Bowie’s unreleased album in a box set
An unreleased David Bowie album is set to appear in an upcoming box set.
Who Can I Be Now? (19741976) will be the first release from Bowie’s archive since his death from cancer aged 69 in January and, excitingly, it will feature seven-song record The Gouster. The album was the original version of what eventually became 1975’s Young Americans.
Full details of the box set will be announced next week, but Bowie’s co- producer Tony Visconti has offered some insight into the origin of The Gouster, which has never been released as a full album.
“Gouster was a word unfamiliar to me but David knew it as a type of dress code worn by African American teens in the Sixties, in Chicago,” he said. “But in the context of the David Bowie. album its meaning was attitude, an attitude of pride and hipness. Of all the songs we cut we were enamoured of the ones we chose for the album that portrayed this attitude.”
The Gouster was a result of Bowie’s “soul obsession” in the Seventies. “David had a long infatuation with soul, as did I. We were fans of the TV show Soul Train,” Visconti explained. “We weren’t ‘young, gifted and black’ but we sure as hell wanted to make a killer soul album, which was quite insane but pioneers like the Righteous Brothers were there before us.” THE INDEPENDENT "Moving north on our tour of the American Southwest, we persued a number of campsites just after dark before settling at Buckboard Camp in Manti la Sal National Forest just west of Monticello, Utha for the night." Some thoughts on the IOC’s decision to ban Russian athletes from Rio 2016 fans needed no encourageRussian athletes training for anti-doping authorities were ment from any national leadRio being penalised for what under so little scrutiny at Soers, or from their state media, Russia is alleged to have done chi? If they were. How many to lash out with accusations at Sochi? The Winter Olymof the new positives can be exthat it was all about politics. pics, where there can be no plained by improvements in They felt that the sins of the crossover of the same athletes. detection techniques facilitatpast were being projected If undetected doping is ing retrospective tests, rather on to the future in a way that the issue, then it is London than actual failings first time gave them no way out and no 2012 and Beijing 2008 which around? Above all, why — appeal. need to be the benchmarks. despite the allegations being
Second was the issue of colWhat’s more, the most seriaround for more than a year lective guilt and responsibilous charges originate with a — has it taken until two weeks ity. All Russian athletes were single Russian sports official, before the Rio Olympics for being tarred with the same Grigori Rodchenko, who has the investigations and decibrush. Clean Russian athletes taken refuge in the US. Singlesions to be complete? resented that deeply and pitsourcing is never ideal. His After the IOC ruling, Rusted them against the interevidence may indeed be unsia will still have questions to national sports authorities impeachable, but is there an ask and some of its athletes in a way that could become element of wanting to please will still have reason to feel a liability in the future. The his new country? aggrieved. But there is now Olympics are about individFifth, and last, what about less chance, thank goodness, ual performance, and always the shared responsibility of that Russia will stomp off in have been, quite as much as the IOC, the international a huff and ask whether it is or even more than national federations, and WADA really worth trying to comply performance ( however it itself? What have all these with international standards might look from outside). To well-rewarded authorities if there is one rule for its athban Russia risked traducing been doing? letes and another for everythat ideal. How come Russia’s own one else. THE INDEPENDENT Pr i n t e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d by P r essReader P r e s s R e a d e r . c o m + 1 6 0 4 2 7 8 4 6 0 4 • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • COPYR I G H T A N D P R OT E C T E D B Y A P P L I C A B L E L AW There will be many who will express disappointment, even anger, with the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Some already have. Their argument for a total ban rests not just on the scale of Russia’s past violations, not just on the risk of unfair competition continuing at Rio, but on the direct involvement of Russian state institutions, as confirmed by the World Anti-doping Agency’s inquiry. Personally, I am relieved for a host of reasons, but here are a few.
First, the procession of earlier decisions — plus the mobilisation of other athletes calling for a ban in advance of the IOC ruling — pushed Russia into a political corner and allowed it to play the victim. Ordinary Russian sports MMartinrtiin Scocorscorsesrseesese' TTheLastLastTememptempptaatiion oofChrhrishristist opeppened.ned. Bosoostonto aand NewNe YorkYorrk Cititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititititittititititititity theth fifififirstfififififififififififirfifififififirfififififirfififififififififirfififirfifififirfirfifirsst mailmailboilboxeboxxes werewere insnstanstalltallleded alolonglong strtreetreetseetts. GermGermanrmanyan decldeclarclaredared warar FFranceance.ce TheTh nextnexxt dayay WWorldrl WWaWar begabeggan whenwheen Brirtaritaintain deceecllaredre wwar oon Gerermaermanymany.ny
Third, for all the resentment expressed by Russian spokespeople following the WADA verdict, the general response from the Russian political hierarchy since the start of the allegations, up to and including President Putin, has been — in my view, as a long-time observer of Russian politics —surprisingly restrained.
Underlying their statements has been an acceptance that doping is both illegal and undesirable, and an acknowl- FlorFlorenorenceence Chahadwhaddwickic setse worlworldrl recorecordcord swiwwimminmmingin tthe EnglEngglishis ChanChanneannelne iin hourhoursur andan mminutenutes.tes. Neweew Yoroork, grorounround-undd-breabreakieakingking foror thehe consconnstructruucttioon theth ooriginiginalinaal Woroorld Traraderade CentCennter begeganegaan. BoliBolivilivvia ddecclaredareed indndepndepenepeendencdencenc fromfrom Pereru.eru. edgement that Russia needs to clean up its act. I know this will be dismissed as hypocritical, but I see a divergence, even a clash, between the hoary old men of the Sovietera sports establishment and Russia today, and a blanket ban on Russia from the IOC would, in no way, foster positive trends in Russian sport.
Fourth, there are several, what could be called, ‘procedural issues’ that pose as many questions as they answer. Why, for instance, are Augustt