Walk On The Wild Side Single: 1972

One bassline to rule them all – Lou takes the wild side mainstream!

Released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK on November 24, 1972, on RCA Victor (catalogue: RCA 2303), Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” was the lead single from Transformer.

Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” was the lead single from Transformer. Backed with “Perfect Day,” this Bowie/Ronson-produced velvet underground classic — with its iconic “colored girls” backing and Herbie Flowers’ double-tracked bass — peaked at No. 10 on the Official Singles Chart for 9 weeks (debut May 1973 after BBC ban lifted). Pressed by RCA Washington UK with solid centre, four-prong push-out, and promo variants, it’s a timeless glam-funk anthem.

Single Overview

Release Details

Label: RCA Victor.

Formats: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single (solid centre / push-out centre / promo).

Full Track Listing

Side A

Walk On The Wild Side (3:37) – Written-By, Arranged By: Lou Reed – Producer: David Bowie, Mick Ronson

Side B

Perfect Day (3:46) – Written-By: Lou Reed – Producer: David Bowie, Mick Ronson

Global Variants

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor RCA 2303 – UK – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single, Solid Centre – RCA Victor RCA 2303 – UK – 1972

- 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo – RCA Victor RCA 2303 – UK – 1972

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

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

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

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA Victor – New Zealand – 1973

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

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

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

- 7", 45 RPM, Single – RCA – USA – 1973

Production and Context

Produced/Arranged by David Bowie & Mick Ronson. From *Transformer* (1972). Bowie’s glam makeover of Reed post-Velvet Underground.

Official Singles Chart Data

Peak position: 10

9 weeks – 12/05/1973 to 07/07/1973

32 → 24 → 17 → 10 → 13 → 13 → 28 → 30 → 42

Legacy and Collectibility

“Walk On The Wild Side” is Lou Reed’s signature glam-funk anthem — banned then beloved. Original UK RCA pressings (solid/push-out centre) fetch £10–£40 on eBay/Discogs, promos £30–£80. Verify catalogue RCA 2303. Streams on Spotify preserve the wild side. This single is a must-have for Velvet Underground/Bowie collectors.

Do you have Walk On The Wild Side in your vinyl stack? Do the colored girls go doo doo doo? 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