Nick Lowe’s Bowi EP | A Cheeky Tribute to David Bowie
A few months after David Bowie released his album Low in January 1977, Nick Lowe returned the compliment by issuing the cleverly titled EP, Bowi.
BOWI
A cheeky moment in a cheeky career. It’s quite the gag for Nick Lowe, pub rock pioneer and record producer extraordinaire known for his dry wit and wry smile. “Basher” jokingly pretended that Bowie had named his album after him, but had left out the last letter of his name. So he responded with the EP Bowi (Stiff, 1977) with the last letter of Bowie’s name missing.
He even parodied Bowie’s Low cover, using the same font, colours, and text location.
THE COVER
The cover concept was created by brilliant pop artist Barney Bubbles, who created many album covers of the era, including Lowe’s wry pub-rock landmark, Jesus of Cool (Radar, 1978). The cover shot was taken by photographer Peter Gravelle, and the rear shot of Nick was taken by Peter Kodlick.
Bowi was the first EP released on Stiff Records, appearing in record stores in May 1977. The first single on Stiff was Nick’s 1976 scintillating 7-inch and solo debut, ‘So It Goes’/’Heart of the City‘, following his departure from Brinsley Schwarz.
THE TRACKS
Like many of Nick Lowe’s releases, Bowi is bursting at the seams with brilliant pop craftsmanship. ‘Born a Woman‘ opens things up nicely, filled with melodic energy and power pop; it’s something of a lament about the world’s cruelty and inequality to women, and Nick sings it with glee despite it being a Martha Sharp cover originally performed by Sandy Posey.
Track two is ‘Shake That Rat‘, a gritty instrumental rave up packed full of energy but never showy or forced. Next up is the centrepiece of the EP, ‘Marie Provost‘, one of Nick’s best songs. An account in two-and-a-half minutes of the unhappy life and bizarre death of the silent movie star Marie Prevost: ‘She was a winner/ Who became the doggie’s dinner,’ chorused a heavenly choir of multi-tracked Lowes.
The breathtaking ‘Endless Sleep‘ closes out the EP in a gentle and beautifully restrained manner; it’s a song that wouldn’t be out of place on any of Nick’s more recent records.
JESUS OF COOL
Following the Bowi EP, Lowe would go on to release two of his best albums: Jesus of Cool in 1978, and Labour of Lust in 1979, as well as touring extensively with the great Rockpile, featuring Dave Edmunds.
All four of these songs would later reappear on the essential Jesus of Cool deluxe reissue in 2010. Lowe would also go on to (allegedly) parody Bowie’s Low track, ‘Breaking Glass’, with Jesus of Cool’s ‘I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass‘ — even the riff sounds a bit like ‘Sound and Vision.’
NB: Eleven years later, Chicago jangle pop band Green released the REM EP in response to R.E.M.’s Green album in 1988. Got that?
Photo: Ian Dickson. Nick Lowe, 1977, outside Stiff Records Office, 32 Alexander St, London.
Further Listening:
♥ Buy Nick Lowe Albums
♥ Buy Nick Lowe’s Bowi EP
♥ Nick Lowe Official
♥ Barney Bubbles | Hero of Modern Album Cover Design
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7g7yJ2gLTsKPAvgKYmKcWD?si=qsVoEThkSwOg4jt6VRatTA
#BarneyBubbles #DavidBowie #NickLowe
Andi Chorley
THE PRESS | Music Reviews
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