David Bowie’s lost 2001 album ‘Toy’ is finally set to be released.
The late music legend’s collection of re-records and renditions of his early songs was originally planned to be released after 1999 LP ‘Hours…’, however, a disagreement with his former label Virgin got in the way of fans hearing the gems.
The album ended up being leaked online in 2011, but now it’s been announced that ‘Toy’ will be a part of the upcoming ‘Era Five’ box set.
The fifth in the series, ‘Brilliant Adventure (1992 – 2001)’, is due for release shortly.
To kick things off, fans can hear a radio edit of ‘You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving’, which the ‘Starman’ hitmaker recorded in 1965 and released as a single under the name Davy Jones, with his band at the time, The Lower Third.
More information regarding the box set is set to be unveiled later today.
A tweet on the official David Bowie account read: “Depending where you are on the planet, if it’s 29th September you might be streaming the radio edit of ‘You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving’ from the forthcoming ‘Toy’ album, via your favourite streaming service. “More details regarding that and the rest of the Era Five box, later today.”
The ‘Toy’ news comes after it was announced that the ‘Space Oddity’ hitmaker’s estate landed a historical deal with Warner Music Group, which means the major label now owns the rights to the iconic singer’s entire back catalogue, bar the ‘Rebel Rebel’ rocker’s pre-1968 recordings and a slew of other tracks.
Warner already owned the rights to Bowie’s music released between 1968 and 1999, following its acquisition of the Parlophone Label Group in 2013.
Bowie’s Sony released records ‘Heathen’, ‘Reality’, ‘The Next Day’ and ‘Blackstar’ will have a home at Warner from 2023.
Max Lousada, CEO of Recorded Music at Warner Music Group, said in a statement: “It’s an incredible honour to have been chosen as the stewards of one of the most important and dynamic bodies of creative work in modern culture.
“The impact of Bowie’s repeated reinvention and endless experimentation continues to resonate around the world – through the genres he transformed, the timeless songs and sounds he invented, and the immeasurable influence he’s had on music, art, and fashion.
“We’re excited that our expanded partnership with the Bowie estate will help us deliver innovative, career-spanning projects and attract new generations to his extraordinary musical universe.”
Bowie died following a private battle with cancer in 2016, aged 69, two days after the release of his final album (‘Blackstar’).