“Gimme your hands cause you’re wonderful”
Well you may have already stumbled upon one of the images and half a story regarding David Bowie’s two Record Store Day releases for 2014.
So we’re pleased to be able to bring you the full details, including the usual exclusive on the images from both sides of each of these 40th anniversary picture discs. (Scroll to see both discs)
Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide will be an RSD world exclusive excluding North America who will issue 1984 instead. Both 45s were originally issued by RCA in 1974.
Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide was released as single on April 12th, 1974, with the Hunky Dory track Quicksand on the reverse. It reached #22 on the UK singles chart.
This 40th anniversary picture disc will be a double A side with the studio version of Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide on the A-side. The AA-side will have the same title from the very last Ziggy concert at the Hammersmith Odeon on July 3rd, 1973, as featured in Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture.
The live version is prefaced by David’s farewell speech wherein he effectively killed off the Ziggy Stardust character, sending shockwaves around the globe.
The image on the A side features an outtake from the Ziggy Stardust album cover session in London’s Heddon Street, while the AA side features a live shot of David as the last bars of the Hammersmith performance reach a dramatic crescendo.
Here are the release details for Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide:
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SUICIDE
40th Anniversary 7″ Picture Disc
Record Store Day Exclusive World Excluding North America
A-Side ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SUICIDE
AA-Side ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SUICIDE INC ‘FAREWELL SPEECH’ (Live Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture version)
Catalogue No DBROCK40
1984 was originally released in America and Japan (in July and October respectively) neither of whom got Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide as a 45, though it was also released in New Zealand who did get the Ziggy Stardust curtain closer…go figure.
David Bowie has said that there is often a clue on each album signalling the direction he may be exploring for the next. This is certainly true of this Diamond Dogs track, which had an ear on the up-tempo soul sound of the likes of Barry White as it headed for Young Americans, fuelled by a Tony Visconti string arrangement. This final version was a long way from the song’s genesis as part of the 1984/Dodo medley showcased during the 1980 Floor Show in October 1973.
The AA side of this release will feature the vinyl debut of 1984 performed live on The Dick Cavett Show in December 1974.
The image on the A side is taken from a session featuring David and author William Burroughs in London in November 1973. The session was shot by photographer Terry O’Neill for a Rolling Stone magazine interview with the pair by A Craig Copetas. Titled Beat Godfather Meets Glitter Mainman, the piece was published in February 1974. The AA side features an image from the performance of 1984 on the Dick Cavett Show.
Here are the release details for 1984:
1984
40th Anniversary 7″ Picture Disc
Record Store Day Exclusive North America Only
A-Side 1984
AA-Side 1984 (Live On The Dick Cavett Show)
Catalogue No DB401984
Both picture discs are released on April 19th via Parlophone for Record Store Day 2014.