Toy (David Bowie album)

Toy is an officially unreleased album by English musician David Bowie, recorded for release in 2001, and leaked onto the Internet in 2011.^[3] Although Bowie had begun recording the album intending to feature new versions of some of his earliest pieces as well as three new songs, its sessions led him to Heathen (2002) and it was never released officially.^[1]

Recording and production

Originally, Bowie had recorded the album Toy for release in 2001^[4] or 2002.^[5] It was meant to feature some new songs and remakes of some of his lesser-known songs from the 1960s. Toy remains officially unreleased. In 2001, on his own site, Bowie participated on a virtual chat with fans and when one of them asked about the release of Toy, he replied: "I'm finding EMI/Virgin seem to have a lot of scheduling conflicts this year, which has put an awful lot on the back burner. Toy is finished and ready to go, and I will make an announcement as soon as I get a very real date. Meantime, I'm already started writing and recording for another album (untitled at the moment). So far I have to say it's back to experimental. But knowing me, it doesn't mean that's how it'll turn out. I shall be writing and recording throughout the summer, but daddyfying is really my priority at the moment."^[2]

Alternative versions

"Liza Jane" was Bowie's debut single, released under the name Davie Jones with the King Bees. "You've Got a Habit of Leaving" was his third single, credited to Davy Jones but recorded with his then band the Lower Third.^[6] The original version of "Silly Boy Blue" appeared on Bowie's eponymous debut album, and several other versions of these songs were released during Bowie's early career including "I Dig Everything", "Baby Loves That Way", as collected on Early On (1964–1966), and "In the Heat of the Morning," and "The London Boys", as collected on The Deram Anthology 1966–1968. A version of "Conversation Piece" was recorded and released in 1970.

"Uncle Floyd" (retitled "Slip Away") and "Afraid" were later released on Heathen, "Baby Loves That Way", "Shadow Man", and "You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving" were released as B-sides to Heathen's singles,^[4] and "Conversation Piece" was included on the limited-edition bonus disc of Heathen in 2002. The bonus tracks on the limited edition Heathen disc are "Sunday (Moby Remix)", "A Better Future (Remix by Air)", "Conversation Piece" and "Panic in Detroit (Outtake from a 1979 Recording)".

The songs "Let Me Sleep Beside You", "Your Turn to Drive" and "Shadow Man" are included on the 3-CD Deluxe edition of Bowie's 2014 compilation album Nothing Has Changed, which also includes the original versions of "In the Heat of the Morning", "Silly Boy Blue", "You've Got a Habit of Leaving" and "Liza Jane".^[7]

Track listing

This is the track listing of the version of the album leaked in 2011,^[8][9] which is rumored to be different from the originally intended version.^[5]

All songs written by David Bowie.

Personnel

• Recorded at Sear Sound, New York. Overdubs and Mix at Looking Glass Studios, New York.
• Mixed by Mark Plati.
• Engineered by Pete Keppler.

Musicians

• David Bowie: vocals, keyboards, stylophone, mandolin
• Earl Slick: guitar
• Gail Ann Dorsey: bass
• Mark Plati: bass, guitars
• Sterling Campbell: drums
• Lisa Germano: violin
• Holly Palmer: backing vocals
• Emm Gryner: backing vocals
• Gerry Leonard: guitars
• Mike Garson: piano
• Tony Visconti - string arrangements

External links

• Buckley, David (2005) [First published 1999]. Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story. London: Virgin. ISBN 978-0-7535-1002-5.

References