David Bowie’s BBC sessions – complete list

Top Gear

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 18 December 1967
Broadcast: 24 December 1967

Producer: Bernie Andrews
Engineer: Dave Tate

Studio: Piccadilly 1 Studios, 201 Piccadilly, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra

Songs

‘Love You Till Tuesday’‡
‘In The Heat Of The Morning’‡
‘Silly Boy Blue’‡
‘When I Live My Dream’‡
‘Little Bombardier’‡

Top Gear

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 13 May 1968
Broadcast: 26 May 1968

Producer: Bernie Andrews
Engineers: Pete Ritzema, Alan Harris

Studio: Piccadilly 1 Studios, 201 Piccadilly, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
The Tony Visconti Orchestra – fourteen musicians including:
Herbie Flowers: bass guitar
Barry Morgan: drums
John McLaughlin: guitar
Alan Hawkshaw: keyboards
Tony Visconti, Steve Peregrine Took: vocals

Songs

‘London Bye Ta-Ta’**
‘In The Heat Of The Morning’**
‘Karma Man’**
‘When I’m Five’
‘Silly Boy Blue’**

The Dave Lee Travis Show

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 20 October 1969
Broadcast: 26 October 1969

Producer: Paul Williams
Engineer: Pete Ritzema

Studio: Studio 2, Aeolian Hall, New Bond Street, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, 12-string guitar
Mick Wayne: guitar
Tim Renwick: rhythm guitar
John Lodge: bass guitar
John Cambridge: drums

Songs

‘Let Me Sleep Beside You’* ** ‡‡
‘Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed’‡‡
‘Janine’* ** ‡‡

The Sunday Show

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 5 February 1970
Broadcast: 8 February 1970

Producer: Jeff Griffin
Engineers: Tony Wilson, Chris Lycett

Studio: BBC Paris Studio, Lower Regent Street, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Mick Ronson: guitar
Tony Visconti: bass guitar
John Cambridge: drums

Songs

‘Amsterdam’** ‖
‘God Knows I’m Good’** ‖
‘Buzz The Fuzz’‖
‘Karma Man’‖
‘London Bye Ta-Ta’‖
‘An Occasional Dream’‖
‘The Width Of A Circle’** ‖
‘Janine’‖
‘Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud’‖
‘Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed’** ‖
‘Fill Your Heart’‖
‘I’m Waiting For The Man’*
‘The Prettiest Star’‖
‘Cygnet Committee’** ‖
‘Memory Of A Free Festival’** ‖

Sounds Of The 70s: Andy Ferris

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 25 March 1970
Broadcast: 6 April 1970

Producer: Bernie Andrews
Engineer: Nick Gomm

Studio: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Mick Ronson: guitar, vocals
Tony Visconti: bass guitar
John Cambridge: drums

Songs

‘I’m Waiting For The Man’‖
‘The Width Of A Circle’‖
‘Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud’** ‖
‘The Supermen’* †† ‖

In Concert: John Peel

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 3 June 1971
Broadcast: 20 June 1971

Producer: Jeff Griffin
Engineers: Chris Lycett, John Etchells

Studio: BBC Paris Studio, Lower Regent Street, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Mick Ronson: guitar, vocals
Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey: drums
Mark Carr-Pritchard: rhythm guitar
George Underwood, Dana Gillespie, Geoffrey Alexander (Geoff MacCormack): vocals

Songs

‘Queen Bitch’¶
‘Bombers’** ¶
‘The Supermen’¶
‘Looking For A Friend’** ¶
‘Almost Grown’** ¶ (lead vocals: Geoffrey Alexander)
‘Oh! You Pretty Things’*
‘Kooks’** ¶
‘Song For Bob Dylan’¶ (lead vocals: George Underwood)
‘Andy Warhol’¶ (lead vocals: Dana Gillespie)
‘It Ain’t Easy’** ¶ (lead vocals: Bowie, Alexander, Underwood)

Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 21 September 1971
Broadcast: 4 October 1971

Producer: John F Muir
Engineers: John White, Bill Aitken

Studio: T1, Kensington House, Shepherds Bush, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar, piano
Mick Ronson: guitar, bass guitar, vocals

Songs

‘The Supermen’* ** ¶
‘Oh! You Pretty Things’† †† ¶
‘Eight Line Poem’** ¶
‘Kooks’¶
‘Fill Your Heart’¶
‘Amsterdam’* ¶
‘Andy Warhol’¶

Sounds Of The 70s: John Peel

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 11 January 1972
Broadcast: 28 January 1972

Producer: John F Muir
Engineer: Nick Gomm

Studio: T1, Kensington House, Shepherds Bush, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Mick Ronson: guitar, piano, vocals
Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey: drums

Songs

‘Ziggy Stardust’§
‘Queen Bitch’§
‘I’m Waiting For The Man’§
‘Lady Stardust’§

Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 18 January 1972
Broadcast: 7 February 1972

Producer: Jeff Griffin
Engineers: Chris Lycett, John Etchells

Studio: Studio 5, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Mick Ronson: guitar, vocals
Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey: drums

Songs

‘Hang On To Yourself’** §
‘Ziggy Stardust’** §
‘Queen Bitch’** §
‘I’m Waiting For The Man’* ** §
‘Five Years’** §

Sounds Of The 70s: John Peel

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 16 May 1972
Broadcast: 23 May 1972

Producer: Pete Ritzema
Engineer: Nick Gomm

Studio: Studio 4, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Mick Ronson: guitar, vocals
Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey: drums
Nicky Graham: piano

Songs

‘White Light/White Heat’** §
‘Moonage Daydream’** §
‘Hang On To Yourself’** §
‘Suffragette City’** §
‘Ziggy Stardust’** §

The Johnnie Walker Lunchtime Show

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 22 May 1972
Broadcast: 5 June 1972

Producer: Rodger Pusey
Engineer: Nick Gomm

Studio: Studio 2, Aeolian Hall, New Bond Street, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Mick Ronson: guitar, vocals
Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey: drums
Nicky Graham: piano

Songs

‘Starman’** §
‘Space Oddity’* ** §
‘Changes’* ** §
‘Oh! You Pretty Things’** §

Sounds Of The 70s: Bob Harris

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 23 May 1972
Broadcast: 19 June 1972

Producer: Jeff Griffin
Engineer: Chris Lycett, John Etchells

Studio: Studio 5, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Mick Ronson: guitar, vocals
Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey: drums

Songs

‘Andy Warhol’** §
‘Lady Stardust’** §
‘White Light/White Heat’ §
‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide’** §

Mark Goodier’s Evening Session

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 13 August 1991
Broadcast: 13 August 1991

Producer: Mike Robinson
Engineers: Paul Long, Adam Askew

Studio: Studio 5, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, guitar
Reeves Gabrels: guitar
Tony Sales: bass guitar, vocals
Hunt Sales: drums, vocals

Songs

‘A Big Hurt’
‘Baby Universal’
‘Stateside’
‘If There Is Something’
‘Heaven’s In Here’

ChangesNowBowie

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: November 1996
Broadcast: 8 January 1997

Studio: SIR Studios, 520 West 25th Street, New York City

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals
Reeves Gabrels: guitar
Mike Garson: piano
Gail Ann Dorsey: bass guitar, vocals
Zachary Alford: drums

Songs

‘The Man Who Sold The World’~
‘The Supermen’~
‘Andy Warhol’~
‘Repetition’~
‘Lady Stardust’~
‘White Light/White Heat’~
‘Shopping For Girls’~
‘Quicksand’~
‘Aladdin Sane’~
‘I Can’t Read’*

Mark Radcliffe Show

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 25 October 1999
Broadcast: 25 October 1999

Producer: Will Saunders
Engineer: Mike Robinson

Studio: Studio 4, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals
Page Hamilton, Mark Plati: guitar
Mike Garson: keyboards
Gail Ann Dorsey: bass guitar, vocals
Sterling Campbell: drums
Emm Gryner, Holly Palmer: vocals

Songs

‘Survive’
‘Drive-In Saturday’
‘Something In The Air’
‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me’Δ
‘Repetition’

Saturday Music Mix

BBC Radio 2
Recorded: 25 October 1999
Broadcast: 6 November 1999

Producer: Chris Whatmough
Engineer: Mike Robinson

Studio: Studio 4, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals
Page Hamilton, Mark Plati: guitar
Mike Garson: keyboards
Gail Ann Dorsey: bass guitar, vocals
Sterling Campbell: drums
Emm Gryner, Holly Palmer: vocals

Songs

‘Survive’
‘China Girl’
‘Survive’ (for Virgin Radio)
‘Changes’ (for Virgin Radio)

Bowie At The BBC Radio Theatre

BBC Radio 1
Recorded: 27 June 2000

Studio: BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals
Earl Slick: guitar
Mark Plati: guitar, bass guitar
Gail Ann Dorsey: guitar, bass guitar, vocals
Mike Garson: piano, keyboards
Sterling Campbell: drums
Holly Palmer: vocals, percussion
Emm Gryner: vocals, keyboards

Songs

‘Wild Is The Wind’***
‘Ashes To Ashes’***
‘Seven’***
‘This Is Not America’***
‘Absolute Beginners’***
‘Always Crashing In The Same Car’***
‘Survive’***
‘The London Boys’* ◊
‘I Dig Everything’* ◊
‘Little Wonder’***
‘The Man Who Sold The World’***
‘Fame’***
‘Stay’***
‘Hallo Spaceboy’***
‘Cracked Actor’***
‘I’m Afraid Of Americans’***
‘Ziggy Stardust’ (false start)*
‘Ziggy Stardust’*
‘All The Young Dudes’ (false start)*
‘The Jean Genie’ (instrumental)*
‘All The Young Dudes’* ◊
‘Starman’* ◊
“Heroes”* ◊
‘Let’s Dance’***

David Bowie – Live and Exclusive

BBC Radio 2
Recorded: 18 September 2002
Broadcast: 5 October 2002

Executive producer: Lewis Carnie

Studio: Studio 3, Maida Vale, Delaware Road, London

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, 12-string guitar
Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard, Mark Plati: guitar
Mike Garson: keyboards
Gail Ann Dorsey: bass guitar, vocals
Catherine Russell: keyboards, acoustic guitar, vocals
Sterling Campbell: drums, percussion

Songs

‘Sunday’
‘Look Back In Anger’
‘Cactus’
‘Survive’
‘5:15 The Angels Have Gone’
‘Alabama Song’
‘Everyone Says ‘Hi”
‘Rebel Rebel’
‘The Bewlay Brothers’
‘Heathen (The Rays)’