Eamon Blog

Today's Shelf Pull: David Bowie, The Shel Talmy Recordings

Before the familiar identities, a singer finding his footing.

The Shel Talmy Recordings puts the early band settings, direct vocals and compact arrangements back in the foreground.

David Bowie, The Shel Talmy Recordings: a familiar name, but a useful change of perspective. This vinyl collection brings his formative 1965 sessions into focus, with the singer working inside the close quarters of British beat and rhythm and blues.

The temptation is to listen for the person he would become. That can make an early record feel like an examination paper, with marks awarded for predicting the future. Better to let these performances have their own modest, busy present.

Here, the useful listening details are direct vocals, compact arrangements and the energy of a small band. Nothing needs to stand for an entire career. A singer meeting a song on those terms is already enough to attend to.

The collection includes performances associated with Davie Jones and the Lower Third and Davie Jones and The Manish Boys. Those names matter because they restore the band setting, rather than leaving a famous solo identity to occupy the whole picture.

On the shelf today

David Bowie - The Shel Talmy Recordings

LP / Rock / 2026

EUR34 / Sold out

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