“For which my reputation swept back home in drag...”
The Tony Visconti-produced The Man Who Sold The World (TMWSTW) was released in the UK fifty-five years ago today, on Thursday 8th April 1971.
Mercury’s failure to promote the release of the album won’t have helped the dismal UK sales at the time, prompting Bowie to make this comment later the same year: “It sold like hotcakes in Beckenham, and nowhere else.” Sales of later reissues more than made up for those initial sales.
Bowie wore a dress designed by British designer Michael Fish (not the weather man) for the cover, which was shot at Bowie’s Haddon Hall home by Keith MacMillan.
Overall, the rockier sound of the LP contrasted very much with the two albums released either side of it (Space Oddity and Hunky Dory), though TMWSTW did have some beautiful acoustic tracks in the shape of All the Madmen, After All and the title track.
This new sound for Bowie was in no small part down to the musicians on the record: Ralph Mace, Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti, and Mick Woodmansey.
Our graphic is just for fun, utilising a few of Keith MacMillan’s shots for some alternative covers.
📸 Keith MacMillan
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