Young Americans turns 50

This month marks the fiftieth anniversary of Bowie's blue-eyed soul effort, Young Americans. Mostly recorded in Philadelphia, the album features a cracking band including Carlos Alomar on guitar, Mike Garson on piano, Willie Weeks on bass and Andy Newmark on drums. Some songs have different musicians on them, but that's the core group, along with those distinctive saxophone bursts from David Sanborn and the powerhouse backing vocals of Ava Cherry, Robin Clark and Luther Vandross. 

I've always felt the album was a little flawed, and that it could have been a much more cohesive affair. I think one of the biggest missteps is the awful cover of The Beatles' Across the Universe, which even features John Lennon playing on it. Their collaboration with Alomar on the closing track, and second single, Fame is soooo good. It's such a shame they couldn't capture that lightning in a bottle again. Those sessions took place in New York City, and contributing musicians included Earl Slick on guitar, drummer Dennis Davis and bassist Emir Kassan. In fact, it was those NYC sessions that made Bowie restructure his original release, which was going to be called The Gouster. Tony Visconti was reportedly mixing the album when he got a phone call from Bowie saying that he'd written and recorded Fame with Lennon, and it had to be on the new record. Several tracks from that lost album would surface as bonus tracks on reissues or special editions of Young Americans, but The Gouster would not be commercially available until the Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976) box set, issued in 2016.  

Anyway, I've been wanting to reconstruct the Young Americans tracklisting into a better album and include some outtakes and an oddity or two. Firstly, Across the Universe is gone, kaput. I also think that Fame should appear earlier in the album, not close it. But should Fame be there at all? It wasn't included in the Philly sessions and wasn't on the original tracklisting of the album. Yes. Yes, it should. Debating whether to include either Win or Can You Hear Me?, as I don't think much of them. And, where should I put the title track? Keep it at the beginning, or follow the format of The Gouster and have it halfway through? Should I also include Who Can I Be Now? and It's Gonna Be Me, which popped up on said special editions? I think that It's Gonna Be Me is quite similar to Can You Hear Me? as far as feel and theme go, but I like the way it rises and falls. Yeah, that would make it a more interesting listen. Maybe towards the end of the album.

An outtake from Young Americans, After Today, is a dead cert. I can't believe it got bumped off! Such a funky groove with an excellent bass-line. It's not on the Spottersfy though, but the track was included on the Sound+Vision box set in 1989. Try and track it down, if you can. A big factor in album structure back then was the limitations of the vinyl format. Obviously, the running time is the most restrictive element, but apparently things like noise level and tone get compromised the longer a record runs. There was some issue with bass that stopped Peter Gabriel from putting In Your Eyes at the end of 1986's monster album So. Recent reissues and deluxe editions have rectified this. Young Americans only has eight tracks, and The Gouster only had seven. I think I'll extend the running order out to ten songs. Sounds like a good idea to me.

A tough one for me was whether or not to include Bowie's cover of It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City by Bruce Springsteen. It was initially recorded for Diamond Dogs in 1974, and was attempted again during the Young Americans sessions. It remained unreleased until it was issued on the aforementioned Sound+Vision box set, stating it was a Station to Station outtake. This claim has been argued by that album's producer Harry Maslin and guitarist Carlos Alomar, who both say that it wasn't recorded at that time. Others suggest that the released version is more than likely from the Diamond Dogs sessions, albeit with some overdubs. The second attempt apparently never eventuated into anything more than a backing track without vocals. The story goes that Bowie abandoned his second try after meeting Springsteen in person at the studio he was working in. 

I toyed with including Bowie's live cover of Knock on Wood as well, as it was the B side on the US Young Americans single. I saw it as a bit of a precursor to the soul and funk exploration he was about to embark on. It's more of a prequel rather than something I should incorporate, methinks. After repeated listens of Young Americans, and the unreleased album The Gouster, here's what I came up with. There's no wrong or right here, just my own personal faves and a nice flow. 

1. Fame (Yeah, get that bad boy right up front...)

2. Somebody Up There Likes Me (The Gouster version)

3. Right (YA version)

4. After Today 

5. Young Americans (Yep, this is a different tracklisting, after all...)

6. Who Can I Be Now? 

7. Fascination  

8. It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City (That Springsteen cover, why not?)

9. It's Gonna Be Me  

10. John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) 

I would imagine the split between sides would occur after Young Americans fades out. I think it would work well. Whereas both Young Americans and The Gouster have a roughly forty minute running time (freaky, huh?), my ten track playlist hits fifty. You're welcome!

I can't remember exactly when I heard John, I'm Only Dancing (Again), but I liked it immediately. I think it would polarise Bowie fans, as it is quite different from the original John, I'm Only Dancing 1972 single. In fact, it bears little resemblance apart from some lyrics. It's relentless too, nudging the seven minute mark, but hey, it works for me! It was included on Bowie's 1974 tours and recorded for Young Americans, as it made the grade for The Gouster, but not YA. It didn't received an official release until it was issued as single in 1979, after disco had arguably peaked. 

While it's been fun to revisit Young Americans and The Gouster, neither would be among my fondest Bowie albums. Interestingly, Bowie's subsequent record, Station to Station, released in January 1976 (like me!) is possibly my favourite offering from him, and without Young Americans, it arguably wouldn't exist. So, I remain grateful to it for that.

Young Americans

It was forty six years ago today that Bowie released his ninth studio album; one that well and truly marked the end of his Ziggy Stardust persona. Digging into what would become known as the blue-eyed soul genre, Bowie set up camp in Philadelphia at Sigma Sound Studios after the end of the first half of his Diamond Dogs tour in 1974. Famously utilising the wonderful vocal talents of Ava Cherry, Robin Clark and Luther Vandross, this album also marks the first studio album co-produced by Tony Visconti since 1970's The Man Who Sold The World.

Also in Bowie's band for this record were pianist extraordinaire Mike Garson, guitarist Carlos Alomar (Clark's husband), legendary bassist Willie Weeks, and Andy Newmark on drums. Joining them on the saxophone was David Sanborn, and Bowie himself contributed guitar and keyboards. From these sessions came the fabulous title track and other album highlights including Can You Hear Me? and Right. 

There is a soulful feel to these recordings, as the band strike a balance between early disco and classic R&B. Quite a few songs cut during this time didn't make the final album including a cover of Springsteen's It's Hard To Be A Saint in the City, After Today, Who Can I Be Now?, It's Gonna Be Me and a re-recording of John, I'm Only Dancing, titled John, I'm Only Dancing (Again).  

The backing vocals make for some compelling listening, particularly on Right where there are some rapid fire lines delivered, which apparently were arranged just as Bowie heard them in his head:

"Wishing.."

"Wishing you.."

"..that.."

"Sometimes.."

"Doing it"

"Doing it right

"Til.."

"One time"

"..gets you when you're down.."

"Nobody!"

After the second half of the Diamond Dogs tour concluded, Bowie took the group to the Record Plant studio in New York to cut two new songs: the gently lilting Win and the upbeat Fascination, the latter co-written with Vandross. With the album pretty much complete, Visconti began mixing what he thought was the final product in London. Bowie remained in New York working on other mixes with engineer Harry Maslin. 

Bowie had recently met and befriended John Lennon, who was at the Record Plant working on his Rock 'n' Roll album during this time. The two pair decided to do some recording together at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. Without Visconti, Harry Maslin was called in to co-produce the songs, and he would later go on to produce Station to Station. Also present were guitarist Earl Slick, drummer Dennis Davis (first time on a Bowie record for both), bassist Emir Kassan, percussionist Ralph McDonald and backing singers Jean Fineberg and Jean Millington. Oh, and Carlos Alomar, of course!

This would yield two tracks, a cover of Across the Universe and Fame, which was co-written by Bowie with Lennon and Alomar. Delighted with these recordings, Bowie added them to the Young Americans album, usurping the aforementioned Who Can I Be Now? and It's Gonna Be Me; much to Visconti's alleged dismay. While the Beatles cover is a semi-interesting, albeit somewhat unnecessary, re-working of the Lennon tune, Fame is arguably the album highlight. With a stabbing guitar groove and a relentlessly plodding bassline, the song has a looseness that tightens up just when it needs to. Indeed, it's difficult to imagine this record without it.

Young Americans, the song and album, haven't been as revered as other entries in Bowie's body of work, but I think the title track is worth the price of admission. When the drums kick off the title track, that piano sweeps in and that hooky sax line begins it's pretty joyful. It would rank as one of my favourite Bowie songs, and definitely one of the biggest high-points on this record; next to Fame, of course. 

Even though the record only has eight songs on it, the running time still reaches the forty minute mark. Some of those tracks that didn't make the cut could possibly have fit, or the overlong Somebody Up There Like Me could have been significantly shortened. There is an unreleased album, The Gouster, which features a seven-song track listing that includes Who Can I Be Now? and It's Gonna Be Me. There are different takes and mixes of songs that are on Young Americans, with the only the title track remaining the same. Nothing recorded after the Record Plant sessions in New York is included; so, no Fame, Win, Fascination or Across the Universe. The album is available as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976) box set. 

While it's not one of my favourite Bowie albums, there is a lot to like about it. I give this 3.5/5 and would listen again.

NEXT UP: The Next Day - 8th March