David Bowie “Peter and the Wolf” 1978. Today, January 8th, would have been David Bowie’s 75th birthday (b. 1947, d. 2016) so I’m spinning this obscure original on green vinyl, David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Sergei Prokofiev wrote the orchestral piece to introduce children to the instruments of an orchestra in 1936. Behind Bowie’s narration is the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. The story is about a young Russian boy who defies his grandfather, pals around with a bunch of animals and captures a wolf who has swallowed a live duck. Each character is represented by a corresponding instrument in the orchestra: the bird by a flute, the duck by an oboe, the cat by a clarinet, the grandfather by a bassoon, the wolf by three horns, Peter by the string quartet and the shooting of the hunters by the kettle drums and bass drum. I had Peter and the Wolf on vinyl when I was a really little kid but definitely not narrated by Bowie which is too bad as that would have been amazing (this would have been earlier in the 70’s anyway, around ’74 or ’75). The version I probably had was the Disney 7″ long-playing version from 1968 narrated by John Witty which came with a 24-page illustrated read-along booklet. I absolutely loved it and likely started violin lessons not long after.

Bowie’s version went to #136 on the US album chart and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Recording for Children category, but he lost to The Muppet Show tv soundtrack album. Bowie delivers a performance that was almost universally described at the time as “charming” (it is!) and it’s hard to believe he recorded this not long after releasing Heroes and recording and touring with Iggy Pop, both ventures hardly kid-orientated.  Bowie stated that his involvement with Peter and the Wolf was meant as a Christmas present for his son, Duncan, who was 7 years old. You can listen to the entire piece here.