David Bowie ‘The Width of a Circle’ gets reissue

New 2 CD set available May 28th via Parlophone

Parlophone Records is releasing a new 2 CD set edition of David Bowie’s The Width of a Circle, the companion album to Metrobolist (The Man Who Sold The World). The set is available May 28th and features a hybrid of studio and live tracks that wrap up Bowie’s 1970 recordings.

The set features non-album singles, a BBC In Concert session, music for a TV play and more remixes by original Metrobolist producer Tony Visconti.  The set reveals the first sonic steps towards Hunky Dory.

The live tracks are performed by Bowie and the Tony Visconti trio known as The Hype and feature previously unreleased rare recordings.

The news comes as the original Metrobolist album celebrates its 50th anniversary last week. The album began the collaboration with guitarist Mick Ronson that would continue with such Bowie classics as Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane. The 2020 re-release of The Man Who Sold The World restored the album’s intended title Metrobolist, while featuring a new mix by Visconti. The album and title track were named after a painting by Bowie’s friend George Underwood.

May 28th also sees a picture disc version of The Man Who Sold The World album, featuring the striking black and white imagery of the 1972 reissue. A 10″ LP edition featuring four 2020 remixes will be a David Bowie online store web exclusive, also released the same day.

CD 1:

The Sunday Show Introduced by John Peel (Recorded on February 5, 1970 and broadcast on February 8, 1970 Amsterdam – Performed by David Bowie & The Hype)

1. Amsterdam
2. God Knows I’m Good
3. Buzz the Fuzz
4. Karma Man
5. London Bye, Ta-Ta
6. An Occasional Dream
7. The Width of a Circle
8. Janine
9. Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud
10. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed
11. Fill Your Heart
12. The Prettiest Star
13. Cygnet Committee
14. Memory of a Free Festival

CD 2:

The Looking Glass Murders AKA Pierrot in Turquoise

1. When I Live My Dream
2. Columbine
3. The Mirror
4. Threepenny Pierrot
5. When I Live My Dream (Reprise)

Singles

6. The Prettiest Star (Alternative Mix) [Single mix released on 6th March, 1970 on Mercury Records MF 1135. This is the unreleased alternative mix created for promotion in the US market.]
7. London Bye, Ta-Ta [Previously Unreleased] (Originally recorded and rejected as the follow up single to ‘Space Oddity’. This mono mix was finally released on the Sound & Vision box set in 1989.)
8. London Bye, Ta-Ta (1970 Stereo Mix) [Previously Unreleased] (This stereo mix of the above remained unreleased until the reformatted reissue of the Sound & Vision box set in 2003, replacing the mono mix.)
9. Memory Of A Free Festival (Single Version Part 1) [Previously Unreleased]
10. Memory Of A Free Festival (Single Version Part 2) [Previously Unreleased] (The re-recorded electric version of the closing track from the David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) album released as a single on Mercury Records 6052 026 on 26th June, 1970.)
11. Holy Holy [Previously Unreleased] (This non-album single A side, backed by the album version of ‘Black Country Rock’ from The Man Who Sold The World album, was released on Mercury Records 6052 049 on 15th January, 1971.)

Sounds of the 70’s: Andy Ferris Show (Recorded on March 25, 1970 and broadcast on April 6, 1970 – Performed by David Bowie & The Hype)

12. Waiting For The Man
13. The Width Of A Circle
14. The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud [Previously Unreleased]
15. The Supermen (Bowie At The Beeb vinyl only) [Previously Unreleased]

2020 Mixes

16. The Prettiest Star (2020 Mix)
17. London Bye, Ta-Ta (2020 Mix)
18. Memory Of A Free Festival (Single Version – 2020 Mix)
19. All The Madmen (Single Edit 2020 Mix)
20. Holy Holy (2020 Mix)

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com