“I still don’t know what I was waiting for”
One of the few misgivings about the series of 40th anniversary picture discs that seem to have surfaced, is the fact that there was no release of Changes at the beginning of the series.
Changes was the first RCA single release around the globe back in January 1972, but the current 40th anniversary series kicked off with the second single from RCA, Starman.
Now that wrong is righted and the Changes picture disc is being pressed right now, just in time for Record Store Day 2014 on April 19th.
The A-side has the studio version of the track, as per the original release, but the twist is that the AA-side will feature various previously unreleased live versions of Changes recorded across the years.
There will be 500 pressed of each variation and, in keeping with the theme of Changes, the picture on the AA-side will reflect the show that each recording was taken from.
Initially there will be four discs for RSD 2014, taking in versions from 1971, 1976, 1990 and 2002.
However, after RSD 2014, eight more discs will be made available via mail order with live versions of Changes on the AA-side from 1972, 1973, 1974, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006 (duet with Alicia Keys).
That’s a dozen discs in total, with 500 of each being pressed.
The A-side picture is a previously unpublished shot from 1971 of David Bowie adding the finishing touches to Changes at his Beckenham home, Haddon Hall. This A-side image will remain constant throughout the series.
Scroll the picture here for another of the first four live variations. We will reveal the remaining 10 AA-side images in the run up to RSD.