In the summer of 1973, mere months after Bruce first recorded it himself, David Bowie recorded a cover of “Growin’ Up” for his forthcoming Pin Ups album.
When it came time to sequence the final album, though, “Growin’ Up” didn’t make the cut. That’s too bad, because Bowie’s version is fantastic–true to the original’s rebellious spirit, but in a very, well, Bowie arrangement and performance.
This wouldn’t be the only time Bowie would record and then shelve a Springsteen song–he did the same thing the following year with “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City.”
Bowie eventually released both songs: his cover of “It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City” saw the light of day first, on Bowie’s Sound + Vision box set in 1989; “Growin’ Up” followed in 1990 when it was included as a bonus track on the re-released of Pin Ups.
The two destined-to-be-iconic musicians didn’t even know each other at the time Bowie recorded both songs, but they would meet shortly thereafter. For the story of their first meeting, see that day’s Kingdom of Days entry.
