David Bowie celebrated his 66th birthday today by dropping a new single "Where Are We Now?", which went live in the early hours of Jan. 8 through Iso/Columbia Records. Today's retail release is an exclusive across the iTunes Store in 119 countries.

The Thin White Duke has been away for some time. Too long. But it seems he's not been idle. "Where Are We Now?" is a taster of a promised new album "The Next Day", his 30th studio recording and his first since "Reality" ten years ago. "The Next Day" will also be distributed as a pre-order, in the "standard" and "deluxe" packages, the latter containing three bonus tracks. The staggered release will arrive in Australia on March 8, followed by the rest of the world-excluding the U.S. on March 11 and the U.S. the following day.

The new single is written by Bowie, and recorded in New York with his long-term collaborator Tony Visconti on production duties. It's a slow tempo number that grows in intensity from a swelling guitar play.

Bowie's surprise birthday gift to his fans includes a video, directed by Tony Oursler. In the clip - which can be seen here - Bowie revisits the well that was his Berlin years. He's seen looking-in on the auto repair store beneath the apartment he lived during the '70s, as footage flashes past detailing the bleak landscape of the German capital's recent past. There's more than a touch of Johnny Cash's remarkable promo for "Hurt".

There is no news, however, on whether Bowie will tour in support of the album.