''Conversation Piece'' is a box set by English musician

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, released in November 2019, which contains five CDs featuring recordings made in 1968–1969. The box set includes home demos and BBC sessions, as well as two mixes of the 1969 album ''

Space Oddity "Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...

'': the original 1969 stereo mix, and a new 2019 mix produced by

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specifically for the set. The release of the 1969 mix is a repressing of the 2009 remastered CD, which was chosen due to its being mastered to match the original LP release, a priority that was not taken for

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

's in-house remaster created for the ''

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'' box set in 2015. Most of the demo tracks had been released earlier in 2019 in the vinyl box sets ''

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'', ''

Clareville Grove Demos ''Clareville Grove Demos'' is a box set EP by English musician David Bowie, released posthumously in May 2019. The set includes three 7" vinyl records containing six songs performed by Bowie with his friend John Hutchinson in early 1969. All s ...

'', and ''

The 'Mercury' Demos ''The 'Mercury' Demos'' is a box set by English musician David Bowie, released as a vinyl album in May 2019. It features ten songs in mono, demo form performed by Bowie with his friend John Hutchinson in early 1969. In November 2019, the compila ...

''. The 2019 mix of ''Space Oddity'' was also given a standalone release on CD and LP and on digital download and streaming services, concurrently with the box set.

Recording dates

The first 11 tracks were likely recorded between January and March 1968, the same time "In The Heat of The Morning" and "London Bye, Ta-Ta" were recorded professionally. Tracks 12 and 13 were also likely recorded in November 1968, shortly after the writing of the song "

". Track 14 was recorded sometime between November 1968 and tracks 15 to 23, recorded in January 1969. The Mercury Demos CD was recorded sometime between the first studio attempt at Space Oddity on 2 February 1969, and David's move to Beckenham in mid April. Tracks 1–2 of the third disc were recorded between the 12 March and the 18 April 1968 at

Decca Studios Decca Studios was a recording facility at 165 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead, North London, England, controlled by Decca Records from 1937 to 1980. The building was once West Hampstead Town Hall, and had been converted to a recording studio b ...

,David's Deram Chronology – Kevin Cann (2010, '

' Liner Notes, Deram) with tracks 3–7 being recorded on 13 May at BBC Radio Studios.

–

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(Liner Notes, 2000) Following this is "Ching A Ling", track 8, which was recorded in two sessions between 24 October and 27 November 1968. Track 9 was recorded 2 February 1969, at Morgan Studios. Track 10 was recorded 20 June 1969, with Track 11 likely being recorded around the same time,Kevin Cann (2010). ''Any Day Now – David Bowie: The London Years: 1947–1974'': p.154 and Track 12 being from around July – September. Track 14–16 were recorded 20 October.

Track listing

Charts

References

{{Authority control David Bowie compilation albums 2019 compilation albums Parlophone compilation albums