Lost Bowie tracks from 1960s released for first time
Previously unreleased recordings of David Bowie from the 1960s, discovered by an archivist, are being released as a new album. The tracks, recorded under his birth name Davie Jones, offer a rare look at his early career.
Why it matters
David Bowie remains a significant cultural icon, and the discovery of lost material provides historical value to music fans and industry historians.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Josh Korber Hoffman Business reporter Alisdair MacDonald/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Ten years ago Alec Palao was casually flicking through a collection of old records when he noticed some faint pencil markings that were enough to draw a gasp. "Davie Jones," it read.
What he had found was musical gold: five unreleased songs by a young David Bowie, filed away under his birth name.
From Friday, those tracks, plus another five unreleased songs that came Palao's way after the initial discovery, will be available to buy and stream.
"They are probably the most visceral, raw you'll ever hear the man," said Palao, a music historian and archivist.
For the music industry, David Bowie is big business. He entered the mainstream with his 1969 single, Space Oddity, and went on to achieve 11 number one albums.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in