Arnold Corns -- a band, not a guy -- were pretty much a pseudonymous front for some David Bowie recordings in 1971, causing a good deal of confusion among collectors when Bowie rocketed to international fame shortly afterward. In early 1971, Bowie recorded some demos with a band of musicians including guitarist Mark Carr Prichard, bassist Polak de Somogyl, and drummer Ralph St. Laurent Broadbent, all of whom were students at Dulwich College. When it was decided to release recordings of "Hang On to Yourself" and "Moonage Daydream" on B&C Records that had been made in this arrangement, Bowie needed to use a pseudonym, as he was under contract to Mercury. Arnold Corns was the name chosen, and though the single wasn't a hit, Bowie did re-record "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself" for inclusion on his Ziggy Stardust album. Two additional Arnold Corns tracks, "Man in the Middle" and "Looking for a Friend," were recorded in June, but these featured Freddi Buretti rather than Bowie as singer, backed by the band that played backup on Bowie's Hunky Dory album.
All four of the Arnold Corns tracks were issued in 1984 on a 12" release on the Krazy Kat label in Scandinavia. Bowie did sing on a version of "Looking for a Friend," recorded for the BBC in 1971, on which Mark Carr Pritchard shared vocals; this version found release on the Bowie at the Beeb compilation. Finally, the Arnold Corns versions of "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself" can be heard on the bonus disc on the two-CD, 30th anniversary edition of Ziggy Stardust.
