⭐ Changesbowie – Album: Mar. 1990

Released on CD, Cassette & 2×LP

Rykodisc (US) / EMI CDP 79 4180 2 (UK)

Released: March 12, 1990 (US & UK)

A career‑spanning reinvention that reintroduced Bowie’s past to a new decade — and returned him to No. 1.

Changesbowie arrived on March 12, 1990 as the flagship compilation of Rykodisc’s major Bowie remaster campaign. Designed to replace the long‑deleted RCA compilations (Changesonebowie and Changestwobowie), it offered a newly remastered, career‑wide overview spanning 1969–1985.

The release coincided with Bowie’s Sound+Vision tour, which amplified interest in his back catalogue. Despite mixed reactions to the collage‑style cover — described by David Buckley as “a sixth‑form cut ’n’ paste collage” — the compilation became a commercial triumph.

In the UK, Changesbowie debuted at No. 1, marking Bowie’s first chart‑topper since Tonight (1984). According to The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, it was his seventh album to enter the chart at No. 1, a record unmatched by any other artist at the time.

The compilation features key collaborators across eras: Mick Ronson, Carlos Alomar, George Murray, Herbie Flowers, Trevor Bolder, Mick Woodmansey, and more — a cross‑section of Bowie’s most iconic line‑ups.

🔘 Track List

All tracks written by David Bowie unless noted.

Timings reflect the compilation versions.

Space Oddity – 5:13

Starman – 4:16

John, I’m Only Dancing – 2:46

Changes – 3:33

Ziggy Stardust – 3:13

Suffragette City – 3:25

The Jean Genie – 4:06

Life on Mars? – 3:48

Diamond Dogs – 6:04

Rebel Rebel – 4:26

Young Americans – 5:10

Fame ’90 (Remix) – 3:38

Golden Years – 3:58

Sound and Vision – 3:02

“Heroes” – 3:35

Ashes to Ashes – 4:22

Fashion – 4:46

Let’s Dance – 4:07

China Girl – 4:14

Modern Love – 3:56

Blue Jean – 3:09

🔘 Variants

UK — EMI (1990)

2×LP, Compilation, Remastered

• EMI – DBTV 1 / EMI – 79 4180 1

• Country: UK

• Notes: Standard UK double‑LP edition

• Status: In Collection / Wantlist / Inventory

UK — EMI (1990)

Cassette, Compilation

• EMI – TCDBTV 1 / EMI – 79 4180 4

• Country: UK

• Notes: Standard UK cassette

UK — EMI (1990)

Cassette, Compilation (Dual Catalogue Variant)

• EMI – TCDBTV 1 / EMI – TC‑DBTV 1 / EMI – 79 4180 4

• Country: UK

• Notes: Alternate catalogue pairing

UK — EMI (1990)

Cassette, Compilation, Numbered Edition

• EMI – TCDBTV 1 / EMI – TC‑DBTV 1

• Country: UK

• Notes: Numbered UK cassette variant

🔘 Chart Performance

UK Albums Chart

• Debuted at No. 1

• Bowie’s seventh album to enter at No. 1

• First UK No. 1 since Tonight (1984)

US Billboard 200

• Top 40 peak

• Boosted by Sound+Vision tour promotion

🔘 Context & Notes

• Part of Rykodisc’s landmark 1989–1992 remaster campaign.

• Replaced the RCA compilations, which had become highly collectible.

• “Fame ’90” was created specifically to promote the compilation.

• Track timings differ slightly from original album versions due to remastering.

• Cover designed by Reiner Design Consultants.

• Served as the primary Bowie compilation throughout the 1990s.

• Includes personnel from multiple eras:

– George Murray (bass)

– Herbie Flowers (bass)

– Trevor Bolder (bass)

– Mick Woodmansey (drums)

– Carlos Alomar (guitar)

🔘 Visual Archive

A collage of David Bowie portraits from multiple eras arranged around a central black‑and‑white close‑up of Bowie’s face. The title “CHANGESBOWIE” appears in bold red lettering at the top. The surrounding images include Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Thin White Duke, and 1980s Bowie.

David Bowie — Changesbowie (1990), artwork by Reiner Design Consultants.

🔘 Related Material

• Changesonebowie (1976)

• Changestwobowie (1981)

• Sound+Vision Tour (1990)

• Rykodisc Remaster Series (1989–1992)

🔘 Discography

• David Bowie (1969)

• Hunky Dory (1971)

• Ziggy Stardust (1972)

• Aladdin Sane (1973)

• Diamond Dogs (1974)

• Young Americans (1975)

• Station to Station (1976)

• Low (1977)

• “Heroes” (1977)

• Scary Monsters (1980)

• Let’s Dance (1983)

• Tonight (1984)

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

• 1969–1985 — Tracks originally recorded

• 1989 — Rykodisc acquires Bowie catalogue

• March 12, 1990 — Changesbowie released

• 1990 — Sound+Vision tour

• 2002 — Superseded by Best of Bowie

🔘 Glam Flashback

A collage of eras, a mirror of reinvention — Changesbowie distilled two decades of transformation into one definitive statement.

🔘 Closing Notes

Changesbowie stands as one of the most important compilation albums of the 1990s — a bridge between analogue Bowie and digital Bowie, between RCA’s past and Rykodisc’s future. It reintroduced his catalogue to a new generation and reaffirmed his status as a cultural force entering the new decade.

🔘 Sources & Copyright

• Rykodisc / EMI documentation

• The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums

• Contemporary chart archives

All artwork and original text remain the property of their respective copyright holders.

This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary.

#DavidBowie #Changesbowie #1990 #BowieArchive #GlamSlamChronicles