David Bowie - Silhouettes And Shadows (1980)

'Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)' was released on 12 September 1980 by RCA Records, and was Bowie's final studio album on the label, and his first following the Berlin Trilogy, which, although considered significant in artistic terms,  had proven less successful commercially. With 'Scary Monsters...', Bowie achieved what has been said was a perfect balance of creativity and mainstream success. The album garnered critical acclaim and peaked at No. 1, attaining Platinum status in the UK, and restoring Bowie's commercial standing in the US.

During the recordings sessions, the songs gradually evolved from the sketches of melodies and lyrics that Bowie brought to the studio, and some started out with different titles until they evolved into the finished recording. 'Fashion' began as 'Jamaica', but unable to think of anything to write, Bowie discarded the song until late in the recording cycle, when it was transformed into the piece that appears on the album. 'Ashes To Ashes' started out as 'People Are Turning To Gold', 'Teenage Wildlife' as 'It Happens Everyday' and 'Scream Like A Baby' as 'Laser'. This song was actually written in 1973, and recorded by Ava Cherry and the Astronettes as 'I Am A Laser', and it was demoed by Bowie during the sessions for 'Young Americans' in 1975. 'Is There Life After Marriage?' was fully written and recorded for the album, but for unknown reasons it was never included. 'Scary Monsters...' has always been a favourite of mine, and so I was intrigued to find a bootleg of alternate versions of nearly all the songs, with only 'Fashion' not appearing on it. With a little re-jigging of the running order to match the parent album, and a new title and artwork, we have an alternate look at 'Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)', with the only track sounding out of place being the supposed 'disco mix' of 'Ashes To Ashes', which just seems to me to have the intros extended, but I've left it on as, if it is legitimate, then it has never been officially issued. 

Track listing

01 It's No Game (No. 1) (Alternate version)
02 Cameras In Brooklyn (aka 'Up The Hill Backwards')
03 Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (Alternate version)
04 Ashes To Ashes (12" disco remix)
05 Is There Life After Marriage? (previously unreleased)
06 It Happens Everyday (aka 'Teenage Wildlife')
07 Laser (aka 'Scream Like A Baby')
08 Kingdom Come (Alternate version)
09 Because I'm Young (Alternate version) 
10 Tired Of My Life (It's No Game No. 2) (demo 1970)