Video Crime: David Bowie’s Tin Machine Premieres Live “Nine Track Compilation” Today

Thirty years ago to the day (May 22, 1989), Tin Machine released its first LP.  While the band’s charismatic frontman was pictured alongside his nattily-dressed bandmates Reeves Gabrels (guitar), Tony Sales (bass), and Hunt Sales (drums), the name of David Bowie was nowhere in sight on the album’s front cover.  For two albums and two live sets, Bowie remained committed to the concept of Tin Machine as a back-to-basics, largely democratic, hard rock outfit.

To promote the debut, the band enlisted director Julien Temple (The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball) to film nine brief performances of songs from the album at New York City venue The Ritz (located inside Webster Hall).  This 12+-minute medley has remained commercially unreleased until now.  Parlophone has just issued the video today to digital download and streaming services to mark the 30th anniversary of Tin Machine, the band and the album.

The band delivered Tin Machine II in 1991 and the concert album Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby the next year, recorded in venues including New York, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, and Sapporo.  A live video was also released from a German concert.  Though a third studio album was mooted in the press, the group ultimately disbanded amidst personal issues and Bowie returned to solo recording.

Yet, 30 years later, Tin Machine’s music still remains some of the most interesting (and divisive!) of Bowie’s career.  Nine Track Compilation can be viewed below!

Tin Machine, Nine Track Compilation (Parlophone, 2019)

  1. “Pretty Thing”
  2. “Tin Machine”
  3. “Prisoner Of Love”
  4. “Crack City”
  5. “Bus Stop”
  6. “Video Crime”
  7. “I Can’t Read”
  8. “Working Class Hero”
  9. “Under The God”

Total running time: 12.37

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Joe Marchese
Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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7 thoughts on “Video Crime: David Bowie’s Tin Machine Premieres Live “Nine Track Compilation” Today”

      1. I feared as much, Joe… sometimes I wonder if the “world” wide web is truly “world wide”… but good news – the link that Jeremy posted does indeed work (from Canada)!

    1. Apologies if the original link isn’t working for some. I’ve just tried it again on two different browsers (one mobile, one desktop) and it worked both times for me.

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