5 CD/Blu-ray Audio, digital box set & half-speed mastered LP coming this summer
On June 14th, Parlophone Records will release David Bowie Rock ‘N’ Roll Star!, a 5 CD and 1 Blu-ray Audio set that explores Bowie’s journey from February 1971 through the creation of the Ziggy Stardust character, the recording of the iconic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album, and captures the international mania that surrounded the Ziggy phenomenon in the form of UK radio sessions and TV performances, as well as live tracks from Ziggy and the Spiders’ 1st October 1972 show at the Boston Music Hall. The set will also be available digitally and as a half-speed mastered LP vinyl.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Star!, containing 29 unreleased tracks, covers early songwriting demos, recordings from David’s studio creation, The Arnold Corns, rehearsals at Bowie’s then-home, Haddon Hall, BBC sessions, singles, live performances, plus outtakes and alternative versions from the original album recording sessions, which have been newly mixed by original album producer, Ken Scott.
Unreleased highlights include an alternative version of “Lady Stardust,” a version of the deep-cut classic “Shadow Man,” and an up-tempo take of The Who’s “I Can’t Explain,” which he would later slow down and cover for the Pin Ups album.
The audio-only Blu-ray Disc features the definitive 2012 remaster of the original Ziggy Stardust album in 96kHz/24bit PCM stereo, plus the album and additional mixes from 2003 in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 as well as the singles, outtakes, and alternative versions in 96kHz/24 bit PCM stereo.
The Blu-ray also includes a version of the Ziggy Stardust album called Waiting in the Sky (Before the Starman Came to Earth) taken from Trident Studio tapes dated December 15, 1971, which features an alternative running order and four songs that didn’t make the final album. This will also be available as a limited vinyl LP on April 20th for Record Store Day. In addition, there is a single LP version of Rock ‘N’ Roll Star! compiling the alternative takes and mixes.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Star! also contains two books. The first is an extensive 112-page book with detailed liner notes, memorabilia, contemporary reviews and articles, rare photographs from Barrie Wentzel, Michael Putland, Mick Rock, Sukita, and Alec Byrne, as well as brand-new notes and interviews with Ken Scott, Mark Carr Pritchett, and David’s plugger from the time, Anya Wilson. Accompanying the main book is a 36-page compiled reproduction of David’s personal Ziggy Stardust-era notebooks.
The first track taken from the project is “Ziggy Stardust (Demo),” recorded by Bowie on vocal and acoustic guitar in 1971 at Haddon Hall in Beckenham.
CD 1:
1. So Long 60s (San Francisco Hotel recording) [Previously Unreleased]
2. Hang On To Yourself (early demo) [Previously Unreleased]
3. Lady Stardust (demo)
4. Ziggy Stardust (demo)
5. Star (Aka Stars) (demo) [Previously Unreleased]
6. Soul Love (demo and DB spoken notes) [Previously Unreleased]
7. Starman (demo 1 excerpt) [Previously Unreleased]
8. Starman (demo 2) [Previously Unreleased]
9. Moonage Daydream (The Arnold Corns version)
10. Hang On To Yourself (The Arnold Corns version)
11. Looking For A Friend (The Arnold Corns version – rough mix) [Previously Unreleased]
12. Haddon Hall Rehearsals Segue: Ziggy Stardust / Holy Holy / Soul Love [Previously Unreleased]
13. Star (Aka Stars) (Haddon Hall rehearsal) [Previously Unreleased]
14. Sweet Head (Haddon Hall rehearsal) [Previously Unreleased]
CD 2:
Sounds Of The 70s: John Peel (Session recorded on 11th January, 1972 and broadcast on 28th January, 1972)
1. Ziggy Stardust [Previously Unreleased]
2. Queen Bitch [Previously Unreleased]
3. Waiting For The Man [Previously Unreleased]
4. Lady Stardust [Previously Unreleased]
Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris (Session recorded on 18th January, 1972 and broadcast on 7th February, 1972)
5. Hang On To Yourself
6. Ziggy Stardust
7. Queen Bitch
8. Waiting For The Man
9. Five Years
Old Grey Whistle Test Performance (Filmed on 7th February, 1972 and broadcast on 8th February, 1972, except ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’ which was not broadcast until 1982)
10. Oh! You Pretty Things (take 1)
11. Queen Bitch
12. Five Years
CD 3:
Sounds Of The 70s: John Peel (Session recorded on 16th May, 1972 and broadcast on 23rd May, 1972)
1. White Light/White Heat
2. Moonage Daydream
3. Hang On To Yourself
4. Suffragette City
5. Ziggy Stardust
Johnnie Walker Lunchtime Show (Session recorded on 22nd May, 1972 and broadcast from 5th – 9th June, 1972)
6. Starman
7. Space Oddity
8. Changes
9. Oh! You Pretty Things
Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris (Session recorded on 23rd May, 1972 and broadcast On 19th June, 1972)
10. Andy Warhol
11. Lady Stardust
12. White Light/White Heat
13. Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide
Top Of The Pops Performance (Filmed on 5th July, 1972 and broadcast on 6th July, 1972)
14. Starman
CD 4:
1. Round And Round
2. The Supermen (Ziggy session version)
3. Holy Holy (Ziggy session version)
4. Velvet Goldmine (Ziggy session outtake)
5. Starman (original single mix)
6. John, I’m Only Dancing (original single version)
Recorded Live At The Music Hall, Boston (Recorded on 1st October, 1972)
7. The Supermen
8. Changes
9. Life On Mars?
10. My Death [Previously Unreleased]
11. John, I’m Only Dancing
CD 5:
1. Looking For A Friend (The Arnold Corns version 2022 mix) [Previously Unreleased]
2. Hang On To Yourself (early Ziggy session take) [Previously Unreleased]
3. Star (take 5 alternative version) [Previously Unreleased]
4. Lady Stardust (take 1 alternative version) [Previously Unreleased]
5. Shadow Man (Ziggy session version) [Previously Unreleased]
6. The Supermen (Ziggy session version 2023 Mix) [Previously Unreleased]
7. Holy Holy (Ziggy session version alternative mix) [Previously Unreleased]
8. Round And Round (alternative mix)
9. It’s Gonna Rain Again (Ziggy session outtake) [Previously Unreleased]
10. Looking For A Friend (Ziggy session version) [Previously Unreleased]
11. Velvet Goldmine (Ziggy sessions outtake 2022 mix) [Previously Unreleased]
12. Sweet Head (Ziggy sessions outtake 2022 mix) [Previously Unreleased]
13. Starman (Top Of The Pops version 2022 mix)
14. John, I’m Only Dancing (alternative Trident Studios version) [Previously Unreleased]
15. I Can’t Explain (Trident Studios version) [Previously Unreleased]
16. Moonage Daydream (2003 instrumental mix)
