David Bowie Glastonbury Festival 1971 Acoustic The Supermen

[aledw]

Trident, I miss you...

[deepindercheema]

This was recorded in 1972 at Trident, not 1971 somewhere else like Pilton Farm. The album set whence it came came out about autumn 1972 judging by the ads in International Times. Supermen was donated as Bowie was keen to help with the fund and to be bang up to date and yet be different from the RCA release to give the album a commercial edge as stated by Barry (who signed the inside of Album sleeve) Bombers was indeed part of the solo set in 1971. It was broadcast on radio Geronimo Showreel.

[Groblinfull]

strange mad celebration

[Groblinfull]

This is amazing

[rocktenniscat]

Among other things, the late great Mick Ronson was a great singer to have accompany you....

[departments2006]

Isn't this on the 'No More sleeping with Ken Pitt' bootleg?

[bonniebardowski]

fantastic

[Droyd21]

In fact, thank you for referring to this as acoustic, if it wasn't, i would not have found this great version ! ;)

[SandozSaxonWilliams]

ps: why is it not live but on the album?

legal or tech troubles I presume...

pps maybe the best version!

[SandozSaxonWilliams]

it's partly acoustic you corrective fucks

& very acoustic compared to the album version & was submitted to the Glastonbury Soundtrack album if I remember correctly

and if I'm wrong...please don't bother me- I maybe making love to a beautiful woman!

[5winston]

Ronno 'introduces' himself so well on this track. ;)

[stuspot61]

@V6NSX Fair comment hadn't read all the bio.

[stuspot61]

Definitely not from Glastonbury 71, I know 'cos I was there, and Bowie's set is one of the few I do remember, for one he was solo, no backing musicians.

[V6NSX]

@stuspot61 Read the bio which accompanies the video friend...nobody claims this is FROM Glasto but donated TO GLASTO!!!!

[CostaDelCrime]

@liuzhou Oh dear another young expert. Leave this to the adults please. Now go to your room, where indeed you may learn some manners and to be more humble than sarcastic. While there review your young haste and contemplate: Where does anyone claim this is live. This piece has for 30 years been referred to as the "acoustic version" as it was not the original LP version, no other reason, but donated/recorded for the coffers of the organisers of Glastonbury Fayre - hence Glasto reference.

[JLC48]

This is priceless! Thanks for sharing!

[sirensealight]

NICE!!! Thank you for the wonderful post....even some pictures up there that I've never seen.

[uItravioIet]

I love watching Bowie "experts" compete. LOL

[RealOmind]

Mick Ronson sound so damn cool on this track. The magic of Ken Scott, Trident Studios and the Spiders from Mars.

[deepindercheema]

You have no evidence for this. You are quite wrong.

[theloosh16]

i like the acoustic version better

[MalquiLans]

They did play this arrangement live. Lucky for us they also recorded it in the studio. I think this is the same recording which can be found as a bonus track on the Hunky Dory RYKO release.

[TusOjosNegros]

This is not a live version (perhaps live in the studio).

[eclipse1501]

Where does it say live anywhere?? This was an acoustic take, take a minute to read up

[davetube68]

Fair enough ... but it bears mentioning that this version isn't completely "acoustic". Not that I'm complaining ... Mick Ronson sounds fucking awesome, as always.

[deepindercheema]

It is not Acoustic. It's Electric and its by the Spiders of Mars.

[eclipse1501]

Its been commonly referred to as the acoustic version for decades now and for obvious reasons. Leave spliting hairs to our younger viewers.

[MalquiLans]

Interesting... very interesting... Yes, this "acoustic" version was also played live on a radio session by Bowie & Ronson only. Even then, Ronson played electric bass on the 'chorus'. It just begins acoustically really. I just thought I'd help split some hairs :)

[karrot101]

Anyone got the real story of this, was it re-recorded for the Glastonbury album because it's not live is it. not unless the man who sold the world cloned himself.

[eclipse1501]

yes this simple acoustic version was recorded by Bowie and donated to the Glastonbury Revelations LP, the profits of which went to the organisers to pay for the Glastonbury 71 concert which lost them a fortune (unlike todays Glastonbury) It was not recorded "live" but this refers to the quick acoustic take.

[fanamire1]

Great pics! Some I've never seen before, I especially like the one of him in his school uniform. So cute! And great song too of course, with that classic Bowie wail, what's not to like? Thanks 4 posting!

[plattform5163]

Thanks for sharing this legend!

[V6NSX]

Who said it was Henry?

[StrawberryJungle]

Gorgeous Version!

[eclipse1501]

Iam not sure if anybody thought it was live?

[gav240z]

This is an awesome Bowie song.

[EyMeng]

David Bowie's hair gives him superpowers

[mashamorgan]

I love all the old pics like the one taken on the roof of Ken Pitt's flat, thanx !!!

[alice9w9]

Thanks for posting this version! "The Man Who Sold The World" is one of my all-time favorites.

[lymph12]

Bowie is a God

[sidmoon7777]

Divine vocal performance!!!Thak you very much indeed for sharing!!

[luardeverao]

Stirring performance!!!!

[keith25658]

It's the first time i hear this acoustic version and i think it really great,Bowie's way to modulare his tone of voice make this performance really enthralling!!Thanks a lot for sharing!!

[MalquiLans]

Hi. Of course, Mick did lots of back vocals live & on radio sessions. Santa Monica bootlegs were good, but now we have the new Limited Editions to refer to if we choose...

Mick, as a guitarist: The Moonage Daydream solo was & will always be, for me, absolutely out of this world!

TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME

[chuckdee121]

That was a great track. Man, that Bowie, what a voice!!!

[jaguaret]

sorry to add but this is interesting. I thought the first gig they did was at the roundhouse with feather boas etc. Thought Dave did glaso on his own with older friends. Someone must know. Dave, you there?

[jaguaret]

ronnola

Mick was multi-instrumental. He arranged several string backings and played just about anything. I could be wrong but I once read that he was classically trained. He certainly was responsible for the high level of musicianship on all early mid bowie stuff. As we know, a hugely underrated genuis and influence on another hugely underatted genius.

I know he played at least 12 instruments to a professional level. The boy from hull did good.

[Wavelength247]

Outstanding post, thank you!! David will always be THE man.

[MalquiLans]

This track was a bonus on the RYKO release of Hunky Dory. It's the Spiders backing.

[COGENTCOG]

according to the poster in the gatefold album the band was already:

D.B. : acoustic guitar and vocal

Mick Ronson : lead guitar

Mick Woodmansey : drums

Trevor Boulder : bass

[COGENTCOG]

...and there was also written: "Along with the several hundred sleepy hippiex who saw and heard David at Glastonbury Fayre we'd like to say thankyou to a magic gentleman..."

yes it's written hippies with an x and

thank you without space :)

[ronnola]

Is it Mick Ronson doing dual vocals in chorus, and lead guitar?

[eclipse1501]

This is quite early. Could be John Hutchinson? But certainly sounds like Ronson to me.

[ronnola]

To me as well. Mick and Dave met in 1970, and there's some 70-71 newspaper clippings with words like "Bowie is back on stage, he's accompanied by multi-instrumentalist (!!!!!) Mick Ronson"

[Ruberneck]

who played drums on this track anyone know??

[eclipse1501]

Good question. Maybe John Cambridge or Woodmansey not certain. Does anybody know for sure?

[davegarland]

i bought glastonbury fayre album..

they were such optimistic times :)

[zuzzlala]

hes good looking guy

[eclipse1501]

There is still some dispute over the actual set list which he did on the morning but its commonly accepted he did play:

Oh! You Pretty Things

Kooks

Changes

Amsterdam

The Supermen

Memory Of A Free Festival

Song For Bob Dylan

According to Radio Geronimo website, the song 'Bombers' was also performed.

[izabelabar]

I love it, it was between 20-24 June 1971, I was inside my mum yet,  I was born just 1 september this year.

Big five.

[eclipse1501]

According to original documentation, Bowie previewed several songs from his forthcoming 'Hunky Dory' album, including 'Oh! You Pretty Things', 'Quicksand', 'Kooks' and 'Song For Bob Dylan'. Also listed are Jacques Brel's 'Port Of Amsterdam' and 'Memory Of A Free Festival', Bowie's tribute to the open-air festival he played in Beckenham in August 1969. As he performed that song, "the sun came over the hill and lit him up and everybody warmed to him," remembered long-time pal Dana Gillespie.

[eclipse1501]

That would have been something.Glastonbury '71 saw the arrival of a pyramid-shaped stage built on a ley line. Entrance was free but the police slapped a 10.30pm curfew on the music, that meant logistical headaches. Bowie was due to play on the Tuesday night at nine buthe schedule was so chaotic he was asked, How do you feel about playing at 4.30 in the morning as the sun comes up'. He performed alone with acoustic guitar a keyboard and a zonked-out Swedish girl who wandered on to add some vocals

[TuneInTurnOnDropOut]

Too bad video footage of his performance did not make the final cut for the film.