David Bowie famously sang about “Changes” in 1971, and true to his phrase, he turned and confronted the unusual on his 1975 LP “Young Americans.”
Making a galactic journey from glam-rock to his self-described “plastic soul,” the person who got here from Mars as Ziggy Stardust landed in Philadelphia to file his game-changing basic that got here out 50 years in the past on March 7, 1975.
However the rock star — who died at 69 from liver most cancers in 2016 — wasn’t precisely greeted with cohesion within the metropolis.
“We were going to the birthplace of so many hits,” Tony Visconti — the “Young Americans” producer who had labored with Bowie since 1968 — completely instructed The Submit. “But [Kenny] Gamble and [Leon] Huff, they didn’t want to work with us.”
Certainly, the Sound of Philadelphia architects behind such R&B greats because the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes weren’t open to this Brit invading their territory.
“They actually said, ‘We don’t want no white boy stealing our music’ or something like that,” mentioned Visconti, 80.
However Bowie was on a makeover mission that would not be stopped on “Young Americans,” assembling his personal soul squad, together with Sly & the Household Stone drummer Andrew Newmark, Donny Hathaway bassist Willie Weeks, James Brown saxophonist David Sanborn and an rising background singer by the title of Luther Vandross at Sigma Sound — the Philly studio the place many Gamble & Huff hits have been made.
There was additionally session guitar participant Carlos Alomar licking it up on hits such because the title observe and his co-written basic “Fame” — Bowie’s first No. 1 hit within the US — after working on the Apollo Theater and touring with everybody from the Godfather of Soul, Brown, to the Predominant Ingredient.
“I didn’t need him. He needed something,” mentioned Alomar, 73. “You know, we kind of attracted each other.”
In truth, Alomar and his spouse, “Young Americans” background singer Robin Clark, solid a private bond with the Skinny White Duke earlier than knowledgeable one.
“I had to tell him, ‘Boy, you look like crap. You need to eat! You need to come to my house and get a home-cooked meal,’ ” recalled Alomar. “And so we had dinner, and we had a good time.”
Alomar and Clark would go on to carry out on Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” tour, the place among the “Young Americans” materials was launched. That relationship continued into the recording of the album, on which the singer adopted one other, hipper persona as “The Gouster.”
“And it just so happens that my best friend was Luther Vandross,” mentioned Alomar. “We were young teenagers at the Apollo Theater in a group called Listen My Brother from ‘Sesame Street.’ ”
Clark introduced Vandross to Philadelphia for the “Young Americans” classes, the place the long run R&B legend served as “choirmaster,” as Visconti describes it, for background vocalists together with Ava Cherry, who Bowie was relationship on the time.
“What a master he was, what a nice person too,” mentioned Visconti. “You know, he was really friendly and helpful, a genius.”
In truth, Vandross’ contributions have been so vital that he even obtained songwriting credit score for “Fascination.”
“It was called ‘Funky Music’ — that’s the original title,” mentioned Visconti. “And David thought maybe it’s a little too plain.”
“Fascination” was recorded after the “Young Americans” classes have been accomplished on the Energy Station in New York — or so Visconti thought.
After the producer returned to the UK to grasp the album, Bowie knowledgeable him that he was impressed so as to add two extra tunes due to a sure Beatle — John Lennon.
“I went back to London, and he just sent me a telegram because he was a really kind person. He says, ‘I’m sorry to tell you this, Tony, but … I was just in the studio with John Lennon last night, and we recorded this song called ‘Fame,’ ” mentioned Visconti.
“And I went, ‘Oh my God, if only I stayed another week!’ It was only a few days after I left. I missed out on that big time. I would have loved to have been there, even as a fly on the wall.”
Bowie additionally recorded a canopy of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” which was written by Lennon.
“He thought John Lennon would be happy about that, and John Lennon said to him afterward, ‘I don’t know why you wanted to record ‘Across the Universe.’ I wrote better songs than that,’ ” mentioned Visconti.
Alomar additionally acquired writing credit score on “Fame” as the person who got here up with the well-known guitar riff, together with Bowie musing in regards to the trappings of stardom.
“When I found out that he wanted to record at Jimi Hendrix’s studio Electric Lady, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah! This is awesome,’ ” shared Alomar. “I came upon he had taken ‘Foot Stompin’ [by the Flairs] and simply reduce it up.
“It had this funky, mysterious kind of groove you would never have thought this ‘Diamond Dog’ would come out with,” mentioned Alomar. “Next thing I know, he’s on ‘Soul Train’ talking to Don Cornelius.”
Certainly, “Young Americans” — which is being celebrated with a brand new half-speed mastered LP and movie disc — modified the colour of soul for generations to come back.
“It shocked his fans who always wanted another ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ which they think was his crowning glory,” mentioned Visconti of Bowie’s 1972 breakthrough “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.”
“This English guy who has a very pronounced British accent wants to go to Philadelphia, and he wants to make funky music … that was a major move that not many people could pull off. But he did it.”
