🔘 Hang On to Yourself – Single: May 1974

Released in the UK on May 17, 1974, Arnold Corns’ “Hang On to Yourself,” backed with “Man In The Middle,” appeared as a 7-inch vinyl single on B&C Records (CB 189). Although issued in 1974, the recordings dated back to 1971 and represented one of David Bowie’s earliest attempts at shaping the Ziggy Stardust aesthetic. The Arnold Corns project — fronted by fashion designer Freddie Burretti but effectively performed and directed by Bowie with Ronson, Bolder, and Woodmansey — served as a prototype for the sound, style, and mythology Bowie would refine on *The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars*. Issued in small‑centre, push‑out centre, and promotional variants, the single remains a fascinating artefact of Bowie’s pre‑Ziggy experimentation.

Label: B&C Records

Catalogue Number: CB 189

Format: 7" Vinyl Single (Small Centre / Push‑Out Centre; Promo & Commercial)

Released: May 17, 1974 (UK)

🔘 Track List

UK 7" Single — B&C Records – CB 189 — 1974

A. Hang On to Yourself

Written by: David Bowie

Produced by: David Bowie

B. Man In The Middle

Written by: David Bowie

Produced by: David Bowie

Recorded at: Radio Luxembourg Studios, 1971

Published by: MainMan/Chrysalis/Bowie Publishing

🔘 Key Highlights

• Released May 17, 1974

• A-side: Early prototype of the Ziggy Stardust sound

• B-side: Bowie‑written track from the same 1971 sessions

• Originally recorded in 1971, issued commercially in 1974

• Issued in small‑centre, push‑out centre, and promo variants

🔘 The Story

The Arnold Corns project occupies a unique place in Bowie’s early‑’70s evolution. Conceived in 1971, it was Bowie’s attempt to develop a new glam‑leaning persona through a fictional band fronted by Freddie Burretti — a 19‑year‑old fashion designer Bowie was mentoring and styling. Burretti’s role as “lead singer” was largely a fabrication; Bowie handled the vocals, songwriting, and creative direction, supported by the musicians who would soon become the Spiders from Mars: Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, and Mick Woodmansey.

“Hang On to Yourself” was one of the key tracks from these sessions, later re-recorded in a more aggressive, definitive form for the *Ziggy Stardust* album in 1972. The Arnold Corns version, however, offers a looser, more tentative glimpse into Bowie’s developing glam aesthetic — a dry run for the swaggering, high‑energy sound that would define his breakthrough.

The B-side, “Man In The Middle,” also written by Bowie, further illustrates the transitional nature of the project, blending early glam textures with the conceptual experimentation that would soon crystallise into Ziggy.

Although the recordings were made in 1971, B&C Records issued the single in 1974 to capitalise on Bowie’s rising fame. Its multiple variants and unusual backstory have since made it a prized collectible among Bowie archivists.

🔘 Variants (UK)

• 7", 45 RPM, Single, Small Centre — B&C – CB 189 — UK — 1974

• 7", 45 RPM, Single, Push‑Out Centre — B&C – CB 189 — UK — 1974

• 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo — B&C – CB 189 — UK — 1974

🔘 Chart Performance

UK — Official Singles Chart

Did not chart

🔘 Context & Notes

• A-side: Early version of a song later re-recorded for *Ziggy Stardust*

• B-side: Bowie‑penned track from the same 1971 sessions

• Production: Bowie with the future Spiders from Mars

• Sleeve: Standard B&C company sleeve (UK)

• Historical placement: A crucial stepping stone toward the Ziggy persona

🔘 Related Material

• “Moonage Daydream” (Arnold Corns version, 1971)

• Ziggy Stardust (Album, 1972)

• “Starman” (1972)

• “John, I’m Only Dancing” (1972)

🔘 Discography

Moonage Daydream (Arnold Corns) — 1971

Hang On to Yourself (Arnold Corns) — 1974

Starman — 1972

Ziggy Stardust — 1972

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

✦ Spring 1971 — Arnold Corns sessions recorded

✦ 1972 — Ziggy Stardust version of “Hang On to Yourself” released

✦ May 17, 1974 — Arnold Corns single issued by B&C Records

🔘 Glam Flashback

A rare glimpse of Bowie in metamorphosis — shaping Ziggy before the world ever met him, wrapped in fashion, fiction, and fearless experimentation.

🔘 Hashtags

#ReleaseChronicle #DavidBowie #ArnoldCorns #HangOnToYourself #1974 #BandCRecords #GlamRock

🔘 Sources

Primary reference sources:

Wikipedia • Discogs • 45cat • BBC / Official Charts Company

🔘 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.