dory album reflected my newfound enthusiasm for this new continent that had been opened up to me. "Holy Holy", recorded in November 1970 and released as a single in January 1971, was a commercial flop. Bowie, who was devoting himself to songwriting, turned to Chrysalis partner Bob Grace, who loved the demo of "Holy Holy" and subsequently booked time at Radio Luxembourg's studios in London for Bowie to record his demos. After hearing a demo of Bowie's " Holy Holy", recorded in autumn 1970, Defries signed the singer to a contract with Chrysalis, but thereafter limited his work with Bowie to focus on other projects. Bowie was also without a backing band, as the musicians on The Man Who Sold the World – including its producer and bassist Tony Visconti, guitarist Mick Ronson and drummer Mick Woodmansey – departed in August 1970 due to personal conflicts with the artist. His contract with music publisher Essex had expired and his new manager Tony Defries was facing prior contractual challenges. Background Īfter David Bowie completed his third studio album, The Man Who Sold the World, in May 1970, he became less active in both the studio and on stage. Within the context of his career, it is considered to be the album where "Bowie starts to become Bowie", definitively discovering his voice and style. Retrospectively, Hunky Dory has been critically acclaimed as one of Bowie's best works, and features on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. It was only after the commercial breakthrough of Bowie's 1972 follow-up album Ziggy Stardust that Hunky Dory itself became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Thus, despite very positive reviews from the British and American music press, the album initially sold poorly and failed to chart. Upon release, Hunky Dory and its lead single "Changes" received little promotion from RCA who were wary that Bowie would transform his image shortly. The album's cover artwork, photographed in monochrome and subsequently recoloured, features Bowie in a pose inspired by actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age. The song " Kooks" was dedicated to Bowie's newborn son Duncan. He was also inspired by his stateside tour to write songs dedicated to three American icons: Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed. His lyrical concerns on the record range from the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention on " Changes", to occultism and Nietzschean philosophy on " Oh! You Pretty Things" and " Quicksand" several songs make cultural and literary references. Bowie co-produced the album with Ken Scott, who had engineered Bowie's previous two records.Ĭompared to the guitar-driven hard rock sound of The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie opted for a warmer, more melodic piano-based pop rock and art pop style on Hunky Dory. Future Yes member Rick Wakeman contributed on piano. Following a tour of the United States, Bowie assembled a new backing band consisting of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and began to record a new album in mid-1971 at Trident Studios in London. He settled down to write new songs, composing on piano rather than guitar as on earlier tracks. Following the release of his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie took time off from recording and touring. Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 17 December 1971 through RCA Records.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |