Parlophone Records announced Wednesday that “David Bowie: Loving the Alien 1983-1988,” the fourth in its series of boxed sets compiling the late artist’s work from 1969, will be released on Oct. 12. The era was Bowie’s most commercially successful period and includes the hit albums “Let’s Dance” and “Tonight.”
The 11 CD/15 LP set follows the formidable collections “Five Years (1969-1973),” “Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976),” and “A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982).”
It also includes a near-complete re-recording of Bowie’s 1987 album “Never Let Me Down,” which he’d often said he wanted to re-do, overseen by producer / engineer Mario McNulty with new instrumentation by longtime Bowie collaborators Reeves Gabrels (guitar), David Torn (guitar), Sterling Campbell (drums), and Tim Lefebvre (bass), as well as string quartet with arrangements by Nico Muhly and a guest cameo by Laurie Anderson on “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love).”
It includes newly remastered versions of “Let’s Dance,” “Tonight,” “Never Let Me Down” (Original and 2018 Versions), the live album “Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87),” the previously unreleased “Serious Moonlight” live album, a collection of original remixes entitled “Dance” and the non-album / alternate version / b-sides and soundtrack music compilation “Re:Call 4.”
Exclusive to each of the boxed sets is “Never Let Me Down (2018),” a new production of the 1987 album. According to the announcement, the seeds of this new reimagining of the albums were first sown in 2008 when Bowie asked McNulty to remix the track “Time Will Crawl” and record new drums by longtime Bowie drummer Sterling Campbell along with strings. The track was issued on the iSelect compilation to much acclaim and, in the notes for that record, David remarked “Oh, to redo the rest of that album.”
This 2018 version of the album will also feature newly “remixed” artwork reflecting the album’s subject matter and features unseen images from the original cover photographic session from the archive of Greg Gorman.
Exclusive to each box is “Re:Call 4” and “Dance.” The former a new compilation featuring remastered contemporary single versions, non-album singles, album edits, b-sides and songs featured on soundtracks such as Labyrinth, Absolute Beginners, and When The Wind Blows. Dance features 12 contemporaneous remixes, some of which are appearing on CD and vinyl for the first time, and is named after an unreleased Bowie remix album that was originally slated for release in November 1985.
The physical boxed set’s accompanying book, 128-pages in the CD box and 84 in the vinyl set, will feature rarely seen and previously unpublished photos by photographers including O’Regan, Gorman, Herb Ritts and many others as well as historical press reviews and technical notes about the albums from producers/engineers Nile Rodgers, Hugh Padgham, McNulty and Justin Shirley-Smith.
The complete tracklist is below:
DAVID BOWIE LOVING THE ALIEN (1983-1988)
LP Boxed Set:
88 Page hardback book
Let’s Dance (Remastered) (1LP)
Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) (Previously Unreleased) (2LP)*
Tonight (Remastered) (1LP)
Never Let Me Down (Remastered) (1LP)
Never Let Me Down (2018) (Previously Unreleased) (2LP – Side 4 Is Etched)*
Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) (Previously Unreleased On Vinyl) (3LP)*
Dance (2LP)*
Re:Call 4 (Non-Album Singles, Edits, Single Versions, B-Sides and Soundtrack Music) (Remastered) (3LP)*
* Exclusive to LOVING THE ALIEN (1983-1988) LP box
CD Box Set:
128 Page hardback book
Let’s Dance (Remastered) (1CD)
Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) (Previously Unreleased) (2CD)
Tonight (Remastered) (1CD)
Never Let Me Down (Remastered) (1CD)
Never Let Me Down (2018) (Previously Unreleased) (1CD)*
Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) (2CD)
Dance (1CD)*
Re:Call 4 (Non-Album Singles, Edits, Single Versions, B-Sides and Soundtrack Music) (Remastered) (2CD)*
* Exclusive to LOVING THE ALIEN (1983-1988)
Digital download standard:
Let’s Dance (Remastered)
Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) (Previously Unreleased)
Tonight (Remastered)
Never Let Me Down (Remastered)
Never Let Me Down (2018) (Previously Unreleased)*
Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87)
Dance *
Re:Call 4 (Non-Album Singles, Edits, Single Versions, B-Sides and Soundtrack Music) (Remastered)*
* Set exclusives
LOVING THE ALIEN (1983-1988)
Vinyl & CD Track Lists (Showing Vinyl Side Breaks)
Let’s Dance
Side 1
“Modern Love”
“China Girl”
“Let’s Dance”
“Without You”
Side 2
“Ricochet”
“Criminal World”
“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”
“Shake It”
Serious Moonlight (Live ’83)
Side 1
“Look Back In Anger”
“’Heroes’”
“What In The World”
“Golden Years”
“Fashion”
“Let’s Dance”
Side 2
“Breaking Glass”
“Life On Mars?”
“Sorrow”
“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”
“China Girl”
“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)”
“Rebel Rebel”
Side 3
“White Light / White Heat”
“Station To Station”
“Cracked Actor”
“Ashes To Ashes”
Side 4
“Space Oddity/Band Introduction”
“Young Americans”
“Fame”
“Modern Love”
Tonight
Side 1
“Loving The Alien”
“Don’t Look Down”
“God Only Knows”
“Tonight”
Side 2
“Neighborhood Threat”
“Blue Jean”
“Tumble And Twirl”
“I Keep Forgettin”
“Dancing With The Big Boys”
Never Let Me Down
Side 1
“Day-In Day-Out”
“Time Will Crawl”
“Beat Of Your Drum”
“Never Let Me Down”
“Zeroes”
Side 2
“Glass Spider”
“Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)”
“New York’s In Love”
“’87 And Cry”
“Bang”
Never Let Me Down (2018)
Side 1
“Day-In Day-Out”
“Time Will Crawl”
“Beat Of Your Drum”
Side 2
“Never Let Me Down”
“Zeroes”
“Glass Spider”
Side 3
“Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” (ft Laurie Anderson)
“New York’s In Love”
“87 & Cry”
“Bang Bang”
Side 4
David Bowie 1987 logo etching
Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87)
Side 1
“Up The Hill Backwards”
“Glass Spider”
“Day-In Day-Out”
“Bang Bang”
Side 2
“Absolute Beginners”
“Loving The Alien”
“China Girl”
“Rebel Rebel”
Side 3
“Fashion”
“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)”
“All The Mad Men”
“Never Let Me Down”
Side 4
“Big Brother”
“‘87 And Cry”
“‘Heroes’”
“Sons Of The Silent Age”
“Time Will Crawl / Band Introduction”
Side 5
“Young Americans”
“Beat Of Your Drum”
“The Jean Genie”
“Let’s Dance”
Side 6
“Fame”
“Time”
“Blue Jean”
“Modern Love”
Dance
Side 1
- “Shake It” (Re-mix aka Long Version)
(Originally released on the B-side of the “China Girl” 12” single on EMI America 12EA 157 (U.K.) and V-7809 (U.S.) in May 1983.)
- “Blue Jean” (Extended Dance Mix)
(Originally released on 12” single on EMI America 12EA 181 (U.K.) and V-7838 (U.S.) in September 1984.)
- “Dancing With The Big Boys” (Extended Dance Mix)
(Originally released on the B-side of the “Blue Jean” 12” single alongside an Extended Dub Mix of the same, release details as above.)
Side 2
- “Tonight” (Vocal Dance Mix)
(Originally released on 12” single on EMI America 12EA 187 (U.K.) and V-7846 (U.S.) in November 1984.)
“Don’t Look Down” (Extended Dance Mix)
(Originally released on the B-side of the “Loving The Alien” (Extended Dance Mix) 12” single alongside the “Loving The Alien” (Extended Dub Mix) on EMI America 12EA 195 (U.K.) and VG-7858 (U.S.) in May 1985.)
- “Loving The Alien” (Extended Dub Mix)
(Originally released on the B-side of the “Loving The Alien” (Extended Dance Mix) 12” single, release details as above.)
Side 3
- “Tumble And Twirl” (Extended Dance Mix)
(Originally released on the B-side of the “Tonight” 12” single alongside a “Tonight” (Dub Mix), release details as above.)
- “Underground” (Extended Dance Mix)
(Originally released on 12” single on EMI America 12EA 216 (U.K.) and V-19210 (U.S.) in June,= 1986.)
- “Day-In Day-Out” (Groucho Mix)
(Originally released on 12” single on EMI America 12EAX 230 (U.K.) and V-19239 (U.S.) in March 1987.)
Side 4
- “Time Will Crawl” (Dance Crew Mix)
(Originally released on 12” single on EMI America 12EAX 237 (U.K.) in June 1987.)
- “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” (12” mix)
(Originally released on the “Never Let Me Down” digital E.P. on EMI 0094639278954 in May 2007.)
- “Never Let Me Down” (Dub/Acapella)
(Originally released on the B-side of the “Never Let Me Down” (Extended Dance Mix) 12” single on EMI America 12EA 239 (U.K.) and V-19255 (U.S.) in August 1987.)
Re:Call 4
Side 1
- “Let’s Dance” (Single Version)
- “China Girl” (Single Version)
- “Modern Love” (Single Version)
- “This Is Not America (The Theme From The Falcon And The Snowman)” – David Bowie / Pat Metheny Group
- “Loving The Alien” (Re-mixed Version)
Side 2
- “Don’t Look Down” (Re-mixed Version)
- “Dancing In The Street” (Clearmountain Mix) – David Bowie and Mick Jagger
- “Absolute Beginners” (From Absolute Beginners)
- “That’s Motivation” (From Absolute Beginners)
- “Volare” (From Absolute Beginners)
Side 3
- “Labyrinth Opening Titles/Underground” (From Labyrinth)
- “Magic Dance” (From Labyrinth)
- “As The World Falls Down” (From Labyrinth)
- “Within You” (From Labyrinth)
- “Underground” (From Labyrinth)
Side 4
- “When The Wind Blows” (Single Version) (From When The Wind Blows)
- “Day-In Day-Out” (Single Version)
- “Julie”
- “Beat Of Your Drum” (Vinyl Album Edit)
- “Glass Spider” ((Vinyl Album Edit)
Side 5
- “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” (Vinyl Album Edit)
- “New York’s In Love” (Vinyl Album Edit)
- “‘87 And Cry” (Vinyl Album Edit)
- “Bang Bang” (Vinyl Album Edit)
- “Time Will Crawl” (Single Version)
Side 6
- “Girls” (Extended Edit)
- “Never Let Me Down” (7” Remix Edit)
- ”Bang Bang” (Live – Promotional Mix)
- “Tonight” (Live) – Tina Turner with David Bowie
- “Let’s Dance” (Live) – Tina Turner with David Bowie
