Newly Discovered Cover Of The Who's 'I Can't Explain' By David Bowie Released

 

Today, Parlophone Records has released “I Can’t Explain (Trident Studios Version—Take 2),” the third track to be taken from the upcoming David Bowie release Rock 'N' Roll Star!, a five CD and single Blu-ray audio set that comes out on June 14.  You can hear it here.

The box set explores David Bowie’s journey from February 1971 through the creation of Ziggy Stardust and the recording of the The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album.

“I Can’t Explain (Trident Studios Version—Take 2)," is a cover of The Who’s classic 1965 debut single. It was produced by Bowie and recorded at Trident Studios in Soho, London, on June 24, 1972. This high-energy version of the track has remained undiscovered for over 50 years. Bowie would record the song again, at a much slower tempo, a year later with co-producer Ken Scott for his Pin-Ups album.

Other unreleased highlights on Rock 'N' Roll Star! include an unheard version of the deep-cut classic “Shadow Man” and "Lady Stardust (Alternative Version—Take 1)" performed in a much lower register than the released version. 

Rock 'N' Roll Star! features 29 unreleased tracks, including early songwriting demos, recordings from Bowie's band, The Arnold Corns, rehearsals at his then-home, Haddon Hall, BBC sessions, singles, live performances, plus outtakes and alternative versions from the album recording sessions, which have been newly mixed by original co-producer, Ken Scott. 

The audio-only Blu-ray Disc features the definitive 2012 remaster of the original Ziggy Stardust album in 96kHz/24bit PCM stereo, plus the album and additional mixes from 2003 in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 as well as the singles, outtakes and alternative versions in 96kHz/24bit PCM stereo.

Rock 'N' Roll Star! also contains two books. The first is an extensive 112-page book with detailed liner notes, memorabilia, contemporary reviews and articles, rare photographs from Barrie Wentzel, Michael Putland, Mick Rock, Sukita and Alec Byrne, as well as brand-new notes and interviews with Ken Scott, Mark Carr Pritchett and Bowie's plugger from the time, Anya Wilson. Accompanying the main book is a 36-page compiled reproduction of Bowie's personal Ziggy Stardust-era notebooks.