19 October 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the David Bowie covers album ‘Pin-Ups’.
‘Pin-Ups’, released 19 October, 1973, was the seventh Bowie album. It was Bowie’s second album for 1973. ‘Aladdin Sane’ was released just six months earlier.
The ‘Pin-Ups’ cover features Bowie as Ziggy Stardust with supermodel Twiggy. The image was originally intended for a Vogue Magazine feature.
‘Pin-Ups’ featured 12 covers of song by artists who all influenced David.
‘Rosalyn’ by The Pretty Things
‘Here Comes The Night’ by Them
‘I Wish You Would’ by The Yardbirds
‘See Emily Play’ by Pink Floyd
‘Everything’s Alright’ by The Mojos
‘I Can’t Explain’ by The Who
‘Friday On My Mind’ by The Easybeats
‘Sorrow’ by The Merseys
‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ by The Pretty Things
‘Shapes of Things’ by The Yardbirds
‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’ by The Who
‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone’ by The Kinks.
Bowie was long rumoured to be working on a ‘Pin-Ups 2’ and when I had the chance to interview him, I asked the question about what ever happened to it. He said that instead of doing a sequel, he decided to spread his covers out across his studio albums. If you cherry-pick the Bowie catalogue, you will discover these post ‘Pin-Ups’ Bowie covers:
‘Across The Universe’ by The Beatles on ‘Young Americans’
‘Kingdom Come’ by Tom Verlaine on ‘Scary Monsters and Super Creeps’
‘Don’t Look Down’ by Iggy Pop on ‘Tonight’
‘God Only Knows’ by The Beach Boys from ‘Tonight’
‘I Keep Forgettin’ by Chuck Jackson on ‘Tonight’
‘Bang Bang’ by Iggy Pop on ‘Never Let Me Down’
‘I Feel Free’ by Cream on ‘Black Tie White Noise’
‘Night Flights’ by Scott Walker on ‘Black Tie White Noise’
‘I Know Its Gonna Happen Someday’ by Morrissey on ‘Black Tie White Noise’
‘Cactus’ by The Pixies on ‘Heathen’
‘Pablo Picasso’ by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers on ‘Reality’
‘Try Some Buy Some’ by George Harrison on ‘Reality’
‘Waterloo Sunset’ by The Kinks on ‘Reality’ (Japanese pressing)
Bowie has also scattered non-album covers across compilations and b-sides including Chuck Berry’s ‘Round and Round’, Lou Reed’s ‘White Light/White Heat’ and ‘Its Hard To Be A Saint In The City’ by Bruce Springsteen.
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