The Other Davy Jones – Part 2

Born David Robert Jones, David Bowie began his music career as Davy Jones in swinging ‘60s London but soon changed his name to Bowie since fellow Brit Davy Jones of the Monkees was already much more famous in America. After struggling for five years to find his sound, Bowie finally struck gold with “Space Oddity” in 1969 and then became one of the biggest rock stars of the ‘70s. Bowie’s cross-dressing, gender bending, original lyrics, and fascination with outer space set him apart (until others started copying him) and he continued to evolve, experiment, and transform (like any good artist should).

For years I thought Bowie was overrated and critics only praised him in order to appear hip. In the ‘90s everyone was talking about Bowie’s Somali-born super model wife, Iman, his two different colored eyes, and his ever changing fashion sense, but rarely did I ever hear any one talk about his music. Then I started listening to classic Bowie songs and began to appreciate his talent and creativity and influence on popular music. To me Bowie is the bridge between commercial rock and commercial alternative music and it’s no coincidence Nirvana covered “The Man Who Sold the World” during their 1993 MTV unplugged performance in New York. Here are some (more) of my favorite Bowie songs. Enjoy!

01. David Bowie – “Young Americans” (1975)

02. David Bowie – “Suffragette City” (1972)

03. David Bowie – “Wild Is the Wind” (1976)

04. David Bowie – “Space Oddity” (1969)

05. David Bowie – “Sound and Vision” (1977)

06. Davy Jones and the Lower Third – “You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving” (1965)

07. David Bowie – “Quicksand” (1971)

08. David Bowie – “I Dig Everything” (1966)

09. David Bowie with The Lower Third – “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” (1965)

10. David Bowie – “Life on Mars?” (1971)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...