David Bowie Young Americans UK Vinyl LP Lou Reed Iggy Pop 1stPress RCA Excellent
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21
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Description
Young Americans is the ninth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 7 March 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 music.[5] Bowie would call the album's sound "plastic soul", describing it as "the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak rock, written and sung by a white limey".[6]
Initial recording sessions took place 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 singer Luther Vandross. Bowie drew influence from the sound of "local dance halls", which were blaring with the "lush strings, sliding hi-hat whispers, and swanky R&B rhythms of Philadelphia Soul".[7] Later sessions took place in New York City, including contributions from John Lennon.
Although Bowie was among the first English pop musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles, the album was very successful in the US; the album itself reached the Top 10 in the Billboard charts, with the song "Fame" hitting the number-one the same year the album was released.[5] It was generally well received by critics.
Beginning on 11 August 1974, during breaks in David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour, Young Americans was recorded by Tony Visconti primarily at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. It was agreed early on to record as much of the album as possible live, with the full band playing together, including Bowie's vocals, as a single continuous take for each song. According to Visconti, the album contains "about 85% 'live' David Bowie".[8]
In order to create a more authentically soulful sound, Bowie brought in musicians from the funk and soul community, including an early-career Luther Vandross and Andy Newmark, drummer of Sly and the Family Stone. It was also Bowie's first time working with Carlos Alomar, leading to a working relationship spanning more than 30 years. Alomar, who had not heard of Bowie before being called in to help with the album, recalled that Bowie was "the whitest man I've ever seen – translucent white" when they met.[9] Alomar said of how the album was put together:
David always does the music first. He'll listen for a while then if he gets a little idea the session stops and he writes something down and we continue. But later on, when the music is established, he'll go home and the next day the lyrics are written. I'd finish the sessions and be sent home and I never heard words and overdubs until the record was released.[9]
The song "Young Americans", which Bowie said was about "the predicament of two newlyweds", took two days to record.[10] David Sanborn, at the time a session musician, is featured on saxophone.[11]
The sessions at Sigma Sound lasted through November 1974.[8] The recording had attracted the attention of local fans who began to wait outside the studio over the span of the sessions. Bowie built up a rapport with these fans, whom he came to refer to as the "Sigma Kids". On the final day of tracking the Sigma Kids were invited into the studio to listen to rough versions of the new songs.[12]
"Fascination" and "Win" were recorded at Record Plant in New York City in December 1974. Visconti then returned to London to begin mixing the album, while Bowie remained in New York. Unbeknownst to Visconti, Bowie took the opportunity to record with John Lennon in January 1975, with engineer Harry Maslin as co-producer.[13]
"Across the Universe" and "Fame" were recorded at Electric Lady Studios, January 1975 in New York, with contributions by John Lennon. They replaced previously recorded tracks "Who Can I Be Now" and "It's Gonna Be Me" on the record, though these songs were later released as bonus tracks on reissues of the album. The guitar riff for "Fame", created by Alomar, was based an arrangement he did for the song "Foot Stompin'" by the doo-wop band the Flairs.[14]
Bowie considered several different titles for the album, including Somebody Up There Likes Me, One Damned Song, The Gouster, and Fascination.
Side one No. Title Length 1. "Young Americans" 5:11 2. "Win" 4:44 3. "Fascination" (Bowie, Luther Vandross) 5:45 4. "Right" 4:15 Side two No. Title Length 1. "Somebody Up There Likes Me" 6:36 2. "Across the Universe" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) 4:29 3. "Can You Hear Me" 5:03 4. "Fame" (Bowie, Carlos Alomar, Lennon) 4:16 Total length: 40:13- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–8 on CD reissues.
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