Diamond Dogs is the eighth studio album by David Bowie, released on May 24, 1974, by RCA Records, during a transitional period in his career. Following the breakup of his backing band The Spiders from Mars and his split with longtime producer Ken Scott, Bowie took full creative control, producing the album himself with contributions from Tony Visconti, who returned after a four-year absence. Musically, the album marks the end of Bowie's glam rock era, blending elements of soul and funk that would define Young Americans. Thematically, Diamond Dogs is the result of multiple projects Bowie envisaged at the time: a scrapped musical based on Ziggy Stardust; an adaptation of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four; and an urban apocalyptic scenario based on the writings of William S. Burroughs. A new persona, Halloween Jack, is introduced in this dystopian setting. The album’s cover, painted by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert from Terry O'Neill's photos, controversially portrayed Bowie as a half-man, half-dog figure. The original uncensored artwork, showing genitals, was quickly altered by RCA, though rare unedited copies became valuable collector's items. Led by the single "Rebel Rebel", Diamond Dogs topped the UK charts and reached No. 5 in the US. While initial reviews were mixed, noting its lack of cohesion, critics later praised its ambition and influence. Bowie supported the album with the elaborate Diamond Dogs Tour, which evolved into the stripped-down "Soul Tour" as he