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LUTHER VANDROSS - origins

On this day in music history: March 7, 1975 - “Young Americans”, the ninth studio album by David Bowie is released. Produced by David Bowie, Harry Maslin and Tony Visconti, it is recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, PA and Electric Lady Studios in New York City from August - November 1974 and January 1975. Heavily influenced by soul music and looking to break with his musical past, Bowie works with top studio musicians including Willie Weeks (bass), Ralph MacDonald (percussion), Dennis Davis (drums), and a then largely unknown young singer named Luther Vandross. Vandross, who has been friends with Bowie’s guitarist Carlos Alomar and his wife, singer Robin Clark since high school visits the studio one day during the sessions at Alomar’s invitation. Bowie walks into the control room and overhears Vandross and Clark improvising vocals over the top of the track to “Young Americans”. Highly impressed, Bowie hires Vandross on the spot to sing and arrange background vocals on the album, as well as contributes the song “Fascination” (originally titled “Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me”) ). It spins off three singles including “Fame” (co-written w/ John Lennon and Alomar) (#1 Pop, #21 R&B) and the title track (#28 Pop). Reissued several times since making its CD debut in the mid 80’s, it is remastered and reissued in 2016 on CD and 180 gram vinyl. The box set “Who Can I Be Now? (1974 - 1976)” also features an additional LP titled “The Gouster”, containing early versions and alternate mixes of songs, which is the previously unreleased early draft of what evolves into the “Young Americans” album. “Young Americans” peaks at number nine on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

thanks to Jeff Harris' blog Behind The Grooves