David Bowie famously sang about “Changes” in 1971, and true to his word, he turned and faced the strange on his 1975 LP “Young Americans.”
Making a galactic journey from glam-rock to his self-described “plastic soul,” the man who came from Mars as Ziggy Stardust landed in Philadelphia to record his game-changing classic that came out 50 years ago on March 7, 1975.
But the rock star — who died from liver cancer in 2016 — wasn’t exactly greeted with brotherly love in the city.
“We were going to the birthplace of so many hits,” Tony Visconti — the “Young Americans” producer who had worked with Bowie since 1968 — exclusively told The Post. “But [Kenny] Gamble and [Leon] Huff, they didn’t want to work with us.”
Indeed, the Sound of Philadelphia architects behind such R&B greats as the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were not open to this Brit invading their territory.
“They actually said, ‘We don’t want no white boy stealing our music’ or something like that,” said Visconti, 80.
But Bowie was on a makeover mission that could not be stopped on “Young Americans,” assembling his own soul squad, including Sly & the Family Stone drummer Andrew Newmark, Donny Hathaway bassist Willie Weeks, James Brown saxophonist David Sanborn and an emerging background singer by the name of Luther Vandross at Sigma Sound — the Philly studio where many Gamble & Huff hits were made.
There was also session guitar player Carlos Alomar licking it up on hits such as the title track and his co-written classic “Fame” — Bowie’s first No. 1 hit in the US — after working at the Apollo Theater and touring with everyone from the Godfather of Soul, Brown, to the Main Ingredient.
“I didn’t need him. He needed something,” said Alomar, 73. “You know, we kind of attracted each other.”
In fact, Alomar and his wife, “Young Americans” background singer Robin Clark, forged a personal bond with the Thin White Duke before a professional one.
“I had to tell him, ‘Boy, you look like crap. You need to eat! You need to come to my house and get a home-cooked meal,’” recalled Alomar. “And so we had dinner, and we had a good time.”
Alomar and Clark would go on to perform on Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs Tour,” where some of the “Young Americans” material was first introduced. That relationship continued into the recording of the album, on which the singer adopted another, hipper persona as “The Gouster.”
“And it just so happens that my best friend was Luther Vandross,” said Alomar. “We were young teenagers at the Apollo Theater in a group called Listen My Brother from ‘Sesame Street.’”
Clark brought Vandross to Philadelphia for the “Young Americans” sessions, where the future R&B legend served as “choirmaster,” as Visconti describes it, for background vocalists including Ava Cherry, who Bowie was dating at the time.
“What a master he was, what a nice person too,” said Visconti. “You know, he was really friendly and helpful, a genius.”
In fact, Vandross’ contributions were so significant that he even got songwriting credit for “Fascination.”
“It was called ‘Funky Music’ — that’s the original title,” said Visconti. “And David thought maybe it’s a little too plain.”
“Fascination” was recorded after the “Young Americans” sessions were completed at the Power Station in New York — or so Visconti thought.
After the producer returned to the UK to master the album, Bowie informed him that he was inspired to add two more tunes thanks to a certain Beatle — John Lennon.
“I went back to London, and he just sent me a telegram because he was a really kind person. He says, ‘I’m sorry to tell you this, Tony, but … I was just in the studio with John Lennon last night, and we recorded this song called ‘Fame,’” said Visconti.
“And I went, ‘Oh my God, if only I stayed another week!’ It was only a few days after I left. I missed out on that big time. I would have loved to have been there, even as a fly on the wall.”
Bowie also recorded a cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” which was written by Lennon.
“He thought John Lennon would be happy about that, and John Lennon said to him afterwards, ‘I don’t know why you wanted to record ‘Across the Universe.’ I wrote better songs than that,’” said Visconti.
Alomar also received writing credit on “Fame” as the man who came up with the famous guitar riff, along with Bowie musing about the trappings of stardom.
“When I found out that he wanted to record at Jimi Hendrix’s studio Electric Lady, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah! This is awesome,’” shared Alomar. “I found out he had taken ‘Foot Stompin’ [by the Flairs] and just cut it up.
“It had this funky, mysterious kind of groove you would never have thought this ‘Diamond Dog’ would come out with,” said Alomar. “Next thing I know, he’s on ‘Soul Train’ talking to Don Cornelius.”
Indeed, “Young Americans” — which is being celebrated with a new half-speed mastered LP and picture disc — changed the color of soul for generations to come.
“It shocked his fans who always wanted another ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ which they think was his crowning glory,” said Visconti of Bowie’s 1972 breakthrough “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders of Mars.”
“This English guy who has a very pronounced British accent wants to go to Philadelphia, and he wants to make funky music … that was a major move that not many people could pull off. But he did it.”
