Hear David Bowie’s Rare Live ‘Suffragette City’ From 1978
David Bowie tears through a live rendition of “Suffragette City” in a previously unreleased track set to appear on the upcoming box set, A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982), out September 29th. The release is the third in a series of box sets that will chronicle Bowie’s career, with previous installments covering 1969 to 1973 and 1974 to 1976.
The previously unreleased version of “Suffragette City” was recorded on April 29th, 1978, at the Spectrum Arena in Philadelphia during a run of shows that would ultimately comprise the musician’s 1978 live album, Stage. However this version of “Suffragette City” was omitted from the original LP and the 2005 reissue, and was rediscovered while A New Career In a New Town was being put together. The performance finds Bowie delivering the track in a ragged near-growl packed with soul. Both Bowie and his band move through the rocker at a breakneck pace, yet no one misses a beat when they hit the song’s famous false ending.
Along with “Suffragette City,” the expanded version of Stage included in the box will feature a previously unreleased rendition of of “Jean Genie.” A New Career in a New Town also boasts remastered versions of Bowie’s albums Low, “Heroes,” Lodger, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), the previously unavailable Heroes EP – which features French and German language versions of Bowie’s landmark single – producer Tony Visconti’s 2017 mix for Lodger and the Re:Call 3 compilation, which comprises various singles, soundtrack contributions and B sides.