The Early Years

During 1966-1967 young David Bowie released a number of singles and cut a few tracks that have since been collected and re-issued on a number of collections.  Nevertheless, though none of the tracks scream "hit", almost many of them are of a surprising high quality, so make sure your compilation contains the good ones. Presently the DERAM collection, his then-record label has collected most of the memorable tracks in The Deram Anthology.

These songs see Bowie looking for a niche but unsure of what direction to go in and I think they make better listening when categorised and compared to what Bowie was to do on his first bona fide album, what we know as Space Oddity. 

The Singer-Songwriter Market:

London Boys...the chronicles of a disenchanted young man, pill-popping during the Swinging Sixties. Superb.

Sell Me A Coat...Love Gone Wrong. Crappy lyrics but very promising tune.

There Is A Happy Land..."Let's not grow up..." says young David...moody but a little inconsequential.

In The Heat Of The Morning...Drippy love song lyrics with totally cool chorus, a funky, simple organ solo and a groovy fade-out. If it had been been the theme song to a late 1960s movie, I'm sure it would have been a Top 20 hit. 
 

The Storyteller Market:

Please Mr. Gravedigger...macabre story set during a rainstorm. Theatrical but doesn't really work for me. 

Rubber Band...Love gone wrong for a World War 1 veteran. I can't say why...but I've always liked it.

She's Got Medals...Bizarre story about a soldier who goes to war, deserts and spends the rest of his life living as a woman. The people David must have been hanging around with!

Uncle Arthur...Mummy's Boy Arthur runs off with girlfriend Sally but soon returns to Mummy. Pervy Oedipal matter but God only knows how David thought folks in the 1960s could relate to it.

The Kids Market:

Laughing Gnome...fabulous 1960s English humor & bad puns as Bowie duets with a Bowie chipmunk gnome, which bombed badly on its original release. When Bowie-mania had reached its height in the U.K. in 1973, The Laughing Gnome was re-released and eventually reached the Top 10.

I actually like the track, although some of the jokes would now have to be explained and having to do that kind of ruins the humor. Trust me, they're just groanable jokes that young, very young, kids might have enjoyed in the U.K. forty years ago. 

Young Teen Market:

David Bowie: Love You Till Tuesday

Love You Till Tuesday....a cheeky, charming love song. I actually have two versions, one more "produced" than the other. The single was part of a radical attempt by Bowie's then-manager to lift Bowie's profile, by making a half-hour promotional film of young David's work.

It bombed but the videos are priceless, considering that they were made in 1969, several years before music videos were to become important sales tools in the U.K.   

The b-side of the single was Did You Ever Have A Dream? a favorite of mine, in which young David explains...astral travelling with some interesting rapid-fire, clever word-play.

"...Did you ever have a dream or two
Where the hero is a guy named you...

...And...the girl that you dreamed of last night
Had the same dream, in the very same scene
With the very same boy, hold tight

It's a very special knowledge that you've got, my friend
You can travel anywhere with anyone you care
It's a very special knowledge that you've got, my friend
You can walk around in New York while you sleep in Penge

I will travel round the world one night
On the magic wings of astral flight..."

      Did You Ever Have A Dream? 

The Deram Anthology, like the cover, shows a young artist struggling in the late 1960s. I've collected all these songs, collected via several different albums and a few rare singles. However, for any serious Bowie fan, getting this comprehensive Deram Anthology could save you a lot of trouble and money.

David Bowie: Early works, The Deram Anthology

"...The Deram Anthology is the latest compilation to collect recordings a young David Bowie cut for Decca Records between 1966 and 1968. When Bowie became a superstar, Decca began licensing the songs to various labels, leading to a glut of compilations appearing throughout the years. At 27 tracks and 77 minutes, the Deram Anthology is by far the most comprehensive account of Bowie's Decca tenure and may easily be the last word on the subject..." Amazon reviewer P. Nicholas Keppler

"...How great that Bowie persevered to make some of the most compelling music of the 1970s and 1980s. The roots of his genius are certainly evident here..."  Amazon reviewer Pieter "Toypom"

"...On first or second listen, you might be tempted to dismiss this record as silly, campy showbiz...but these songs are so damned charming that it's almost impossible...to dismiss them..." Amazon reviewer Thomas D. Ryan 

For more info, see:

• wikipedia David Bowie