David Bowie - Can't Help Thinking About Me

About "Can't Help Thinking About Me"

"Can't Help Thinking About Me" is a song written by the English musician David Bowie and recorded with his band the Lower Third. Released as a single by Pye Records on 14 January 1966, it was the first one issued under the "David Bowie" name after previously performing as Davy Jones or Davie Jones. The recording was produced by Tony Hatch, who also contributed piano. The session took place on 10 December 1965 at Marble Arch Studios in London. A rewrite of Bowie's "The London Boys", the song concerns a boy found guilty of an act that decides to leave town to start anew. It is noted by biographers as showcasing Bowie's growth as a songwriter, displaying themes he would utilise in his later work. Musically, the song explores the contemporary mod sound of the Who and the Kinks.

"Can't Help Thinking About Me" flopped as a single like Bowie's previous releases, but peaked at number 34 on the Melody Maker chart after chart-rigging by Ralph Horton. Disputes with Horton led to Bowie's departure from the Lower Third two weeks after its release. In March 1966, Bowie performed the song on the ATV programme Ready Steady Go! with the Buzz. Two months later, it was issued in the United States by Warner Bros. Records, becoming Bowie's first US release. The original recording later appeared on the compilation albums Early On (1964–1966) (1991) and Nothing Has Changed (2014).

Over thirty years after its initial release, Bowie revived "Can't Help Thinking About Me" during his 1999 Hours Tour. He then re-recorded the song during the sessions for Toy in mid-2000, along with other tracks he wrote and recorded during the mid-1960s. After the project was shelved, the remake remained unreleased until 2021, when Toy was officially issued as part of the Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) box set. A previously unseen live performance of the song from October 1999 accompanied the release on 19 November 2021.