BIRTHDAY TREAT FOR BOWIE FANS

TWO unreleased David Bowie tracks, both covers, are being issued this morning to mark what would have been his 74th birthday. The songs date from the late 1990s and are bolstered by a traditional rock sound that suggests he was eager to move on from 1997’s Earthling, his poorly received drum and bass album.

The first is a showy take on John Lennon’s Mother, recorded in 1997 and 1998 for a tribute LP that was never released. The second track, Bob Dylan’s Tryin’ To Get To Heaven, is more ambitious, with the original’s languid feel transformed by Bowie’s sax and Reeves Gabrels’ bluesy guitar.

The songs are out on streaming services and vinyl, with a limited edition 7in single restricted to 8,147 copies in honour of Bowie’s date of birth (8/1/47). One thousand copies on cream-coloured vinyl are available from Bowie’s website and Warner Music’s online Dig! store. The remaining 7in singles are on black vinyl.

And a surprise new Ed Sheeran track, Afterglow, emerged late last month. The singer’s first release since becoming a dad in August, it’s a dreamy acoustic ballad sung with a hint of autotune. The single, Ed insists, is a one-off rather than a taster for a new album.