2018 box set by David Bowie
Loving the Alien (1983–1988) is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 12 October 2018. A follow-up to the compilations Five Years (1969–1973), Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), and A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982), the set covers the period of Bowie's career from 1983 to 1988, his most commercially successful period, and includes eleven compact discs or fifteen LPs.
Exclusive to the box set are Never Let Me Down 2018, a re-engineered version of his 1987 album, and Dance, an alternate 2018 version of a previously planned but scrapped 12" collection. Initially exclusive to this box set, but released separately later, are live albums from his Serious Moonlight and Glass Spider tours from 1983 and 1987, respectively. The Serious Moonlight live album was the first official audio release from the tour, using the same setlist and audio as the Serious Moonlight concert film (save for the addition of a live performance of "Modern Love", recorded in Montreal and originally released as the B-side to the song's studio recording), while the Glass Spider live album had been previously included with the 2007 DVD release of the Glass Spider concert film.
The box set includes remastered editions of Let's Dance (1983), Tonight (1984) and Never Let Me Down (1987). It also includes Re:Call 4, a compilation of non-album singles, single versions, and B-sides from his albums and soundtrack releases for Labyrinth, Absolute Beginners and When the Wind Blows, all from 1986.
The set comes with a hardcover book with rarely seen and previously unpublished photos by photographers including Denis O'Regan, Greg Gorman, Herb Ritts and many others as well as historical press reviews and technical notes about the albums from producers/engineers Nile Rodgers, Hugh Padgham, Mario McNulty and Justin Shirley-Smith.
The remix compilation Dance was originally scheduled to be released by EMI in 1985. The concept of the album, however, was vastly different from the version that appears in this box set. Seven tracks from the era were to have new additional production and mixing by Paul Sabu and Rusty Garner. This idea was later scrapped, but the album cover had already been shot and some physical copies of the sleeve they had made began circulating outside of the label before they were destroyed in bulk. The version of Dance that appears in Loving the Alien (1983–1988) is simply a collection of the original 12" remixes from the era, sans most dub mixes. This release of Dance uses the same album art that was shot for the original concept in 1985.
A follow-up set, Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001), was announced in September 2021 and set for release later that fall; the announcement came following Warner Music Group's acquisition of the material Bowie released under Columbia Records between 2002 and 2017.
Track listing
All tracks are written by David Bowie, except where noted
Serious Moonlight (Live '83)
Tonight (2018 remaster)
Side twoTitle | Writer(s) |
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6. | "Glass Spider" | | 5:34 |
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7. | "Shining Star (Makin' My Love)" | | 5:06 |
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8. | "New York's in Love" | | 4:34 |
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9. | "'87 and Cry" | | 4:21 |
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10. | "Bang Bang" | Pop, Ivan Kral | 4:30 |
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Total length: | 24:14 (49:11) |
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Side oneTitle |
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1. | "Day-In Day-Out" | 5:26 |
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2. | "Time Will Crawl" | 4:26 |
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3. | "Beat of Your Drum" | 5:27 |
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Total length: | 15:19 |
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Side twoTitle | Writer(s) |
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4. | "Never Let Me Down" | Bowie, Alomar | 4:26 |
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5. | "Zeroes" | | 5:06 |
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6. | "Glass Spider" | | 6:53 |
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Total length: | 16:25 |
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Side threeTitle | Writer(s) |
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7. | "Shining Star (Makin' My Love)" (featuring Laurie Anderson) | | 5:32 |
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8. | "New York's in Love" | | 4:33 |
---|
9. | "'87 and Cry" | | 4:25 |
---|
10. | "Bang Bang" | Pop, Kral | 4:42 |
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Total length: | 19:12 (50:56) |
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Glass Spider (Live Montreal '87)
Side oneTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
1. | "Up the Hill Backwards" | | 3:51 |
---|
2. | "Glass Spider" | | 5:55 |
---|
3. | "Day-In Day-Out" | | 4:34 |
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4. | "Bang Bang" | Pop, Kral | 4:02 |
---|
Total length: | 18:22 |
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Side twoTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
5. | "Absolute Beginners" | | 7:08 |
---|
6. | "Loving the Alien" | | 7:14 |
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7. | "China Girl" | Bowie, Pop | 4:55 |
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8. | "Rebel Rebel" | | 3:30 |
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Total length: | 22:47 |
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Side threeTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
9. | "Fashion" | | 5:04 |
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10. | "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" | | 4:52 |
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11. | "All the Madmen" | | 6:39 |
---|
12. | "Never Let Me Down" | Bowie, Alomar | 3:56 |
---|
Total length: | 20:36 |
---|
Side fourTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
13. | "Big Brother" | | 4:47 |
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14. | "'87 and Cry" | | 4:07 |
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15. | ""Heroes"" | Bowie, Eno | 5:10 |
---|
16. | "Sons of the Silent Age" | | 3:10 |
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17. | "Time Will Crawl" (with band introduction) | | 5:23 |
---|
Total length: | 22:37 |
---|
Side fiveTitle |
---|
18. | "Young Americans" | 5:06 |
---|
19. | "Beat of Your Drum" | 4:37 |
---|
20. | "The Jean Genie" | 5:23 |
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21. | "Let's Dance" | 5:01 |
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Total length: | 20:07 |
---|
Side sixTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
22. | "Fame" | Bowie, Alomar, Lennon | 7:05 |
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23. | "Time" | | 5:11 |
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24. | "Blue Jean" | | 3:26 |
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25. | "Modern Love" | | 4:53 |
---|
Total length: | 20:35 (125:04) |
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Dance
Side oneTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
1. | "Shake It" (Re-mix aka Long Version) | | 5:21 |
---|
2. | "Blue Jean" (Extended Dance Mix) | | 5:20 |
---|
3. | "Dancing with the Big Boys" (Extended Dance Mix) | Bowie, Pop, Alomar | 7:31 |
---|
Total length: | 18:12 |
---|
Side twoTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
4. | "Tonight" (Vocal Dance Mix) | Bowie, Pop | 4:31 |
---|
5. | "Don't Look Down" (Extended Dance Mix) | Pop, Williamson | 4:55 |
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6. | "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dub Mix) | | 7:15 |
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Total length: | 17:17 |
---|
Side threeTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
7. | "Tumble and Twirl" (Extended Dance Mix) | Bowie, Pop | 5:05 |
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8. | "Underground" (Extended Dance Mix) | | 7:54 |
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9. | "Day-In Day-Out" (Groucho Mix) | | 6:28 |
---|
Total length: | 19:27 |
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Side fourTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
10. | "Time Will Crawl" (Dance Crew Mix) | | 5:34 |
---|
11. | "Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)" (12” mix) | | 6:27 |
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12. | "Never Let Me Down" (Dub/Acapella) | Bowie, Alomar | 6:02 |
---|
Total length: | 18:03 (72:59) |
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Re:Call 4 (remastered tracks)
Side threeTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
11. | "Labyrinth Opening Titles/Underground" (from Labyrinth) | Trevor Jones, Bowie | 3:21 |
---|
12. | "Magic Dance" (from Labyrinth) | | 4:12 |
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13. | "As the World Falls Down" (from Labyrinth) | | 4:50 |
---|
14. | "Within You" (from Labyrinth) | | 3:29 |
---|
15. | "Underground" (from Labyrinth) | | 5:57 |
---|
Total length: | 21:49 |
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Side fourTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
16. | "When the Wind Blows" (single version) (from When the Wind Blows) | Bowie, Erdal Kızılçay | 3:35 |
---|
17. | "Day-In Day-Out" (single version) | | 4:14 |
---|
18. | "Julie" | | 3:34 |
---|
19. | "Beat of Your Drum" (vinyl album edit) | | 4:32 |
---|
20. | "Glass Spider" (vinyl album edit) | | 4:56 |
---|
Total length: | 20:51 |
---|
Side fiveTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
21. | "Shining Star (Makin' My Love)" (vinyl album edit) | | 4:05 |
---|
22. | "New York's in Love" (vinyl album edit) | | 3:55 |
---|
23. | "'87 and Cry" (vinyl album edit) | | 3:53 |
---|
24. | "Bang Bang" (vinyl album edit) | Pop, Kral | 4:03 |
---|
25. | "Time Will Crawl" (single version) | | 4:03 |
---|
Total length: | 19:59 |
---|
Side sixTitle | Writer(s) |
---|
26. | "Girls" (extended edit) | Bowie, Kızılçay | 5:34 |
---|
27. | "Never Let Me Down" (7” remix edit) | Bowie, Alomar | 3:59 |
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28. | "Bang Bang" (live – promotional mix) | Pop, Kral | 4:07 |
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29. | "Tonight" (live) (Tina Turner with David Bowie) | Bowie, Pop | 4:19 |
---|
30. | "Let's Dance" (live) (Tina Turner with David Bowie) | | 3:25 |
---|
Total length: | 21:24 (127:57) |
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