July 10: David Bowie Records His First Live Album

On July 10, 1974, David Bowie added to his long list of amazing albums when he recorded David Live. The road to recording the album is as amazing as the album itself!

RELATED: June 26: The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll Plays His Last Show

Starting Out

David Bowie was born David Robert Jones. He started making music in the early 1960s. After trying hard for several years, he finally became popular with his song "Space Oddity" in 1969. The song was a big hit and reached the top five in the UK. Bowie's unique voice and creative take on songs is what set him apart from other artists

Ziggy Stardust

In 1972, Bowie created a new character named Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy was a colorful and flashy rock star from outer space. Bowie’s album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars became very famous. His concerts as Ziggy were amazing, with fancy costumes and lots of drama. This made him a star.

Diamond Dogs

By 1974, Bowie wanted to try something new. He released an album called Diamond Dogs. This album was about a scary future world and was inspired by the book "1984" by George Orwell. Bowie’s Diamond Dogs tour was a super creative show, with cool stage designs and lots of acting. Which made Bowie an artist everyone wanted to see

Recording David Live

In July 1974, while on the American part of the Diamond Dogs Tour, Bowie recorded his first live album at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. He wanted to capture the energy and excitement of his live shows. The recordings happened on July 10, 11, 12, and 13, and the album, David Live came out in October 1974.

The Live Album

David Live showed Bowie during a big change in his career. The album had songs from Diamond Dogs and earlier hits like "Changes," "Aladdin Sane," and "Space Oddity." It also included a cover of "Knock on Wood" by Eddie Floyd. The live versions of the songs were raw and powerful, showing Bowie’s amazing stage presence.

What People Thought

When David Live was released, people had mixed feelings. Some loved Bowie’s boldness and the album’s energy, while others thought it wasn’t as good as his studio albums. But over time, the album became an important part of Bowie’s career, showing his growth as a performer.

After David Live

After the "Diamond Dogs" tour, Bowie kept changing his music style. In 1975, he released "Young Americans," which had soul and funk influences. He worked with John Lennon on the hit song "Fame" and continued to make exciting music throughout his career.

David Live is a special album that captures an important time in Bowie’s career, showing how he could always surprise and captivate his audience.

Other Notable Rock Events From July 10

1964 - The Beatles returned to Liverpool for the premiere of their movie “A Hard Days Night”. 

1965 - The Rolling Stones hit number 1 on the US Singles Chart for the track “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. They would hold that spot for 4 weeks

1968 - Eric Clapton made the announcement that Cream would be breaking up when they finished touring.  

1969 - The funeral for Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones happened in his hometown.

1978 - At a Rolling Stones show in Minnesota, Bill Wyman fell off stage and knocked himself unconscious.

1979 - Chuck Berry was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to five months jail time.

1986 - The Grateful Dead’s tour was canceled after Jerry Garcia went into a diabetic coma that lasted five days.

Rock Birthdays

1959 - Sandy West of The Runaways (Drums)

1970 - Jason Orange of Take That (Vocals)

1965 - Peter DiStefano of Porno For Pyros (Guitar)

On This Day In History - July 10

July 10 was a significant day in music history, we saw the birth of a legendary live career and celebrated the lives of some of our favourite classic rock artists. Keep on rocking in the free world!