My first real post! Let's hope I don't screw this up and actually add something interesting.

This one is really picky, but it's bugged me for a little while...

The original version of John, I'm Only Dancing is on the 30th Anniversary version of Ziggy and also on US edition of The Singles 1969-1993. However, on these two releases, I believe that the channels are reversed. For example, if you listen to the first 10 seconds one after the other, on the Ziggy release the intro guitar starts on the left channel (same as on the 1979 remix, but this is definitely not the remix). On the Singles release (and also ChangesBowie), the guitar starts on the right. I think it's the same mix (both 2:49), but simply with the channels reversed. You can listen to the outro and hear the difference in channels, as well.

I just wondered if anyone else had noticed this, or if there was some explanation I missed somewhere.

Graham

Graham, this is a good observation. I am unable to listen to both CDs at the moment as all are packed up and shifted following floods at the beginning of December here on the south coast of NSW.

At one stage there was going to be a section on the ChangesOneBowie album in the recent Record Collector article about David Bowie but Ruud, Maarten and I decided to pull it in favour of other items. I think it would be good to include those thoughts here as part of your thread. The thoughts focused on the vinyl album ChangesOneBowie (RCA) and John I'm Only Dancing.

There are two different versions of the vinyl album entitled ChangesOneBowie.

There was a limited number of pressings in the UK that included the sax version of John, I'm Only Dancing that was recorded during the Aladdin Sane sessions. Perhaps a 1000 or so copies of this album was pressed. Who knows?

The pressing number or matrix number pressed into the vinyl runout of this specific release was RS 1055 2E.

Then there was the more common pressing of the ChangesOneBowie RCA LP with the 1972 rendition of John, I'm Only Dancing with the acoustic guitar mixed in both left and right channel. The pressing number in its vinyl runout is RS 1055 5E or simply RS 1055.

Now, to the track itself... John, I'm Only Danicing was initially released on a RCA single in 1972. Its release number was RCA 2263. These pressings had the version of the song with the acoustic guitar mixed across both left and right channels. The matrix number in the vinyl run-out for this version of the single is BGBS 1056.

When this single was subsequently repressed not long afterwards, still with the release number of RCA 2263, it featured the sax version of John, I'm Only Dancing recorded during the Aladdin Sane sessions. The matrix number in the vinyl run-out for this version of the single is BGBS 1056 2E.

Then in late 1979 RCA performed a minor miracle and released yet two more versions of the track. In December 1979, they released the single John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)(1975) backed with John, I'm Only Dancing (1972) on the single RCA BOW 4. The version of John I'm Only Dancing from 1972 on the B Side of this single is different to the acoustic version released on the RCA 2263 single in 1972. You will notice that the acoustic guitar is only mixed in one channel for example.

Of course the track John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) on this single is from the 1974 Sigma Sound Sessions when Bowie recorded a number of the tracks for the forthcoming Young Americans album. The complete version of the track is on the RCA 12' single (RCA BOW 12 4) and the Ryko release of the Young Americans album.

All four recordings have been reissued on CD. In addition to the CDs that you mention Graham, the two versions of JIODfrom 1972 are on the 30th Anniversary CD release of the Ziggy Stardust album. The sax version is on the 30th Anniversary CD release of the Aladdin Sane album. The version from 1974 entitled John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) is available on the Rykodisc release of the Young Americans CD as well as the 2007 Special edition release of the Young Americans album (EMI 09463 51258 2 5).

Now back to ChangesOneBowie. Rykodisc released an album called ChangesBowie that also included the original version of John, I'm Only Dancing. The RCA album ChangesTwoBowie had the track John, I'm Only Dancing (Again).

Then there are the live versions of John, I'm Only Dancing officially available on the Santa Monica Civic CD and the 30th Anniversary CD release of the Aladdin Sane album.

Personally, the first time I heard John, I'm Only Dancing was on the ChangesOneBowie album in 1976. The single had not been released here in Australia.

I have probably either informed you or confused you. I did not really answer your question but it was quite cathartic to finally get this out of my system. Any omissions, corrections and related items gladly received and taken on board.

Cheers

John

Graham, interesting topic. Your observation partly contradicts with John's account, as John writes that in the original version the acoustic guitar is present on both channels?

BTW, if memory serves me well, the stereo spectrum of the ENTIRE Ziggy album on the 30th Anniversary remaster has been reversed. So if they applied this treatment to JOID as well at least that is consistent...

Hi Ruud and Graham,

Just to clarify, Ruud, the very first version of JIOD released in 1972 does feature a single acoustic guitar introduction as Graham indicates but that guitar is later mixed into both channels as the drums kick in just before the first verse. At the very beginning of that track there is a single guitar in the left channel and then it is mixed into both channels for the rest of the verses. There is an oh so slight phase or time difference between each of the acoustic guitar tracks to give it excellent separation. This multiple acoustic guitar mix is emphasized with the electric guitar mixed to the centre.

As Graham mentions, on some CDs for this recording that initial guitar introduction opens in the right channel and not the left channel. Perhaps the mastering engineer had his left and right channel cables around the worng way. :P

The alternate version from 1972 (that was later released in 1979) features a more prominent single acoustic guitar and a more emphasized electric guitar on the right channel and not the centre. This track does feature multiple acoustic guitar tracks in the mix but they are nowhere near as prominent as the original 1972 single release.

I hope this does not confuse you further,

Cheers

John

Recently, a bunch of us over at BWW compared and contrasted and posted scans of our UK RCA 2263s. It seems that all the "BGBS 1056"s on the '72 version are machine-stamped while the '73 sax versions' "BGBS 1056 2E"s are all hand-etched.

Sorry for the delay in responding - I didn't mean to post and then run off. We have been travelling around for the holidays, visiting various relatives, and just got back into town.

I very much appreciate the information from John and Roman! I need to dig up my old vinyl and give a listen to those versions of the song. It had slipped my mind that the 30th edition of Ziggy was reversed - that may very well be where the slip-up occured with this track, as well. I'll listen to some more versions.

I love little details like this - it's a pleasure to be in a group that actually cares! I had my wife listen to the two versions, and she simply took off the head phones, gave me a look that could only be seen as saying "Who the heck cares?", and walked off.

Graham

Hi Graham

My wife Shao Ping does not really take that much interest either but she pretends to show an interest as she honestly admits. Shao Ping feels that i should sell the entire collection and pay off the mortgage.

She did, however, enjoy the Reality show in Sydney.

Cheers

John

Jarman had written that one had to listen to the RCA JIODs in order to tell them apart, so the bad boy in me that wanted to prove him wrong got me interested in the labels and run-off grooves of this record.

While preparing one of my BWW posts on the subject, I gave the Lifetimes edition a spin to see if it was "sax" or not. It wasn't, somewhat to my surprise, but I didn't care enough to try to figure out if it was the original '72 mix or the '79 re-mix.

My question is: did anyone here care enough to have bothered to figure that out before my asking?

@Graham: Glad to see you omitting the Leafs in your sig!

In addition to the substantial response from John Larkin, there is another significant difference with the 79 reissue single:

Prior to the acoustic guitar strumming, individual strings are played, quietly.

To borrow from The Prestige : "Are you listening?"

In Australia, the sax version was never released on vinyl, only the original version, first released in 1972 on the RCA 45. All subsequent Australian pressed compilation LP's contained this orignal version. (Changesonebowie, Best of Bowie, Changes). The 79 issued version was available as an 7" 45 A side, only.

To follow-up on the Ziggy 30th Anniversary side of things, it appears to me that Velvet Goldmine has the channels reversed, but Sweet Head does not, when compared to the Ryko Ziggy release. This might be something to do with the extra 30+ seconds of studio chat they included. Just thought I'd add that.

Roman - the Leafs just have me far too depressed. I'm trying to ignore them.

John - Glad to hear I'm not the only with the spouse issue! Selling the collection has been mentioned often, much to my chagrine.

Graham

Just correcting something I had written earlier in this thread. John I'm Only Dancing had been released as a single here in Australia in the early 70s. It flew under the radar as far as I was concerned. Colin is quite right of course. I only obtained a copy this year.