Audio Autopsy, 1971: Who Was Arnold Corns & Why Did David Bowie Produce His Single?

While we're at it, who on earth was Freddy Burretti, and why should we care? A pretty cool single I picked up in a record store's import section in 1974 turned out to be a mystery to me for decades!

(l-r) 1971: Daniella, Freddie, and David in a quiet moment at home. But, where’s Arnold? Could he be hiding in plain sight?

Sometime in my first year at college (N. Texas State U. in Denton, TX) in 1974 (I was 19), I bought a single in a record store’s import section: Arnold Corns and what appeared to be two David Bowie covers. Plus, both sides were produced by Bowie. That’s all I knew.

At the time, I figured Bowie had found a fawning, new recording artist, one Mr. A. Corns, who wanted to record two of his hero’s songs, and the man himself produced!

It looked exactly like this (the one on the right, below)…a 1974 “import” single from the UK on Mooncrest Records, a re-issue from the original 1972 release by UK label, B&C Records:

Left, the original B&C Records/UK 1972 release. Despite the 1971 publishing date, label left, the flip's "Man in the Middle" sports a 1972 publishing date, which indicates the single couldn't have been a '71 release. Right, the 1974 re-issue on Mooncrest Records/UK, with tiny print stating that it's "marketed by B&C Records Ltd." A Discogs note says this: "Re-release to cash in on Bowie's then newly found fame, but it wasn't a hit due to poor promotion." This single, in any form, was never released in the U.S.

And, it sounded like this:

You’ll hear more, meet the main characters, and discover the story of how it all came together, starting here, with this quick synopsis:

Discogs explains: “Arnold Corns was a band formed by David Bowie in 1971. Bowie played guitar and did most of the vocals, although his costume designer, Freddie Burretti, was considered as a lead vocalist. Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass, Mick Woodmansey on drums and Mark Pritchett on guitar, Arnold Corns was one of Bowie’s side projects at the time, and something of a dry run for Ziggy Stardust.

“This collaboration released three tracks - early versions of ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘Hang Onto Yourself,’ and the song, ‘Man in the Middle.’ The name, ‘Arnold Corns,’ was inspired by Bowie’s favourite Pink Floyd song, ‘Arnold Layne’”:

The MainMan Who Would Be Bowie

He’ll forever be a rock trendsetter, and I’m not about to even think about chipping away at that, but the overall look and sartorial sense for La Bowie and his Angie (right-hand photo) may have had its genesis with the fashion-forward finery of designer Freddie Burretti and his gal pal at the time, Daniella Parmer (left photo). According to Jackie Mallon in the January 27, 2016 FashionUnited/UK site, the 19-year-old (in 1971) Londoner, born Frederick Burrett, was credited by the singer himself as “the ultimate co-shaper of the Ziggy look.”

🎵Fashion - Turn to the left
Fashion - Turn to the right
Ooh, fashion
We are the goon squad and we're coming to town
Beep-beep
Beep-beep🎵

—David Bowie, 1980, “Fashion,” from Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) album