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The David Bowie estate is going back toward the beginning of the late singer’s career, focusing on his early days as a blues interpreter with a famous British producer.

The Shel Talmy Recordings, to be released September 18, collects 21 recordings the then-unknown musician recorded with producer Talmy during 1965, when he was a member of bands The Manish Boys and The Lower Third. Only four of these tracks were released at the time as singles, with another seven alternate and outtake versions turning up on compilations over the years; that of course makes 10 tracks debuting here on this package – including lead track “I Want Your Love.”

Still a year from changing his stage name to “Bowie” – “Davy Jones,” of course, would be well spoken for by The Monkees in 1966, and that group’s resident British lad of the same name had already appeared on Broadway, played The Ed Sullivan Show, and received a Tony Award nomination for Oliver! – this disc focuses on the singer’s attempts to fit into a British music industry wildly changed by The Beatles and a wave of American blues and R&B influences. (A single with group The King Bees, “Liza Jane,” had already come and gone on the Vocalion label in 1964.)  Talmy, fresh from his work with The Kinks and soon to work with an upstart band called The Who, signed The Manish Boys – a bluesy soul outfit with Bowie on lead vocals and saxophone – to a deal in 1965, but their cover of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “I Pity the Fool” was not a hit. (It was not recorded by the full band, either: Talmy, working with engineer Glyn Johns, brought in a group of session musicians, including guitar ace and future Led Zeppelin icon Jimmy Page, to back the future Bowie.) Talmy’s next session with David was with another new group, The Lower Third, in tow, and this time, the singer took a crack at his own original material, including the songs “You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving” and “Baby Loves That Way.” That single did not see much success, either, though the session featured another supercharged collection of ringers including keyboardist Nicky Hopkins.

Bowie changed his name early the following year and started recording originals for the Pye and Deram labels, finally issuing a self-titled debut in 1967 that set the groundwork for an inventive and transformative career that kickstarted in the ’70s and continued through his tragic passing in 2016. The Talmy-produced single sides ended up on a handful of compilations, and hardcore fans remember “Habit of Leaving” and “Baby Loves That Way” as two tracks Bowie earmarked for Toy, his shelved early 21st century album revisiting those early years of his career. (It was posthumously released in 2021.) Some of the originals from this period were compiled along with other pre-fame material on 1991’s Early On (1964-1966), but this marks the first serious overview of those Talmy sessions, complete with new remastering from John Webber and comprehensive liner notes from music historian Alec Palao. (The abridged 11-track vinyl package will be pressed on 180-gram red or standard black vinyl, with an alternate cover – limited to just 1,965 copies – available at participating Record Store Day and HMV outlets.)

The Shel Talmy Recordings can be pre-ordered below. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The Shel Talmy Recordings (Parlophone DBSTCD 65 (U.K.), 2026)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (180-gram red vinyl)

* previously unreleased
+ included on vinyl version

1. You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving – Davie Jones & The Lower Third +
2. I Want Your Love – Davie Jones & The Lower Third * +
3. Cupid – Davie Jones & The Lower Third * +
4. I Pity the Fool – The Manish Boys +
5. Baby Loves That Way – Davie Jones & The Lower Third +
6. Keep Up with the Jones (Instrumental) – Davie Jones & The Lower Third * +
7. Leave Her to Me – Davie Jones & The Lower Third * +
8. I’ll Follow You – Davie Jones & The Lower Third +
9. You Gotta Tell Her – Davie Jones & The Lower Third * +
10. Take My Tip – The Manish Boys +
11. Certain Woman – Davie Jones & The Lower Third * +
12. Today (Demo) – Davie Jones *
13. I Want My Baby Back (Demo) – Davie Jones
14. I Live in Dreams (Demo) – Davie Jones *
15. Bars of the County Jail (Demo) – Davie Jones
16. That’s Where My Heart Is (Demo) – Davie Jones
17. I Do Believe I Love You (Demo) – Davie Jones *
18. You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving (Alternative Overdub/Vocal) – Davie Jones & The Lower Third
19. I Pity The Fool (Alternative Vocal Take) – The Manish Boys
20. Baby Loves That Way (Alternative Vocal Take) – Davie Jones & The Lower Third *
21. Take My Tip (Alternative Vocal Take) – The Manish Boys

Tracks 1 and 5 released as Parlophone U.K. single R 5315, 1965
Tracks 4 and 10 released as Parlophone U.K. single R 5250, 1965
Tracks 8, 13, 15-16, 19 and 21 released on Early On (1964-1966) – Rhino Records R2 70526, 1991
Track 18 released on Making Time – A Shel Talmy Production – Ace Records CDCHD 1497 (U.K.), 2017