For the most part I haven’t really kept up with the last ten years of David Bowie’s recording career (the last ‘new’ album I picked up was 1995′s Outside a decade ago), so last month when Blake Hazard, from The Submarines, guest DJ’d a set on the Aquarium Drunkard show, I was intrigued by this nugget off Bowie’s 2002 Heathen album as I could have sworn I had heard it before. It turns out the track, “Conversation Piece,” is only available via a limited edition four song disc that came with special editions of the album (note: a quick check at Amoeba’s used section located quite a few copies.)
Upon further investigation there is a reason “Conversation Piece” sounded so familiar that day. Turns out It was first released in 1970 as a b-side, and then later tacked onto the Space Oddity reissue, which I assume is how I originally heard it. The version below, off Heathen, was apparently re-recorded in 2000 for an album Bowie has yet to release entitled Toy. I hope you enjoy this track as much as I have the past week.
Download:
MP3: David Bowie :: Conversation Piece
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Amazon: David Bowie – Heathen
www.davidbowie.com
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+ Visit The Hype Machine for additional David Bowie MP3s.
A marvelous updated version. An album of some of his older 60′s songs that he reworked entitled Toy was supposed to be released around 2001, but it’s been indefinitely shelved (more info + snippets at http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/Toy.htm). A rocked up version of You’ve Got A Habit of Leaving from those sessions was released as a B-side to the Slow Burn single (off Heathen) and is particularly good, as is the remake of Baby Loves That Way also included on the single.
1 | Jason February 14th, 2007 at 11:28 pmAmoeba is a bit out of my way, I’m gonna have to try Second Spin. I just put this album on my Ipod. Bowie intimidates me at times, because he’s always shifting styles.
2 | Legal Step February 15th, 2007 at 2:19 pmi picked up ‘heathen’ when it came out, as i was trying to get into bowie (at the time i only had ziggy). i occasionally spin it to this day, as i truly enjoy it. thanks for the bonus track.
3 | theMike February 15th, 2007 at 3:08 pmI think the Buddha Of Suburbia was his last good record.
4 | Philco Brothers February 16th, 2007 at 4:22 pmThanks a lot for this! Great song.
5 | Niels, The Netherlands February 19th, 2007 at 2:56 pm