Lady Grinning Soul

"Lady Grinning Soul" is a ballad written by David Bowie, which is the final track on the album Aladdin Sane, released in 1973. The composer's first meeting with American soul singer Claudia Lennear in 1972 is often cited as the inspiration for the song.^[1]^[2]

The style of the piece has been compared to a James Bond theme.^[3] Pianist Mike Garson described his own performance as "about as romantic as it gets … French with a little Franz Liszt thrown in there".^[4] Rolling Stone's contemporary review called Bowie's singing "the album's most expansive and sincere vocal",^[5] while author Nicholas Pegg considers the track "one of Bowie's most underrated recordings … quite unlike anything else he has ever done".^[6] The song contains the highest note Bowie has sung on a studio album (G#5).^[7]

The track was used in the films The Runaways (2010) and Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2012).

Allusions

According to artist Tanja Stark,^[8] Bowie was deeply influenced by psychoanalyst Carl Jung who described his famous archetypal concept of the Anima as a renaming of what the poet Carl Spitteler had called ‘My Lady Soul’ (Jung, 1968:13).

Other releases

It was released as the B-side of the single "Let's Spend the Night Together" in June 1973.
It was also the B-side of the Spanish release of the single "Sorrow" in November 1973.
The US release of the single "Rebel Rebel" had "Lady Grinning Soul" as the B-side.
It appeared as the B-side of the Japanese release of the single "1984" in April 1974.

Cover versions

Box Office Poison – Single
Ulf Lundell – Sweethearts (Swedish translation called "Elden")
Paul Roberts – Faith (1999)
Lucia Micarelli – Instrumental version on Music From a Farther Room (2004)
Camille O'Sullivan – Changeling (2012)
Anna Calvi – Strange Weather (EP) (2014)

Personnel

David Bowie: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Mike Garson: Piano
Mick Ronson: Electric Guitar
David Sanborn: Sax
Trevor Bolder: Bass Guitar
Woody Woodmansey: Drums

Notes

↑ Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p. 56
↑ "Lady Grinning Soul" at The Ziggy Stardust Companion
↑ Kris Needs (1983). Bowie: A Celebration: p. 29
↑ David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story: pp. 187–188
↑ Ben Gerson (19 July 1973). "Aladdin Sane". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone.
↑ Nicholas Pegg (2000). The Complete David Bowie: p. 117
↑ Kristobak, Ryan (20 May 2014). "Comparing The Top Artists, Past And Present, By Vocal Range". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
↑ Stark, T., “Crashing Out with Sylvian: David Bowie, Carl Jung and the Unconscious” in Deveroux, E., M.Power and A. Dillane (eds) David Bowie: Critical Perspectives: Routledge Press Contemporary Music Series. 2015 (chapter 5) https://tanjastark.com/2015/06/22/crashing-out-with-sylvian-david-bowie-carl-jung-and-the-unconscious/

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

David Bowie singles

1960s

1964	"Liza Jane"

1965	"I Pity the Fool" "You've Got a Habit of Leaving"

1966	"Can't Help Thinking About Me" "Do Anything You Say" "I Dig Everything" "Rubber Band"

1967	"The Laughing Gnome" "Love You till Tuesday"

1969	"Space Oddity" "Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola"

1970s

1970	"The Prettiest Star" "Memory of a Free Festival"

1971	"Holy Holy" "Moonage Daydream" "Hang On to Yourself"

1972	"Changes" "Starman" "John, I'm Only Dancing" "The Jean Genie"

1973	"Drive-In Saturday" "Time" "Life on Mars" "Let's Spend the Night Together" "Sorrow"

1974	"Rebel Rebel" "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" "Diamond Dogs" "Knock on Wood" "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"

1975	"Young Americans" "Fame" "Golden Years"

1976	"TVC 15" "Suffragette City" "Stay"

1977	"Sound and Vision" "Be My Wife" "'Heroes'"

1978	"Beauty and the Beast" "Breaking Glass"

1979	"Boys Keep Swinging" "DJ" "Yassassin" "Look Back in Anger" "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"

1980s

1980	"Alabama Song" "Crystal Japan" "Ashes to Ashes" "Fashion"

1981	"Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" "Up the Hill Backwards" "Under Pressure" "Wild Is the Wind" "The Drowned Girl"

1982	"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy"

1983	"Let's Dance" "China Girl" "Modern Love" "Without You" "White Light/White Heat"

1984	"Blue Jean" "Tonight"

1985	"This Is Not America" "Loving the Alien" "Dancing in the Street"

1986	"Absolute Beginners" "Underground" "As the World Falls Down" "Magic Dance" "When the Wind Blows"

1987	"Day-In Day-Out" "Time Will Crawl" "Never Let Me Down"

1989	"Under the God" "Heaven's in Here" "Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)" "Prisoner of Love"

1990s

1990	"Fame '90"

1991	"You Belong in Rock n' Roll" "Baby Universal" "One Shot"

1992	"Real Cool World"

1993	"Jump They Say" "Black Tie White Noise" "Miracle Goodnight" "The Buddha of Suburbia"

1994	"Ziggy Stardust"

1995	"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" "Strangers When We Meet" / "The Man Who Sold the World (live)"

1996	"Hallo Spaceboy" "Telling Lies"

1997	"Little Wonder" "Dead Man Walking" "Seven Years in Tibet" "Pallas Athena" "I'm Afraid of Americans" "I Can't Read"

1999	"Without You I'm Nothing" "Thursday's Child" "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell"

2000s

2000	"Survive" "Seven"

2002	"Slow Burn" "Everyone Says 'Hi'" "I've Been Waiting for You" "Shadow Man"

2003	"New Killer Star" "Just for One Day (Heroes)"

2004	"Never Get Old" "Rebel Never Gets Old"

2006	"Arnold Layne" (David Gilmour version)

2010s

2011	"Golden Years - David Bowie vs KCRW"

2013	"Where Are We Now?" "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" "The Next Day" "Valentine's Day" "Love Is Lost"

2014	"'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)"

2015	"Blackstar" "Lazarus"

2016	"I Can't Give Everything Away" "Life on Mars? (2016 Mix)"

Discography
Book:David Bowie Book:Bowie singles and songs
Category:David Bowie

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