David Bowie - Live In Santa Monica 1972

In 1972, David Bowie set out on his first U.S. tour. He'd recently introduced the world to his Ziggy Stardust persona with his top 5 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and had completed a hugely successful U.K. tour. The Santa Monica concert, David's first live U.S. radio broadcast, was aired live on KMET in L.A. Over the last 36 years this historic recording has only been occasionally available as a bootleg. For many, ownership of this concert was regarded as a true test of being a 'proper Bowie fan'. This powerful, galvanizing show allows over a 70 minute glimpse into the earliest nationwide live radio exposure granted David and the Spiders.

The set list is compiled primarily from the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust albums and features two covers, Jacques Brel's "My Death" and the Velvet Underground's "Waiting for the Man," alongside the awesome power of The Man Who Sold The World centerpiece "The Width Of A Circle" (this version is a ten and a half minute sonic assault) and an Aladdin Sane previewing "The Jean Genie."

Accompanying David here was The Spiders From Mars featuring Mick Ronson (guitar, vocals), Trevor Bolder (bass), Mick "Woody" Woodmansey (drums) and Mike Garson (piano).

"I can tell that I'm totally into being Ziggy by this stage of our touring. It's no longer an act; I am him. This would be around the tenth American show for us and you can hear that we are all pretty high on ourselves. We train wreck a couple of things, I miss some words and sometimes you wouldn't know that pianist Mike Garson was onstage with us but overall I really treasure this bootleg. Mick Ronson is at his blistering best!" - David Bowie