Early David Bowie Demo Single Sells For Thousands Of Dollars

David Bowie’s very first demo single has sold for thousands of dollars in a recent eBay auction. Still using his surname Jones, "Davie" and the King Bees recorded ‘Liza Jane’ for Decca Records (released on Vocalion Pop) in 1964.  Fast forward 47 years and you’ll now see the final price wound up at a tidy $3,122.

Davie Jones announced in Sept. 1965 that he was changing his name to David Bowie and the rest, as we know it, is history. So, not only is the single his first but it bears his birth name and has remained one of the rarest 45’s in Bowie long career. On the B-side Bowie and band record ‘Louie, Louie Go Home’ which is a cover of the 1963 song ‘Louie Go Home’ by Paul Revere and the Raiders.

This single was re-issued in 1978 and counterfeit copies have also surfaced but this gem is the real deal. The longtime Bowie collector / seller makes things clear by explaining that the counterfeit versions have the large jukebox hole in the center of the single whereas the original has the push-out center (this one fully intact!) and that the matrix numbers are stamped.

Both sides of the vinyl revealed a few scuffs and marks but the seller still graded the 45 as Excellent / Excellent Minus. Apparently the sleeve was slightly discolored and had a few tears at the opening but no other damage.

The bid history and buyer of this item was unavailable which may indicate a private buyer made the purchase. Privacy policies deserve respect but in the case of buying a prized Bowie collectable you would think that the winner would want to shout it from the nearest mountain top!