David Bowie's “Diamond Dogs” to get red vinyl release on 45th anniversary A

m_davidbowiediamonddogsrebelrebel_040119

ParlophoneDavid Bowie‘s Diamond Dogs album is celebrating its 45 anniversary this year, but fans are getting the presents.

On May 24, 50 years to the day of the album’s original release, Parlophone is putting out limited-edition red vinyl version of Diamond Dogs, cut from the 2016 remaster. It will only be available in retail stores. 

In addition, a special one-track digital single of one of the album’s best-known songs, “Rebel Rebel,” will be released in its original single mix. The tape featuring this single mix of “Rebel Rebel” has actually been missing since the mid-1970s, so on many compilations, it had been replaced by a shorter mix with a new arrangement and overdubbed vocals. But the tape has now been discovered, and was used for this special remaster.

The Diamond Dogs colored vinyl reissue is the continuation of an ongoing series of Bowie releases. In the past two years, there have been gold vinyl versions of Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, as well as a silver vinyl release of Aladdin Sane.

When it was first released, Diamond Dogs originally hit #1 on the U.K. chart and #5 on the U.S. chart. In addition to “Rebel Rebel,” it also contains the well-known title track, as well as the song “1984.” 

That song, as well as another track, “Big Brother,” were leftovers from Bowie’s attempt to mount a theatrical version of George Orwell‘s novel 1984. When Orwell’s estate wouldn’t give him the rights, the songs ended up on Diamond Dogs.

Here’s the track listing for the release:

Side One
“Future Legend”
“Diamond Dogs”
“Sweet Thing”
“Candidate”
“Sweet Things (Reprise)”
“Rebel Rebel”

Side Two
“Rock ‘n’ Roll With Me”
“We Are the Dead”
“1984”
“Big Brother”
“Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family”

Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.