DAVID BOWIE: 50 years ago: “Pin Ups” (Part 3)

Faded stardust, part 3

It has been 50 years since David Bowie released the cover album “Pin Ups”. In the first two parts, we talked about the unfavorable conditions and tensions in the studio. You missed it? Click here for part 1.

Second choice?
The recordings were finished after three weeks. Bowie saw the album as a tribute to the bands that had inspired him as a teenager. It is said that he chose the songs based on singles he had heard in his hotel room at the Hyde Park Hotel before he left for France. During the recording sessions, Bowie also tried his hand at “White Light/White Heat” by The Velvet Underground and “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys. As is well known, neither piece made it onto “Pin Ups”. The finished album was released on 19.10.1973. The cover showed Bowie as Ziggy Stardust next to the model Twiggy. The picture was taken during a photo shoot for Vogue. But the magazine was reluctant to put a man on the cover – and so Bowie used it for “Pin Ups”. The album reached the top spot in the British charts after its release and remained in the charts for 39 weeks.

In the fourth and final part, we take a closer look at the individual songs.

Katrin Hemmerling

You can listen to “Pin Ups” here:

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of DAVID BOWIE’s “Pin Ups”, we take a closer look at the album. – Orcus!