Produces and plays on The Man Who Sold The World and Watch That Man for Lulu.
The Spiders have departed, leaving Mick Ronson striving for a solo career with a single, Love Me Tender, and later two albums, both which fizzled.
David is shut away in Olympic until February. He abandons the Ziggy project and 1984 because of problems with Orwell's relatives. Some of the songs formed part of the new concept, Diamond Dogs, which is inspired by his trip to Russia and he talks of it as his political protest album.
15 February, Rebel Rebel is released. The album finished, David goes to New York to prepare for a spectacular new $200,000 stage show to tour America. During his stay, David develops an interest in black soul music.
April 24, Diamond Dogs is released with sleeve by Dutch Rock Dreams artist, Guy Peellaert, depicting David as half man-half dog. The poster, when displayed in record store windows, literally stops traffic.
Philadelphia has a profound effect on Bowie, who books into the Sigma Sound studios between the two legs of the tour and records a new album, which he describes as "plastic soul". It may be called One Damn Song, Fascination or Somebody Up There Likes Me , but ends up being called Young Americans. The second leg of the tour is renamed "The Philly Dogs Tour". Knock On Wood, a version of the Eddie Floyd classic, acts as a teaser single for the live album. After the tour, David holes up amidst the cocaine and weirdness of L.A.



February 21, Young Americans, single released, followed by album.
David is in the process of separating himself from Tony De Fries and rumors abound of physical decline, dabbling in witchcraft and drugs.
August 18, Fame is released and reaches number 17.
David starts shooting The Man Who Fell To Earth in New Mexico, at the same time working on a book of autobiographical short stories called The Return Of The Thin White Duke. A soundtrack to the film is scheduled for -76 but mysteriously never appears, possibly because of the litigation with De Fries. Tracks pop up on the next two albums though.
Space Oddity, is re-released in Britain and holds the number one spot for three weeks.
October - December, records Station To Station, album in Los Angeles. The band consists of Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, Earl Slick, George Murray plus Roy Bittain from Bruce Springsteen's band on keyboards.
November 17, Golden Years, released.



January 16, Station To Station released.
35-city US tour off in Vancouver, before moving on to Europe. Bowie is now the Thin White Duke-an emotionless edifice in white shirt, black waistcoat and slicked-back flame-coloured hair. Hits London Wembley Arena in May and causes a stir with fascist remarks and a supposed Nazi salute at Victoria Station. In retrospect, Bowie says he didn't like the duke much at all. The stage show was is based on more recent material and features stunningly effective use of white light, inspired by 30s German theatre. Bowie is already talking about his new interest in electronic music, though the tour still hinges on funk.
After the tour he starts writing and producing The Idiot with Iggy Pop, and his own new album. Sessions in the Chateau prove abortive so they move to Berlin. The Thin White Duke is pensioned off and Bowie attempts to sort himself out. He says later that the cocaine-fuelled plastic craziness of LA was taking a dangerous toll of his mind and health. He wanted to become a person again and started leading an austere, self-supporting lifestyle in Berlin to get away from the pressure.
The latter half of the year was spent working on Low with Brian Eno. The title describes his begin-again state of mind, the album was almost therapy.



January 14 Low released, followed by a single, Sound And Vision.
David produces and co-writes another Iggy album Lust For Life, and narrates Peter and the Wolf for a children's album.
He lands the lead role in David Hemmings new film Just A Gigolo.
March, David starts work on a another album, Heroes which is recorded in Berlin and Switzerland, where Angie and Zowie (Joey) are living. Same band plus Eno and the addition of Robert Fripp on lead guitar. By the time the Heroes single is released, Bowie is living in Switzerland.
October 14, "Heroes" album released.
Bowie spends winter filming Just A Gigolo.



Rehearsals start for a 13 week world tour taking in 65 cities. It opens on the 29th in California. They open at Newcastle City Hall on June 14 and then do three days at Earls Court. Surprised gasps when he devotes an entire section of the set to Ziggy Stardust material.
The tour yields a double album Stage, released in October. He goes to vienna to work on a film about the life of artist Egon Schile, then starts work on the Lodger album in Switzerland.
A video of a new version of Space Oddity is shown on The Kenny Everet Video show. It later comes out as the flip of Moon Of Alabama.



February, Just A Gigolo premiered to lukewarm response. In London, Bowie goes to Nashville to check out The Human League.
Recommences work on Lodger in Berlin, which had been interrupted by the tour.
April 27, Boys Keep Swinging released, followed by Lodger in May. The disco version of John I'm Only Dancing released.
By now David has spent most of the winter travelling to Japan and New York. Already a new album is planned.



February, Divorces Angie and gets custody of Zowie (Joey).
May-June Records Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), in New York and London. Ashes To Ashes is released in August and reaches number one. The album comes out in September. Present are Roy Bittan, Robert Fripp and Pete Townshend.
July 29-31. 29th is the first date for David performing The Elephant Man. It's held at the Center Of Performing Arts in Denver.