"Rubber Band" is a song by the English singer-songwriter

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

. It was recorded in October 1966 following Bowie's dismissal from

Pye Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...

and helped secure him a record contract with

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

-subsidiary

Deram Records Deram Records was a subsidiary record label of Decca Records established in the United Kingdom in 1966. At the time, U.K. Decca was a different company from the Decca label in the United States, which was owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings w ...

, who released it as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in the United Kingdom on 2 December of the same year. A departure from the

mod Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US * ...

-style sound of his previous releases, "Rubber Band" displays a style informed by

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

and British music hall – influenced particularly by British actor

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

. The lyrics tell the story of a man who goes off to war and, upon his return, finds his lover fell for a brass band conductor. Like his other early singles, "Rubber Band" failed to chart. Nevertheless, Bowie's biographers note that the track represents a creative leap in the artist's songwriting. The song was re-recorded in February 1967 for Bowie's first full-length album, ''

'' (1967). Produced by Mike Vernon, the remake has a slower tempo and a varied vocal performance from Bowie.

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

issued the remake as a single in the United States on 27 May 1967. Both versions have since appeared on various

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

Background and recording

Following a string of singles that failed to chart,

was let go from

in September 1966. In order to secure him a new record contract, his soon-to-be manager

Kenneth Pitt Kenneth Cooper Pitt (10 November 1922 – 25 February 2019) was a British publicist and talent manager, who managed the career of musicians including David Bowie in the late 1960s. Biography Pitt was born in Uxbridge, Middlesex. In the 1950 ...

financed a recording session the next month at London's R G Jones Studio. On 18 October, Bowie and his backing band the Buzz, recorded a new version of "

The London Boys "The London Boys" is a song by the English musician David Bowie. It was first released as the B-side of the single "Rubber Band" in the United Kingdom on 2 December 1966. It was originally written and demoed in 1965 with the Lower Third for pote ...

", along with two new songs "Rubber Band" and "The Gravedigger" (later retitled "Please Mr. Gravedigger"). Joining them for the session were trumpeter Chick Norton and, for the tuba and oboe, two now unknown musicians. However, the band were inexperienced with the song arrangements and had to be assisted by the other musicians to complete the session. Buzz member Dek Fearnley, who co-produced the session with Bowie, later said in 1991: "We'd worked out what kind of sound we wanted and had painstakingly written out the notation, but all the timings were wrong. Luckily the musicians interpreted what we had written and we got through it." Two days after the session, Pitt showed the tape of "Rubber Band" to the promotional head of

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

, Tony Hall, who was impressed: "I must say I did flip. This guy had such a different sound, such a different approach," stating in 1983. Four days later on 24 October, Pitt showed the remaining tracks to Decca's A&R manager Hugh Mendl and in-house producer Mike Vernon, who were also impressed, signing Bowie to the label's

progressive pop Progressive pop is pop music that attempts to break with the genre's standard formula, or an offshoot of the progressive rock genre that was commonly heard on AM radio in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally termed for the early progressive ...

subsidiary

. Biographer Chris O'Leary summarises: "Financed by Pitt, the "Rubber Band" single landed Bowie an album deal with Deram, a newly founded Decca subsidiary label. As Decca chairman Sir Edward Lewis regarded rock as one would a permanent rash, Deram aimed to give rock a pedigree, offering 'exotic' pop singles and 'conceptual' albums."

Composition

A departure from the

-style of his previous singles, "Rubber Band" presents a new direction influenced by Bowie's newfound infatuation with English musical theater actor

; Bowie had first discovered him through the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

serial ''

The Strange World of Gurney Slade ''The Strange World of Gurney Slade'' is a surreal six-part British television comedy series devised by Anthony Newley and made by ATV, first transmitted by the ITV network between 22 October and 26 November 1960. Newley devised the central ...

'' (1960). When asked about the separation between rock stars and himself, Newley stated that "I could afford to be silly and they couldn't. The whole rock 'n' roll thing was so desperately serious." According to O'Leary, Bowie felt he had taken himself too seriously up to that point in his career and looked to Newley, along with songwriters

Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was an English writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...

and Alan Klein, for a new direction to take his career. Additionally, Bowie found the musical landscape changing in 1966, moving away from London-based mod music to California-based

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

. As it changed, Bowie followed suit, using Klein's

group as the basis for "Rubber Band". Musically, "Rubber Band" is compared by James Perone to the

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

-style brass band works of conductor

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( , ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era known primarily for American military March (music), marches. He is known as "The March King" or th ...

. ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' editors

Roy Carr Roy Carr (1945 – 1 July 2018) was an English music journalist, covering pop, rock and jazz. He joined the ''New Musical Express (NME)'' in the late 1960s, and edited ''NME'', '' Vox'' and ''Melody Maker'' magazines. Biography Born in Black ...

and

Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English Music journalism, music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the ''NME, New Musical Express'' (''NME'') and many other magazines and newspapers, and has ...

see the song as an "early manifestation of the

Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

fixation that affected the more whimsical areas of mid-60's Brit shpop". Other artists exploring Edwardian influences during the era included

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

on ''

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) ''Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)'', often referred to simply as ''Arthur'', is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released on 10 October 1969. It was the first Kinks album to feature bassist Jo ...

'' (1969) and

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

on ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (often referred to simply as ''Sgt. Pepper'') is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept ...

'' (1967). Utilising various tempo and arrangement changes, the track starts on

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: Changes needed for the melodic ...

in its opening verses before changing to

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: Changes need ...

in the trumpet solo,

C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: Cha ...

in the last verse and

E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp, on the F. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: Change ...

in the coda. Lyrically, "Rubber Band" tells the story of a man who goes off to war and, upon his return, finds that his lover fell for a brass band conductor. Bowie imitates Newley in his vocal performance. According to O'Leary, Bowie used his grandfather Jimmy Burns for inspiration, although this is disputed by

Nicholas Pegg Nicholas Pegg is a British actor, director and writer. Education Educated at Nottingham High School and graduating with a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Exeter, Pegg subsequently trained at the Guildford School of ...

. Pegg states that the lyric's "library gardens", where Bowie would perform in 1969, are located in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

Release and reception

Deram issued "Rubber Band", backed by "The London Boys", as a single in the United Kingdom on 2 December 1966, with the catalogue number Deram DM107. It was accompanied by a Decca press release that stated that the single was "a love story without a happy ending, it is a pathos set to tubas... There's a neat off-beat approach to the lyrics that touch on such topics as garden tea parties, waxed moustaches and the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Yet the underlying sentiment reflects the ideals and humour of this London-born singer." The single attracted the attention of the British magazine ''

Disc Disc or disk may refer to: * Disk (mathematics), a two dimensional shape, the interior of a circle * Disk storage * Optical disc * Floppy disk Music * Disc (band), an American experimental music band * ''Disk'' (album), a 1995 EP by Moby Other ...

'', who wrote at the time: As ''Disc'' foretold, "Rubber Band" was a flop, failing to enter the UK charts. Additionally, the single's failure immediately turned the relationship between Bowie and Decca sour. When the track was presented to Decca during their weekly meetings, the label were displeased. Mendl recalled in 2002: "It all went wrong for David at the first Decca A&R meeting. I was personally very excited about David's first single, but when it was played ack someone said, 'Sounds like Tony Newley to me'. From the start, that sealed David's fate at Decca." The single's release also marked the breakup of the Buzz at the insistence of Bowie's then-manager Ralph Horton. As Bowie had already begun recording what would become his first full-length album, Horton wanted Bowie strictly as a solo artist. Bowie's final performance with the Buzz was the same day the single was issued, 2 December 1966. Bowie's biographers note that "Rubber Band" represents a creative leap in the artist's songwriting. Pegg states: "There's a dramatic drive in the melodic as well as the lyrical narrative." Perone similarly states that while the song was bound to face little commercial success at the time, for the 19-year-old Bowie, the song "represents a remarkable achievement" and "sets the stage for the role-playing that would mark the great David Bowie work of the early 1970s." Nevertheless, Carr and Murray gave mixed assessments regarding Bowie's change in musical direction, writing: "The faintly ludicrous melodrama of Bowie's vocal delivery is counterpointed by the elephantine caperings of the tuba and cornet." In a 2016 list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best, ''

Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...

'' placed "Rubber Band" at number 113 (out of 119).

''David Bowie'' version

"Rubber Band" was re-recorded on 25 February 1967 at Decca Studio 2 in London during the sessions for ''David Bowie''. This new version, produced by Mike Vernon and engineered by

Gus Dudgeon Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, " Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US N ...

, boasted a new arrangement by

Arthur Greenslade Arthur Greenslade (4 May 1923 – 27 November 2003) was a British conductor and arranger for films and television, as well as for a number of performers. He was most musically active in the 1960s and 1970s. Early career Greenslade was born ...

. Unlike the single version, which was mixed only in

mono Mono may refer to: Biology * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monocyte, a type of leukocyte (white blood cell) * Monodactylidae, members of which are referred to as monos Technology and computing * Mono (audio), single-c ...

, the new version was recorded in

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

and released in both formats. The ''David Bowie'' version is slower in tempo, thus running 20 seconds longer despite having the same number of bars. Bowie also used a different vocal style than the original, using more upper octaves rather than both upper and lower. The date mentioned in the lyrics was also changed, from 1912 to 1910. O'Leary finds the album arrangement superior to the single version: "The brass remore smoothly intoned their notes and John Eager's drums were a more eager participant." Pegg similarly considers the remake superior to the original, but Perone finds it inferior. ''David Bowie'' was issued by Deram in the United Kingdom on 1 June 1967. The remake of "Rubber Band" was sequenced as the third track on side one of the original LP.

issued the remake as a promotional single in the United States on 27 May 1967, with album track "There Is a Happy Land" chosen as the B-side. All three versions of the song – the original single in mono, and the album version in stereo and mono – are available on the remastered 2010 deluxe edition of ''David Bowie'' issued in 2010. The remake of "Rubber Band" was featured in the '' Love You till Tuesday'' film in 1969. It appears in a sequence depicting Bowie moustachioed up and dressed in a blazer and boater at an imaginary bandstand concert. O'Leary says that by the time the track appeared in the film, it was "a private joke indulged, a parody of a soured novelty song".

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: Single version * David Bowie vocals, producer * Derek Boyes

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

* Dek Fearnley bass, producer * John Eager drums * Chick Norton trumpet * Unknown musicians tuba and oboe Album version * David Bowie vocals * Derek Boyes organ * Dek Fearnley bass * John Eager drums * Unknown musicians tuba, trumpet, oboe *

arranger * Mike Vernon producer *

engineer

Other releases

* "Rubber Band" also appears on a number of compilations, including: ** ''

The World of David Bowie ''The World of David Bowie'' is a compilation album by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 6March 1970 by Decca Records as part of their ''The World of...'' series following Bowie's success with the "Space Oddity" single. It ...

'' (1970) – stereo album version ** ''

Images 1966–1967 ''Images 1966–1967'' is a 1973 compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It comprises his 1967 self-titled debut album for Deram Records and various singles and B-sides recorded for Deram between 1966 and 1967. The arrange ...

'' (1973) – stereo album version ** ''Another Face'' (1981) – single version ** '' Love You till Tuesday'' LP (1984) – single version ** ''The Collection'' (1985) – single version ** ''Love You till Tuesday'' CD (1992) – stereo album version ** '' The Deram Anthology 1966–1968'' (1997) – single and stereo album versions

References

Sources

* * * * * *

External links

"Rubber Band"

ingle version Ingle may refer to: People * Ingle (surname), includes a list of people with the name * Ingle Martin (born 1982), American former football quarterback Places in the United States * Ingle, California, a community * Ingle, Florida, an unincorporate ...

(YouTube)
"Rubber Band"
lbum version(YouTube)
"Rubber Band"
lbum versionmusic video from '' Love You till Tuesday'' (1969) film (YouTube) {{Authority control 1966 singles 1966 songs David Bowie songs Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by Mike Vernon (record producer) Deram Records singles