David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf

David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf is a classical music album containing English musician David Bowie's narration of Sergei Prokofiev's 1936 composition Peter and the Wolf, as well as Benjamin Britten‘s The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. The music is performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. The album was released in May 1978 on the RCA Red Seal label.[1] It reached number 136 on the US Pop Albums chart.[2]

David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
Studio album by
David Bowie with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Released2 May 1978
RecordedDecember 1977
StudioRCA Studio B, New York City
GenreClassical
Length44:18
LabelRCA Red Seal
ProducerJay David Saks
David Bowie chronology
"Heroes"
(1977)		 David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
(1978)		 Stage
(1978)

Background

Bowie flew to New York City in December 1977 to record narration for Peter and the Wolf.[3] Bowie was RCA's third choice to undertake the narration for Peter and the Wolf behind Alec Guinness and Peter Ustinov,[3] who had both turned the album down.[4] Bowie later said that it was a Christmas present for his son, Duncan Jones, then 7 years old.[4]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Rolling Stone(favourable)[6]

Stephen Demorest, reviewing the album Rolling Stone at the time of its release, describes Bowie's involvement as "engaging and benevolent". Demorest finishes his review by saying Bowie had "found his most charming guise since Hunky Dory."[6] Joe Viglione for AllMusic finds the album as "charming" and Bowie's performance as "splendid" and describes the Philadelphia Orchestra's involvement as "first rate". He finished by saying it was "A remarkable and well-crafted project."[5] Biographer Nicholas Pegg stated: "While not to be compared with John Gielgud's definitive recording, Bowie's narration has genuine charm. This is an accomplished piece of work and a fascinating curio from a period in which his other unlikely collaborations embraced figures as diverse as Marc Bolan, Bing Crosby and Marlene Dietrich."[3]

Track listing

Side one
  1. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 (Sergei Prokofiev) – 27:08

Side two
  1. Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, opus 34 (Benjamin Britten) – 17:10
Narrated by Hugh Downs, accompanied by the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler

Release history
The original 1978 US green pressing of the LP

The original 1978 US version of the LP album was pressed on green vinyl and included liner notes insert (RCA Red Seal ARL1-2743). Later issues were pressing in standard black vinyl. A different album cover was used for 1992 US CD release depicting Bowie with wolf ears.[5]

The album has been reissued a number of times on Compact Disc with varying extra tracks and three album covers. The most recent was released in 2014 by Sony Classical.[7]

Personnel

References
  1. Pegg, Nicholas (2006) [2000]. The Complete David Bowie. London: Reynolds & Hearn. p. 390. ISBN 1-905287-15-1
  2. "Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  3. Pegg 2016, p. 489.
  4. Seabrook, Thomas Jermome (2008). Bowie in Berlin: A New Career in a New Town. London: Jawbone Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-906002-08-4
  5. Miglione, Joe. "Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  6. Demorest, Stephen (29 June 1978). "Various Artists: David Bowie Narrates Peter And The Wolf ". Rolling Stone (268). Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  7. "David Bowie's Peter and the Wolf to be reissued". Classic FM. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

Sources
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