Liza Jane

(Vocalion Pop V.9221; UK 06/1964)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, machine-stamped matrix numbers, centre piece, company cover

Tracks: Liza Jane // Louie, Louie Go Home

Other notes: studio recordings, Decca Studios, West Hampstead, 1964

Collector's notes: Bowie's first ever record, of which Jarman assumes that about 500 copies were pressed. Note that this single has been counterfeited in the USA in the late 1970s. However, it is quite easy to distinguish the original from the counterfeit. The most reliable criterion is that the original has machine-stamped matrix numbers, whereas those of the counterfeit are hand-scratched. Moreover, the original had a centre piece, whereas the second issue came with a large centre hole. Even if the centre of the original has been removed, you should still be able to see the dents that show the former presence of the centre. But beware of counterfeits with a glued-in centre, as are sometimes offered! In case of doubt ask for the matrix number. Note that the presence of a cover (the counterfeit originally had none) is no reliable criterion: first, it is easy to supply a second issue with an original Vocalion company bag, and, second, there are reprints of Vocalion sleeves available. Again, see the entry of the counterfeit below.

Liza Jane

(Vocalion Pop V.9221; USA 1979 (UK 06/1964))

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, counterfeit of UK pressing, hand-scratched matrix numbers, large centre hole, company cover (reprint)

Tracks: Liza Jane // Louie, Louie Go Home

Other notes: studio recordings, Decca Studios, West Hampstead, 1964

Collector's notes: This is the counterfeit mentioned in the previous entry. See there for criteria to distinguish it from the original. Usually, the counterfeits are sold in plain bags. The Vocalion cover reprint has been provided by me.
There are even copies of the counterfeit in coloured vinyl... at least, these can hardly be confused with the original.
There are also black vinyl copies of a 2016 pirate release that come in re-printed Vocalion covers. These might also qualify as counterfeits, but are easily distinguishable from originals by their solid centre.

I Pity the Fool

(Parlophone R 5250; UK 03/1965)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, white label promo, company cover

Tracks: I Pity the Fool // Take My Tip

Other notes: studio recordings, IBC Studios, Portland Place, 15/01/1965

Collector's notes: Bowie's second single. Since it was sold in very small quantities, promo issues are hardly rarer than stock copies.

Can't Help Thinking about Me

(Warner WB 5815; USA 03/1966)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, white label promo, company cover

Tracks: Can't Help Thinking about Me // And I Say to Myself

Other notes: studio recordings, Marble Arch Studios, London, late 1965

Collector's notes: Bowie's first ever US release. Again, sales were... negligible. So, in fact, promo copies turn up more often than stock copies - they're still quite rare, though!

I Dig Everything

(Pye 7N.17157; UK 08/1966)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, push-out centre, company cover

Tracks: I Dig Everything // I'm Not Losing Sleep

Other notes: studio recordings, Pye Studios, London, 05/07/1966

Collector's notes: There are also copies with a solid centre.

The Laughing Gnome

(Deram DM 123; UK 04/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, inverted matrix number on labels, company cover

Tracks: The Laughing Gnome // The Gospel According to Tony Day

Other notes: studio recordings, Decca Studios, West Hampstead, 26/01-08/03/1967

Collector's notes: Re-released in 1973 (to massive success), this record still confuses a lot of people, because they don't know how to distinguish the two issues. But it's quite easy. Deram used to print the matrix number of singles onto the labels. In the 1960s they printed them upside down above the catalogue number, whereas they printed the number in the correct way in the 1970s. So, if "DR 39798" is printed upside down, it's an original. Another significant difference is that the "printed" date (1967) is on the left-hand side of the label on the original, whereas it is located above the matrix and catalogue numbers on the right-hand side of the labels on the re-issue.

David Bowie

(Deram DE 16003; USA 04/1967)

Format: LP

Release notes: mono

Tracks: Uncle Arthur / Sell Me a Coat / Rubber Band / Love You till Tuesday / There Is a Happy Land / When I Live My Dream // Little Bombardier / Silly Boy Blue / Come and Buy My Toys / Join the Gang / She's Got Medals / Please Mr. Gravedigger

Other notes: recorded at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, 14/11/1966-01/03/1967

Collector's notes: Bowie's first ever album release (it was issued earlier in the USA than in the UK). Sadly, the US edition of the album omits two tracks (We Are Hungry Men and Maid of Bond Street). It is available in both mono and stereo. The stereo issue is rarer than the mono release shown here, but the mono mixes are better (just my personal opininon). It sold only in small quantities, so many copies have a cut-out hole.
The mono copy has been counterfeited in the late 1980s, and, in fact, it is quite tricky to distinguish the editions, since both the original and the illegal re-issue have hand-scratched matrix numbers. The easiest criterion is the cover: the cover of the original is made of thick cardboard with the design of the back glued to the cover back as a paper sheet. The cover of the counterfeit is made of thin cardboard with the design of both the front and the back printed directly onto it.
Note that the fact that the original shown here has no blue margin at the top needn't be a reliable criterion for distinguishing it from the counterfeit! The picture on the cover front (including the spines) is also a paper sheet glued to the cardboard cover. And this paper sheet has a "mono margin" at the bottom and a "stereo margin" at the top. This allowed Deram to use the same sheet for both the mono and the stereo copies (a common practice at the time). Sometimes the front sheet was fixed a bit closer to the top (yielding a mono cover) and sometimes closer to the bottom (yielding a stereo cover). The inappropriate audio mode was then covered on the back of the cover by means of the back paper sheet. So there might be a large variety of the widths of the top and bottom margins.
The labels of the original and the counterfeit are also slightly different. The lighter colour of the labels of the counterfeit can only be recognised by direct comparison, but the counterfeit hasn't got the groove pressed into the labels close to the outer margin. Instead, it has a groove near the centre hole.
A final criterion of distinction is the matrix: the original has "Bell Sound" scratched into the dead wax, the counterfeit hasn't.

David Bowie

(Deram DE 16003; USA 1988? (04/1967))

Format: LP

Release notes: mono, counterfeit

Tracks: see original album

Collector's notes: A very clever counterfeit of the USA mono issue! See the previous entry for information on how to distinguish it from the original. I wouldn't be surprised if even quite a few serious collectors were and are fooled by this release. And, in fact, this seems to be the case: Darke lists this issue as an alternative legitimate release (it can be identified by the information he gives about the matrix numbers) that fetches prices almost as high as those of the original. So beware!

David Bowie

(Deram DES 18003; USA 04/1967)

Format: LP

Release notes: -

Tracks: see mono issue

Collector's notes: This is the rarer stereo issue mentioned in the entry of the mono version. Note the different position of the blue margin.

Rubber Band

(Deram 45-DEM-85009; USA 06/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, promo, company cover

Tracks: Rubber Band (album version) // There Is a Happy Land

Collector's notes: The US single actually plays the album version of the A-side. According to Jarman, he has been unable to find a stock copy of this record. However, on his David Bowie 7" Singles website Chas Pearson shows such an elusive stock copy. Originally, I doubted that this was actually a stock copy, due to the "DEM" infix in the catalogue number (which could either stand for "demo(nstration copy)" or for "Deram"). But I have also seen pictures of other regular singles with such a number, some even with a cut-out hole - and what sense would a cut-out hole make in a promo? So, ultimately, there are stock copies!
There is also an alternative US promo with the catalogue number "45-85009" and "Promotion copy not for sale" on the labels.

Love You till Tuesday

(Deram DM 135; UK 07/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, company cover

Tracks: Love You till Tuesday (single version)* // Did You Ever Have a Dream**

Other notes: *studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 03/06/1967; **studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 24/11/1966

Love You till Tuesday

(Deram 45-DEM-85016; USA 08/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, promo, company cover

Tracks: Love You till Tuesday (single version)* // Did You Ever Have a Dream**

Other notes: *studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 03/06/1967; **studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 24/11/1966

Love You till Tuesday

(Deram 45-85016; USA 08/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, promo, company cover

Tracks: Love You till Tuesday (single version)* // Did You Ever Have a Dream**

Other notes: *studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 03/06/1967; **studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 24/11/1966

Collector's notes: An alternative promo issue.

Informationsplatte Liste Oktober 1967

(Telefunken/Decca/RCA/London/Warner Bros. MU 115-2; Germany 10/1967)

Format: LP

Release notes: mono, promo-only, plastic-padded printed paper cover

Tracks (Bowie): - // Love You till Tuesday (single version, promo edit)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 03/06/1967

Collector's notes: In the late 1960s, Informationsplatte (or Informationsschallplatte, which is the title on the labels) was a series of German promo-only albums distributed to promote contemporary releases - mostly singles, but sometimes also LPs. Since October refers to the release date of the singles, I'm not sure if the album wasn't distributed a bit earlier, maybe in September. However, I have decided to list it under the month given on the record. The albums came in printed inner sleeves. There were no outer cardboard sleeves made, so that the album is complete as it is shown here. I haven't shown the back of the cover, because it is plain white. All tracks on such records were edited.
The edit of the Bowie track is a rather drastic one. The song fades out after the second occurrence of the chorus, which gives it a length of about one and a half minutes.
I don't normally include various artists compilations with only previously released Bowie material in my collection, but there are several reasons to make an exception here. First, there is the unique edit of the track, which has never been available elsewhere. In fact, this seems to be the only edit of this version that has ever been officially distributed. Second, since the album might have been released before the single it promotes, it may be the earliest German release of the single version of Love You till Tuesday. Third, this record was the first-ever album worldwide that included the single version of the song.
There is a similar record (Liste Januar 1968) that has an edit of the album version of Love You till Tuesday and a cover that refers to the catalogue number of the LP.

Love You till Tuesday

(Deram DM. 135; Germany 10/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: PS (colour copy)

Tracks: Love You till Tuesday (single version)* // Did You Ever Have a Dream**

Other notes: *studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 03/06/1967; **studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 24/11/1966

Collector's notes: The first ever German Bowie single (and the third worldwide to have a picture sleeve), but it is not clear if it was available commercially. According to the first issue of Jarman's 7" discography, all copies have a sample sticker and a release date stamp on the label. This, however, is not correct: my copy is neither stamped, nor does it bear a sticker (or marks showing that there once was one). In the second edition of the above-mentioned book, the claim is no longer included, but it is pointed out that some copies bear the stamp "Gestrichen Dez. 1968" ("Deleted Dec. 1968") on one of the labels, which creates the impression that the record was actually sold for a while.
The cover shown here is a colour copy (not a computer print) of the original picture sleeve. It is made from a cover that has the catalogue number hand-written in the top left corner, which rather supports the assumption that the record was distributed for promotional reasons only: who, except a radio station or another institution supplied with promos, would write the catalogue number on the cover of a record? So it's difficult to say if the record was distributed in a regular way.
The picture on both sides of my colour copy has obviously been taken from the same side of the original sleeve, so it's not worthwhile showing the back here.

Love You till Tuesday

(Deram DM 135; Netherlands 10/1967)

Format: 7"

Release notes: PS

Tracks: Love You till Tuesday (single version)* // Did You Ever Have a Dream**

Other notes: *studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 03/06/1967; **studio recording, Decca Studios, London, 24/11/1966

Collector's notes: The first Dutch Bowie single and the fourth with a picture sleeve. The cover design is identical to that of the South African issue released a month earlier.

David Bowie

(Deram SML 1007; Germany 01/1968)

Format: LP

Release notes: -

Tracks: Uncle Arthur / Sell Me a Coat / Rubber Band / Love You till Tuesday / There Is a Happy Land / We Are Hungry Men / When I Live My Dream // Little Bombardier / Silly Boy Blue / Come and Buy My Toys / Join the Gang / She's Got Medals / Maid of Bond Street / Please Mr. Gravedigger

Other notes: recorded at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, 14/11/1966-01/03/1967

Collector's notes: The German issue of Bowie's first LP was available in stereo only. The track listing is identical to that of the UK issue, i.e. it includes We Are Hungry Men and Maid of Bond Street.
I originally listed this album as a 1967 release, but there are strong arguments for a release in January 1968. The general consensus is that the German Love You till Tuesday single was issued in October 1967, and the existence of a promo-only compilation that features an edit of the track and was made in (or for) October 1967 supports this assumption. There is another compilation from that series (which I haven't got) that promotes January 1968 tracks, features an edit of the album version of Love You till Tuesday, and refers to the catalogue number of the LP. If we assume that the album is from that January, then the order of events appears quite logical: they released the single in October, and when they issued the album the following January, they used the same song (albeit in a different version) to promote it - thus hoping that the single would boost the sales of the album (and vice versa). Alas, as the extreme rarity of both records shows, the plan didn't work out...
The fact that the cover of the LP says "Copyright 1967" doesn't contradict these assumptions: first, the copyright date usually only indicates when the music was first released anywhere, and, second, even if the record was released in January 1968, the date 1967 would still be correct: for the album to hit the shops in January, the records must have been manufactured in late 1967.
I admit that a different order of events is conceivable: they released the album at some earlier point in 1967, then released the single in October, and finally decided to re-promote the album. However, two arguments speak against this. Firstly, it would have been unusual if they had released an album without first releasing a single. And, secondly, the cover of the promo-compilation explicitly refers to the albums promoted as "Neue LP's" ("new LPs"). So, until evidence to the contrary can be provided, I will assume that the German album is from January 1968. Note that there is an interesting aspect about this: it is the only Bowie record that I know of that was released that year!

Space Oddity

(Philips BF 1801; UK 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, "mono" on labels, "Philips" in boldface, no centre, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (UK single edit) // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969 (see collector's notes for comment on the different edits)

Collector's notes: The UK single version of Space Oddity is edited out at the end, Wild Eyed Boy omits parts of the intro (including the spoken introduction).
There a several variations of the UK issue: some have a centre piece, some haven't, some have "mono" printed onto the labels, some haven't. There are even (very rare) copies with a solid centre. And there are also stereo promos. According to Jarman, the company bag shown in this entry is the most appropriate one, and the first issue might actually have been sold in this sleeve, but many copies seem to have been sold in the sleeves shown in the next two entries.

Space Oddity

(Philips BF 1801; UK 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, "mono" on labels, "Philips" in boldface, centre piece, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (UK single edit) // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: This is one one of the rarer copies with a centre piece ("mono" variation).

Space Oddity

(Philips BF 1801; UK 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, no "mono" on labels, "Philips" in standard typeface, no centre, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (UK single edit) // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: Note the minimally different label design (apart from the lack of the word "mono"): "Philips" isn't in boldface.

Space Oddity

(Philips BF 1801; UK 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, no "mono" on labels, "Philips" in standard typeface, centre piece, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (UK single edit) // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: A fourth label variation - identical to the previous version, but with a centre piece.

Space Oddity

(Philips BF 1801; UK 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, "Philips" in boldface and "mono" on A-side label, "Philips" in standard typeface and no "mono" on B-side label, no centre, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (UK single edit) // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: This fifth variation (arguably a mis-print) is interesting in that it combines two label variations: the A-side label of this issue with the B-side label of this version.

Space Oddity

(Mercury DJ-133; USA 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, promo-only, machine-stamped matrix numbers, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (US single edit) // Space Oddity (US single edit)

Collector's notes: This is the first of two different US promos for Space Oddity. Note that this one is available with both machine-stamped and hand-scratched matrix numbers. For a long time I classified the latter as counterfeits. See that entry.
The USA single version of Space Oddity is heavily edited, both at the beginning and the end of the song. In the USA it was still commonplace at the time that a potential hit single shouldn't exceed the three minute boundary too much.

Space Oddity

(Mercury DJ-133; USA 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, promo-only, hand-scratched matrix numbers, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (US single edit) // Space Oddity (US single edit)

Collector's notes: This is the alternative issue of the first US Space Oddity promo. I always thought that copies with scratched matrix numbers were counterfeits, but Jarman & Stöcklin list them as authentic items, and who am I to doubt their expertise? However, these copies are still somewhat suspicious to me, since most of them are sold in plain sleeves and the margins of the labels are cut somewhat sloppily.

Space Oddity

(Mercury 72949; USA 07/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (US single edit) // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (US single edit)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: Most US stock copies have a drill-hole through the label. Obviously, Space Oddity wasn't a major hit in the USA...
Like Space Oddity, Wild Eyed Boy was heavily edited for the single release - almost to the point of absurdity! Parts of the lyrics are missing at the beginning of the song, so that they don't make any sense at all.

Space Oddity

(Philips 704 201 BW; Germany 09/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: labels say mono, but record plays stereo, PS 1

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: This single and some other continental European releases are the only original sources of the full length version of this recording of Wild Eyed Boy, including the full intro with Bowie's spoken introduction. Space Oddity is the full length album version on this and the other continental European issues.

Space Oddity

(Philips 704 201 BW; Germany 09/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: labels say mono, but record plays stereo, PS 2

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: A cover variation - the back shows different record promotion. Same record (and thus labels) as in the previous entry. Note that the different colours of the text on the cover front are not (only) due to different scanners having been used for making the pictures: the title and artist's name are actually a bit darker on the cover of this issue.

Space Oddity

(Philips 704 201 BW; Italy 09/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: juke box promo, NC

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: In an earlier version I wrote that the B-side of this single had a different edit. That was wrong. I confused the version included here with the one on the counterfeit of the Ragazzo Solo single.

Space Oddity

(Philips 704 201 BW; Italy 09/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: black labels, PS

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: In the first issue of his book Jarman only lists a blue label copy, but this must have been a typo. Chad Pearson's David Bowie 7" Singles website only shows the black label version, and in the second issue of the 7" discography, Jarman & Stoecklin also show only a black label version.

Space Oddity

(Philips 704 201 BW; Netherlands 09/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: PS

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: The overall layout of the cover is identical to that of the German and Italian issues, but the editions can be distinguished by the colour of the title/artist's name.

Space Oddity

(Philips 304201; New Zealand 10/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: mono, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: Originally, I wrote that this might be an Australian release, because Jarman classifies it as such. However, after checking both Discogs and Chas Pearson's page, I've come to the conclusion that it is actually a unique New Zealand issue. I have retained Jarman's release date, though, since Australian and New Zealand releases were often issued at the same time. Note that I have shown the B-side label because it's cleaner.

Space Oddity

(Philips 304.201 F; France 10/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: PS, pink squares on back

Tracks: Space Oddity // Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (full length single version)*

Other notes: *studio recording, Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969

Collector's notes: There are two variations of the cover back: pink squares (this issue) and blue squares. On both issues the B-side title is mis-spelt Wild Eyed Boy from Freedom on the front.

David Bowie

(Philips SBL.7912; UK 11/1969)

Format: LP

Release notes: FOC, all tracks credited to Essex Music

Tracks: Space Oddity / Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed / Don't Sit Down* / Letter to Hermione / Cygnet Committee // Janine / An Occasional Dream / Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud / God Knows I'm Good / Memory of a Free Festival

Other notes: recorded at Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969-10/1969; *not listed on cover

Collector's notes: The original UK issue of Bowie's second album, which was later known as Space Oddity, contains Don't Sit Down - a short piece of music attached to the end of Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed and not listed on the cover. Until 1990, this was the last official release of this "song".
Note that, strictly speaking, this in not the first UK issue: there is also an earlier issue that has two lines of text in the bottom left square on the labels, in which some tracks are not credited to Essex Music, but simply to "copyright control". Logically, those copies must be from the very first run of pressings.

Man of Words/Man of Music

(Mercury SR 61246; USA 11/1969)

Format: LP

Release notes: white label promo, FOC

Tracks: Space Oddity / Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed / Letter to Hermione / Cygnet Committee // Janine / An Occasional Dream / Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud / God Knows I'm Good / Memory of a Free Festival

Other notes: recorded at Trident Studios, London, 20/06/1969-10/1969

Collector's notes: The US edition of Bowie's second LP was re-titled Man of Words/Man of Music and omits Don't Sit Down. For about twenty years this was the standard format of the album, since all RCA re-issues (titled Space Oddity) were musically identical to this US edition.
Note that the American title turns up only on the cover. The labels simply call the album David Bowie.

Man of Words/Man of Music

(Mercury SR 61246; USA 11/1969)

Format: LP

Release notes: FOC

Tracks: see promo issue

Collector's notes: This is the original stock copy. The US cover (identical to the one in the previous entry) was also used to accommodate Canadian pressings. These have black labels and the "printed" date 1970. So don't get puzzled if you come across one of these.
There are also 1970 US re-pressings of this album. These have a small "R" copyright symbol next to each of the Mercury logos at the label perimeter and the text "Manufactured and distributed by Mercury Record Productions, Inc." on the labels. These re-pressings are probably rarer than the originals.

Space Oddity

(Mercury DJ-156; USA 12/1969)

Format: 7"

Release notes: promo-only, company cover

Tracks: Space Oddity (US mono single edit) // Space Oddity (US stereo single edit)

Collector's notes: When Mercury re-distributed Space Oddity at the end of the year, they issued this second and rarer promo.