"The London Boys" is a song 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 ...

. It was first released as the B-side of the single "

Rubber Band A rubber band (also known as an elastic band, gum band or lacky band) is a loop of rubber, usually ring or oval shaped, and commonly used to hold multiple objects together. The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845 by Stephen P ...

" in the United Kingdom on 2 December 1966. It was originally written and demoed in 1965 with the Lower Third for potential release as the artist's debut single for

Pye Records Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...

but it was rejected. After a year of rewrites, he recorded a new version with a new band, the Buzz, which helped secure him a record contract with

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-subsidiary

Deram Records Deram Records was a subsidiary record label of Decca Records established in the United Kingdom in 1966. At the time, U.K. Decca was a different company from the Decca label in the United States, which was owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings w ...

. Unlike the A-side, "The London Boys" retains the

Mod Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...

feel of Bowie's previous singles. The dark lyrics concern a 17-year-old girl who left home for London. As she wants to get to know the London boys, she turns to take pills to fit in. Like his previous singles, it failed to chart. Decca later issued it as an A-side in 1975. Bowie's biographers and other reviewers have praised "The London Boys" as one of his finest tracks of the era. He considered re-recording the song for his covers album ''

Pin Ups ''Pin Ups'' (also referred to as ''Pinups'' and ''Pin-Ups'') is the seventh studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 19October 1973 through RCA Records. Devised as a "stop-gap" album to appease his record label, it is a cover ...

'' in 1973, although the idea was abandoned. After reviving it unexpectedly for live performances in 2000, Bowie re-recorded the song in 2000 for the ''

Toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

'' project, which was initially shelved and released posthumously in 2021. The new version is more guitar-led compared to the original. Artists who have covered the song include English artists

the Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

and

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He ...

, whose version was praised by Bowie himself.

Writing and recording

wrote "The London Boys" in early 1965 under the title "Now You've Met the London Boys". According to biographer Kevin Cann, the song garnered a positive response during his live performances with his band the Lower Third throughout the year, and it quickly became a live favourite. Later in the year, Bowie and the Lower Third taped "The London Boys" on 25 November at London's Marble Arch Studios for potential release as the artist's debut single for

. However, the song was rejected by the label on the grounds of risque lyrical content; this recording is considered lost. Drummer Phil Lancaster recalled both himself and Bowie being deeply hurt by its rejection. Producer

Tony Hatch Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Early life and early career Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mus ...

later told biographer

Paul Trynka Paul Trynka is a British rock journalist and author. He was the editor of the music magazine ''Mojo'' from 1999 to 2003, and has also worked as editorial director of '' Q'' and editor of ''International Musician''. In 2004, he edited publisher D ...

: "I remember 'The London Boys'. There were a lot of songs about his background. There was one about the

Hackney Marshes Hackney Marshes is an area of open space in London's Lower Lea Valley, lying on the western bank of the River Lea. It takes its name from its position on the eastern boundary of Hackney, the principal part of the London Borough of Hackney, and ...

which is probably in some archive somewhere." After it was rejected, Bowie rewrote the song as "

Can't Help Thinking About Me "Can't Help Thinking About Me" is a song written by English musician David Bowie and recorded with his band the Lower Third. Released as a single by Pye Records on 14 January 1966, it was the first one issued under the "David Bowie" name after ...

", which was chosen as the single instead. In an interview for ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' promoting "Can't Help Thinking About Me" in February 1966, Bowie referred to "The London Boys" by its original title: "Its called 'Now You've Met the London Boys', and mentions pills, and generally belittles the London night-life scene... it goes down very well in the stage act and lots of fans said I should have released it – but Tony and I thought the words were a bit strong." Over the next year, Bowie continued playing the song live and tinkered with the lyrics and arrangement. Following his dismissal from Pye in September 1966, Bowie, with his new band the Buzz, recorded a new version of "The London Boys" and two new songs, "

" and "The Gravedigger" (later retitled "Please Mr. Gravedigger"), at London's R G Jones Studios on 18 October 1966. The session was financed by Bowie's soon-to-be manager

Kenneth Pitt Kenneth Cooper Pitt (10 November 1922 – 25 February 2019) was a British publicist and talent manager, who managed the career of musicians including David Bowie in the late 1960s. Biography Pitt was born in Uxbridge, Middlesex. In the 1950 ...

, who used the session tapes to secure Bowie a record contract with

, the

progressive pop Progressive pop is pop music that attempts to break with the genre's standard formula, or an offshoot of the progressive rock genre that was commonly heard on AM radio in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally termed for the early progressive ...

subsidiary of

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

. Deram chose "Rubber Band" as the A-side of Bowie's debut single for the label, while "The London Boys" became the B-side.

Composition

Unlike the A-side "Rubber Band", "The London Boys" retains the

feel of Bowie's previous singles, although it uses the same brass instrument players as the A-side. He based rewrites of the song on

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

' " Where Have All the Good Times Gone" and "

See My Friends "See My Friends" (sometimes titled "See My Friend") is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by the group's singer and guitarist, Ray Davies. Released in July 1965, it reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, ''Record Retailer'' c ...

". The instruments act in tandem with Bowie's vocal performance; while primarily led by organ and bass, the orchestra's tuba, oboe and trumpet work as a chorus. Chris O'Leary notes numerous

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

changes throughout, alternating between

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consis ...

and

E major E major (or the key of E) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, ...

, to doses in F,

F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...

and

chords, eventually rising to an

A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...

finale. In a press release for the single, Deram described the track as "David Bowie's partly autobiographical cameo of the brave and defiant little mod racing uphill along Wardour Street to an empty Paradise." Described by

Marc Spitz Marc Spitz (October 2, 1969 – February 4, 2017) was an American music journalist, author and playwright. Spitz's writings on rock and roll and popular culture appeared in ''Spin'' (where he was a Senior Writer) as well as ''The New York Times' ...

as a "hangover ballad", the rather dark lyrics concern a 17-year-old girl who left home for London. As she wants to get to know the London boys, she turns to take pills to fit in. James Perone writes that the song gives a rather unpleasant view of the mid-1960s

Swinging London The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, mus ...

era.

Release

"The London Boys" was issued by Deram as the B-side of "Rubber Band" in the United Kingdom on 2 December 1966, with the catalogue number Deram DM107. For the American release, issued on 27 May 1967 and with the re-recorded album version of "Rubber Band", "There Is a Happy Land" (taken from ''

'' 967 replaced "The London Boys" due to the latter's drug references. In the UK, "Rubber Band" once more failed to break into the charts as with all of Bowie's previous singles. A writer for '' Disc'', a British music magazine, discarded the A-side but gave praise to the B-side, believing it "would have been a much more impressive topside". In his memoir, Pitt praised the track: "I thought it was a remarkable song, and in it David had brilliantly evoked the atmosphere of his generation and his London." In subsequent decades, Bowie's biographers have hailed "The London Boys" as one of his finest tracks up to that point.

Nicholas Pegg Nicholas Pegg is a British actor, writer and director. Educated at Nottingham High School and graduating with a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Exeter, Pegg subsequently trained at the Guildford School of Acting. Acti ...

writes that it "is among Bowie's most sophisticated recordings of the period, demonstrating a mature grasp of pace and dynamics", a sentiment echoed by Spitz, who considered it "far superior" to the A-side. ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' editors

Roy Carr Roy Carr (1945 – 1 July 2018) was an English music journalist, covering pop, rock and jazz. He joined the ''New Musical Express (NME)'' in the late 1960s, and edited ''NME'', '' Vox'' and ''Melody Maker'' magazines. Biography Born in Blackpoo ...

and

Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the '' New Musical Express'' and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of ...

concurred, writing in 1981: "The B-side is a far more serious affair, and probably the most moving and pertinent work that Bowie produced prior to '

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 ...

969 Year 969 ( CMLXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 1st millennium, the 69th ...

Sung in the second person to a young provincial would be mod trying to keep up with the ace faces in the Big Smoke, 'The London Boys' is a slow agonising portrayal of the inevitable comedown from the amphetamine exhilaration of '

My Generation "My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, which became a hit and one of their most recognizable songs. The song was named the 11th greatest song by ''Rolling Stone'' on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It becam ...

'." O'Leary hailed Bowie's vocal performance as his strongest to date. Meanwhile, Perone notes that the song foreshadowed the complex melodic and harmonic structures of Bowie's 1970s works. ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

'' magazine listed it as Bowie's 91st best track in 2015. Bowie considered re-recording the song for his covers album ''

'' in 1973, where he would intersperse his own verses with lyrics from other covers, thereby, in Pegg's words, "creating a narrative bridging the sounds of his youth", although the idea was abandoned. Decca rereleased the song as an A-side in May 1975, with " Love You till Tuesday" as the B-side. "The London Boys" has since appeared on various

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

s, including ''

The World of David Bowie ''The World of David Bowie'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 6March 1970 by Decca Records as part of their ''The World of...'' series following Bowie's success with the "Space Oddity" single. It p ...

'' (1970), '' Images 1966–1967'' (1973) and ''

The Deram Anthology 1966–1968 ''The Deram Anthology 1966–1968'' is a compilation album by David Bowie, released in 1997. It collects together most of the material Bowie recorded for Deram Records that has been previously released in some form, including the 1967 debut alb ...

'' (1997).

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewers Alex Henderson and

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born January 19, 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' ...

called the track the standout of ''World'' and ''Images'', respectively, with the latter calling it "a neglected classic look at the downer side of the mod experience, and is the best of owie'smany obscure pre-'Space Oddity' recordings." Artists who have covered "The London Boys" include the English indie band

for their 1983 album ''I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape'' and English singer

for his 2007 album ''

Stardom Road ''Stardom Road'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Sanctuary Records on 4 June 2007. Background ''Stardom Road'' was Almond's first new album after his involvement in a near-fat ...

''. Bowie himself sent Almond a letter stating he thought his version was superior to the original.

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: "Now You've Met the London Boys" (unreleased) * David Bowie vocals * Denis Taylor guitar * Graham Rivens bass * Phil Lancaster drums *

piano "The London Boys" (single version) * David Bowie vocals, producer * Derek Boyes organ * Dek Fearnley bass, producer * John Eager drums * Chick Norton trumpet * Unknown musicians tuba and oboe

''Toy'' version

Bowie unexpectedly revived "The London Boys" during his summer 2000 tour. Shortly after, he re-recorded "The London Boys" during the sessions for the ''

'' project between July and October 2000, along with other tracks he wrote and recorded during the mid-1960s, including "Can't Help Thinking About Me". The lineup consisted of members of Bowie's then-touring band: guitarist

Earl Slick Earl Slick (born Frank Madeloni in Brooklyn, New York, October 1, 1952) is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Robert Smith. He has also worked with other artists including John Waite, Tim ...

, bassist

Gail Ann Dorsey Gail Ann Dorsey (born November 20, 1962) is an American musician. With a long career as a session musician mainly on bass guitar, she is perhaps best known for her lengthy residency in David Bowie's band, from 1995 to Bowie's death in 2016. Asid ...

, pianist

Mike Garson Michael David Garson (born July 29, 1945) is an American pianist, who has worked with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, St. Vincent, Duran Duran, Free Flight and The Smashing Pumpkins. Early career Garson went to Lafayette High School in Broo ...

, musician

Mark Plati Mark Plati is a New York–based musician, record producer, and songwriter, best known for his work in the 1990s with David Bowie. Plati also has worked with Spookey Ruben, The Cure, Duncan Sheik, Hooverphonic, Robbie Williams, Joe McIntyre, ...

and drummer

Sterling Campbell Sterling Campbell (born May 3, 1964) is an American drummer and songwriter who has worked with numerous high-profile acts, including The B-52s, Duran Duran, Soul Asylum, Cyndi Lauper, Nena, Grayson Hugh, Spandau Ballet, Gustavo Cerati and Dav ...

, along with instrumentalist

Lisa Germano Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a violinist ...

on violin and backing vocalists

Holly Palmer Holly Palmer (born c. 1971) is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California.Holly Palmer
, ' ...

and

Emm Gryner Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and author. She has released 20 albums as a solo performer, and has collaborated with artists including David Bowie and Chris Hadfie ...

. Co-produced by Bowie and Plati, the band rehearsed the songs at Sear Sound Studios in New York City before recording them as live tracks. Plati stated that he refused to listen to Bowie's original recordings of the tracks, so to prevent the originals from influencing his playing on the new versions. Overdubs were recorded at New York's Looking Glass Studios. ''Toy'' was initially intended for release in March 2001, before it was shelved by

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

due to financial issues. So, Bowie departed the label and recorded his next album '' Heathen'' (2002). Two excerpts appeared on Bowie's website BowieNet in 2002, one in July that was 1:26 in length and the other in August that was 1:30. It also was performed for a special BowieNetter gig in 2000. In March 2011, tracks from the ''Toy'' sessions, including "The London Boys", were leaked online, attracting media attention. Ten years later, on 29 September 2021,

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

announced that ''Toy'' would get an official release on 26 November as part of the box set ''

Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) ''Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 26 November 2021. A follow-up to the compilations '' Five Years (1969–1973)'', '' Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)'', '' A New Career in ...

'' through ISO and

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 ...

. A separate deluxe edition, titled ''Toy:Box'', was released on 7 January 2022, which contains two new mixes of the song: an "alternate mix" and an "Unplugged and Somewhat Slightly Electric" mix, featuring new guitar parts by Plati and Slick. Reviewing ''Toy'',

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...

in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' found the remake of "The London Boys" "loses something of its grimy kitchen-sink drama quality amid the new distorted guitar and synth arrangement". Helen Brown of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' noted that the new version "sheds the ambitious Bromley boy’s plaintive panic for a smoothly soulful narrative that soars into the arms of a brassy crescendo".

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: * David Bowie vocals, producer *

lead guitar *

Gerry Leonard Gerry Leonard is an Irish lead guitarist and solo artist, known for his harmonic and ambient guitar style and for his work with David Bowie. He has lived and worked in Dublin, Copenhagen, and Manhattan. Hinterland From Clontarf in Dublin, Le ...

rhythm guitar *

bass, backing vocals *

keyboards *

bass, rhythm guitar, producer *

drums *

Holly Palmer Holly Palmer (born c. 1971) is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California.Holly Palmer
, ' ...

backing vocals *

backing vocals * Unknown musicians oboe, trumpet, violin, viola, cello *

Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...

string arrangement

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * *

External links

"The London Boys"
966 version(YouTube)
"The London Boys"
'Toy'' version(YouTube) {{DEFAULTSORT:London Boys, The 1960s ballads David Bowie songs 1966 songs Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by Mike Vernon (record producer)