"Holy Holy"
Single byDavid Bowie
B-side	"Black Country Rock"
Released	15 January 1971 (1971-01-15)
Recorded	9, 13–16 November 1970[1]
Studio	Island (London)
Genre	Glam rock,art rock
Length	3:13
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	David Bowie
Producer(s)	Blue Mink
David Bowie singles chronology
"Memory of a Free Festival" (1970) "Holy Holy" (1971) "Changes" (1972)
Alternative cover

"Holy Holy" is a song by the English singer-songwriterDavid Bowie, originally released as a single in January 1971. It was recorded in November 1970,^[2] after the completion ofThe Man Who Sold the World, in the perceived absence of a clear single from that album. Like Bowie's two previous singles, it sold poorly and failed to chart.

At the timeMarc Bolan'sTyrannosaurus Rex was a significant source of inspiration for Bowie. On this track, according toNME editorsRoy Carr andCharles Shaar Murray, "Bolan's influence is so much in the ascendant that it virtually amounts to a case ofdemonic possession".^[3] The single's B-side was another Tyrannosaurus Rex flavoured song called "Black Country Rock" fromThe Man Who Sold the World. Bowie performed "Holy Holy" on Britain'sGranada Television wearing a dress,^[4] which he would also wear on the cover of the soon-to-be-released UK edition ofThe Man Who Sold the World.

A more energetic version of the song was recorded in late 1971 forThe Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.^[4] It was dropped from the album, but subsequently appeared as the B-side to "Diamond Dogs" in 1974. This version was also released as a bonus track on theRykodisc reissue ofThe Man Who Sold the World in 1990 (despite the sleeve notes referring to it as the original cut), as well as on theZiggy Stardust – 30th Anniversary Reissue bonus disc in 2002. Bowie himself vetoed the inclusion of the original at a late stage (in favour of the remake), and the single remained the only official release of the 1970 recording until 2015, when it was included onRe:Call 1, part of theFive Years (1969–1973) compilation.

All tracks written by David Bowie.^[5][6]

1971 Mercury single

1. "Holy Holy" – 3:13
2. "Black Country Rock" – 3:05

1974 RCA single

1. "Diamond Dogs" – 5:56
2. "Holy Holy" – 2:20

Credits according to biographer Chris O'Leary.^[7]

Original version

• David Bowie – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Alan Parker – lead guitar
• Herbie Flowers – bass, producer
• Barry Morgan – drums

Re-recorded version

• David Bowie – vocals
• Mick Ronson – lead and rhythm guitar
• Trevor Bolder – bass
• Woody Woodmansey – drums
• Ken Scott – producer

• Buckley, David (1999).Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story. London:Virgin Books.ISBN 978-1-85227-784-0.
• Cann, Kevin (2010).Any Day Now – David Bowie: The London Years: 1947–1974. Croydon, Surrey: Adelita.ISBN 978-0-95520-177-6.
• Carr, Roy;Murray, Charles Shaar (1981).Bowie: An Illustrated Record. London:Eel Pie Publishing.ISBN 978-0-38077-966-6.
• O'Leary, Chris (2015).Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie from '64 to '76. Winchester:Zero Books.ISBN 978-1-78099-244-0.
• Pegg, Nicholas (2016).The Complete David Bowie (Revised and Updated ed.). London:Titan Books.ISBN 978-1-78565-365-0.

• 1971 singles
• David Bowie songs
• Songs written by David Bowie
• Mercury Records singles
• 1970 songs

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