David Bowie - Tonight - Alternate Version (1984)

So far, I've posted a series of stray tracks albums for David Bowie stretching from about 1966 to 1982. I said that's where the series ends, because I think the quality of his music goes way down for many years thereafter. But he does have one last hurrah with "Let's Dance" in 1983. It's just that i don't know of any stray tracks associated with it.

Then, the "Tonight" album in 1984 has some good moments. I think he jumped the shark with "Never Let Me Down" in 1987, which was just terrible. Even Bowie later pretty much admitted it was terrible. It took him a long time to find his groove again after that.

In my opinion, only about half of "Tonight" is worth hearing. But luckily, Bowie put out a handful of songs that were also good in 1985 and 1986 before things really went south for him for a while. It so happens that by adding the good songs from "Tonight" with the other good songs from that time, one gets an album's length of songs. So that's what I've done here.

The extra songs come from four sources. First, there's "This Is Not America," which Bowie did with Pat Metheny for a movie soundtrack. I think that's a great song that tends to get forgotten since it didn't make it on any Bowie album at the time. Next, there's "When the Wind Blows," the title song to an anti-nuclear movie. Then there are two songs from the "Absolute Beginners" soundtrack, and one more from the "Labyrinth" soundtrack. Actually, both of those soundtracks have more Bowie songs, but unfortunately I don't think those songs are very good.

In addition, I used an alternate version of the song "Loving the Alien." That song is on the "Tonight" album, but I think that version was way too long at over seven minutes. I'm using the single version, which is four and a half minutes long. (I don't have a problem with a long song if it stays interesting, but some long songs just repeat and get boring.)

If you add up everything on this album, it totals 43 minutes. Interestingly enough, this isn't that far off from the bonus tracks that were later added to the "Tonight" album. That adds three of the same five song I added. But I think with the "Tonight" album, less is more, and it's greatly improved by removing some of the songs.

Speaking of less being more, right during this time period, in 1985, Bowie and Mick Jagger made a duet version of the 1960s Motown classic "Dancing in the Street." It hit number one in Britain and was at least a top ten hit in many other countries. But that version is just awful! It, and its lame video, are widely mocked today. So this album is better off by not having that song on it. If you want to hear "Dancing in the Street," please listen to the awesome original by Martha and the Vandellas instead.

01 Loving the Alien [Remix Version] (David Bowie)
02 Tonight (David Bowie with Tina Turner)
03 Blue Jean (David Bowie)
04 Tumble and Twirl (David Bowie)
05 I Keep Forgetting (David Bowie)
06 This Is Not America (David Bowie & Pat Metheny)
07 When the Wind Blows (David Bowie)
08 That's Motivation (David Bowie)
09 Absolute Beginners (David Bowie)
10 As the World Falls Down (David Bowie)

https://www.upload.ee/files/15106889/DavidB_1984_TonghtAlternatVersion_atse.zip.html

For the cover, I just used the "Tonight" cover without any changes.