The London Boys

"The London Boys" is a song by the English musician David Bowie. It was first released as the B-side of the single "Rubber Band" in the United Kingdom on 2 December 1966. It was originally written and demoed in 1965 with the Lower Third for potential release as the artist's debut single for Pye Records but it was rejected. After a year of rewrites, he recorded a new version with a new band, the Buzz, which helped secure him a record contract with Decca-subsidiary Deram Records. Unlike the A-side, "The London Boys" retains the Mod feel of Bowie's previous singles. The dark lyrics concern a 17-year-old who leaves home for London and becomes embroiled in the Mod scene (the "London Boys" of the title), turning to pills to fit in. Like his previous singles, it failed to chart. Decca later issued it as an A-side in 1975.

Bowie's biographers and other reviewers have praised "The London Boys" as one of his finest tracks of the era. He considered re-recording the song for his covers album Pin Ups in 1973, although the idea was abandoned. After reviving it unexpectedly for live performances in 2000, Bowie re-recorded the song in 2000 for the Toy project, which was initially shelved and released posthumously in 2021. The new version is more guitar-led compared to the original. Artists who have covered the song include English artists the Times and Marc Almond, whose version was praised by Bowie himself.