Released 2 May 1978 Producer Jay David Saks Label RCA Red Seal Records | Length 44:18 Release date 2 May 1978 Genre Classical music | |
 | ||
Recorded December 1977;
RCA Studio B, New York City Artists David Bowie, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra Songs Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, op. 34 Similar David Bowie albums, Other albums | ||
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf is a classical music album containing David Bowie's narration of Sergei Prokofiev's 1936 composition Peter and the Wolf. 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. It reached number 136 on the US Pop Albums chart.
Contents
Background
Bowie was RCA's third choice to undertake the narration for Peter and the Wolf behind Alec Guinness and Peter Ustinov, who had both turned the album down. Bowie has since said that it was a Christmas present for his son, Duncan Jones, then 7 years old.
Reception
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." 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."
Side one
- Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 (Sergei Prokofiev) – 27:08
Side two
- Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, opus 34 (Benjamin Britten) – 17:10
Release history
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.
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.