Changes

Hey there, Zoo Freaks! The Zoo Crew is spinning the iconic "Changes" from David Bowie's 1971 album Hunky Dory, and we've got some groovy trivia to share. Written after Bowie's promotional tour of America in early 1971, "Changes" was recorded at Trident Studios in London with Rick Wakeman on piano and the soon-to-be Spiders from Mars—Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, and Mick Woodmansey. The song's lyrics are a manifesto of Bowie's constant reinvention, with lines like "Turn and face the strange" reflecting his urge to break from the rock mainstream. Biographer David Buckley notes the phrase "strange fascination" captures Bowie's quest for the new and bizarre, while Peter Doggett calls it a "statement of purpose," marking a shift from the hard rock of The Man Who Sold the World to melodic pop. Despite its critical acclaim—Rolling Stone ranked it 128 on their 500 Greatest Songs list and it’s in the Grammy Hall of Fame—Bowie himself called it "a bit of a throwaway," annoyed when fans endlessly requested it at concerts, shouting, "Dye-vid, do Changes!" A cool tidbit: in 2004, Australian artist Butterfly Boucher recorded a version for Shrek 2, with Bowie adding harmony vocals at Compass Point Studios, a performance biographer Nicholas Pegg praised as one of his finest later works.

Another juicy story comes from the song's release as a single on January 7, 1972, with "Andy Warhol" as the B-side (though some French pressings paired it with "Song for Bob Dylan"). Despite being a turntable favorite, it flopped commercially at first, peaking at 59 on the US Cash Box Top 100 and missing the UK charts entirely. It wasn’t until the success of Ziggy Stardust in 1972 that "Changes" became a cultural staple, embedding itself in the pop-culture psyche, as Pegg notes. Fans on Reddit love its infectious optimism, with one user calling it the perfect album opener for Hunky Dory’s energy, though some admit it feels more traditional compared to Bowie’s wilder experiments. The song’s second verse, tackling generational clashes, echoes Bob Dylan’s "The Times They Are a-Changin’," with Bowie urging parents to let kids be themselves. He even referenced this theme in a 1968 The Times interview, blaming the older generation for societal woes. For the Zoo Crew, this track’s call to embrace change is pure hippie spirit, perfect for our free-spirited Zoo Freaks!

Now, let’s dive into how David Bowie, the Starman himself, got his start. Born David Robert Jones on January 8, 1947, in Brixton, London, Bowie showed early flair for music and performance. As a teen, he played saxophone and formed bands like The Kon-Rads and Davie Jones and the King Bees, dabbling in R&B and rock. His stage name, adopted in 1966 to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees, was inspired by the Bowie knife. Early singles like "The Laughing Gnome" flopped, but his 1969 hit "Space Oddity," released via Facebook and Instagram fame in later years, marked his breakthrough, timed perfectly with the Apollo 11 moon landing. Despite this, his first three albums—David Bowie (1967), Space Oddity (1969), and The Man Who Sold the World (1970)—struggled commercially, leaving him at a crossroads by 1971. His U.S. promo tour that year, documented on X, sparked a creative explosion, inspiring Hunky Dory and his reinvention as Ziggy Stardust. Bowie’s chameleon-like ability to blend folk, glam, and art rock, influenced by icons like Lou Reed and Andy Warhol, set him apart, as fans on the Bowie Wonderworld fan site celebrate.

Bowie’s journey wasn’t just musical—he was a cultural shapeshifter, embracing theatricality and androgyny, as seen in Hunky Dory’s cover, tinted like a Hollywood lobby card. His early gigs at London folk clubs, playing to tiny crowds, contrasted with the stardom that followed, as bassist Trevor Bolder recalled on fan forums like The Bowie Forum. His collaboration with producer Ken Scott and the Spiders from Mars on Hunky Dory was a turning point, giving him his first real audience, as Bowie told Uncut in 1999: “People coming up to me and saying, ‘Good album, good songs.’” For Zoo Freaks, Bowie’s story is a reminder to keep evolving, just like the vibes we spin at THE ZOO. Connect with the legacy at davidbowie.com, follow David Bowie on Facebook, Instagram, and X, and join fan communities at Bowie Wonderworld, The Bowie Forum, or the David Bowie Fan Group on Facebook. Keep turning and facing the strange, Zoo Crew style!