Station to Station cover art

  Studio Album · No. 10

Station to Station Songwriting Credits by David Bowie

1976 RCA Records 6 tracks 38 min

Produced by Harry Maslin, David Bowie  ·  Engineered by Harry Maslin, Ted Spencer

RCA Records Art RockFunkR&B
83%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 5 of 6 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 5 / 6 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 6 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.

83%
5 trackswritten by David Bowie 1 trackoutside writers
David Bowie's roles on this album

Share of the 6 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist83%
Composer83%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

6
Tracks
2
Lyricists
2
Producers
3.4 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1976
Released
Data Insight

David Bowie wrote every song on Station to Station except the closing cover "Wild Is the Wind," which sets Ned Washington's lyrics to Dimitri Tiomkin's music and was recorded as a tribute to Nina Simone's version. Working in Los Angeles with guitarist Carlos Alomar's rhythm section, Bowie built the record around long, layered compositions, most plainly on the ten-minute title track. The lead single "Golden Years" is one of his most self-contained pieces of writing, a love song that never uses the word love.

David Bowie's Station to Station, released January 23, 1976 on RCA Records, is the album of the Thin White Duke, Bowie's cocaine-fueled, emotionally detached persona, and one of the most critically acclaimed records of his career, bridging his soul period and the experimental Berlin trilogy that followed. Bowie wrote or co-wrote five of the six tracks, with the sole cover being Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington's 'Wild Is the Wind.' The ten-minute title track opens the album with a slow-building krautrock-influenced introduction before transforming into a funk groove, while 'Golden Years' and 'TVC 15' became top-ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick, and drummer Dennis Davis, the core band that would carry through the Berlin era, all contribute here. Station to Station reached the top five in both the US and UK and is considered among the most important albums in rock history, showing Bowie's complete compositional control even during the most chaotic period of his personal life.

Track Listing & Credits 6 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Station to Station
David Bowie David Bowie Harry MaslinDavid Bowie David Bowie (Vocals)
2
Golden Years #8
David Bowie David Bowie Harry MaslinDavid Bowie David Bowie (Vocals)
3
Word on a Wing
David Bowie David Bowie Harry MaslinDavid Bowie David Bowie (Vocals)
4
TVC 15 #33
David Bowie David Bowie Harry MaslinDavid Bowie David Bowie (Vocals)
5
Stay
David Bowie David Bowie Harry MaslinDavid Bowie David Bowie (Vocals)
6
Wild Is the Wind
Ned Washington Dimitri Tiomkin Harry MaslinDavid Bowie David Bowie (Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 4 contributors

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Frequently Asked Questions Station to Station

When was David Bowie's Station to Station released?
Station to Station was released in January 1976 on RCA Records. It was Bowie's tenth studio album and introduced his Thin White Duke persona.
What genre is David Bowie's Station to Station?
Station to Station is an art rock album that also draws on funk and R&B. It bridges the soul of Young Americans and the electronic experiments of his later Berlin records.
How long is the title track "Station to Station"?
The title track "Station to Station" runs about ten minutes, making it the longest studio song Bowie had released to that point. Its lyrics reference the Stations of the Cross and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
What were the singles from Station to Station?
"Golden Years" was the lead single, reaching number 8 in the UK and number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "TVC 15" followed, peaking at number 33 in the UK and number 64 in the US.
Which song on Station to Station did David Bowie not write?
"Wild Is the Wind" is the only song on the album Bowie did not write. The lyrics are by Ned Washington and the music by Dimitri Tiomkin, and Bowie recorded it as an homage to Nina Simone.
What is "TVC 15" by David Bowie about?
"TVC 15" is a surreal, comic song about a man whose girlfriend is consumed by his television set. It reached number 33 in the UK and number 64 in the US.
How well did Station to Station sell?
Station to Station has sold roughly 3.4 million copies worldwide. It was certified Gold in the US, the UK, and Canada.

Sources