Diamond Dogs is David Bowie's eighth studio album, released by RCA in May 1974. This is Parlophone's 50th anniversary half-speed master. As printed on the front, it was cut on a fully customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe from 192kHz restored masters of the original master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The official Bowie store credits the cut to John Webber at AIR Studios.
Bowie made the album after disbanding the Spiders from Mars, produced it himself and played lead guitar in Mick Ronson's absence. Part of it began as a planned stage adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. When Orwell's widow Sonia refused him the rights, Bowie built his own apocalyptic story instead, but the Orwell material survives: 1984 was the signature number of the planned adaptation, and We Are The Dead draws on the novel's lovers Winston and Julia.
Rebel Rebel, rescued from a shelved Ziggy Stardust musical, was the lead single and reached number 5 in the UK. The album went to number one in the UK and number five in the US. Tony Visconti, working with Bowie again after four years, arranged the strings on 1984, and Guy Peellaert painted the half-man, half-dog cover.
Tracklist
Side One
- Future Legend
- Diamond Dogs
- Sweet Thing
- Candidate
- Sweet Thing (Reprise)
- Rebel Rebel
Side Two
- Rock 'n Roll With Me
- We Are The Dead
- 1984
- Big Brother
- Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family
Release details
| Artist | David Bowie |
| Album | Diamond Dogs |
| Format | 1 x LP, gatefold sleeve |
| Audio | 50th anniversary half-speed master, cut by John Webber at AIR Studios from 192kHz restored masters of the original tapes |
| Label | Parlophone |
| Catalogue | DBDD 50 |
| Produced by | David Bowie |
| Engineer | Keith Harwood |
| Mixed by | David Bowie and Tony Visconti (side one, tracks 1 to 5; side two, tracks 3 to 5); David Bowie and Keith Harwood (Rebel Rebel, Rock 'n Roll With Me, We Are The Dead) |
| Recorded | Olympic and Island Studios, London, and Studio L Ludolf, Hilversum, Holland |
| Cover painting | Guy Peellaert |
| Design | AGI |
| Original release | RCA Victor APL1 0576, May 1974 |
| Pressed in | Germany |
| Condition | New, factory sealed |
| Genre | Glam rock |
Frequently asked questions
What is a half-speed master?
The lacquer is cut with the lathe platter turning at half its usual speed, 16 2/3 rpm for an LP, while the audio is fed to the cutting head at half its normal playback speed. The technique is generally used to improve high-frequency response. For this edition the sleeve adds that the source was 192kHz restored masters of the original tapes, with no additional processing on transfer.
Are there bonus tracks?
No. The record carries the original eleven tracks across two sides, as listed on the back sleeve.
Is the record sealed?
Yes, it arrives factory sealed and unplayed.
Sealed and brand new, shipped from our Bangalore stockroom with a stiffener and a fitted mailer so the sleeve corners survive the journey. If you are new to the format, our record player buying guide covers what you need to play it.
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