“TVC 15” is a song written and recorded by singer-songwriter David Bowie and released on his 1976 album Station to Station.
The track was inspired by an episode in which Iggy Pop, during a drug-fueled period at Bowie’s LA home, hallucinated and believed the television set was swallowing his girlfriend. Bowie developed a story of a holographic television, TVC 15. In the song, the narrator’s girlfriend crawls into the television and afterwards, the narrator desires to crawl in himself to find her.
side A. TVC 15 3:33
side B. We Are The Dead 4:48
Description
Label: RCA Victor – PB-10664
Format: Vinyl, 7″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: Netherlands
Released: 30-04-1976
Recorded at: Cherokee and Record Plant, Los Angeles , September – November 1975
Media Condition: Very Good (VG)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good (VG)
ring wear: NO
All three seams looking perfect: YES
Picture sleeve looks near mint: YES
creases or folds: NO
stamps or writing: NO
Live versions
A live performance recorded on 23 March 1976 was included on Live Nassau Coliseum ’76, which was released as part of the 2010 reissues of the Station to Station album, on the 2016 collection Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), and as a stand–alone album in 2017.
Performances from the 1978 “Heroes” tour have been released on Stage (1978) and Welcome to the Blackout (2018).
On 15 December 1979, Bowie recorded the song for a performance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, accompanied by Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias.
Bowie performed the song during the Live Aid concerts on 13 July 1985. The tempo was considerably faster and more upbeat.
It appeared on several compilations:
The Best of Bowie (1980) (single edit)
Fame and Fashion (1984) (album version)
Sound + Vision box set (1989) (album version)
Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
The Singles Collection (1993)
The Best of 1974/1979 (1998) (single edit)
Best of Bowie (2002)
The single edit of the song also appeared on the Christiane F. soundtrack (1981). It is also included on Re:Call 2, part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) compilation (2016).
It was released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time disc set.
Producers:
Harry Maslin
David Bowie
Musicians:
David Bowie: lead vocals, saxophone
Warren Peace: percussion, backing vocals
Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick: electric guitar
George Murray: bass
Dennis Davis: drums
Roy Bittan: piano
Companies, etc.
Published By – Bewlay Bros. Music
Published By – Moth Music Corp.
Published By – Fleur Music Ltd.
Published By – Chrysalis
Published By – Mainman
Distributed By – Inelco
Manufactured By – Inelco Nederland B.V.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – RCA Records
Pressed By – EMI-Bovema N.V. – 28101
Pressed By – EMI-Bovema N.V. – 28102
Credits
Artwork By [Cover] – Arno Van Orsouw
Producer – Harry Maslin (tracks: A)
Written-By, Arranged By, Producer – David Bowie
