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Screen13 · 07-02-2013, 08:00 AM

THE SINGLES CLUB #2
DAVID BOWIE - 1984...THE 1984 RELEASE

Label: RCA
Year: 1984
No Non-Album B Side
Release from one of the many collections of 83-84
I think an US-only single release

In the wake of David Bowie's move to EMI and the surprise success of "Let's Dance", RCA contributed a mini-industry of Bowie related product aimed for the 80's MTV/New Pop generation that wanted to know more of what influenced their favorite singers who looked up to him like many others looked up to The Beatles. With the odd exception (The Ziggy Stardust concert soundtrack and film release, Dream/London's release of the Love You Till Tuesday soundtrack and Castle's video of that which was attractive to fanatical fans), most of it was slapped together collections of what happened before with hardly no rhyme or reason. Golden Years was the 1983 nine-song product from RCA while Fame and Fashion was their 1984 release - the two acting kind of like a set of Changesthreeandfourbowie, but without the class or even good covers despite the good music.

Fame and Fashion, however, had something to do with the tracks being "Digitally Remastered" like it was very important, and it was a selection of greatest hits that was narrowed down to one album's worth of music despite having the serious misfortune to not throw in anything more from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars other than "Starman". To promote it, what better way to do so than to pick "1984" as the single, backed with the classic "TVC 15"? Right?

Such a cheesy move would have escaped my eyes if the songs were not serious classics, however. In "1984", from the Diamond Dogs album that was I think planned to be fully based on George Orwell's novel but was not due to being refused permission, you have the "Shaft" style guitar of Alan Parker and classy Dramatic orchestral backing which fitted the doom-filled lyrics and Bowie's singing perfectly - although you could tell that even with such a classic performance this would not make it to Pop radio much, especially in The States. The Piano driven "TVC 15" is another classic, this time from Station to Station (1976) which was released in The UK as a single that did not do much on the charts, but a song that did not need any number to prove of it's power with the listeners.

In a way, the very few singles buyers who bought this single or the compilation album it promoted who were not around when the songs were originally released might have felt something that Let's Dance and, a little later on, Tonight (Even being the album with "Loving the Alien") would never have given them. A little reminder of what was, but thankfully Post-80's Bowie would see a return to something good once again.

SPECIAL SCREEN 13 BONUS TRACKS!
"1984" live on US TV showing off the "Shaft" style of the song that hinted at the Young Americans era in a big way...RCA could have at least done that, but no.

"TVC 15" at Live Aid.

07-02-2013, 08:00 AM	#29 (permalink)
Screen13 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,388	THE SINGLES CLUB #2 DAVID BOWIE - 1984...THE 1984 RELEASE Label: RCA Year: 1984 No Non-Album B Side Release from one of the many collections of 83-84 I think an US-only single release In the wake of David Bowie's move to EMI and the surprise success of "Let's Dance", RCA contributed a mini-industry of Bowie related product aimed for the 80's MTV/New Pop generation that wanted to know more of what influenced their favorite singers who looked up to him like many others looked up to The Beatles. With the odd exception (The Ziggy Stardust concert soundtrack and film release, Dream/London's release of the Love You Till Tuesday soundtrack and Castle's video of that which was attractive to fanatical fans), most of it was slapped together collections of what happened before with hardly no rhyme or reason. Golden Years was the 1983 nine-song product from RCA while Fame and Fashion was their 1984 release - the two acting kind of like a set of Changesthreeandfourbowie, but without the class or even good covers despite the good music. Fame and Fashion, however, had something to do with the tracks being "Digitally Remastered" like it was very important, and it was a selection of greatest hits that was narrowed down to one album's worth of music despite having the serious misfortune to not throw in anything more from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars other than "Starman". To promote it, what better way to do so than to pick "1984" as the single, backed with the classic "TVC 15"? Right? Such a cheesy move would have escaped my eyes if the songs were not serious classics, however. In "1984", from the Diamond Dogs album that was I think planned to be fully based on George Orwell's novel but was not due to being refused permission, you have the "Shaft" style guitar of Alan Parker and classy Dramatic orchestral backing which fitted the doom-filled lyrics and Bowie's singing perfectly - although you could tell that even with such a classic performance this would not make it to Pop radio much, especially in The States. The Piano driven "TVC 15" is another classic, this time from Station to Station (1976) which was released in The UK as a single that did not do much on the charts, but a song that did not need any number to prove of it's power with the listeners. In a way, the very few singles buyers who bought this single or the compilation album it promoted who were not around when the songs were originally released might have felt something that Let's Dance and, a little later on, Tonight (Even being the album with "Loving the Alien") would never have given them. A little reminder of what was, but thankfully Post-80's Bowie would see a return to something good once again. SPECIAL SCREEN 13 BONUS TRACKS! "1984" live on US TV showing off the "Shaft" style of the song that hinted at the Young Americans era in a big way...RCA could have at least done that, but no. "TVC 15" at Live Aid.