David Bowie: "Rock and Roll Star" Album (2024)

David Bowie’s Rock and Roll Star was released as an LP album in the UK by Parlophone Records (catalog number DBROCK24) on June 14, 2024, in various formats.

5CD and 1 Blu-Ray Audio set that explores David Bowie’s journey from February 1971 through the creation of the Ziggy Stardust character, the recording of the iconic THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS album, and captures the international mania that surrounded the Ziggy phenomenon in the form of UK radio sessions and TV performances, as well as live tracks from Ziggy and the Spiders’ 1st October 1972 show at the Boston Music Hall.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR!, containing 29 unreleased tracks, covers early songwriting demos, recordings from David’s studio creation, The Arnold Corns, rehearsals at Bowie’s then-home, Haddon Hall, BBC sessions, singles, live performances, plus outtakes and alternative versions from the original album recording sessions, which have been newly mixed by original album producer, Ken Scott.

Unreleased highlights include an alternative version of ‘Lady Stardust’, a version of the deep-cut classic ‘Shadow Man’ and an up-tempo take of The Who’s ‘I Can’t Explain’, which he would later slow down and cover for the PIN UPS album.

The audio-only Blu-Ray disc features the definitive 2012 remaster of the original Ziggy Stardust album in 96kHz/24bit PCM stereo, plus the album and additional mixes from 2003 in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 as well as the singles, outtakes and alternative versions in 96kHz/24 bit PCM stereo.

The Blu-Ray also includes a version of the ZIGGY STARDUST album called WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) taken from Trident Studio tapes dated 15th December 1971, which features an alternative running order and four songs that didn’t make the final album. This will also be available as a limited vinyl LP on 20th April, 2024 for Record Store Day. In addition, there is a 1-LP version of ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR! compiling the alternative takes and mixes.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR! also contains two books. The first is an extensive 112-page book with detailed liner notes, memorabilia, contemporary reviews and articles, rare photographs from Barrie Wentzel, Michael Putland, Mick Rock, Sukita and Alec Byrne, as well as brand-new notes and interviews with Ken Scott, Mark Carr Pritchett and David’s plugger from the time, Anya Wilson. Accompanying the main book is a 36-page compiled reproduction of David’s personal Ziggy Stardust era notebooks.

The first track taken from ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR! is ‘ZIGGY STARDUST’ (DEMO)’ recorded by Bowie on vocal and acoustic guitar in 1971 at Haddon Hall in Beckenham.

DAVID BOWIE - ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR!

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 1

1. So Long 60s (San Francisco Hotel recording) *

2. Hang On To Yourself (early demo) *

3. Lady Stardust (demo)

4. Ziggy Stardust (demo)

5. Star (Aka Stars) (demo) *

6. Soul Love (demo and DB spoken notes) *

7. Starman (demo 1 excerpt) *

8. Starman (demo 2) *

9. Moonage Daydream (The Arnold Corns version)

10. Hang On To Yourself (The Arnold Corns version)

11. Looking For A Friend (The Arnold Corns version – rough mix) *

12. Haddon Hall Rehearsals Segue: Ziggy Stardust / Holy Holy / Soul Love *

13. Star (Aka Stars) (Haddon Hall rehearsal) *

14. Sweet Head (Haddon Hall rehearsal) *

Disc 2

Sounds Of The 70s: John Peel

Session recorded on 11th January, 1972 and broadcast on 28th January, 1972

1. Ziggy Stardust *

2. Queen Bitch *

3. Waiting For The Man *

4. Lady Stardust *

Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris

Session recorded on 18th January, 1972 and broadcast on 7th February, 1972

5. Hang On To Yourself

6. Ziggy Stardust

7. Queen Bitch

8. Waiting For The Man

9. Five Years

Old Grey Whistle Test Performance

Filmed on 7th February, 1972 and broadcast on 8th February, 1972

except ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’ which was not broadcast until 1982.

10. Oh! You Pretty Things (take 1)

11. Queen Bitch

12. Five Years

Disc 3

Sounds Of The 70s: John Peel

Session recorded on 16th May, 1972 and broadcast on 23rd May, 1972

1. White Light/White Heat

2. Moonage Daydream

3. Hang On To Yourself

4. Suffragette City

5. Ziggy Stardust

Johnnie Walker Lunchtime Show

Session recorded on 22nd May, 1972 and broadcast from 5th – 9th June, 1972

6. Starman

7. Space Oddity

8. Changes

9. Oh! You Pretty Things

Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris

Session recorded on 23rd May, 1972 and broadcast On 19th June, 1972

10. Andy Warhol

11. Lady Stardust

12. White Light/White Heat

13. Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide

Top Of The Pops Performance

Filmed on 5th July, 1972 and broadcast on 6th July, 1972

14. Starman

Disc 4

1. Round And Round

2. The Supermen (Ziggy session version)

3. Holy Holy (Ziggy session version)

4. Velvet Goldmine (Ziggy session outtake)

5. Starman (original single mix)

6. John, I’m Only Dancing (original single version)

Recorded Live At The Music Hall, Boston.

Recorded on 1st October, 1972

7. The Supermen

8. Changes

9. Life On Mars?

10. My Death *

11. John, I’m Only Dancing

Disc 5

1. Looking For A Friend (The Arnold Corns version 2022 mix) *

2. Hang On To Yourself (early Ziggy session take) *

3. Star (take 5 alternative version) *

4. Lady Stardust (take 1 alternative version) *

5. Shadow Man (Ziggy session version) *

6. The Supermen (Ziggy session version 2023 Mix) *

7. Holy Holy (Ziggy session version alternative mix) *

8. Round And Round (alternative mix)

9. It’s Gonna Rain Again (Ziggy session outtake) *

10. Looking For A Friend (Ziggy session version) *

11. Velvet Goldmine (Ziggy sessions outtake 2022 mix) *

12. Sweet Head (Ziggy sessions outtake 2022 mix) *

13. Starman (Top Of The Pops version 2022 mix)

14. John, I’m Only Dancing (alternative Trident Studios version) *

15. I Can’t Explain (Trident Studios version) *

Bonus Mix

16. Moonage Daydream (2003 instrumental mix)

Blu Ray Audio

THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS

Original album mix (96khz/24bit Stereo)

THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS AND EXTRAS

2003 5.1 Mixes (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 - 96khz/24bit)

WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH)

Early Ziggy Stardust album tracklisting – December 1971 (96khz/24bit PCM stereo)

THE SINGLES

(96khz/24bit PCM stereo)

OUTTAKES AND ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS

(96khz/24bit PCM stereo)

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR! HALF-SPEED MASTERED LP

Vinyl tracklisting

Side 1

1 Hang On To Yourself (early Ziggy session take)

2 Star (Take 5 alternative version)

3 Lady Stardust (Take 1 alternative version)

4 Shadow Man (Ziggy session version)

5 The Supermen (Ziggy session version 2023 mix)

6 Holy Holy (Ziggy session version alternative mix)

7 Round And Round (alternative mix) +

Side 2

1 Velvet Goldmine (Ziggy sessions outtake 2022 mix)

2 Looking For A Friend (Ziggy session version)

3 It's Gonna Rain Again (Ziggy sessions outtake)

4 Sweet Head (Ziggy sessions outtake 2022 mix)

5 Starman (Top Of The Pops version 2022 mix)

6 John, I'm Only Dancing (alternative Trident Studios version) *

7 I Can't Explain (Trident Studios version) +*

Produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott except + Produced by David Bowie