David Bowie vinyl releases are always a Record Store Day highlight, and 2018 will be no exception. On April 21st Parlophone will be releasing three very special limited edition David Bowie items; WELCOME TO THE BLACKOUT (Live London 1978), LET’S DANCE (DEMO) and, available for the first time commercially, the rare Berlin era US promo album BOWIE NOW.
WELCOME TO THE BLACKOUT (LIVE LONDON ’78)’ 3 x LP SET
This previously unreleased 3 LP set was recorded live during the ISOLAR II tour at Earls Court, London on the 30th June and 1st July 1978 by Tony Visconti and was mixed by David and David Richards at Mountain Studios, Montreux, 17th – 22nd January 1979. The newly designed trifold sleeve features imagery by photographers Sukita and Chris Walter.
LET’S DANCE (FULL-LENGTH DEMO) c/w LET’S DANCE (LIVE)
The 45 rpm 12” single features the first appearance of the full length demo of ‘Let’s Dance’ which was previously released in an edited form digitally for David’s birthday on 8th January this year. The full-length demo version clocks in at 7.34 and like the edited version this was mixed by Nile Rodgers (original co-producer of the demo with David) in November/December of last year.
The demo is backed by the live version of ‘Let’s Dance’ recorded live at Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 12 September, 1983 and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. This version can be seen in the Serious Moonlight concert film and was also previously available on the AA side of the now very rare Australian ‘David Bowie Is’ exhibition exclusive yellow vinyl 7” single. The sleeve of the 12” single is a differently coloured variation of the original ‘Let’s Dance’ single cover.
BOWIE NOW
This is the first commercial release of a rare 1977 US only promotional-only LP on white vinyl. The tracks are drawn from the Low and “Heroes” albums and all of the audio is from the A New Career In A New Town box set remastered by Tony Visconti. The package now features a newly designed inner sleeve with a rarely seen black and white image of David in Berlin in 1977.
