The Jean Genie Single: 1972

Bowie drops the sleaziest, sexiest glam riff of the year!

Released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK on November 24, 1972, on RCA Victor (catalogue: RCA 2302), David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie” was the lead single from Aladdin Sane.

More stardust moments added weekly.Backed with “Ziggy Stardust,” this Yardbirds-inspired R&B riff monster — co-produced by Ken Scott, inspired by Iggy Pop with a Jean Genet pun — peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart for 13 weeks (blocked by Little Jimmy Osmond). Pressed by CBS Aston Clinton with knockout/solid centre, black/yellow labels, and promo variants, it’s a glam-rock cornerstone.

Bowie described it as "a smorgasbord of imagined Americana," featuring a protagonist inspired by Iggy Pop, with the title referencing author Jean Genet. As one of Bowie's most renowned tracks, it was promoted through a film clip starring Andy Warhol associate Cyrinda Foxe.

"The Jean Genie" began as an impromptu jam titled "Bussin'" during the Ziggy Stardust Tour. It was created on the tour bus between the initial concerts in Cleveland and Memphis when Mick Ronson started playing a Bo Diddley-inspired guitar riff on his new Les Paul. This song eventually became the first piece Bowie wrote for Aladdin Sane.

Single Overview

Release Details

Label: RCA Victor.

Formats: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single (knockout/solid centre, black/yellow labels, promo).

Full Track Listing

Side A

The Jean Genie (3:59) – Written-By, Producer: David Bowie

Side B

Ziggy Stardust (3:16) – Written-By: David Bowie – From The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

Global Variants

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor RCA 2302 – UK – 1972 (knockout/solid centre, black/yellow labels)

- 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo – RCA Victor RCA 2302 – UK – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – Argentina – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – Australia – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – Israel – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – New Zealand – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – Germany – 1973

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – Portugal – 1973

Production and Context

Co-Produced by Ken Scott & David Bowie for MainMan/Gem. The riff nods to Yardbirds/Bo Diddley; lyrics mix Iggy Pop & Jean Genet. Filmed with Cyrinda Foxe. Gave Simple Minds their name (“he’s so simple minded he can’t drive his module”).

Official UK Singles Chart Data

Peak position: 2

13 weeks – 09/12/1972 to 03/03/1973

33 → 31 → 16 → 16 → 4 → 2 → 3 → 3 → 5 → 13 → 26 → 28 → 39

International Chart Performance

- Australia (Kent Music Report): 18

- Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders): 26

- Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia): 7

- Canada (RPM Top Singles): 75

- France (SNEP): 22

- Ireland (IRMA): 3

- Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): 7

- Netherlands (Single Top 100): 5

- Spain: 8

- West Germany (GfK): 37

- US Billboard Hot 100: 71

Legacy and Collectibility

“The Jean Genie” is Bowie’s glam riff monster — a Ziggy-era staple. Original UK RCA pressings (knockout/solid centre) Verify catalogue RCA 2302.

Streams on Spotify preserve the raw energy. This single is a must-have for glam and Bowie collectors.

Do you have The Jean Genie in your vinyl stack? Does it make you dance? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube