When David Bowie passed away in January 2016, Kat Dennings became one of the names paying him tribute on social media by writing that he had been her ‘north star.’ She also revealed her love for the late singer during her interviews in the following years by adding one of his albums to a list of things she couldn’t live without.
Talking about ‘Peter & The Wolf’ in 2021, the actress said:
“This record is very precious to me. If you love David Bowie, which everybody should, it’s an incredible experience. For anyone who doesn’t know what this album is, it’s a story told with an orchestra. It’s very different from anything you would hear now. I don’t think this is really done anymore, and it’s a cool thing to hear.”
She explained what made her love the album and went on:
“As a kid, my mom really pushed me towards classical music, so I listened to this a lot. It’s otherworldly because of Bowie’s voice and his presence. I’m pretty sure it’s available on YouTube, so you can just listen to it for free. But if you can get your hands on a vinyl copy, you really should. The record is a transparent green color. I have a thing for clear records. They do something for my soul. So this is a real treasure of mine.”
Bowie reportedly took on the role of narrator for Sergei Prokofiev’s 1936 composition after Alec Guinness and Peter Ustinov turned the position down. He partly wanted ‘Peter & The Wolf’ to be a Christmas gift for his then-seven-year-old son, Duncan.
Accordingly, Sony Classical re-released this album in 2013 for Christmas. But the original collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy first came out in 1978.
Upon its release, the record settled at number 136 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. A year later, it lost the Grammy for Best Recording for Children to ‘The Muppet Show.’