Holy Holy

Infobox Single
Name = Holy Holy


Caption =
Artist = David Bowie
from Album =
A-side =
B-side = "Black Country Rock"
Released = 17 January 1971
Format = 7" single
Recorded = Trident Studios, London
June 1970
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:13
Label = Mercury
6052 049
Writer =
Producer = Herbie Flowers
Certification =
Chart position = Did not chart
Last single = "Memory of a Free Festival"
(1970)
This single = "Holy Holy"
(1971)
Next single = "Changes"
(1972)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type =


Lower caption =

"Holy Holy" is a song by David Bowie, originally released as a single in 1971. It was recorded shortly after the completion of "The Man Who Sold the World", in the perceived absence of a clear single from that album. Like Bowie's two previous singles, it sold poorly and failed to chart.

At the time Marc Bolan's Tyrannosaurus Rex was a significant source of inspiration for Bowie. On this track, according to "NME" editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray, "Bolan's influence is so much in the ascendant that it virtually amounts to a case of demonic possession.Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). "Bowie: An Illustrated Record": pp.32,36] The single's B-side was another Tyrannosaurus Rex flavoured song called "Black Country Rock". Bowie performed "Holy Holy" on Britain's Granada Television wearing a dress,David Buckley (1999) "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story": pp.97-98,119] which he would also wear on the cover of the soon-to-be-released UK edition of "The Man Who Sold the World".

A more frantic version of the song was recorded in 1971 for "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". It was dropped from the album, but subsequently appeared as the B-side to "Diamond Dogs" in 1974. This version was also released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc reissue of "The Man Who Sold the World" in 1990 (despite the sleeve notes referring to it as the original cut), as well on as the "Ziggy Stardust - 30th Anniversary Reissue" bonus disc in 2002. Bowie himself vetoed the inclusion of the original at a late stage, and the single remains the 1970 version's only official release, though it has appeared on several bootlegs.

Track listing

# "Holy Holy" (Bowie) – 3:13
# "Black Country Rock" (Bowie) – 3:05

Production credits

* Producers:
** Herbie Flowers on "Holy Holy"
** Tony Visconti on "Black Country Rock"

* Musicians:
** David Bowie: vocals, guitar
** Mick Ronson: guitar
** Herbie Flowers: bass on "Holy Holy"
** Mick Woodmansey: drums
** Tony Visconti: bass on "Black Country Rock"

Cover versions

"Holy Holy" was covered by Rozz Williams' Deathrock band, Shadow Project, as the last song on their eponymous debut.

Notes

References

Pegg, Nicholas, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5