Bowie recorded his “soul” record, ‘Young Americans,’ in the late-summer of 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios, having already done six consecutive nights at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby that July. Those shows were not only a snapshot of Bowie’s transformation from a glam artist to one suddenly keen on soul, but they were also put down on wax and became ‘David Live’ – his first official concert release.
Having an interest in the genre at the time that bordered on obsession, “The Sound of Philadelphia” was the ultimate draw for Bowie and led him to embrace the studio where so many of the classic Gamble and Huff tracks were made. It certainly worked some magic for the frontman, as two of his best known songs, “Young Americans” and “Fame,” would appear on the ensuing album. The former would be his first Top 40 single in the States, with the latter his first chart-topping song here.
News that Ziggy Stardust was recording at 212 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia led a group of fans to begin camping outside of the studio in hopes of catching a glimpse of their idol, or perhaps meeting him. They got much, much more, as Bowie began to interact with the dedicated fans – he dubbed them the “Sigma Kids” – and even invited them into the studio to listen to rough mixes of the album.
For such a huge rock star to interact with the dozen or so Sigma Kids was quite the anomaly. Reports over the years suggested he not only came to know them by name over the 15-day recording process, but that he came to value their opinion on the work-in-progress.
Despite taking the two weeks to work on the album, Bowie was still touring to promote his most recent album, ‘Diamond Dogs,’ and for the final three months of 1974 began referring to it as “The Philly Dogs Tour.”
The finished ‘Young Americans’ wasn’t just a stark departure from Bowie’s glam rock leanings, it catapulted him into another tier of success, with venues on tour getting bigger and albums moving more units. It was a testament to his talent, as Bowie admitted in later years that it was the deepest he had delved into cocaine abuse.
Nile Rodgers, Chic guitarist and producer of Bowie’s 1983 album ‘Let’s Dance,’ says the singer admitted there were years during the mid-70s he couldn’t remember because of the substance abuse. Incidentally, ‘Let’s Dance’ spawned the hit “Modern Love,” the video for which used footage from Bowie’s performance that July at the Spectrum.
It seemed like every so many years, Bowie would rekindle his acquaintance with the City of Brotherly Love. In 1987, he kicked off the North American leg of his ‘Glass Spider’ tour with two nights at Veterans Stadium and on what would be his final extensive outing in 2004, “A Reality Tour,” began the second North American leg at what is now the Wells Fargo Center.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@hotmail.com. Also, check out his blog at www.delcotimes.com
