David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf came out on RCA Red Seal on 2 May 1978. Side one pairs Bowie's spoken narration with Prokofiev's children's tale, played by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy and produced by Jay David Saks. Bowie took part for the benefit of his young son. Side two is a music-only performance of Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by the same forces.
It arrived between "Heroes" and Lodger, a world away from the Berlin-period records on either side of it. It reached number 136 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and earned a Grammy nomination in 1979. Critics have praised Bowie's reading as charming and engaging. Later CD reissues added The Nutcracker Suite and The Carnival of the Animals, with new artwork.
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf: tracklist, credits and charts
2 tracks · 44:19Tracklist
- 1Peter and the Wolf, op. 67Сергей Сергеевич Прокофьев27:10
- 2Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, op. 34Benjamin Britten17:09
- Produced by
- Jay David Saks
- Recorded at
- Town Hall Theatre, RCA Victor Studios, RCA, New York City (narration)
- Recorded
- October 1975 – November 1977
- Engineered by
- Paul Goodman
- Label
- RCA Red Seal
- Length
- 44:19
Line-up
- David Bowie · spoken vocals
- Hugh Downs · spoken vocals
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top LPs & Tape · 1978 | 136 |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 2 May
Every year →More from David Bowie
Full discography →The best of 1978
All of 1978 →How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1978 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 2 May 1978 | |
| Wikidata | 2 May 1978 | |
| US release | 1978 | earliest US date |
9 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | US | RCA Red Seal | original | |
| 1983 | US | RCA Red Seal | 078635274325 | other |
| 1988 | XE | RCA Red Seal | 0035628274328 | other |
| 1992 | US | BMG Classics | 090266087822 | other |
| 11 February 1992 | US | RCA Victor | 090266087822 | other |
| 10 May 1994 | US | RCA Victor | 090266256327 | other |
| 2004 | GB | RCA Victor | 828766235722 | other |
| 2013 | — | Sony Music | 888837658027 | other |
| 22 November 2013 | XW | RCA Red Seal | 886444122573 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 500x500, upscaled to 1500 (x3.00)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 500×500 | upscaled: major: best source 500x500, upscaled to 1500 (x3.00) |