Thursday 3/16/23 10pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Lodger (1979)

Lodger is the 13th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on May 25, 1979 through RCA Records. After an eventful year that saw the release of two studio albums, Low and “Heroes”, and many other side projects in 1977, Bowie embarked on the Isolar II world tour in 1978. During a break in the tour, Bowie regrouped with collaborator Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti to record his next album. The final release of the Berlin Trilogy, the album was recorded mainly at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, in September 1978. Most of the same personnel from prior releases returned, and future King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew joined from the tour.

The recording sessions saw the use of techniques inspired by Eno’s Oblique Strategies cards, such as having the musicians swap instruments and play old songs backwards. After the Isolar II world tour, further recording and mixing took place at the Record Plant in New York City in March 1979. The music on Lodger is based in art rock and experimental rock, but lacks the electronic and ambient styles and the song/instrumental split that defined its two predecessors. Instead, it features more conventional song structures and explores styles such as avant-pop, world and new wave music. Lyrically, the album is divided into two major themes: travel (primarily side one) and critiques of Western civilisation (primarily side two). Pop artist Derek Boshier took the accompanying cover photo, portraying Bowie as an accident victim across the gatefold sleeve.

Lodger was a modest commercial success, peaking at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and number 20 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. It produced four singles, including the UK top 10 hit “Boys Keep Swinging”. Innovative music videos directed by David Mallet accompanied three of the four singles. The album initially received mixed reviews from music critics, many calling it the weakest of the Berlin Trilogy. Over the years, favourable critical reception has grown and it is now widely considered to be among Bowie’s most underrated albums. Its world music elements have been highlighted as particularly influential. Bowie and Visconti were dissatisfied with the album’s original mix and, in 2015, Visconti remixed the album with Bowie’s approval for inclusion on the 2017 box set A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982), along with a remaster of the original.

1. “Fantastic Voyage” 2:55
2. “African Night Flight” 2:54
3. “Move On” 3:16
4. “Yassassin” 4:10
5. “Red Sails” 3:43
6. “D.J.” 3:59
7. “Look Back in Anger” 3:08
8. “Boys Keep Swinging” 3:17
9. “Repetition” 2:59
10. “Red Money” 4:17

David Bowie – lead and background vocals; synthesiser (4); piano (1, 6); Chamberlin (6); guitar (8, 10)
Brian Eno – ambient drone (1); prepared piano and cricket menace (2); guitar treatments (5); synthesizers (5, 7); horse trumpet and eroica horn (7); piano (8); backing vocals (4)
Tony Visconti – mandolin (1); guitar (3–4); bass guitar (8); backing vocals (1, 3–4, 7–8, 10)
Adrian Belew – mandolin (1); guitar (3, 5–6, 8–10)
Carlos Alomar – guitar (2–7, 9–10); drums (8); backing vocals (4)
Dennis Davis – drums (1, 4–6, 9–10); percussion (2–3, 7); bass guitar (8); backing vocals (4)
George Murray – bass guitar (all but track 8); backing vocals (4)
Sean Mayes – piano (1–3, 5, 7)
Simon House – mandolin (1); violin (4–5, 8–9); backing vocals (4)
Roger Powell – synthesizers (9–10)
Stan Harrison – saxophone (5)

Wednesday 3/8/23 8pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Never Let Me Down (1987)

Never Let Me Down is the 17th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released April 20, 1987 through EMI America Records. After a series of miscellaneous projects, Bowie hoped to make his next record differently following his disappointment with Tonight (1984). It was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland and the Power Station in New York City from September to November 1986. It was co-produced by Bowie and David Richards and featured contributions from Peter Frampton on guitar. Musically, Never Let Me Down has been characterised as pop rock, art rock and hard rock; Bowie himself considered the record a return to rock and roll music. The cover artwork features Bowie surrounded by numerous elements from the songs.

Released with different runtimes on vinyl and CD, Never Let Me Down was a commercial success, peaking at No. 6 in the UK. Three singles were released, all of which reached the UK Top 40. Despite this, the album was poorly received by fans and critics, with its production singled out for criticism. Bowie supported it on the Glass Spider Tour, named after one of the tracks, a world tour that was at that point the biggest, most theatrical and elaborate tour he had undertaken in his career. The tour, like the album, was commercially successful but critically panned. The critical failure of the album and tour were factors that led Bowie to look for a new way to motivate himself creatively, leading him to create the rock band Tin Machine in 1989; he did not release another solo album until Black Tie White Noise in 1993.

Retrospectively, Never Let Me Down is generally regarded as one of Bowie’s weakest releases. One track, “Too Dizzy”, has been deleted from subsequent reissues due to Bowie’s dislike of it. Throughout his lifetime, Bowie was critical of Never Let Me Down, distancing himself from the arrangement and production of the finished album. He expressed a desire to remake it numerous times, eventually remixing “Time Will Crawl” for inclusion on his career retrospective iSelect (2008). Its remixer, Mario J. McNulty, brought Bowie’s idea to remake the whole album to fruition in 2018. Released as part of the box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988), Never Let Me Down 2018 features new production and instrumentation over Bowie’s original vocals. Reviewers consider the new version an improvement over the original album.

1. “Day-In Day-Out” 4:38
2. “Time Will Crawl” 4:18
3. “Beat of Your Drum” 4:32
4. “Never Let Me Down” 4:03
5. “Zeroes” 5:46
6. “Glass Spider” 4:56
7. “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” 4:05
8. “New York’s in Love” 3:55
9. “’87 and Cry” 3:53
10. “Too Dizzy” 3:58
11. “Bang Bang” 4:02

David Bowie – lead and background vocals; guitar; keyboards; Mellotron; Moog synthesiser; harmonica; tambourine
Carlos Alomar – guitar; guitar synthesiser; tambourine; backing vocals
Erdal Kızılçay – keyboards; drums; bass guitar; trumpet; violins; backing vocals
Peter Frampton – lead guitar, sitar
Philippe Saisse – piano
Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
Stan Harrison – alto saxophone
Steve Elson – baritone saxophone
Lenny Pickett – tenor saxophone
Earl Gardner – flugelhorn
Laurie Frink – trumpet
Errol “Crusher” Bennett – percussion
Sid McGinnis – lead guitar (“Day-In Day-Out”, “Time Will Crawl” and “Bang Bang”)
Mickey Rourke – mid-song rap (“Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)”)
Robin Clark – backing vocals
Lani Groves – backing vocals
Diva Gray – backing vocals
Gordon Grody – backing vocals

Monday 1/9/23 10am ET: Feature Greatest Hits LP: David Bowie – Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007)

The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The CD was originally released by EMI, March 19, 2007, as part of The Platinum Collection in 2005/2006. The 2007 release is part of EMI’s two-disc Sight & Sound series, each of which features a CD and DVD of material from the same artist. The DVD portion of the collection features two videos previously unreleased on DVD – “When the Wind Blows” and “The Drowned Girl”.

1. “Let’s Dance” (Single version) 4:07
2. “Ashes to Ashes” (Single version) 3:36
3. “Under Pressure” (with Queen) 4:05
4. “Fashion” (Single version) 3:26
5. “Modern Love” (Single version) 3:58
6. “China Girl” (Single version) 4:17
7. “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” (Single version) 3:32
8. “Up the Hill Backwards” 3:15
9. “Alabama Song” 3:52
10. “The Drowned Girl” 2:26
11. “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” (Film version single edit) 4:12
12. “This Is Not America” (with the Pat Metheny Group) 3:51
13. “Loving the Alien” 7:08
14. “Absolute Beginners” (Single version) 5:37
15. “When the Wind Blows” 3:34
16. “Blue Jean” 3:11
17. “Day-In Day-Out” (Single version) 4:11
18. “Time Will Crawl” 4:18
19. “Underground” (Single version) 4:26

Tuesday 11/15/22 8pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Tonight (1984)

Tonight is the 16th studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on September 24, 1984 through EMI America Records. The follow-up to his most commercially successful album Let’s Dance (1983), it was written and recorded in mid-1984 at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Canada, following the conclusion of the Serious Moonlight Tour. The music on Tonight has been characterised as pop, blue-eyed soul, dance and rock. Much of the album’s sound is the same as its predecessor’s, due to Bowie’s effort to retain the new audience that he had recently attracted, although some tracks contain R&B and reggae influences.

Bowie, Derek Bramble, and Hugh Padgham produced the album. Much of Bowie’s creative process was the same as he used on Let’s Dance. Many of the same personnel from Let’s Dance and the Serious Moonlight tour returned for the Tonight sessions, with a few additions. Like its predecessor, Bowie played no instruments on Tonight, instead offering little creative input to the musicians during the sessions. Devoid of new ideas from touring, Bowie wrote only two new songs himself. Three songs, including the title track, were covers of Iggy Pop songs, who was present during most of the sessions and co-wrote multiple tracks. The title track is a duet with singer Tina Turner. The artwork, featuring Bowie blue-painted against an oil painting backdrop, was designed by Mick Haggerty.

Supported by the singles “Blue Jean”, “Tonight” and “Loving the Alien”, Tonight was a commercial success, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart. However, it received mostly poor reviews from music critics, with most noting its lack of creativity. Following the critical dismissal of his next studio album Never Let Me Down (1987), Bowie would later express dissatisfaction with this period, calling Tonight not one of his stronger efforts, a sentiment echoed by later reviewers and Bowie’s biographers. He did not tour to support the album and only performed “Loving the Alien” and “Blue Jean” on subsequent tours.

1. “Loving the Alien” 7:11
2. “Don’t Look Down” 4:11
3. “God Only Knows” 3:08
4. “Tonight” (with Tina Turner) 3:46
5. “Neighborhood Threat” 3:12
6. “Blue Jean” 3:11
7. “Tumble and Twirl” 5:00
8. “I Keep Forgettin’ ” 2:34
9. “Dancing with the Big Boys” (with Iggy Pop) 3:34

David Bowie – vocals
Derek Bramble – guitar; guitar synthesiser; bass guitar; synthesiser; backing vocals
Carlos Alomar – guitars
Omar Hakim – drums
Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
Mark King – bass guitar (“Tumble and Twirl”) (uncredited)
Rob Yale – Fairlight CMI (“Loving the Alien”, “Tonight”, “God Only Knows”) (uncredited)
Guy St. Onge – marimba
Sammy Figueroa – percussion
Tina Turner – lead vocals (“Tonight”)
Iggy Pop – backing vocals (“Dancing with the Big Boys”)
Robin Clark – backing vocals
George Simms – backing vocals
Curtis King – backing vocals
Arif Mardin – string arrangements; synthesisers
Mark Pender – flugel horn; trumpet
Stanley Harrison – alto saxophone; tenor saxophone
Lenny Pickett – tenor saxophone; clarinet
Steve Elson – baritone saxophone

Thursday 5/5/22 7pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Low (1977)

Low is the 11th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on January 14, 1977 through RCA Records. After years of drug addiction when living in Los Angeles, Bowie moved to France in 1976 with his friend Iggy Pop to sober up. There, Bowie produced and co-wrote Pop’s debut studio album, The Idiot, featuring sounds Bowie would explore on his next record. After completing The Idiot, Bowie began recording the first of three collaborations that became known as the Berlin Trilogy with American producer Tony Visconti and English musician Brian Eno. Sessions began at Hérouville’s Château d’Hérouville in September 1976 and ended in October at Hansa Studios in West Berlin, where Bowie and Pop had relocated.

Grounded in art rock and experimental rock and influenced by German bands such as Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Harmonia and Kraftwerk, Low features Bowie’s first explorations in electronic and ambient styles. Side one consists primarily of short, direct avant-pop song-fragments, with mostly downbeat lyrics reflecting Bowie’s state of mind, and side two comprises longer, mostly instrumental tracks, conveying musical observations of Berlin. Visconti created the distinctive drum sound using an Eventide H910 Harmonizer, a pitch-shifting device. The cover artwork, a profile of Bowie from the film The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), was intended as a visual pun, meaning “low profile”.

RCA refused to issue Low for three months, fearing it would be a commercial failure. Upon release, it divided critical opinion and received little promotion from RCA or Bowie, who opted to tour as Pop’s keyboardist. Nevertheless, it reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and number 11 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. Two singles were released: “Sound and Vision”, which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, and “Be My Wife”. The success prompted RCA to release The Idiot in March 1977. In mid-1977, Bowie played on Pop’s follow-up album Lust for Life before recording his album “Heroes”, which expanded on Low’s musical approach and features a similar mix of songs and instrumentals.

1. “Speed of Life” 2:46
2. “Breaking Glass” 1:51
3. “What in the World” 2:23
4. “Sound and Vision” 3:03
5. “Always Crashing in the Same Car” 3:29
6. “Be My Wife” 2:55
7. “A New Career in a New Town” 2:51
8. “Warszawa” 6:20
9. “Art Decade” 3:43
10. “Weeping Wall” 3:26
11. “Subterraneans” 5:39

David Bowie – vocals (2–6, 8, 10–11), saxophones (4, 11), guitar (6, 9–11), pump bass (6), harmonica (7), vibraphone (9–10), xylophone (10), pre-arranged percussion (10), keyboards: ARP synthesiser (1, 10–11), Chamberlin: Credited on the album sleeve notes as “tape horn and brass” (1), “synthetic strings” (1, 4, 9–10), “tape cellos” (5) and “tape sax section” (7), piano (7, 9–11)
Brian Eno – keyboards: Minimoog (2, 8–9), ARP (3, 11), EMS Synthi AKS (listed as “E.M.I.”) (3, 5), piano (7–9, 11), Chamberlin (8–9), other synthesisers, vocals (4), guitar treatments (5), synthetics (7)
Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitars (1, 3–7), lead guitar (1, 2)
Dennis Davis – percussion (1–7)
George Murray – bass (1–7, 11)
Ricky Gardiner – rhythm guitar (2), lead guitar (3–7)
Roy Young – piano (1, 3–7), Farfisa organ (3, 5)
Iggy Pop – backing vocals (3)
Mary Visconti – backing vocals (4)
Eduard Meyer – cellos (9)
Peter and Paul – pianos and ARP (11) (a.k.a. J. Peter Robinson and Paul Buckmaster, who had worked with Bowie on The Man Who Fell to Earth soundtrack)

Sunday 4/10/22 2pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (often shortened to Ziggy Stardust) is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on June 16, 1972 in the UK through RCA Records. It was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott and features Bowie’s backing band the Spiders from Mars, comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. Most of the songs were written around the same time as Bowie’s previous album Hunky Dory (1971). After that album was completed, recording for Ziggy Stardust commenced in November 1971 at Trident Studios in London, with further sessions in early February 1972.

Described as a loose concept album and rock opera, Ziggy Stardust concerns Bowie’s titular alter ego Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster. In its story, Ziggy wins the hearts of fans but suffers a fall from grace after succumbing to his own ego. The character was inspired by numerous musicians, including singers Vince Taylor and Iggy Pop. Most of the album’s concept was developed after the songs were recorded. The glam rock and proto-punk musical styles were influenced by Pop, the Velvet Underground, and Marc Bolan of T. Rex, while the lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music, political issues, drug use, sexual orientation and stardom. The album cover, photographed in monochrome and recolored, was taken in London, outside the home of furriers “K. West”.

Preceded by the single “Starman”, Ziggy Stardust peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 75 in the US. It initially received favorable reviews from music critics; some praised the musicality and concept while others were unable to comprehend it. Shortly after its release, Bowie performed “Starman” on Britain’s Top of the Pops in early July 1972, which propelled him to stardom. The Ziggy character was retained for the subsequent Ziggy Stardust Tour, leaving Bowie unable to differentiate between Ziggy and himself. Not wanting Ziggy to define him, Bowie created a new character for his next album Aladdin Sane (1973), which Bowie described as “Ziggy goes to America”. Performances from the tour were later released on a concert film of the same name with an accompanying live album (1983) and Live Santa Monica ’72 (2008).

Retrospectively, Ziggy Stardust is considered one of Bowie’s best works and has appeared on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time. Bowie had ideas for a musical based on the album, although this project never came to fruition; ideas were later used for Diamond Dogs (1974). Ziggy Stardust has been reissued several times and was remastered in 2012 for its 40th anniversary. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, being deemed “culturally, historically, or artistically significant” by the Library of Congress.

“Five Years” – 4:42
“Soul Love” – 3:34
“Moonage Daydream” – 4:40
“Starman” – 4:10
“It Ain’t Easy” – 2:58
“Lady Stardust” – 3:22
“Star” – 2:47
“Hang On to Yourself” – 2:40
“Ziggy Stardust” – 3:13
“Suffragette City” – 3:25
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” – 2:58

David Bowie – vocals, acoustic guitar, saxophone
Mick Ronson – electric guitar, piano, backing vocals, string arrangements
Trevor Bolder – bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey – drums
Rick Wakeman – harpsichord (“It Ain’t Easy”) (uncredited)
Dana Gillespie – backing vocals (“It Ain’t Easy”) (uncredited)

Saturday 3/12/22 10am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on March 7, 1975 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie’s previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B. Commentators have described the record as blue-eyed soul, while Bowie himself labelled the album’s sound “plastic soul”. Initial recording sessions took place following the first leg of his Diamond Dogs Tour in August 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, who would become one of Bowie’s most frequent collaborators, and then-unknown singer Luther Vandross. After the initial sessions, the tour continued, with the setlist and design changed due to the influence of the new material recorded; this portion of the tour has been labeled the “Soul tour”.

At the end of the tour, sessions continued at the Record Plant in New York City. After becoming friends with former Beatle John Lennon, the two collaborated on a session in January 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, with Harry Maslin producing. With Alomar, they recorded a cover of Lennon’s Beatles song “Across the Universe” and “Fame”. The session also marked drummer Dennis Davis’s first appearance on a Bowie record. Throughout the sessions, many outtakes were recorded and the record went through numerous working titles. The cover artwork is a back-lit photograph of Bowie taken by Eric Stephen Jacobs.

Upon its release, Young Americans was very successful in the US, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with the single “Fame” becoming Bowie’s first No. 1 hit. However, it received mixed reviews from music critics and continues to receive mixed reviews. Bowie himself had mixed feelings about the album throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, Bowie biographers have considered it one of his most influential records, mainly noting him as among the first white musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles. The album has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

1. “Young Americans” 5:11
2. “Win” 4:44
3. “Fascination” 5:45
4. “Right” 4:15

1. “Somebody Up There Likes Me” 6:36
2. “Across the Universe” 4:29
3. “Can You Hear Me?” 5:03
4. “Fame” 4:16

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Carlos Alomar – guitars
Mike Garson – piano
David Sanborn – saxophone
Willie Weeks – bass guitar (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Andy Newmark – drums (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Earl Slick – guitars

Larry Washington – conga
Ava Cherry – backing vocals
Robin Clark – backing vocals
Luther Vandross – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
Pablo Rosario – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
John Lennon – vocals, guitar, backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Emir Ksasan – bass guitar (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Dennis Davis – drums (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Fineberg – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Millington – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)

Tuesday 1/25/22 1am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Let’s Dance (1983)

Let’s Dance is the 15th studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on April 14, 1983 by EMI America Records. After the release of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980), Bowie began a period of numerous musical collaborations and film appearances. During this time, he also left RCA Records due to dissatisfaction. After signing with EMI America in late 1982, Bowie decided he wanted a fresh start, and chose Nile Rodgers of the rock/disco band Chic to co-produce his next record.

The album was recorded in December 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. The sessions featured entirely new personnel, including then-unknown Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan on lead guitar. For the first time ever, Bowie played no instruments, solely contributing vocals. Musically, Let’s Dance has been described as a post-disco record, with elements of dance-rock, dance-pop and new wave. It contains three cover songs: Iggy Pop’s “China Girl”, which Bowie and Pop recorded together for Pop’s The Idiot (1977); Metro’s “Criminal World”; and a reworking of “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”, originally recorded by Bowie and Giorgio Moroder in 1982 for the film of the same name.

Let’s Dance was released to massive commercial success, reaching number one in numerous countries, and turned Bowie into a major superstar; it remains Bowie’s best-selling album. The record’s four singles, including the title track, were all commercially successful as well. However, the album received mixed reviews from music critics whose opinions on the artistic content varied. The title track and “China Girl” were supported by music videos that received heavy airplay on MTV. It was supported by the Serious Moonlight Tour, which featured the return of guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick.

Despite the massive success of the album, Let’s Dance began a period of low creativity for Bowie. He felt that he had to pander his music to his new acquired audience, which led to his follow-up albums, Tonight (1984) and Never Let Me Down (1987), being critically dismissed. He would later reflect poorly on the period that began with Let’s Dance, referring to it as his “Phil Collins years”. Bowie’s biographers have also given mixed assessments on the record. The album was remastered in 2018 and included in the box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988).

1. “Modern Love” 4:46
2. “China Girl” 5:32
3. “Let’s Dance” 7:37
4. “Without You” 3:08
5. “Ricochet” 5:14
6. “Criminal World” 4:25
7. “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” 5:09
8. “Shake It” 3:49

David Bowie – lead vocals; producer; engineer; assistant mixing; horn arrangements
Nile Rodgers – guitar; producer; engineer; assistant mixing; horn arrangements
Stevie Ray Vaughan – lead guitar
Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
Bernard Edwards – bass guitar on “Without You”
Omar Hakim, Tony Thompson – drums
Sammy Figueroa – percussion
Robert Sabino – keyboards, piano
Stan Harrison – tenor saxophone; flute
Robert Aaron – tenor saxophone
Steve Elson – baritone saxophone; flute
Mac Gollehon – trumpet
Frank Simms, George Simms, David Spinner – backing vocals

Monday 1/10/22 4pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1981 (by title) A to Z – Part 5

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1981 A2Z.

We complete letter E and start F. We feature music from: Stevie Nicks, Oak Ridge Boys, Elton John, AC/DC, Michael Stanley Band, Olivia Newton-john, Meat Loaf, Whispers, David Bowie, Haircut 100, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Starship, Triumph and many more. . .

4pm to 7pm ET

Friday 1/7/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 9

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter K and start with L and feature music from: David Bowie, Temptations, Edward Bear, Independents, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Paul Simon, Olivia Newton-john, Shocking Blue, Brownsville Station, Three Dog Night, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose and many more.

1pm to 3pm ET

Thursday 1/6/22 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 8

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter I and J and start the K list and feature music from: David Bowie, Queen, Seals and Crofts, Allman Brothers Band, Argent, Spinners, Baby Washington, Jim Croce, Bruce Springsteen, Electric Light Orchestra, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chicago and many more.

2pm to 6pm ET

Friday 12/17/21 11pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie (2021)

Toy is a posthumously released album by English musician David Bowie. The album was recorded for release in 2001, and leaked onto the Internet in 2011. 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 not released officially until Warner Music Group announced on September 29, 2021 that it would get an official release as part of the box set Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) on November 26, 2021. A separate deluxe edition will be released on January 7, 2022.

1. “I Dig Everything” 5:03
2. “You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving” 4:48
3. “The London Boys” 3:47
4. “Karma Man” 3:46
5. “Conversation Piece” 3:53
6. “Shadow Man” 4:40
7. “Let Me Sleep Beside You” 3:14
8. “Hole in the Ground” 3:32
9. “Baby Loves That Way” 4:37
10. “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” 3:25
11. “Silly Boy Blue” 5:35
12. “Toy (Your Turn to Drive)” 4:16

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

Friday 7/23/21 1am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)

Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on December 17, 1971 by RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie took time off from recording and touring. He settled down to write new songs, composing on piano rather than guitar as on earlier tracks. Following a tour of the United States, Bowie assembled a new backing band consisting of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and began to record a new album in mid-1971 at Trident Studios in London. Future Yes member Rick Wakeman contributed on piano. Bowie co-produced the album with Ken Scott, who had engineered Bowie’s previous two records.

Compared to the guitar-driven hard rock sound of The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie opted for a warmer, more melodic piano-based pop rock and art pop style on Hunky Dory. His lyrical concerns on the record range from the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention on “Changes”, to occultism and Nietzschean philosophy on “Oh! You Pretty Things” and “Quicksand”; several songs make cultural and literary references. He was also inspired by his stateside tour to write songs dedicated to three American icons: Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed. The song “Kooks” was dedicated to Bowie’s newborn son Duncan. The album’s cover artwork, photographed in monochrome and subsequently recoloured, features Bowie in a pose inspired by actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age.

Upon release, Hunky Dory and its lead single “Changes” received little promotion from RCA who were wary that Bowie would transform his image shortly. Thus, despite very positive reviews from the British and American music press, the album initially sold poorly and failed to chart. It was only after the commercial breakthrough of Bowie’s 1972 follow-up album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars that Hunky Dory itself became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Retrospectively, Hunky Dory has been critically acclaimed as one of Bowie’s best works, and features on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. Within the context of his career, it is considered to be the album where “Bowie starts to become Bowie”, definitively discovering his voice and style.

“Changes” – 3:37
“Oh! You Pretty Things” – 3:12
“Eight Line Poem” – 2:55
“Life on Mars?” – 3:43
“Kooks” – 2:53
“Quicksand” – 5:08
“Fill Your Heart” – 3:07
“Andy Warhol” – 3:56
“Song for Bob Dylan” – 4:12
“Queen Bitch” – 3:18
“The Bewlay Brothers” – 5:22

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, alto and tenor saxophone, piano (“Oh! You Pretty Things”, “Eight Line Poem”)
Mick Ronson – guitar, vocals, Mellotron, arrangements
Trevor Bolder – bass guitar, trumpet
Mick Woodmansey – drums
Rick Wakeman – piano

Wednesday 5/12/21 7pm ET: The Rock Show

This week music from Foo Fighters, Noel Gallagher, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Grace Slick, Bryan Adams, Staind, Tool, Doors, Alice Cooper, Dirty Honey, Boston and more . .

Monday 3/15/21 12am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on March 7, 1975 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie’s previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B. Commentators have described the record as blue-eyed soul, while Bowie himself labelled the album’s sound “plastic soul”. Initial recording sessions took place following the first leg of his Diamond Dogs Tour in August 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, who would become one of Bowie’s most frequent collaborators, and then-unknown singer Luther Vandross. After the initial sessions, the tour continued, with the setlist and design changed due to the influence of the new material recorded; this portion of the tour has been labeled the “Soul tour”.

At the end of the tour, sessions continued at the Record Plant in New York City. After becoming friends with former Beatle John Lennon, the two collaborated on a session in January 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, with Harry Maslin producing. With Alomar, they recorded a cover of Lennon’s Beatles song “Across the Universe” and “Fame”. The session also marked drummer Dennis Davis’s first appearance on a Bowie record. Throughout the sessions, many outtakes were recorded and the record went through numerous working titles. The cover artwork is a back-lit photograph of Bowie taken by Eric Stephen Jacobs.

Upon its release, Young Americans was very successful in the US, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with the single “Fame” becoming Bowie’s first No. 1 hit. However, it received mixed reviews from music critics and continues to receive mixed reviews. Bowie himself had mixed feelings about the album throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, Bowie biographers have considered it one of his most influential records, mainly noting him as among the first white musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles. The album has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

1. “Young Americans” 5:11
2. “Win” 4:44
3. “Fascination” 5:45
4. “Right” 4:15

1. “Somebody Up There Likes Me” 6:36
2. “Across the Universe” 4:29
3. “Can You Hear Me?” 5:03
4. “Fame” 4:16

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Carlos Alomar – guitars
Mike Garson – piano
David Sanborn – saxophone
Willie Weeks – bass guitar (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Andy Newmark – drums (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Earl Slick – guitars

Larry Washington – conga
Ava Cherry – backing vocals
Robin Clark – backing vocals
Luther Vandross – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
Pablo Rosario – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
John Lennon – vocals, guitar, backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Emir Ksasan – bass guitar (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Dennis Davis – drums (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Fineberg – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Millington – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)