Young Americans (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Young Americans
Type = studio
Artist = David Bowie


Released = start date|1975|3|7|df=yes
Recorded = Philadelphia, start date|1974|8–end date|1974|11 New York, start date|1975|1|
Genre = Blue-eyed soul, funk, rock
Length = 40:32
Label = RCA CD Issue 1984 Rykodisc/EMI Reissue start date|1991|5|14|df=yes EMI/Virgin Reissue start date|1999|9|28|df=yes EMI/Virgin Collector's Edition start date|2007|3|19|df=yes
Producer = Tony Visconti, David Bowie and Harry Maslin
Reviews =
* Wireless Bollinger (59/100) [http://www.wirelessbollinger.com/content/view/472/81/ link]
* Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:78qog4gttv2z link]
* Robert Christgau in "Village Voice" (C+, later B-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=957 12 May 1975]
*"Crawdaddy!" [http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article.aspx?id=5148 2008]
* The Music Box (on Collector's Edition) Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2007/davidbowie-youngamericans-06272007.html June 2007]
*Prefix Magazine (on Collector's Edition) (6.0/10) [http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cds/D/david-bowie/young-americans-reissue/3158 March 2007]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 (on Collector's Edition) [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/309871/review/15085504/young_americans 13 June 2007]
Last album = "David Live" (1974)
This album = "Young Americans" (1975)
Next album = "Station to Station" (1976)

"Young Americans" is an album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 1975.

With this LP, Bowie made a sudden and jolting step in a new direction, shedding his glam rock past and exploring Philadelphia soul with backing from a young Luther Vandross. "Young Americans" contained his first number one hit in the U.S., "Fame", co-written with John Lennon (who also contributed backing vocals), and work from one of Bowie's favourite guitarists and band members, Carlos Alomar.

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie except where noted.
# "Young Americans" – 5:10
# "Win" – 4:44
# "Fascination" (Bowie, Luther Vandross) – 5:43
# "Right" – 4:13
# "Somebody Up There Likes Me" – 6:30
# "Across the Universe" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:30
# "Can You Hear Me?" – 5:04
# "Fame" (Bowie, Lennon, Carlos Alomar) – 4:12

CD releases

This album has been released on CD four times, with the first being by RCA in 1984, the second in 1991 by Rykodisc (containing three bonus tracks) on silver CD and later on AU20 Gold CD, the third in 1999 by EMI (featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks). A fourth reissue with an accompanying DVD was released on March 19, 2007, in higher sound resolution and mixed in 5.1 surround sound, featuring the same bonus tracks as the Rykodisc release plus video footage from the Dick Cavett TV show.

The Rykodisc and 5.1 surround mixes both replace "Win", "Fascination", and "Right" with alternate mixes from 1974.

1991 reissue bonus tracks

#

"Who Can I Be Now?" – 4:35
# "It's Gonna Be Me" – 6:29
# "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" – 6:58

2007 Collector's Edition bonus tracks

#

"John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)"
# "Who Can I Be Now?"
# "It's Gonna Be Me" (alternate version, with strings)
# "1984" (live on "The Dick Cavett Show", DVD only)
# "Young Americans" (live on "The Dick Cavett Show", DVD only)
# "Dick Cavett Interviews David Bowie" (DVD only)

Personnel

*David Bowie – vocals, guitar, piano
*Carlos Alomar – guitar
*Mike Garson – piano
*David Sanborn – sax
*Willie Weeks – bass except on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Andy Newmark – drums except on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"

Additional personnel

*Larry Washington – conga
*Pablo Rosario – percussion
*Ava Cherry, Robin Clark, Luther Vandross – background vocals
*John Lennon – vocals, guitar on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Earl Slick – guitar on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Emir Kassan – bass on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Dennis Davis – drums on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Ralph MacDonald – percussion on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Pablo Rosario – percussion on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Jean Fineberg – backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
*Jean Millington – backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"

Charts

Album