David Bowie (Dec 13 1966) Rubber Band – Single Review – Lincolnshire Echo

Publication: Lincolnshire Echo Date: December 13 1966 Country: United Kingdom Section / Page: Music Review Column Format: Single Review / Press Notice

Overview

An early regional newspaper review of David Bowie’s debut single Rubber Band (Deram DM 107), published just weeks after its release. The piece, brief yet perceptive, captures how Bowie’s theatrical sensibility was first perceived by critics — not as a rock act, but as a cabaret‑styled storyteller in the tradition of Anthony Newley and Ray Davies. This review stands among the earliest printed reactions to Bowie’s recorded work, offering a glimpse of how his eccentric charm was already dividing opinion.

David Bowie – “Rubber Band” single review from the Lincolnshire  Echo, December 13 1966 — one of the earliest press notices of his recording career.

“Mr. Bowie sounds like Anthony Newley, and sings a song like a Ray Davies’ composition.”

What the Clipping Shows

• Headline: 

“David Bowie — ‘Rubber Band’ (Deram DM 107)” in bold serif type. • Text comparing Bowie’s vocal style to Anthony Newley and his songwriting to Ray Davies, highlighting the single’s theatrical and narrative qualities.

• Mentions of lyrical imagery — waxed moustaches, garden tea parties — and the song’s “Twenties flavour.”

• Concluding observation that such nostalgic songs were gaining popularity with record‑buyers.

• Layout typical of mid‑’60s regional press: compact, single‑column review printed in black ink on white newsprint. • Tone: polite, lightly amused, and intrigued by Bowie’s eccentric approach to pop.

The Story Behind It

Released in December 1966, Rubber Band was Bowie’s first single for Deram Records, marking his transition from mod‑era hopeful to theatrical pop innovator. The Lincolnshire Echo review situates the song within Britain’s fascination with nostalgia and music‑hall revivalism, describing its “Twenties flavour” and whimsical imagery of waxed moustaches and garden tea parties.

At the time, Bowie was still performing with The Buzz and experimenting with vaudeville‑inflected arrangements that contrasted sharply with the psychedelic trends emerging around him. Critics like the Echo’s uncredited writer saw Rubber Band as quaint yet timely — part of a wave of retro stylings that appealed to record‑buyers seeking novelty amid the post‑Beatles landscape. Though modest in tone, the review foreshadows Bowie’s lifelong interplay between past and future, theatricality and pop experimentation.

Related Material

David Bowie - Glam Slam Guide

1966 Album 1-LP: 2015

Rubber Band – Single: Dec. 1966 

Additional entries listed in the scrapbook tag  index

Source Details

Publication: Lincolnshire Echo Date: December 13 1966 Format: Single Review / Regional Press Notice Provenance Notes: Original newspaper clipping archived via British Library regional press  collection; one of the earliest known reviews of David Bowie’s recorded work.

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© Copyright Notice — Lincolnshire Echo (December 13 1966)

All original newspaper text and artwork remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This scrapbook entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.

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