David Bowie: Young Americans (50th anniversary, half-speed master) [PARLOPHONE]

Why you'll love it

This 50th anniversary half-speed master was cut on a customised Neumann VMS80 lathe from 192kHz restored masters of the original Record Plant tapes. Young Americans gave Bowie his American breakthrough, and "Fame" became his first No. 1 single.

This edition

• 50th anniversary edition
• Half-speed master
• Remastered
• Obi strip
• Lyric insert
• Pressed in Germany
• Stereo mix

About the album

In the summer of 1974 Bowie walked into Sigma Sound in Philadelphia, the home of Gamble and Huff and the Philly soul sound, and hung up the glam costumes. He'd been spinning soul records nonstop, and he wanted the real thing. He called the result plastic soul; everyone else heard a British rock star singing his heart out with a crack American band.

Guitarist Carlos Alomar, an Apollo Theater veteran, became his guide and stayed for nearly 15 years. Willie Weeks on bass, Andy Newmark on drums and David Sanborn on sax lock into grooves that producer Tony Visconti captured almost entirely live, vocals and all. Backing singers included Ava Cherry, Robin Clark and a then-unknown Luther Vandross. The title track swings with gospel fervour, "Win" and "Can You Hear Me" are tender slow burners, and a January 1975 session with John Lennon at Electric Lady produced a cover of "Across the Universe" and the wiry funk of "Fame."

Bowie was one of the first white British artists of the era to dive headlong into Black American music, and plenty followed him through the door. He then spent the next album, Station to Station, getting even further from glam, presumably on the grounds that the sequins weren't coming back.

Also at Kops: more David Bowie on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On Parlophone (cat# DBYA 50), a reissue of the 1975 album.