It Ain't Easy (song)

"It Ain't Easy"
Song by David Bowie from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Released	June 6, 1972
Recorded	1972
Genre	Blues rock
Length	2:57
Label	RCA Records
Writer	Ron Davies
Producer	David Bowie and Ken Scott
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars track listing Side one "Five Years" "Soul Love" "Moonage Daydream" "Starman" "It Ain't Easy" Side two "Lady Stardust" "Star" "Hang on to Yourself" "Ziggy Stardust" "Suffragette City" "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"

"It Ain't Easy" is a song written and originally recorded by Ron Davies. Davies recorded the song on his 1970 album Silent Song Through the Land. He re-recorded it on his 1973 album U.F.O..

Three Dog Night recorded the song on their 1970 album It Ain't Easy, and it was recorded by John Baldry on his 1971 album It Ain't Easy and in a semi-electric treatment by Mitch Ryder's band on their album Mitch Ryder's Detroit, also in 1971.

Shortly thereafter, David Bowie released this song on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972. The song was originally recorded during the Hunky Dory sessions. The song was also released on the B-Side of the European, US and Japanese re-release of the single "Space Oddity" in December 1972. The same year, Dave Edmunds released a version of the song on his Rockpile album.

Another version appears on the 1994 album The Language Of Menace by UK metal band Siam featuring Tony Mills (musician)

It was covered by The Raconteurs for a BBC Radio 2 Session and was also played at many live shows throughout their first tour in 2006. It was also covered by Five Horse Johnson for their album No. 6 Dance. Other covers include a version by Claudia Lennear who was probably introduced to the song after her meeting with David Bowie during his 1972 USA tour. It appears on her 1974 solo album entitled Phew. Graham Bonnet covered it on his first, eponymous, solo album in 1977. It was also covered by the Ribeye Brothers for Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie in 2007, by Techno Cowboy on the 2009 release "The Ziggy Stardust Omnichord Album," and The Scarred as a digital iTunes single in 2010.

External links

• YouTube, Ron Davies's original recording from Silent Song Through the Land, showing original album cover; retrieved July 24, 2010
• Ron Davies Official Web Site, Ron Davies Estate