David Bowie's Pin Ups, released October 19, 1973 on RCA Records, is an all-covers album dedicated to the British rock and R&B songs Bowie loved as a teenager in the 1960s, featuring twelve covers by The Who, The Kinks, The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, Syd Barrett, The Animals, and more. Recorded with the Spiders from Mars at the Château d'Hérouville in France after the Ziggy Stardust tour, Pin Ups is notable as the one album in Bowie's catalog that contains no original songwriting, a deliberate tribute project between creative periods. Mick Ronson's guitar work transforms songs like Pete Townshend's 'I Can't Explain,' Harry Vanda and George Young's 'Friday On My Mind,' and Ray Davies' 'Where Have All the Good Times Gone' into high-glam-rock statements. The album reached number one in the UK and confirmed Bowie's status as a tastemaker even when not writing his own material. Because none of the songs are Bowie originals, Pin Ups is one of the few albums that lowers his overall authorship score.
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosalyn | Jimmy Duncan, Bill Farley | Jimmy Duncan, Bill Farley | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 2 | Here Comes the Night | Bert Berns | Bert Berns | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 3 | I Wish You Would | Billy Boy Arnold | Billy Boy Arnold | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 4 | See Emily Play | Syd Barrett | Syd Barrett | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 5 | Everything's Alright | Nicky Crouch, John Konrad, Simon Stavely, Stuart James, Keith Karlson | Nicky Crouch, John Konrad, Simon Stavely, Stuart James, Keith Karlson | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 6 | I Can't Explain | Pete Townshend | Pete Townshend | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 7 | Friday On My Mind | Harry Vanda, George Young | Harry Vanda, George Young | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 8 | Sorrow | Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer | Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 9 | Don't Bring Me Down | Johnny Dee | Johnny Dee | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 10 | Shapes of Things | Paul Samwell-Smith, Keith Relf, Jim McCarty | Paul Samwell-Smith, Keith Relf, Jim McCarty | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 11 | Anyway Anyhow Anywhere | Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey | Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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| 12 | Where Have All the Good Times Gone | Ray Davies | Ray Davies | Ken Scott, David Bowie |
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