The return of the thin white duke

In 1976 David Bowie released his 10th album titled "Station To Station". After he finished shooting for the movie "The Man Who Fell To Earth" he started the recording for the album in the second half of 1975. It was a transitional album inbetween his funk/soul sound of "Young Americans" from 1975 and his Berlin period that started in 1977 with "Low". He was heavily addicted to drugs during that time and he can hardly remember recording "Station To Station". He lived mainly of a diet of peppers and milk. Besides acting in the movie "The Man Who Fell To Earth" he also intended doing the soundtrack for the movie but that didn't occur. Bowie recommended John Philips from the Mamas and the Papas for the soundtrack. The cover of "Station To Station" portraited a photo shoot from the movie where Thomas Jerome Newton steps into the space capsule that will return him to his home planet.

Scene from The man who fell to earth

The album and movie introduced a new character after Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and captain Rebel (Diamond Dogs era) called the thin white duke as described in the title song. The band existed of bassist George Murray joining Young Americans drummer Dennis Davis and rhythm guitarist Carlos Alomar. They would join Bowie during the rest of the decade as musicians especially Carlos Alomar, Bowie's favourite guitarist. The album could be described as an avant-garde art-rock album.

Golden Years - single cover

Station to Station
Starting with train sounds and continues into a rock opera like a Bohemian Rhapsody with many different parts. "From Kether to Malkuth" relates to mystical places in the Kabbalah about christans and jewish. Religious themes he would later revisit on "Loving The Alien" in 1984. He is also aware of his drug use in the song as we can hear in "It's not the side effects of the cocaine / I'm thinking that it must be love".

Wild is the wind - single cover 1981

Golden Years
A finger-snapping soul song like on his previous album. The song he intended to offer to Elvis Presley who refused the song. Although his ex-wife Angie claims it was about their relationship.

Word on a Wing
A beautiful ballad  which is a scream for help from an angel. Something he really needed at that time.

TVC 15
About a girl in love with her TV.

Stay
A quick rock song with guitar licks by Earl Slick.

Wild Is the Wind
A Nina Simone cover in country style. He decided to cover a song of her after he met her.

Alternate album cover on first remastered CD's

The album easily managed to reach #3 in both the Netherlands and the United States and #5 in the UK. The single "Golden Years" making it up to the top 10 in all these countries and even more. In 1981 the compilation "Changestwobowie" was released which saw the release of "Wild Is The Wind" as a single as well.

Original album cover

Station to Station (1976)
Station To Station / Golden Years / Word On A Wing / TVC 15 / Stay / Wild Is The Wind

Golden Years in soul train 1975

Station To Station

Word On A Wing