Why It Mattered: David Bowie - Hunky Dory

In 1970, David Bowie was edging closer to his impending take-off from which he would never touch down. Released on 17 December 1971, Hunky Dory was the album that secured his legend.

The previous record – The Man Who Sold The World – had already begun spinning the webs of myth. Despite this, Bowie had been in the business seven years already and was somewhat disillusioned. Bowie had recently fired his manager of five years, Ken Pitt. His replacement, the cigar-chomping Tony Defries, had made some big claims, however, nothing of interstellar importance had yet materialised.

In fact, his biggest move thus far was to squeeze out Tony Visconti. Thus Bowie was left without a producer, a friend. Floating through limbo he resorted to playing small pubs around South London for a few pounds a night.

In a particularly blue moment, Bowie admitted to journalist Steve Peacock that he felt, “washed-up – a disillusioned old rocker”.

The magic ingredient that changed it all? America.

Travelling by bus from Washington, D.C, to California, Bowie fell in love with America. On his own Kerouac quest, Bowie penned tributes to some of the country’s most iconic innovators: Andy Warhol, Song for Bob Dylan, and the Lou Reed-inspired Queen Bitch.

Also in a similar vein to folkies like Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and Cat Stevens and who were dominating the US charts at the time, Bowie began composing gorgeous acoustic tunes with surrealist lyrics like ‘It’s on America’s tortured brow/That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow’.

Hunky Dory was cut in just two weeks. The group was averaging one song per day, crashing in Bowie’s London apartment by curling up in sleeping bags on the balcony.

While Hunky Dory didn’t initially propel Bowie to stardom, it formed the foundation of his golden run in the '70s.

Produced by Happy Mag: http://happymag.tv/
Shot and edited by Tania Safi   / taniasafi  
Written and presented by Jasmine Kassis

Special thanks to:

Adam Hyde: https://pekingduk.com/
Robbie Buck:   / robbie_buck  
Oscar Dawson: https://www.holyholymusic.com/

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