Listen to updated versions of two early David Bowie songs recorded for his unreleased ‘TOY’ album

Parlophone Records/ISO Records

A previously unheard 2000 version of the early David Bowie song “Karma Man” that Bowie recorded for his unreleased album TOY, was made available today as a digital single.

“Karma Man” also will appear on the recently announced Bowie box sets Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) and TOY (TOY:BOX), which will be released on November 26, 2021, and January 7, 2022, respectively.

Along with the 2000 version of “Karma Man,” an exclusive alternate mix of an updated rendition of the 1967 Bowie tune “Silly Boy Blue,” also recorded during the TOY sessions, has been released digitally.

As previously reported, TOY was a planned album that Bowie recorded in 2000 that featured updated versions of songs that date from 1964 through 1971. David first recorded “Karma Man” in 1967, although the track wasn’t released until 1970. The original studio version of “Silly Boy Blue” appeared on Bowie’s self-titled 1967 debut album.

The full TOY album will get its first official release as part of Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001), an expansive collection that also includes remastered editions of five Bowie studio albums — 1993’s Black Tie White Noise, the 1993 soundtrack The Buddha of Suburbia, 1995’s 1. Outside, 1997’s Earthing, and 1999’s ‘hours…’ — a previously unreleased live album and a compilation of alternative versions, B-sides, soundtrack recordings and other rarities.

The TOY (TOY:BOX) set also will include the originally planned TOY album, as well as alternative mixes of the TOY tracks and tunes intended as B-sides, and stripped-down, mostly acoustic mixes of the songs.

Meanwhile, a series of clips of interviews with some of the musicians who contributed to TOY have been posted at Bowie’s official YouTube channel.

You can pre-order Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) and TOY (TOY:BOX) now.

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