Silly Boy Blue

(MCPS BOWIE16; EU 01/2020)

Format: 7"

Release notes: bootleg, blue vinyl, limited edition no. 0824/1.000

Tracks: Silly Boy Blue* // Love You till Tuesday**

Other notes: *demo, recorded with The Lower Third, R.G. Jones Oak Studios, 31/08/1965; **demo, 1966

Collector's notes: Another semi-legal release. Silly Boy Blue is the recording previously released on the C'est la Vie bootleg. Love You till Tuesday is the acoustic demo that had been available on bootlegs since To Meet Bowie from 1982. According to the cover, this latter recording was made at Decca Studios, 12/1966, but since this bootleg is the only source for this claim, I'll file it under "unconfirmed information" for the time being.
At first sight this looks like another superfluous exploitation release, but it is, in fact, a pleasant one: the quality of the pressing is brilliant and the sound quality of both tracks is better than on all previous recordings I've heard!

Alabama Song

(Parlophone DBALAS 40; EU 02/2020)

Format: 7"EP

Release notes: side 1: 45 rpm, side 2: 33 1/3 rpm, picture disc, plastic NC with sticker, limited edition

Tracks: Alabama Song // Joe the Lion* / Alabama Song**

Other notes: *sound check, Earls Court, London, 30/06-01/07/1978; **live, Earls Court, London, 01/07/1978

Collector's notes: Nothing exciting about this one. The exact recording date of Joe the Lion (an interesting version, by the way!) is unknown, but Alabama Song is different from the version on Welcome to the Blackout and must be from 01/07.

Is It Any Wonder?

(Parlophone/Iso DB 80120/0190295332358; EU 03/2020)

Format: LP

Release notes: OIS, limited edition of 6.000

Tracks: Baby Universal '97* / Fun (Clownboy mix)** / Stay '97*** // I Can't Read '97° / Nuts* / The Man Who Sold the World (re-recording)°°

Other notes: *studio recording, Looking Glass Studios, 08-10/1996; **studio recording, 1998; ***studio recording, The Factory, Dublin, early 1997; °dressing room recording, Madison Square Garden, New York, 09/01/1997; °°called Live Eno Mix here, recorded during the 1. Outside sessions, 1994-1995

Collector's notes: A nice release, classified as a 12" EP by some. The re-recording of Baby Universal is called Baby Universal '97, but Pegg claims that the track was re-recorded during the Earthling sessions. I Can't Read is the dubious "rehearsal" version, previously released on the Birthday Celebration bootleg. The Man Who Sold the World is again classified as a live recording on the inner sleeve.

Space Oddity

(Parlophone DBSOPD 1972; EU 06/2020)

Format: LP

Release notes: picture disc, die-cut cover, insert, poster, sticker, limited edition

Tracks: see original UK issue

Other notes: re-issue of original UK issue of David Bowie (Philips album) with design based on 1972 re-issues

Collector's notes: A beautiful re-issue. Alas, the sound quality is rather poor - there's a lot of background noise.

Tin Machine II

(Music on Vinyl MOVLP2715; EU 07/2020)

Format: LP

Release notes: silver vinyl, OIS, sticker on protective sleeve, limited edition no. MOV 009539

Tracks: see original issue

Other notes: re-issue of 1991 album

Collector's notes: Also available in black vinyl.