David Bowie Freddi and the Dreamer – The Arnold Corns Sessions 1971
SQ 8,5 >> Sound Quality Rating
1. Lady Stardust (Bowie) 3:48
Studio Outtakes / Demos
Radio Luxembourg Studios 10th March 1971
David Bowie
2. Right On Mother (Bowie) 2:08
Studio Outtakes / Demos
Radio Luxembourg Studios 10th March 1971
David Bowie
3. Moonage Daydream (Bowie) 3:48
Studio Outtakes / Demos
Radio Luxembourg Studios 10th March 1971
David Bowie
4. Looking For A Friend (Bowie) 3:24
Studio Outtakes / Demos
Trident Studios 4th June 1971
David Bowie
Mono mix
5. Man In The Middle (Pritchett) 4:08
Demo
London 4 Jun 1971
David Bowie
6. Looking For A Friend (Bowie) 3:20
Studio Outtakes/Demos
Trident Studios 4th June 1971
David Bowie
Mono mix
7. Moonage Daydream (Bowie) 3:52
Studio
Arnold Corns Single
April 1971
David Bowie
Arnold Corns single A-side
8. Hang On To Yourself (Bowie) 2:54
Studio
Arnold Corns Single
April 1971
David Bowie
Arnold Corns single B-side
9. Looking For A Friend (Bowie) 3:19
Studio
Arnold Corns Single
May 1985
David Bowie
Arnold Corns single A-side (from the vaults)
10. Man In The Middle (Pritchett) 0:10
Single
17 Jun 1971
David Bowie
Arnold Corns single B-side
Despite stories about Bowie’s stylist, Freddie Buretti, being the singer, it was actually Mark Pritchett – who also sang the song.
Intro only
11. Man In The Middle (Pritchett) 4:05
London 17 Jun 1971
David Bowie
Arnold Corns b-side
Despite stories that the vocals were by Freddie Buretti, Bowie’s stylist, they were actually by Mark Pritchett, who also wrote the song.
12. Looking For A Friend (Bowie) 2:14
Studio
Arnold Corns Session 1971
David Bowie
Alternate version
13. Hang On To Yourself (Bowie) 2:16
Studio
Arnold Corns Session February 1971
David Bowie
Live version with Gene Vincent!
14. Looking For A Friend (Bowie) 2:10
Studio
Arnold Corns Session 1971
David Bowie
Alternate take
15. How Lucky You Are (Miss Peculiar) (Bowie) 3:35
Studio Outtake
Arnold Corns Session 1971
David Bowie
16. Shadow Man (Bowie) 3:47
Demo
London 15 Nov 1971
David Bowie
Outtake from early Ziggy Stardust sessions.
Later re-recorded for Toy and released as a b-side in 2002.
17. Lightning Frightening (Bowie) 3:55
Studio Outtake
Arnold Corns Session 1971
David Bowie
18. Rupert The Riley (Bowie) 2:59
Demo
London 23 Apr 1971
David Bowie
Recorded under the name “Nicky King All Stars”.
Mickey (sic) King: vocals
David Bowie: backing vocals/saxophone
Mark Pritchett: guitar
Herbie Flowers: bass
Barry Morgan: drums
Version without the engine effects at the beginning
19. Looking For A Friend (Bowie) 3:36
Studio Outtake
BBC Session 20th June 1971
David Bowie
BBC John Peel Show
A very nice disc with songs recorded during the short Arnold Corns era in 1971. The things that are “new” on this CD are three new versions of LOOKING FOR A FRIEND, one of MOONAGE DAYDREAM and one of HANG ON TO YOURSELF (with Gene Vincent!). The rest of the songs have been released on other discs. The sound quality is excellent, except for the Gene Vincent track. That track is only good! Some funny liner notes, and some really good information about the Arnold Corns project! A true must!
Arnold Corns had a strange hobby, Collecting clothes…
I’m sure you’re all more than familiar with the embryonic versions of Moonage Daydream and Hang On To Yourself released on the B&C label by The Arnold Corns in the UK in May 1971.
If you were in Holland at the time, you may even have stumbled upon Moonage Dream (sic) on Philips, in the only picture sleeve issued for the single. (See above)
The project was supposedly created as a vehicle for David’s new friend and future creator of many of the more memorable Bowie outfits over the next few years, Freddie Burretti, aka Rudi Valentino for this project. But, it was really a way of David recording new material anonymously to avoid record company complications.
Backed by Mark Carr-Pritchard on guitar, Peter De Somogyl on bass and Tim Broadbent on drums, (all members of Rungk) the lead vocal is clearly David with no evidence of Freddie on the recordings at all. There is another voice joining David on the chorus, which I suppose is most likely to be Carr-Pritchard, but I could be wrong.
The publicity material for this first single from The Arnold Corns utilised a Brian Ward shot that featured on the front of a ‘sex education’ magazine called Curious. Even the Dutch picture cover was lifted from this same shot which appears in colour above.
Thankfully, the record didn’t race to the top of the singles chart, otherwise, (following the success of Peter Noone’s version of Oh! You Pretty Things) DB may have become convinced that his future lay in songwriting for others rather than performing his songs under his own name.
The version of Moonage Daydream recorded later in the year for Ziggy Stardust is far superior and a more vital recording than the plodding Arnold Corns version, likewise Hang On To Yourself.
Shortening the name to Arnold Corns didn’t prove any more successful for the next single, released in August 1972, for which Hang On To Yourself was elevated to A-side status. This 45 was seen as an attempt by B&C to cash-in on the success of Ziggy Stardust.
A previously unreleased song, Man In The Middle, featuring Mark Carr-Pritchard on lead vocals backed by The Spiders became the B-side…but that release isn’t forty until next year, so more of that story then.
See the Arnold Corns section on Lanky Pearson’s Visual Discography of David Bowie 7″ vinyl for label variations and general nerdy excitement.
