The King Bees (1964) – David Bowie’s First Recording Band

Line-up

The best-documented King Bees line-up featured Davie Jones on vocals and saxophone, George Underwood on rhythm guitar, harmonica and backing vocals, Roger Bluck on lead guitar, Robert “Bobby” Allen on drums, and bassist Dave Howard, who is also listed in some sources as Francis Howard.

Formation and early ambitions

In 1964, frustrated by the limited ambitions of his previous group, The Kon-rads, Bowie moved on to The King Bees, a London R&B outfit working in the rough, Stones-influenced club style of the day. Their repertoire reportedly included staples such as “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Got My Mojo Working”, placing them firmly within the British rhythm and blues boom.

Around this time Bowie made one of his earliest ambitious moves in the music business, writing to entrepreneur John Bloom and asking him to do for the band what Brian Epstein had done for The Beatles. Bloom did not take on the group himself, but the referral led Bowie to Leslie Conn, who became manager, promoter and producer for The King Bees.

Leslie Conn and Bowie’s first management break

Conn quickly recognized Bowie’s ambition and arranged professional opportunities for the band. One early booking, a wedding anniversary party, ended badly when Conn reportedly stopped the performance after only a few minutes because the group’s loud R&B set was unsuitable for the occasion. Even so, he stayed involved and helped secure the band’s first recording deal.

“Liza Jane” – Bowie’s first single

The King Bees’ place in history rests on “Liza Jane”, released on 5 June 1964 as Davie Jones with the King Bees. It was Bowie’s first recording to be commercially issued as a single.

The song was an adaptation of the long-established standard “Li’l Liza Jane”, but Leslie Conn received the songwriting credit. The single’s B-side was “Louie, Louie Go Home”, a cover of the Paul Revere and the Raiders song.

Both tracks were recorded during a seven-hour session at Decca Studios, 165 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead, London. On the record, Bowie sang in an overtly rhythm-and-blues style and also played saxophone, giving a glimpse of the influences that shaped his earliest professional recordings.

Promotion and media exposure

Conn promoted the single aggressively. The band received radio support and appeared on television programmes including Juke Box Jury, Ready! Steady! Go! and The Beat Room. Music papers also gave the release encouraging notices, but the exposure did not translate into sales.

Despite the push, “Liza Jane” sold poorly, and The King Bees were dropped soon afterwards. Bowie left the group not long after the single’s release and quickly joined his next band, The Manish Boys.

Why The King Bees still matter

Although their recorded legacy is limited to one single, The King Bees represent the beginning of Bowie’s life as a professional recording artist. This was the moment when ambition turned into action: studio time, label backing, publicity and the first physical record bearing his voice.

Their music was still rooted in derivative British R&B rather than the adventurous work Bowie would later become known for, but the historical importance of the band is undeniable. The King Bees were the first step on the long road from Davie Jones to David Bowie.

Aftermath and later echoes

Years later, “Liza Jane” would acquire near-mythic status among collectors as Bowie’s debut single. Bowie even revisited the song in 2000 during the sessions for Toy, a late-career nod to the very beginning of his recording journey.