Diamond Dogs is the eighth album by David Bowie, originally released in 1974 on RCA Records.
Thematically, it was a marriage of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Bowie had wanted to make a theatrical production of Orwell's book and began writing material after completing sessions for his 1973 album Pin Ups, but the author’s estate denied the rights. The songs ended up on the second half of Diamond Dogs instead where Read Full BioDiamond Dogs is the eighth album by David Bowie, originally released in 1974 on RCA Records.
Thematically, it was a marriage of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Bowie had wanted to make a theatrical production of Orwell's book and began writing material after completing sessions for his 1973 album Pin Ups, but the author’s estate denied the rights. The songs ended up on the second half of Diamond Dogs instead where, as the titles indicated, the Nineteen Eighty-Four theme was prominent.
Though the album was recorded and released after the 'retirement' of Ziggy Stardust in mid-1973, and featured its own lead character in Halloween Jack ("a real cool cat" who lives in the decaying "Hunger City"), Ziggy was seen to be still very much alive in Diamond Dogs, as evident from Bowie's haircut on the cover and the glam-trash style of the first single "Rebel Rebel".
David Bowie - vocals, guitars, saxes, Moog synthesizer, Mellotron, producer, mixing engineer
Earl Slick - guitar on "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"
Mike Garson - keyboards
Herbie Flowers - bass guitar
Tony Newman - drums
Aynsley Dunbar - drums
Alan Parker - guitar on "1984"
Thematically, it was a marriage of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Bowie had wanted to make a theatrical production of Orwell's book and began writing material after completing sessions for his 1973 album Pin Ups, but the author’s estate denied the rights. The songs ended up on the second half of Diamond Dogs instead where Read Full BioDiamond Dogs is the eighth album by David Bowie, originally released in 1974 on RCA Records.
Thematically, it was a marriage of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Bowie had wanted to make a theatrical production of Orwell's book and began writing material after completing sessions for his 1973 album Pin Ups, but the author’s estate denied the rights. The songs ended up on the second half of Diamond Dogs instead where, as the titles indicated, the Nineteen Eighty-Four theme was prominent.
Though the album was recorded and released after the 'retirement' of Ziggy Stardust in mid-1973, and featured its own lead character in Halloween Jack ("a real cool cat" who lives in the decaying "Hunger City"), Ziggy was seen to be still very much alive in Diamond Dogs, as evident from Bowie's haircut on the cover and the glam-trash style of the first single "Rebel Rebel".
David Bowie - vocals, guitars, saxes, Moog synthesizer, Mellotron, producer, mixing engineer
Earl Slick - guitar on "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"
Mike Garson - keyboards
Herbie Flowers - bass guitar
Tony Newman - drums
Aynsley Dunbar - drums
Alan Parker - guitar on "1984"
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Future Legend
by David Bowie
And in the death,
As the last few corpses lay rotting on the slimy
Thoroughfare,
The shutters lifted in inches in Temperance Building,
High on Poacher's Hill.
And red, mutant, eyes gaze down on Hunger City.
No more big wheels.
Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats,
And ten thousand peoploids split into small tribes,
Coveting the highest of the sterile skyscrapers,
Like packs of dogs assaulting the glass fronts of Love-Me Avenue.
Ripping and rewrapping mink and shiny silver fox, now leg-warmers.
Family badge of sapphire and cracked emerald.
Any day now,
The year of the Diamond Dogs.
"This ain't Rock'n'Roll,
This is Genocide."
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by David Bowie
And in the death,
As the last few corpses lay rotting on the slimy
Thoroughfare,
The shutters lifted in inches in Temperance Building,
High on Poacher's Hill.
And red, mutant, eyes gaze down on Hunger City.
No more big wheels.
Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats,
And ten thousand peoploids split into small tribes,
Coveting the highest of the sterile skyscrapers,
Like packs of dogs assaulting the glass fronts of Love-Me Avenue.
Ripping and rewrapping mink and shiny silver fox, now leg-warmers.
Family badge of sapphire and cracked emerald.
Any day now,
The year of the Diamond Dogs.
"This ain't Rock'n'Roll,
This is Genocide."
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Andrew Dexter
1974, I was just five years old, my grandfather Bill had the album, he used to play the start, and as soon as I heard it, I would scream in fear as it really frightened me so much.
Mrbrbusby .busby
Andrew Dexter Omg. That was approx my same experience. We were in ATL in ‘74. There was a real big gay scene. My mom was in the Anita Bryant orange juice cult and wouldn’t let me and my bro go to the Bowie show. He put me on headphones on future legend. And I went no. 2 in my Disney swim trunks.
Drew Glenn
Thanks to my dad, I was told at 6 years old that this is the greatest bowie record ever made. I knew it then, I know it now.
terrypussypower
Back in ‘74, this song got me one of the few gold stars I ever got at school when the teacher asked the class what was the word that meant ‘the extermination of an entire race”. Quick as a flash I shouted out “it’s genocide, Miss”!
I left out the ‘this ain’t rock n roll’ part, though!
Jupiter
thanks for this, i always loved how smooth the transition was between these two on vinyl, the gap between songs on digital just ruins it.
willie twilligerrock
If three songs, as opposed to an entire album, can constitute a masterpiece, it'd be the first three songs on this album, especially "Sweet Thing"
Don Jonsen
Listening to Diamond Dogs before this is like listening to Livin'Lovin'Maid before Heartbreaker
Morg Ellon
Favorite Bowie album. Record player broken, thanks for posting this.
Marilyne Chenuet
It's the FIRST album that i heard, when i was teenager... in 1984 when "Scary Monsters" has been put on sale, a camarade of class took me home to make me listen "Diamond Dogs" and... i LOVED that :-). Thanks for the link because to have "Future legend" AND "Diamond Dogs", it's... you're the only one who proposed it ;-)
Jason Lefler
Thank you for the upload.