I've only just discovered that the cd of Never Let Me Down hasn't got Too Dizzy. I know the song from my vinyl days but I guess I never noticed it was missing.
Anyone know why it was left off?
I found it quite easily to download but is it actually featured on any cd so I can buy it officially?
Too Dizzy is only available on the 1987 CD, CDP 746677 2. I've always assumed it was removed from later releases because Bowie doesn't like it.
_________________ Alan
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Aphex
Posted: 17th Oct 2010, 3:38 pm
Posts: 402Location: MexicoJoined: 23rd Aug, 2009
That's correct, Bowie hates the song. Also the japanese replica of Never let me down has the song listed on the back, and it's missing from the cd itself!
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ChristianF
Posted: 17th Oct 2010, 4:21 pm
Posts: 14Joined: 29th May, 2009
beckenham wrote:
Too Dizzy is only available on the 1987 CD, CDP 746677 2. I've always assumed it was removed from later releases because Bowie doesn't like it.
Thanks for that I'm sure it won't cost me much on ebay
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PabloPicasso
Posted: 17th Oct 2010, 4:24 pm
Posts: 344Location: Was Wales, now Canada, BC.Joined: 27th Dec, 2007
If anyone wants a Canadian pressing of NLMD with Too Dizzy on it, I know where there is one which I could get for you pretty cheap (plus postage).
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motte
Posted: 17th Oct 2010, 6:47 pm
Posts: 177Location: GermanyJoined: 5th Jan, 2008
Hi there!
In my eyes (or better ears) Too Dizzy is not the worst song on NLMD...
But the question I am thinking of for years (since I first read about Too Dizzy beeing banned from NLMD because Bowie hates it) is: Is is okay to modify an album some years later just becaus of a changing taste of the artist? I mean an album is a piece of art of its time, and there must be thousands of examples in music history of bands/singers that hate the one song or the other of their back catalogues looking at it years later.
From my point of view Too Dizzy belongs to NLMD and should never have been removed!
What do you think?
Torsten
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Nature_Boy
Posted: 17th Oct 2010, 8:10 pm
Posts: 141Joined: 9th Sep, 2008
I agree. For better or worse an album should stand as it was originally conceived.
I suppose the artist can do what he wants although maybe it needs to be clear that the CD isn't as first conceived. The annoyance is because I can't buy the original
If I could easily buy a version of NLMD including Too Dizzy I'd probably be happy, so it only really annoys me as a collector.
Bowie's not the only one. Morrissey's recently issued Southpaw Grammar & Maladjusted which are very different from the originals (That doesn't worry me becuse I've got the originals). Also Let It Be Naked & Double Fantasy spring to mind. I'm sure there's others.
The question we probably can't answer here is, why was Too Dizzy originally included on the album. If EMI pushed Bowie to include it, I can understand why he asked for it to removed from later releases. If he simply changed his mind about it, I'm less sympathetic.
_________________ Alan
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the_hype
Posted: 17th Oct 2010, 11:09 pm
Posts: 619Joined: 20th May, 2008
Wasn't it something to do with the lyrics. ("Who's this guy I'm gonna blow away" maybe ?) something rings a bell.
I must I do find it strange that it was removed just because he didn't like it. Surely there are other songs he must hate on other albums and they've remained. It was co written with Erdal Kizilcay so presumably he had to agree.
I wonder if was it written about somebody and it's out of respect that it's been removed?
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PabloPicasso
Posted: 18th Oct 2010, 1:50 pm
Posts: 344Location: Was Wales, now Canada, BC.Joined: 27th Dec, 2007
It was the only Kizilkay co-write which makes me suspicious as to why it was removed, maybe they fell out?
The strange thing about Too Dizzy is that it was given a 12" promo back in 87, so someone obviously thought it might be single material. It is annoying that it is listed on the sleeve of the Japanese mini vinyl replicas but of course is no on the actual album. Nor is it included in the iTunes "LP" version of Never Let Me Down.
I don't like the revisionism, it is like artists who refuse to rerelease an album because they now consider it not good enough. If it was good enough to release initially, it should be readily available still.
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pobbard
Posted: 19th Oct 2010, 5:50 pm
Posts: 198Location: Boston, MAJoined: 8th May, 2008
I agree with all of the concerns about "revisionism" and things once available becoming unavailable. It's a shame.
On the other hand, in this case, we're talking about "Too Dizzy" from NLMD. It's not like we're talking about "V-2 Schneider" or "Lady Stardust"... that should be some consolation!
Frankly, I'd love to hear Bowie remix/rework all of NLMD the way he did to "Time Will Crawl" a few years ago... but I'm not holding my breath.
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motte
Posted: 22nd Oct 2010, 8:02 pm
Posts: 177Location: GermanyJoined: 5th Jan, 2008
beckenham wrote:
If EMI pushed Bowie to include it, I can understand why he asked for it to removed from later releases.
Hi there!
Okay, I agree, but then the CD should be called "Director's Cut" (well, "Director's Cut" is a term for films, but I hope you know what I mean) or "NLMD Naked". But all the rereleases pretend to be the original album.
But to make that clear: I'm not angry about that (as I have the NLMD CD with Too Dizzy), I just wonder
Cheers
Torsten
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shooky
Posted: 23rd Oct 2010, 12:44 am
Posts: 2910Location: takasaki, japanJoined: 28th May, 2008
the original CD/LP is not difficult to find, so literally everybody who wants to hear the album as originally released can do so.
the decision to remove it after release is no different to making a last-minute call to remove it prior, and is entirely the artist's prerogative. if it's not ok for david bowie to request the removal of one of his songs from his album, then there's something wrong IMHO.
and yes, its lyrics are borderline embarrassing and the most likely reason for its removal.
