“Looks like you’ve been there too”
Rebel Rebel is the next release in the continuing run of David Bowie limited edition 40th anniversary 7” picture discs.
The record will be the seventh in the series, due to be issued by Parlophone on March 10th, with the usual regional variations.
Originally released on February 15th 1974, Rebel Rebel was a first taste from the upcoming Diamond Dogs LP, though it was considered a bit of a curveball compared to much of the music on that album.
It was the first release since the dissolution of The Spiders From Mars, though stylistically it may have been more at home on Aladdin Sane, with its up-tempo, Stones feel and with an unmistakable and instantly recognisable riff played by Bowie. A riff that he was more than grateful to have conjured up, later saying of it: “It’s a fabulous riff! Just fabulous! When I stumbled onto it, it was ‘Oh, thank you!’”.
The track reached #5 on the UK singles chart and even managed a placing in the US Billboard Hot 100, no doubt helped by the US version of the single released in the US, Canada and Mexico in May of the same year.
The A-side of the 40th anniversary edition features the original single mix of Rebel Rebel, which hasn’t been available on 7″ since the early 80’s and sadly remains unavailable on CD to this day.
The AA-side has the aforementioned US Version, which is a remixed edit of the song with overdubs and extra backing vocals, more akin to the version Bowie would play on the North American Diamond Dogs Tour that year.
The photographs on the disc were taken of Bowie while in Amsterdam promoting the single and recording the Rebel Rebel video for the Dutch Top Pop television show in February 1974.
DAVID BOWIE – REBEL REBEL 40th ANNIVERSARY 7″ PICTURE DISC
RELEASE DATE: March 10th, 2014
A-Side Rebel Rebel (Original single mix)
AA-Side Rebel Rebel (US Version)
Catalogue Number DBREBEL40