The Jean Genie
David Bowie | Artist Essentials
First released: 1972 (year verified)
Original UK single mix
MusicAtlas editorial note: The riff provides a firm center while the harmonica and vocal keep roughening its edges.
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Release evidence and recording details
First released: 1972 (year verified)
Original single in 1972 before Aladdin Sane in 1973; the original single mix is cataloged separately from the album.
Recording: Original UK single mix
Credit: David Bowie
Role in this collection: Primary artist
Original single: The Jean Genie
BBC confirms The Jean Genie archive broadcast
Explicitly dates the original studio single to November 1972 and Aladdin Sane to 1973; the January 1973 BBC performance discussed elsewhere on the page is separate. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
Five Years 1969-1973 - original albums and non-album versions
Original albums and Re:Call 1 non-album singles/single versions are listed separately, including The Jean Genie original single mix; 2015 is the box release, not an original track date. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
Aladdin Sane - official catalog
1973 original album tracklist; used with the earlier single sources rather than assigning its year to The Jean Genie. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
Annual version match under review
The selected recording has release evidence, but its version has not been matched to the retained annual entry. It is omitted from Beyond the yearly lists until this match is resolved.
The actual annual row is dated 1972 but has no mix identifier. Official reissues identify the original UK single mix separately from the album presentation. The annual year alone cannot establish which presentation is retained, so this version-specific link remains provisional.
BBC confirms The Jean Genie archive broadcast
Explicitly dates the original studio single to November 1972 and Aladdin Sane to 1973; the January 1973 BBC performance discussed elsewhere on the page is separate. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
Five Years 1969-1973 - original albums and non-album versions
Original albums and Re:Call 1 non-album singles/single versions are listed separately, including The Jean Genie original single mix; 2015 is the box release, not an original track date. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
Aladdin Sane - official catalog
1973 original album tracklist; used with the earlier single sources rather than assigning its year to The Jean Genie. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
About David Bowie
David Bowie built his career around changes in musical style and performance identity. The success of 'Space Oddity' in 1969 was followed by the Ziggy Stardust character and albums that moved through guitar rock, soul and electronic textures. Collaborations with Tony Visconti, Brian Eno and Nile Rodgers shaped different periods. Alongside his recording career he worked in film and theater. His later recordings include The Next Day and Blackstar, extending a catalog in which concise pop songs sit beside more experimental album pieces.
Artist background sources
David Bowie - official biography
Scoped background: Space Oddity breakthrough in 1969, Ziggy persona in 1972, the soul direction of Young Americans, work with Visconti, Eno and Rodgers, film and theater work, and later The Next Day and Blackstar albums. The biography's erroneous or territory-specific incidental dates are not used for first-release dating. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
David Bowie (1969) - official catalog
Original November 1969 album, Space Oddity track and Gus Dudgeon production; the 1972 retitled reissue is separate. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Young Americans - official catalog
March 1975 original album and its full Young Americans and Fame tracks; recording and writing participants are distinct from the David Bowie release credit. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Low - official catalog
January 1977 original album including Sound and Vision. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Let's Dance - official catalog
April 1983 original album including Modern Love and the full title track; Bowie and Nile Rodgers production. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Profile reviewed: 2026-10-17. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.
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