Is It Any Wonder? (EP)

Is it Any Wonder? is a six-track EP by David Bowie that was released in early 2020. It is composed mostly of older Bowie songs that Bowie re-recorded during his Earthling (1997) recording sessions and Earthling Tour rehearsals in early 1997.

Is It Any Wonder?
EP by David Bowie
Released	14 February 2020 (2020-02-14) (digital) 20 March 2020 (2020-03-20) (physical)[1]
Recorded	1995–97
Studio	Looking Glass, Sony Music (New York City)
Genre	Art rock industrial rock drum and bass electronica
Length	28:15
Label	Parlophone
Producer	David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels & Mark Plati
David Bowie chronology
Conversation Piece (2019) Is It Any Wonder? (2020) I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) (2020)
David Bowie EP chronology
No Plan (2017) Is It Any Wonder? (2020) ChangesNowBowie (2020)

Background

Many of the tracks on the EP had not been released before. "Fun" came from the song "Fame", re-worked on Bowie's 1997 Earthling Tour as "Is it Any Wonder?". The song started with tracks recorded during pre-tour rehearsals in early 1997, supplemented with a live version of "Fame" recorded in June 1997, and then mixed by Mark Plati and Reeves Gabrels at Looking Glass Studios in New York and at Sony Music Studios in New York in February 1998. The track on this EP was mixed by Danny Saber. Prior to its release, the song was occasionally referred to as "Funhouse".^[2] An alternate remix of the song was released on LiveAndWell.com.

The mix of "The Man Who Sold the World" was originally released in 1995 as the b-side to Bowie's "Strangers When We Meet" single, but had not been released since. The mix was made from a recording of the band playing the track in the studio on 30 October 1995, to which Brian Eno "added some backing vocals and a sonar blip and sculpted the piece a little so that there was more contour to it."^[2]

"Stay '97", an updated version of "Stay", released originally in 1976 on his album Station to Station, was recorded in 1997 at The Factory studios in Dublin and mixed in mid-1997. The Tin Machine track "I Can't Read" was re-recorded twice by Bowie in 1996, once for inclusion in The Ice Storm (1997) soundtrack, and once in this, Bowie's preferred form, for inclusion in the album Earthling, but at the last minute Bowie replaced it with the song "The Last Thing You Should Do." "Baby Universal '97", also originally by Tin Machine, was re-recorded for Earthling (to be slotted between "I'm Afraid of Americans" and "Law (Earthlings On Fire)", but was dropped from the album before its release. "Stay '97" and "Baby Universal '97" had not been released before.^[2]

"Nuts", a semi instrumental track by Bowie, Gabrels and Plati, was recorded in November 1996, and was intended as a bonus track, but was never released until this EP.^[2][3]

Release

In the build-up to the EP's release, tracks were available to stream, one per week, starting in January 2020.^[4] The entire EP was available via streaming services starting on 14 February 2020,^[1] and physical copies were made available in a limited edition (of 4000 copies on CD and 6000 copies on vinyl) to purchase in 20 March 2020.^[2]

Track listing

1. "Baby Universal '97" – 3:13
2. "Fun (Clownboy mix)" – 3:11
3. "Stay '97" – 7:30
4. "I Can't Read '97" – 5:27
5. "Nuts" – 5:21
6. "The Man Who Sold the World (Live Eno Mix)" – 3:33

Personnel

Adapted from the Is It Any Wonder? liner notes.^[5]

"Baby Universal '97" (Lyrics: Bowie. Music: Bowie, Gabrels) David Bowie – vocals Zack Alford – drums Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar; vocals Mike Garson – keyboards; piano Reeves Gabrels – synthesizers; guitars Mark Plati – programming; keyboards "Fun (Clownboy Mix)" (Bowie, Gabrels) Danny Saber – mixing David Bowie – vocals Zack Alford – drums Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar Mike Garson – piano Reeves Gabrels – guitars Mark Plati – keyboards; programming "Stay '97" (Bowie, Gabrels, Plati) David Bowie – vocals Zack Alford – drums Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar Mike Garson – piano Reeves Gabrels – guitars; synthesizers Mark Plati – mixing; programming

"I Can't Read '97" (Bowie, Gabrels) David Bowie – vocals Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar; vocals Mike Garson – piano Reeves Gabrels – guitars; synthesizers "Nuts" (Bowie, Gabrels, Plati) David Bowie – vocals Reeves Gabrels – guitars Mark Plati – mixing; programming "The Man Who Sold the World (Live Eno Mix)" (Bowie) David Bowie – vocals Reeves Gabrels – guitars Peter Schwartz – synthesizers Carlos Alomar – guitars Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar Zack Alford – drums Brian Eno – backing vocals Production David Bowie – producer Reeves Gabrels – producer Mark Plati – producer; engineer; mixing

Charts

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[6]	3
UK Albums (OCC)[7]	10

References

1. "Is It Any Wonder? EP streaming and physical". davidbowie.com. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
2. "David Bowie Is It Any Wonder? Streaming EP of Unreleased & Rare Material". Rhino Entertainment. 14 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
3. Kreps, Daniel (7 February 2020). "Hear David Bowie's Unreleased 'Earthling' Semi-Instrumental 'Nuts'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
4. "David Bowie rarities EP 'Is It Any Wonder?' and 'ChangesNowBowie' Record Store Day 2020 release announced". NME. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
5. Is It Any Wonder? (CD booklet). David Bowie. Parlophone Records Ltd. 2020.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
7. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

External links

• Discogs entry