We’ve been chomping at the bit since January, trying to get a hold of this David Bowie tribute album, but now we’ve got some goods to go along with that fancy cover art. If you can’t remember that far back, the two-disc affair – titled We Were So Turned On – is a charity album benefiting children who are victims of war. The discs feature artists like Duran Duran covering “Boys Keep Swinging” and festival darlings Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros providing their take on “Memories of a Free Festival”. It’s already available via iTunes, but the whole kit and caboodle doesn’t hit shelves until September 14^th (via Manimal Vinyl). However, CoS scored an exclusive look and listen at two of the tribute’s twenty-eight tracks.

First is the Vivian Girls’ take on Bowie’s 1972 single, “John, I’m Only Dancing”, which finds the ladies generally staying true to the song’s rockabilly-ish vibe, yet managing to put their own little lo-fi glaze on the two-minute track. The single, deemed too “risqué” by RCA, never hit the airwaves in the United States; however, Cassie Ramone makes good use of her femininity and turns the lyrics – which find the narrator reassuring a lover that “he’s only dancing” with a girl – into something a little less controversial. While the song isn’t a Lady Gaga collaboration, we’re glad that Brooklyn’s coolest girl band got the nod on this one.

Moving on to a more politically correct topic, we also snagged the video for Corridor’s version of “Be My Wife”, originally found on one of Bowie’s most avant-garde albums –  1977’s Low. The Adam Harding directed clip finds Corridor – aka Michael Quinn – taking the song and adding a string quartet and some sweet electronic flourishes. While it hurts to say this, we think the updated version might just trump Bowie’s. Check it (along with the Vivian Girls’ contribution) out for yourself below, and let us know what you think.

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“John, I’m Only Dancing