The Shel Talmy Recordings, a collection of David Bowie’s 1965 sessions with The Who and The Kinks producer Shel Talmy, has been announced for release on September 18th via Parlophone. As a first preview, you can check out the previously unheard “I Want Your Love” below.
Made when Bowie was still known as Davie Jones, the CD and digital versions of the album feature 10 previously unheard tracks, while the vinyl edition features six. Besides Jones’ own Manish Boys and The Lower Third, The Shel Talmy Recordings features contributions from future Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and pianist Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who).
Pre-order the vinyl and CD versions of The Shel Talmy Recordings now at the official David Bowie and Rhino stores.
“This collection, a primary chapter if not the very earliest installment in David’s musical journey, deserves legitimate consideration,” music historian Alec Palao writes in the sleeve notes. “It is invariably tempting to search for clues in an artist’s tentative beginnings, and Bowie’s juvenilia has been dissected more than most, but this has rarely been done within the proper context.”
Palao continues, “The sounds here should not be judged by the standards of his later career, but by the standards of what was happening in Britain at that precise point in time. In which case, they speak as loudly of the excitement of London and its music scene in that pivotal year of 1965 as they do for the launch of its brightest future star.”
By 1964, Talmy already had major success with The Who and The Kinks, but was scouting emerging talent when he met and signed Bowie in London as a member of The Manish Boys. When the recording sessions began, however, Bowie had formed Davie Jones & The Lower Third.
Thus, the majority of Bowie’s work with Talmy at The Who’s favorite studio, IBC (where Tommy would later be recorded), was either solo demos or featured The Lower Third. According to a press release, Page was brought in as Talmy’s go-to “precocious guitar-slinger,” who would frequently “supercharge” sessions with a custom-built fuzz pedal “to add extra bite.”
Davie Jones’ official transformation to David Bowie took place in September 1965, making The Shel Talmy Recordings a time capsule for before a legend was born.
The Shel Talmy Recordings Artwork:
The Shel Talmy Recordings Tracklist:
CD
01. You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving (2026 Remaster) ^
02. I Want Your Love *^
03. Cupid *^
04. I Pity the Fool (2026 Remaster) +
05. Baby Loves That Way (2026 Remaster) ^
06. Keep Up with the Jones (Instrumental) *^
07. Leave Her to Me *^
08. I’ll Follow You ^
09. You Gotta Tell Her (2026 Remaster) *^
10. Take My Tip (2026 Remaster) +
11. Certain Woman *^
12. Today (Demo) *%
13. I Want My Baby Back (Demo) (2026 Remaster) %
14. I Live in Dreams (Demo) *%
15. Bars of the County Jail (Demo) %
16. That’s Where My Heart Is (Demo) (2026 Remaster) %
17. I Do Believe I Love You (Demo) *%
18. You’ve Got a Habit Of Leaving (Alternative overdub/vocal) (2026 Remaster)^
19. I Pity the Fool (Alternative vocal take) (2026 Remaster)+
20. Baby Loves That Way (Alternative vocal take) *^
21. Take My Tip (Alternative vocal take) (2026 Remaster)+
* = Previously Unreleased
^ = Davie Jones & The Lower Third
+ = The Manish Boys
% = Davie Jones
Vinyl
Side A
01. You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving (2026 Remaster) ^
02. I Pity the Fool (2026 Remaster) +
03. Baby Loves That Way (2026 Remaster) ^
04. I’ll Follow You ^
05. Take My Tip (2026 Remaster) +
Side B
01. I Want Your Love *^
02. Cupid *^
03. Keep Up with the Jones (Instrumental) *^
04. Certain Woman *^
05. Leave Her to Me *^
06. You Gotta Tell Her (2026 Remaster) *^
* = Previously Unreleased
^ = Davie Jones & The Lower Third
+ = The Manish Boys
