Recording: I Dig Everything

David Bowie and the Buzz attempted to record ‘I Dig Everything’ on Monday 6 June 1966.

The session took place at Pye Studios in Marble Arch, London. The producer was Tony Hatch and, in addition to Bowie and the Buzz, the musicians were trumpeter Andy Kirk, sax player Pete Sweet, trombonist Graham Livermore, and Dusty Springfield’s backing vocalists Madeline Bell, Kiki Dee, and Lesley Duncan.

The song was arranged by Bowie and Fearnley, but there was no time to rehearse with the additional musicians, and Hatch was unsatisfied with the results.

‘I Dig Everything’ was re-recorded a month later, on 5 July 1966, again at Pye Studios.

This time Hatch took no chances, and arranged for a new set of session musicians to back Bowie. Their names were not documented.

I couldn’t tell you for certain who played on the re-recording but in those days, for ‘rock’ sessions I always hired great musicians like Jimmy Page, John McLaughlin, Jim Sullivan, Herbie Flowers, Clem Cattini, Tony from Sounds Incorporated, Roger Coulam and Alan Hawkshaw, the ‘hooligans’ of their time.

Also recorded during the July session was the single’s b-side ‘I’m Not Losing Sleep’. The single was released on 19 August 1966 as Pye 7N 17157.

Bowie revived ‘I Dig Everything’ during two live dates in June 2000, and re-recorded it later that year for the Toy album.