8 January 2022

Yesterday lost album TOY by the late genius DAVID BOWIE was released
and today The Thin White Duke would have turned 75 (born 8 January 1947).

Happy B. Bowie!

TOY was a record Bowie wanted to release in 2001, but didn’t see the
day of light at the time. The LP leaked in 2011, but wasn’t followed by
an official release until yesterday.

The late hero recorded the LP after Glastonbury 2000 with his live band at
the time, featuring songs he originally had put on tape between 1964-1971

The idea was to capture a live-in-the-studio feel and drop the album by surprise.
But for technological problems, it didn’t happen and Bowie started working on
the 2002 Heathen album.

Mark Plati (musician/producer/songwriter) who produced Toy together with Bowie:
“Toy is like a moment in time captured in an amber of joy, fire and energy. It’s the sound
of people happy to be playing music. David revisited and re-examined his work from decades prior through prisms of experience and fresh perspective — a parallel not lost on me as I now revisit it twenty years later. From time to time, he used to say “Mark, this is our album” — I think because he knew I was so deeply in the trenches with him on that journey. I’m happy to finally be able to say it now belongs to all of us.”

In addition to the standalone Toy release, also an expanded edition called
Toy: Box featuring all sorts of alternate takes and mixes plus B-sides, is
available. More info here.

The Daily Mail (English newspaper): “The most striking thing is the sheer verve of the performances. Toy was made in the weeks before Bowie’s wife, Iman, gave birth to their daughter, Lexi, and the singer, on a roll, is the energetic hub of a band featuring Garson, guitarists Earl Slick and Mark Plati, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey and drummer Sterling Campbell.” Full review here. Score: 4/5.

Turn Up The Volume: Bowie 4ever.

Let’s dance to Bowie’s 75th birthday with TOY…

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DAVID BOWIE: Website