🔘 Slow Burn – Single: Jun. 2002

Released: June 3, 2002 (Japan / Europe / USA)

Label: ISO / Columbia Records

Catalogue Number: COL 672744 2

Format: CD Single

Issued as the lead single from Heathen, David Bowie’s Slow Burn was released internationally on CD in 2002, backed with the non‑album track Wood Jackson. The single was not issued in the UK.

🔘 Overview

Slow Burn marked Bowie’s return to major‑label single releases after the Reality and Hours eras, serving as the first preview of his 22nd studio album, Heathen. Featuring Pete Townshend on guitar, the track blends atmospheric production with a soaring vocal performance that earned Bowie a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Male Vocal Performance.

The B‑side, Wood Jackson, is an exclusive non‑album track from the Heathen sessions, making the single a key collectible for completists. The radio version of Slow Burn later appeared on the 2002 Best of Bowie compilation.

The cover art, photographed by Markus Klinko, is a composite image: Bowie’s head was digitally placed onto the body of a separately photographed male model.

🔘 Track List

1. Slow Burn (Album Version)

Written by: David Bowie

Produced by: David Bowie & Tony Visconti

Featuring: Pete Townshend – guitar

2. Wood Jackson

Written by: David Bowie

Produced by: David Bowie & Tony Visconti

🔘 Release Details

Label: ISO / Columbia Records

Format: CD Single

Country: Japan / Europe / USA

Year: 2002

Notes:

- Lead single from Heathen

- Not released as a UK single

- Features Pete Townshend on guitar

- Grammy‑nominated performance

- Cover art by Markus Klinko (composite image)

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

Japan / Europe / USA – ISO/Columbia – COL 672744 2 (2002)

Format: CD Single

Notes:

- Standard international issue

- No UK edition

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

Slow Burn was recorded during the Heathen sessions with Tony Visconti, marking a renewed creative partnership. Townshend’s guitar work adds a sharp, expressive edge to the track’s atmospheric arrangement.

Music Video

Directed by Gary Koepke, the video features Bowie performing in a studio vocal booth while a young girl explores the darkened control room. The video was later uploaded to Bowie’s official VEVO channel in 2011.

Collector Notes

The inclusion of Wood Jackson makes this single essential for Heathen‑era collectors, as the track did not appear on the album.

Legacy

Slow Burn stands as one of Bowie’s strongest early‑2000s singles, signalling the artistic resurgence that defined his Heathen and Reality period.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single

Survive (2000)

Next Single

Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (2002)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Slow Burn — 2002

Wood Jackson — 2002

Everyone Says ‘Hi’ — 2002

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

2001 — Heathen sessions

Jun. 3, 2002 — Slow Burn CD single released

2002 — Best of Bowie includes radio edit

🔘 Glam Flashback

A luminous Heathen‑era beacon — Bowie, Townshend, and Visconti rekindling a fierce creative spark.

🔘 Sources

Discogs

Columbia / ISO Records

Bowie archival documentation