Station To Station Album: 1976

David Bowie
Jan 23, 1976
4 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Bowie's Thin White Duke Epic

Released as in the UK by RCA Victor on January 23, 1976, David Bowie’s Station To Station was his tenth studio album and a pivotal transitional work — blending soul/funk grooves with experimental rock, marking the birth of the Thin White Duke persona. Produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, it featured George Murray (bass), Dennis Davis (drums), Earl Slick (lead guitar), Carlos Alomar (rhythm guitar), and Roy Bittan (piano). The title track clocked in at over 10 minutes, with “Golden Years,” “TVC 15,” “Stay,” and the cover of “Wild Is The Wind” becoming enduring classics.

The album was released with addition tracks in 1991, see below.

Primarily recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California, in late 1975, following Bowie's completion of filming The Man Who Fell to Earth; the cover art featured a still from the film. During the recording sessions, Bowie struggled with various drug addictions, particularly cocaine, and later admitted he remembered almost nothing of the production.

The commercial success of Bowie's prior album, Young Americans (1975), granted him greater creative freedom when he started recording his subsequent album. These sessions solidified the lineup of guitarist Carlos Alomar, bassist George Murray, and drummer Dennis Davis, whom Bowie would collaborate with for the rest of the decade, and also included contributions from guitarist Earl Slick and pianist Roy Bittan. Musically, Station to Station served as a transitional album for Bowie, expanding on the funk and soul of Young Americans while introducing a new direction influenced by the German krautrock genre, particularly bands like Neu! and Kraftwerk. The lyrics reflected Bowie's interests in Friedrich Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley, mythology, and religion.

Preceded by the single "Golden Years," Station to Station achieved commercial success, reaching the top five on both the UK and US charts. After abandoning a soundtrack for The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bowie promoted the album with the Isolar Tour in early 1976, during which he sparked controversy with statements perceived as supporting fascism. At the tour's conclusion, he relocated to Europe to distance himself from L.A.'s drug scene. The musical styles explored on Station to Station culminated in some of Bowie's most acclaimed work with the Berlin Trilogy over the following three years. Upon its release, Station to Station was well-received by music critics and has been featured on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. It has been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

Track Listing

Side A

Station To Station – 10:08

Golden Years – 4:03

Word On A Wing – 6:00

Side B

TVC 15 – 5:29

Stay – 6:08

Wild Is The Wind – 5:58

UK Variants

LP, Album, CBS contract pressing – RCA Victor – APL1 1327, RCA Victor – APL1-1327, RCA Victor – RS 1038 – UK – 1976

LP, Album, Test Pressing, White Label – RCA – APL1 1327 – UK – 1976

LP, Album – RCA – APL1-1327, RCA – APLI-1327, RCA Victor – APL1 1327 – UK – 1976

LP, Album – RCA – APL1-1327, RCA Victor – APL1 1327 – UK – 1976

Cassette, Album, Orange Paper Labels – RCA – PK 11715 – UK – 1976

Cassette, Album, Orange Paper Labels, No Indent – RCA – PK 11715 – UK – 1976

Cassette, Album, Orange Paper Labels – RCA – PK 11715 – UK – 1976

8-Track Cartridge, Album, Stereo – RCA – P8S 11715 – UK – 1976

UK Chart Performance

Peak position: 5

8 weeks initial run (February 7, 1976 to March 27, 1976): 13 → 5 → 8 → 10 → 14 → 23 → 46 → 41

Additional runs in 1976, 2010, 2016, 2017, and 2021 (posthumous surges).

Production and Context

Recorded at Cherokee Studios, Hollywood. The album reflected Bowie’s cocaine-fuelled Hollywood period and his fascination with soul, occultism, and the Thin White Duke character. It bridged the soul phase of Young Americans and the ambient Berlin Trilogy.

Legacy

Station To Station remains one of Bowie’s most enigmatic and influential albums — a dark, funky, cinematic masterpiece that set the stage for his most experimental phase.

Do you have Station To Station in your vinyl collection? Ready for the Thin White Duke? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including davidbowie.com, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia and BBC Official Charts Company

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.