David Bowie - David Bowie And... (1967)

It's pretty well-known that before he hit the big-time with 'Space Oddity', David Bowie had paid his dues throughout the 60's with a number of bands, both simply as a member and also as leader. There have been a few compilations over the years which have collected the singles that these bands issued, but with the emergence in 2003 of a rehearsal tape of his very first band The Konrads, I thought that it was time for an update. Not long after the tape appeared on the collector's market, the bootleg 'Ziggy Final Farewell 1973' was issued, containing seven songs supposedly recorded in 1963. According to the liner notes, these tracks were 'The Konrads rehearsals, Bromley Scout Hut, South London, July-August 1963', and as Bowie was a member of the band from early 1962 until January 1964 then in theory he should be on these recordings, although you can't really hear his saxophone, and although he is credited as singing lead vocals, these recordings appear to be just George Underwood singing. The Kon-rads were formed in West Kent in early 1962 by drummer Dave Crook and guitarist Neville Wills, and were joined a few months later by singer George Underwood, who then introduced his best friend and sax player David Jones to the band. Apparently the name The Kon-rads came about whilst they were appearing with popular early 60’s singer Jess Conrad, who introduced them as 'My Conrads', but the hyphen was later removed at Jones’ insistence. In 1964 Jones left The Konrads and joined The King Bees, and he wrote to the newly successful washing-machine entrepreneur John Bloom inviting him to 'do for us what Brian Epstein has done for the Beatles, and make another million'. Bloom did not respond to the offer, but his referral to Dick James's partner Leslie Conn led to Jones' first personal management contract. Conn quickly began to promote him, but the band's first single 'Liza Jane', credited to Davie Jones and the King Bees, had no commercial success. 

Dissatisfied with the King Bees and their repertoire of Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon blues numbers, Jones quit the band less than a month later to join the Manish Boys, another blues outfit. Their single 'I Pity The Fool', backed with Jones' first original composition 'Take My Tip', was no more successful than 'Liza Jane', and he soon moved on again to join The Lower Third, a blues trio strongly influenced by The Who. 'You've Got A Habit Of Leaving'/'Baby Loves That Way' were two more Jones originals, but still failed to break the band, signalling the end of Conn’s contract. Despite announcing that he would exit the pop world to study mime at Sadler’s Wells, Jones nevertheless remained with the Lower Third for one more unsuccessful single and a few demo recordings. In 1966 he signed with a new manager, Ralph Horton, and also left The Lower Third to join The Buzz, who released his fifth unsuccessful single 'Do Anything You Say'. Horton introduced Jones to Ken Pitt, who took over as his manager, and as he was finding that he was increasingly becoming confused with Davy Jones of the newly formed The Monkees, he decided to rename himself after the 19th-century American frontiersman Jim Bowie and the knife he had popularised. His first solo single under his new name, 'I Dig Everything', also failed the break the charts, and in 1967, while still with the Buzz, he also joined The Riot Squad and recorded some demos with them, including early versions of his songs 'Little Toy Soldier' and 'Silly Boy Blue', as well as Velvet Underground covers. In April 1967, in one last desperate attempt to get a hit, he released perhaps his most notorious single, 'The Laughing Gnome', using speeded-up, high-pitched vocals, but even this novelty song failed to chart. Six weeks later his eponymous album debut was released, consisting of an amalgam of pop, psychedelia, and music hall, and also sank without trace. It was his last release for two years. 

Track listing

01 The Better I Know - The Konrads With David Jones 1963

02 Now I'm On My Way - The Konrads With David Jones 1963
03 It's Too Late - The Konrads With David Jones 1963
04 I'm Over You - The Konrads With David Jones 1963
05 Judgement Day - The Konrads With David Jones 1963
06 I Didn't Know How Much - The Konrads With David Jones 1963
07 I Thought Of You Last Night - The Konrads With David Jones 1963
08 Liza Jane - Davie Jones With The King Bees 1964
09 Louie, Louie Go Home - Davie Jones With The King Bees 1964
10 I Pity The Fool - The Manish Boys With Davy Jones 1965
11 Take My Tip - The Manish Boys With Davy Jones 1965
12 You've Got A Habit Of Leaving - Davy Jones & The Lower Third 1965
13 Baby Loves That Way - Davy Jones & The Lower Third 1965
14 I'll Follow You - Davy Jones & The Lower Third 1965
15 Glad I've Got Nobody - Davy Jones & The Lower Third 1965
16 Can't Help Thinking About Me - Davy Jones & The Lower Third 1966
17 And I Say To Myself - Davy Jones & The Lower Third 1966
18 Do Anything You Say - David Bowie With The Buzz  1966
19 Good Morning Girl - David Bowie With The Buzz  1966
20 I Dig Everything - David Bowie 1966

21 I'm Not Losing Sleep - David Bowie 1966

22 I'm Waiting For My Man - The Riot Squad 1967

23 Toy Soldier - The Riot Squad 1967