The London Boys
Encyclopedia
"The London Boys" is a song written by David Bowie
. It was first released as the B-side of the single "Rubber Band
" in the UK, and as a single of its own in France in December 1966.
The song was rerecorded in 2000 for the unreleased album Toy
that leaked in 2011. Two excerpts appeared on BowieNet in 2002, one in July that was 1'26" long and the other in August that was 1'30" long; however, both clips did not cover the entire song. It was performed for a special BowieNetter gig in 2000.
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. It was first released as the B-side of the single "Rubber Band
Rubber Band (song)
Rubber Band was a single by David Bowie. The single was released in 1966, and marked the start of Bowie’s recording contract with Deram which would include his first album, 1967’s David Bowie....
" in the UK, and as a single of its own in France in December 1966.
The song was rerecorded in 2000 for the unreleased album Toy
Toy (David Bowie album)
Toy is an album by the British rock musician David Bowie, recorded for release in 2001, and leaked onto the Internet in 2011. Although Bowie had begun recording the album intended to feature new versions of some of his earliest pieces as well as three new songs, its sessions led him to Heathen and...
that leaked in 2011. Two excerpts appeared on BowieNet in 2002, one in July that was 1'26" long and the other in August that was 1'30" long; however, both clips did not cover the entire song. It was performed for a special BowieNetter gig in 2000.
Production credits
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s:- Mike VernonMike Vernon (producer)Mike Vernon is an English record producer. He produced albums for British blues artists and groups during the late 1960s, working with the Bluesbreakers, David Bowie, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and...
- Mike Vernon
- MusicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s:- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
: Vocals, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Derek Boyes: OrganOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
- Dek Fearnley: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- John Eager: DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s
- David Bowie
Release history
| Region | Date | Title | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
2 December 1966 | "Rubber Band Rubber Band (song) Rubber Band was a single by David Bowie. The single was released in 1966, and marked the start of Bowie’s recording contract with Deram which would include his first album, 1967’s David Bowie.... " / "The London Boys" |
Deram Deram Records Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through... |
7" single | DM 107 |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
December 1966 | "The London Boys" / "There Is a Happy Land" | Deram | 7" single | 86086 |
Other releases
- "London Boys" was re-released by DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in France in May 1975 and at the same time in the UK with "Love You Till TuesdayLove You Till Tuesday (song)Love You till Tuesday was a single by David Bowie. Released in 1967, the album version from David Bowie was re-recorded with added strings devised by Ivor Raymonde....
" as the B-side. The B-side on the 1975 French release was mistitled "Love You Till Tuesday" on early pressings. It took Decca two years to follow up the reissue of "The Laughing GnomeThe Laughing Gnome"The Laughing Gnome" is a song by David Bowie. A pastiche of songs by one of Bowie's early influences, Anthony Newley, it was originally released as a novelty single on Deram Records in 1967, the track consisted of the singer meeting and conversing with the creature of the title, whose sped-up...
" in the UK, which meant that the 1975 reissue mostly went by unnoticed.
- It also appeared on the following compilations:
- The World of David BowieThe World of David BowieThe World of David Bowie is an album by David Bowie, released in 1970. It contains material from his first album David Bowie, as well as previously unreleased songs.-Side 1:#Uncle Arthur #Love You Till Tuesday...
(1970) - Images 1966-1967Images 1966-1967Images 1966–1967 is a compilation album by the British pop singer David Bowie. It comprises his first long player release as a solo artist for Decca Records, titled David Bowie, released in 1967, and various singles and B-sides recorded for Decca during 1966 and 1967...
(1973) - Coccinelle Varietes (France 1973)
- El Rey Del Gay Power (Spain 1973)
- Starting Point (US 1977)
- 20 Bowie Classics (Australia 1979)
- Another Face (1981)
- Historia De La Musica Rock (Spanish 1981)
- Love You Till TuesdayLove You Till Tuesday (album)Love You till Tuesday was a compilation of material by David Bowie, issued as a companion to the belated video release of Bowie's 1969 promotional film Love You till Tuesday....
(1984) - The Collection (1985)
- The Gospel According to David Bowie (Germany 1993)
- London Boy (1996)
- The Deram Anthology (1997)
- The World of David Bowie
- It was covered by The Times (band)The Times (band)The Times are a British, 1980s-90s, independent band, the brainchild of Ed Ball, co-founder member of the Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars and 'O' Level.-Whaam! Records 1981-1982:...
in 1983 on their album "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape". - It was also covered by Marc AlmondMarc AlmondMarc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
in 2007 on his album "Stardom Road".