A collection of unheard recordings by David Bowie from 1965 will be released on 18 September under the title David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings. The tracks capture the artist during his early career in London, when he performed under the name Davy Jones before changing it in 1966 to avoid confusion with a member of the Monkees.
The compilation includes previously unreleased material such as Cupid, Leave Her to Me, You Gotta Tell Her, Certain Woman, Today, I Live in Dreams, I Do Believe I Love You, and an instrumental titled Keep Up With the Jones. One song, I Want Your Love, became available ahead of the full release. The recordings showcase Bowie performing either as a solo artist or backed by the bands the Lower Third and the Manish Boys, featuring the blues-influenced pop-rock style characteristic of mid-1960s London.
Producer Shel Talmy oversaw the sessions and brought in session guitarist Jimmy Page as a member of the Manish Boys to accompany Bowie. Pianist Nicky Hopkins, known for his work with the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Jeff Beck, also appears on the unheard recordings. Talmy was a prominent figure in 1960s rock production, having worked on hits by the Kinks, the Who, and Manfred Mann.
According to Talmy in a 2017 statement, he believed Bowie would achieve major success, attributing the lack of commercial breakthrough at the time to market timing rather than artistic capability. Music historian Alec Palao notes in the compilation’s liner notes that the material should be evaluated within the context of 1960s British music rather than judged against Bowie’s later, more experimental work. Palao emphasizes that Bowie’s career encompasses distinct phases, each offering different artistic directions that complement rather than compete with one another.