David Bowie’s team are streaming a previously-unreleased 1997 version of the 1991 Tin Machine classic, “Baby Universal”, as the fourth of six tracks that will be streamed over the next few weeks ahead of their inclusion on a new EP entitled “Is It Any Wonder?”
With lyrics by Bowie and music co-written by the rocker and Reeves Gabrels, the song was initially recorded by Tin Machine for their second album, “Tin Machine II.”
Released as a single in October 1991, it was performed during the final Tin Machine US television appearance on Saturday Night Live, and was regularly featured on Bowie’s 1996 Outside Summer Festivals Tour.
The version now being released as “Baby Universal ‘97” was re-recorded for the “Earthling” album, originally intended to be sequenced between “I’m Afraid Of Americans” and “Law (Earthlings On Fire)”. The song was ultimately removed from the final album master, but Bowie was very fond of this version and before the track was dropped was quoted as saying: “I thought ‘Baby Universal’ was a really good song and I don’t think it got heard. I didn’t really want that to happen to it, so I put it on this album… I think this version is very good.”
“Baby Universal ‘97” follows recently-issued rare tracks in the series, including Tin Machine’s 1989 tune, “I Can’t Read”, Bowie’s 1976 cut, “Stay”, and an alternate version of the singer’s 1970 classic, “The Man Who Sold The World.”
See also:
David Bowie streams unreleased version of classic Station To Station track
David Bowie streams unreleased version of 1989 Tin Machine track
David Bowie streams unreleased version of The Man Who Sold The World
David Bowie box set Conversation Piece explores early years
Search David Bowie at hennemusic
