Hear David Bowie’s Unreleased Covers Of Bob Dylan And John Lennon
David Bowie‘s previously unheard versions of John Lennon‘s Mother and Bob Dylan’s Tryin’ To Get To Heaven have been released to mark what would have been Bowie’s 74th birthday.
The star, who passed away in 2016, recorded his version of Mother in 1998, alongside longtime producer Tony Visconti. Tryin’ To Get To Heaven meanwhile, was recorded by Bowie in 1998 while he worked on his live album, Liveandwell.com, which has received a limited one-run-only reissue as part of the Brilliant Live Adventures set: a six LP and CD box set of some of Bowie’s live performances across 1995-1999.
John Lennon originally recorded Mother in 1970, for his first solo studio album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. David Bowie recorded it for a Lennon tribute album, which never happened. Tryin’ To Get To Heaven appeared on Bob Dylan’s GRAMMY award-winning, 30th studio album, Time Out Of Mind in 1997.
The single is being released on a limited run of 8,147 numbered copies. 1,000 cream vinyl and 1,000 black vinyl copies are being sold exclusive to both David Bowie’s website and the official Dig! store, and can be ordered here
You can also listen to the two new songs on Spotify below.
Elsewhere, Duran Duran shared their cover of David Bowie’s Five Years, to mark his birthday.
Speaking about their cover, Simon LeBon said, “My life as a teenager was all about David Bowie. He is the reason I started writing songs. Part of me still can’t believe in his death five years ago, but maybe that’s because there’s a part of me where he’s still alive and always will be.”
Duran Duran shared their version on their official YouTube account, and it can be heard below.
It was released ahead of their performance in A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day, a livesteam event organised by Bowie’s longterm pianist, Mike Garson, and featuring a star-studded bill, with performances by Boy George, Gary Barlow, Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor, Macy Gray, and many others.