“One damn song that can make me, break down and cry…”
David Bowie’s Young Americans 45 was released in the UK 40 years ago yesterday.
The release signalled yet another change in direction for Bowie and acted as a taster of what was to come with the album of the same name.
The release was a worldwide hit for Bowie, giving him a Top 20 hit in the UK, a Top 30 in the USA and a #1 hit in New Zealand!
In the regular soundtrack of my life section in today’s Observer, Tracey Emin talks to Killian Fox about the impact the record had on her and on meeting David Bowie over twenty years later.
The sound of my teenage years
Young Americans, David Bowie (1975)
David Bowie made a big impression on me because of the way he dressed, because he was poetic, because of his attitude. I got into him when I was 13 or 14, along with Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed. I’ve probably listened to Young Americans more than any other song. Later, I got to know David Bowie quite well. When I first met him, he said he really liked my work. And I said: “Me too! I’ve been listening to your music all my life.” It’s really nice when that happens, especially when it’s someone you really admire and who’s changed history through their music.
You can read the full Observer piece here.
As we mentioned back in December, don’t forget that the Young Americans / It’s Gonna Be Me 40th Anniversary picture disc is released via Parlophone tomorrow..