Diamond Dogs Tour

File:Bowie-DD-1974-3.jpg

Two months of rehearsals were required to get the tour ready, in part due to the elaborate set & props required for the show (reported to cost $275,000 per set,{{Citation | last1=Kamp| first1=Thomas | title=David Bowie: The Wild-Eyed Boy 1964–1984| publisher=O'Sullivan, Woodside & Co. | edition=1st | year=1985}} or about ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|275000|1974|r=-4}}}} today).{{Inflation-fn|US}} Originally the tour was planned to appear in a city for five nights before moving on to the next city, but that plan was abandoned early on. The tour started in June 1974 in Montreal, Quebec as the "Diamond Dogs Tour" (although producer Tony DeFries demanded the tour be referred to as "The Year of the Diamond Dogs" when speaking with the press). Bowie recorded radio and television commercials for the tour, which played in advance of the tour's arrival in each city.{{citation | last1=Edwards | first1=Henry | last2=Zanetta | first2=Tony | title=Stardust: The David Bowie Story | year=1986 | isbn=0-07-072797-X | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/stardustdavidbow00edwa }} The tour took the month of August 1974 off, during which time Bowie began recording his follow-up studio album, Young Americans. On 10 October 1974, after the tour had resumed, Bowie abandoned the extravagant theatrical set and re-branded the tour "The Soul Tour", which would continue through the end of the North American leg in December.

In 1987, Bowie recalled how difficult the tour was early on before changing it into the 'Soul Tour', saying "I was in a bad state of mind to have attempted that. It was pretty exciting, but I was so blocked [laughs], so stoned during the entire thing that I'm amazed I lasted with it even that one trip across America before I ditched it.""David Bowie Opens Up – A Little" by Scott Isler, Musician Magazine, August 1987, pp 60-73

The set for the theatrical Diamond Dogs tour was designed by Mark Ravitz, who later did the set for Bowie's 1987 Glass Spider Tour.{{cite web | url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160824/park-slope/former-david-bowie-set-designer-keeps-park-slope-building-dripping-with-art | title=Former David Bowie Set Designer Keeps Park Slope Building Dripping with Art | first=Leslie | last=Albrecht | date=24 August 2016 | access-date=29 August 2016 | website=DNAInfo.com | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914040748/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160824/park-slope/former-david-bowie-set-designer-keeps-park-slope-building-dripping-with-art | archive-date=14 September 2016 | df=dmy-all }} The set was built to resemble a city (called "Hunger City"), weighed 6 tons and incorporated over 20,000 moving parts including a variety of props (such as streetlamps, chairs and catwalks). The props themselves weren't ready for use until a mere 6 days before the show opened, which led to a variety of technical problems during the tour: a movable catwalk collapsed once during the tour with Bowie on it. The set was at least partially based on work by German artist George Grosz.{{cite journal | url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/take-peek-david-bowies-art-collection-405296 | title=Take a Peek at David Bowie's Idiosyncratic Art Collection | date=12 January 2016 | access-date=14 January 2016 | first=Sarah | last=Cascone | journal=Artnet News}} The use of full-stage lighting for the tour was considered "revolutionary" and it was called the first time a rock star had hired a team of Broadway designers to light the whole stage.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnZRyTm27JQ&t=1535s |url-status=live|title=Rock & Roll (TV series) - (PBS) - Episode 07 "The Wild Side (PBS) |via=YouTube }}

In 1990, while preparing for his Sound+Vision Tour, Bowie recalled the difficulties faced by the show, saying it "was good fun and dangerous, with the equipment breaking down and the bridges falling apart on stage. I kept getting stuck out over the audience's heads, on the hydraulic cherry picker, after the finish of 'Space Oddity.'"{{citation | url=http://www.algonet.se/~bassman/articles/90/em.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010716142629/http://www.algonet.se/~bassman/articles/90/em.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2001-07-16 | title=David Bowie: Ornament – Oddity – Artist – Survivor | journal=Elle | year=1990 | last=Clarke | first=Tina }} Other props worked as expected: for the song "Big Brother", Bowie sang while atop a multi-mirrored glass "asylum", emerging during the next song ("Time") sitting in the palm of a giant hand covered in small light bulbs.

The show in Tampa, Florida, was performed without any of the stage props because the truck driver driving those components ended up in a highway ditch after being stung by a bee.

In 1987, while preparing for the Glass Spider Tour (which picked up theatrically where the Diamond Dogs tour left off and was also designed by Ravitz), Bowie recalled about the extraordinary nature of the set he used during this tour, saying "We had four skyscrapers on stage, with bridges that went backwards and forward and would go up and down. The whole thing was built on a city pretext. I had dancers working with me and it was choreographed and was a real fantastic musical event. I thoroughly enjoyed working like that."{{Citation | last=Morse | first=Steve | title=David Bowie (Cover Story) | journal=In Fashion Magazine | volume=3 | issue=10 |date=July–August 1987 | pages=151, 153}}

{{Main|David Live}}

File:Bowie at Young Americans Tour C.jpg

MainMan, Bowie's management team, planned to cull a live album from the July 1974 performances at the Tower Theater just outside Philadelphia. When the band learned of this, they demanded to be paid a standard recording fee of $5000 per musician in addition to their normal pay or they would refuse to perform. They were given checks hours before show time, and the concert recording went on as planned.{{Cite web | url=http://www.phillymag.com/ticket/2016/01/11/david-bowie-david-live-tower-theater/ | title=Why Bowie Never Listened to His Live Album Recorded at the Tower | date=11 January 2016 }} The resulting double album, titled David Live, became Bowie's first official live album.

A Portrait in Flesh, a bootleg of the 5 September 1974 show in Los Angeles was released in Australia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidbowieworld.nl/mijn-bootlegs-2-2/tour-recordings/1974-the-diamond-dogs-tour/attachment/folder-82/|title=David Bowie 1974-09-05 Los Angeles, A Portrait In Flesh (remix) SQ -9 |website=davidbowieworld.nl|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-02-13}} An official version of the 5 September 1974 show, mixed by Tony Visconti in 2016, was first released as Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74), a 3-LP set, for Record Store Day on 22 April 2017. The set was released in CD and digital formats in June 2017.

An official live album mostly recorded at the Michigan Palace, Detroit on 20 October 1974, during the last stage of the tour – known as The Soul Tour – was released for Record Store Day in August 2020. The 2-LP and 2-CD set is titled I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74). In September 2020, the album peaked at #16 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, #12 on the Billboard Top Alternative Albums chart and #18 on the OCC (UK) Official Albums Chart .{{cite magazine |title=David Bowie Chart History (Top Rock Albums) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-bowie/chart-history/rck/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=25 October 2020}}{{cite magazine |title=David Bowie Chart History (Alternative Albums) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-bowie/chart-history/alt/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=25 October 2020}}{{cite website|title=David Bowie Chart History (UK Official Charts)|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/david-bowie-im-only-dancing-the-soul-tour-74/|website=Official Charts Company}}

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June–July:

• David Bowie – vocals
• Michael Kamen – electric piano, Moog synthesizer, oboe, music director
• Earl Slick – guitar
• Mike Garson – piano, mellotron
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone, flute
• Richard Grando – baritone saxophone, flute
• Herbie Flowers – bass
• Tony Newman – drums
• Pablo Rosario – percussion
• Gui Andrisano – backing vocals
• Warren Peace – backing vocals

September:

• David Bowie – vocals
• Mike Garson – piano, mellotron
• Earl Slick – guitar
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone, flute
• Richard Grando – baritone saxophone, flute
• Doug Rauch – bass
• Greg Errico – drums
• Pablo Rosario – percussion
• Gui Andrisano – backing vocals
• Warren Peace – backing vocals
• Ava Cherry – backing vocals
• Robin Clark – backing vocals
• Anthony Hinton – backing vocals
• Diane Sumler – backing vocals
• Luther Vandross – backing vocals

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"The Soul/Philly Dogs Tour" – October–December:

• David Bowie – vocals
• Mike Garson – piano, mellotron, music director
• Earl Slick – lead guitar
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone, flute
• Emir Ksasan – bass
• Dennis Davis – drums
• Pablo Rosario – percussion
• Warren Peace – backing vocals
• Ava Cherry – backing vocals
• Robin Clark – backing vocals
• Anthony Hinton – backing vocals
• Diane Sumler – backing vocals
• Luther Vandross – backing vocals

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• Two concerts were performed on 16 June in Toronto.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !width="150"|Date !width="150"|City !width="150"|Country !width="275"|Venue

colspan="4" style="background:#ddd;" |North America (First Leg)

14 June 1974 |Montreal |rowspan="3"|Canada |Montreal Forum

15 June 1974 |Ottawa |Ottawa Civic Centre

16 June 1974 |Toronto |O'Keefe Centre

17 June 1974 |Rochester | rowspan="29" |United States |Rochester Community War Memorial

18 June 1974 |rowspan="2"|Cleveland |rowspan="2"|Public Auditorium

19 June 1974

20 June 1974 |Toledo |Toledo Sports Arena

22 June 1974 |rowspan="2"|Detroit |rowspan="2"|Cobo Hall

23 June 1974

24 June 1974 |Trotwood |Hara Arena

25 June 1974 |Cincinnati |Cincinnati Gardens

26 June 1974 |rowspan="2"|Pittsburgh |rowspan="2"|Syria Mosque

27 June 1974

28 June 1974 |Charleston |Charleston Civic Center

29 June 1974 |Nashville |Nashville Municipal Auditorium

30 June 1974 |Memphis |Mid-South Coliseum

1 July 1974 |Atlanta |Fox Theatre

2 July 1974 |Tampa |Curtis Hixon Hall

3 July 1974 |Casselberry |Jai Alai

5 July 1974 |Charlotte |Charlotte Coliseum

6 July 1974 |Greensboro |Greensboro Coliseum

7 July 1974 |Norfolk |Norfolk Scope

8 July 1974 |rowspan="6"|Upper Darby Township |rowspan="6"|Tower Theater

9 July 1974

10 July 1974

11 July 1974

12 July 1974

13 July 1974

14 July 1974 |New Haven |New Haven Coliseum

16 July 1974 |Boston |Music Hall

19 July 1974 |rowspan="2"|New York City |rowspan="2"|Madison Square Garden

20 July 1974

colspan="4" style="background:#ddd;" |North America (Second Leg)

2 September 1974 |rowspan="7"|Los Angeles |rowspan="12"|United States |rowspan="7"|Universal Amphitheatre

3 September 1974

4 September 1974

5 September 1974

6 September 1974

7 September 1974

8 September 1974

11 September 1974 |San Diego |San Diego Sports Arena

13 September 1974 |Tucson |Tucson Convention Center

14 September 1974 |Phoenix |Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

15 September 1974 |rowspan="2"|Anaheim |rowspan="2"|Anaheim Convention Center

16 September 1974

colspan="4" style="background:#ddd;" |North America (Third Leg)

5 October 1974 |Saint Paul | rowspan="34" |United States |Saint Paul Civic Center

8 October 1974 |Indianapolis |Indiana Convention Center

10 October 1974 | rowspan="2" |Madison | rowspan="2" |Dane County Coliseum

11 October 1974

13 October 1974 |Milwaukee |MECCA Arena

15 October 1974 | rowspan="6" |Detroit | rowspan="6" |Michigan Palace Theater

16 October 1974

17 October 1974

18 October 1974

19 October 1974

20 October 1974

21 October 1974 | rowspan="3" |Chicago | rowspan="3" |Arie Crown Theater

22 October 1974

23 October 1974

28 October 1974 |rowspan="7"|New York City |rowspan="7"|Radio City Music Hall

29 October 1974

30 October 1974

31 October 1974

1 November 1974

2 November 1974

3 November 1974

6 November 1974 |Cleveland |Public Auditorium

8 November 1974 |Buffalo |War Memorial Stadium

11 November 1974 |Landover |Capital Centre

14 November 1974 |rowspan="3"|Boston |rowspan="3"|Music Hall

15 November 1974

16 November 1974

18 November 1974 |Philadelphia |The Spectrum Theater

19 November 1974 |Pittsburgh |Civic Arena

24 November 1974 | rowspan="2" |Philadelphia | rowspan="2" |The Spectrum Theater

25 November 1974

28 November 1974 |Memphis |Mid-South Coliseum

30 November 1974 |Nashville |Nashville Municipal Auditorium

1 December 1974 |Atlanta |Omni Coliseum

;Cancellations

cellpadding="2" style="border: 0px solid darkgray; font-size:90%" ! width="150" | ! width="250" | ! width="300" | ! width="500" |

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17 July 1974 |Yarmouth, Massachusetts |Cape Cod Coliseum |Cancelled

6 October 1974 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Saint Paul Civic Center |Cancelled

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From David Bowie

• "Space Oddity"
• "Memory of a Free Festival"

From The Man Who Sold the World

• "The Width of a Circle"

From Hunky Dory

• "Changes"

From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

• "Moonage Daydream"
• "Suffragette City"
• "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"

From Aladdin Sane

• "Watch That Man"
• "Aladdin Sane (1913–1938-197?)"
• "Drive-In Saturday"
• "Panic in Detroit"
• "Cracked Actor"
• "Time"
• "The Jean Genie"

From Pin Ups

• "Sorrow" (originally by The McCoys in 1965 and made famous by The Merseys the following year; written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer)

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From Diamond Dogs

• "Future Legend"
• "Diamond Dogs"
• "Sweet Thing"
• "Candidate"
• "Sweet Thing (Reprise)"
• "Rebel Rebel"
• "Rock 'n' Roll With Me"
• "1984"
• "Big Brother"
• "Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family"

From Young Americans

• "Young Americans"
• "Win"
• "Somebody Up There Likes Me"
• "Can You Hear Me?"

Other songs

• "All the Young Dudes" (from All the Young Dudes (1972) by Mott the Hoople; written by Bowie)
• "Footstompin'" (from "Foot Stomping” by The Flares (1961), written by Aaron Collins)
• "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" (from Observations in Time (1969) by the Ohio Players, written by Leroy Bonner, Joe Harris, Marshall "Rock" Jones, Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks, Dutch Robinson, Clarence "Satch" Satchell and Gary Webster)
• "It's Gonna Be Me" (outtake from Young Americans; released as a bonus track from the album's 1991 and 2007 reissues (the latter being an alternate version with strings))
• "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" (a rearranged version of a non-album Bowie single first released in 1972/1973, a studio version of which was itself later released as a single in 1979)
• "Knock on Wood" (originally from Knock on Wood (1966) by Eddie Floyd; written by Floyd and Steve Cropper; later released as a single from David Live (1974))

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{{Reflist|30em}}

{{David Bowie}}

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Category:David Bowie concert tours

Category:1974 concert tours