Loving the Alien

Last updated

"Loving the Alien"
Bowie LovingTheAlien.jpg
Single by David Bowie
from the album Tonight
B-side "Don't Look Down"
Released20 May 1985 [1]
RecordedMay 1984
Studio Le Studio, Morin-Heights, Quebec, Canada
Length7:11 (album version)
4:43 (single remix)
Label EMI AmericaEA195
Songwriter(s) David Bowie
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"This Is Not America"
(1985)
"Loving the Alien"
(1985)
"Dancing in the Street"
(1985)
Music video
"Loving the Alien" on YouTube

"Loving the Alien" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie. It was the opening track to his sixteenth studio album Tonight . One of two tracks on the album written solely by Bowie, an edited version of the song was released as a single in May 1985, nine months after the release of lead single "Blue Jean" and eight months after the release of the album. "Loving the Alien" peaked at No. 19 in the UK Singles Chart. "Loving the Alien" inspired the title of Christopher Sandford's 1997 biography of Bowie and the 2018 Bowie box set release, Loving the Alien (1983–1988) .

Contents

Background

One of two tracks on the album written solely by Bowie, as a demo the song was simply called "1". The singer said the track "...came about because of my feeling that so much history is wrong – as is being rediscovered all the time – and that we base so much on the wrong knowledge that we've gleaned." [2] He recorded a demo of the song in Montreux, Switzerland prior to recording the song for the album. [3] Bowie later said that the production on the song undid the power of the lyric, saying he preferred the demo version, [4] and in a separate interview lamented "You should hear 'Loving the Alien' on demo. It's wonderful on demo. I promise you! (laughs). But on the album, it's ... not as wonderful." [5]

The single's b-side, "Don't Look Down", a cover of Iggy Pop's song and included on Tonight, are remixed on both the 7" and 12" single release. [6]

Promotion

Several seconds of video showing Bowie with a nosebleed were removed from all official releases of the video after 1987 David Bowie Loving the Alien video still.png
Several seconds of video showing Bowie with a nosebleed were removed from all official releases of the video after 1987

A music video was co-directed by Bowie with David Mallet. [7] The original video included a short shot of Bowie with a nosebleed; this original version was only released on the 1987 video single "Day-In Day-Out", and all subsequent releases of the video have the nosebleed scene edited out. [7] A single version of the song was released as a single in May 1985, nine months after the release of lead single "Blue Jean" and eight months after the release of the album. [7]

Critical reception

Bowie's biographer David Buckley called it "the only track on the album with the gravitas of much of his earlier work". [8] Yo Zushi of the New Statesman described the song as a "seven-minute masterpiece". [9] While critical of much of Bowie's 1980s output in his appraisal of Best of Bowie in 2002, BBC reviewer Chris Jones stated: "Loving the Alien does have a strange distant beauty to it. Like watching a ballet through a telescope." [10]

Live performances

Bowie performed "Loving the Alien" every night of his 1987 Glass Spider Tour, [4] released on home video as Glass Spider in 1988. On the A Reality Tour in 2003 and 2004, he again performed the song, but this time as a stripped-down version with only Bowie on vocals and Gerry Leonard on guitar. Bowie said that the latter arrangement was "perhaps the way it should have always been done." [7] A live performance from this tour, recorded in November 2003, was included on both a concert video (2004) and live album (2010).

Other releases

The song "Loving the Alien" appears on several Bowie compilation albums, including Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993 (1993), some versions of Best of Bowie (2002), Sound + Vision (2003 and 2014 reissues), The Platinum Collection (2005), The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007), iSelect (2008), and Nothing Has Changed (3-CD version) (2014). The original album version, most of its remixes and b-sides all appear on the 2018 box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) .

The original uncensored video for "Loving the Alien" appears on the "Day-In Day-Out" video EP (1987), and the censored version appears on DVD releases of Bowie – The Video Collection (1993), Best of Bowie (2002) and The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007).

In 2002, Dutch-American producer the Scumfrog made a club mix of the song and released it as a single together with the original video of the song. The Scumfrog version of "Loving the Alien" reached #41 in the UK that year. [11] It also reached #9 on the UK Dance Singles Chart. [12]

Steve Strange covered this song with his band Visage for the posthumous album Demons to Diamonds in 2015. It was remixed the next year on the album Darkness to Diamond .

Track listing

7": EMI America / EA 195 / EAP 195 (UK)

  1. "Loving the Alien" (Re-mixed version) (David Bowie) – 4:43
  2. "Don't Look Down" (Re-mixed version) (Iggy Pop, James Williamson) – 4:04

12": EMI America SEAV-7860 / 12EA 195 / 12EAP 195 (UK)

  1. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dance Mix) (Bowie) – 7:27
  2. "Don't Look Down" (Extended Dance Mix) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:50
  3. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dub Mix) (Bowie) – 7:14

Download: EMI / iEA 195 (UK)

  1. "Loving the Alien" (Re-mixed version) (Bowie) – 4:43
  2. "Don't Look Down" (Re-mixed version) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:04
  3. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dance Mix) (Bowie) – 7:27
  4. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dub Mix) (Bowie) – 7:14
  5. "Don't Look Down" (Extended Dance Mix) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:50

Personnel

Production team

Charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [13] 65
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [14] 14
Ireland (IRMA) [15] 5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [16] 25
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [17] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [18] 35
UK Singles (OCC) [19] 19
West Germany (Official German Charts) [20] 27

Cover versions

"Loving the Alien" has been covered by several other artists. These include:

Related Research Articles

<i>Lets Dance</i> (David Bowie album) 1983 studio album by David Bowie

Let's Dance is the fifteenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 14 April 1983 through EMI America Records. Co-produced by Bowie and Nile Rodgers, the album was recorded in December 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. The sessions featured players from Rodgers' band Chic and the then-unknown Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan on lead guitar. For the first time ever, Bowie only sang and played no instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Jean</span> Song by David Bowie

"Blue Jean" is a song written and recorded by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie for his sixteenth studio album Tonight (1984). One of only two tracks on the album to be written entirely by Bowie, it was released as a single ahead of the album and charted in the United States, peaking at No. 8, becoming his 5th and last top 10 hit with no features. The song is loosely inspired by Eddie Cochran.

<i>Tonight</i> (David Bowie album) 1984 studio album by David Bowie

Tonight is the sixteenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 24 September 1984 through EMI America Records. The follow-up to his most commercially successful album Let's Dance, it was written and recorded in mid-1984 at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Canada, following the conclusion of the Serious Moonlight Tour. Bowie, Derek Bramble and Hugh Padgham co-produced the album. Many of the same personnel from Let's Dance and the accompanying tour returned for Tonight, with a few additions. Much of Bowie's creative process was the same as he used on Let's Dance, similarly playing no instruments and offering little creative input to the musicians.

<i>Never Let Me Down</i> 1987 studio album by David Bowie

Never Let Me Down is the seventeenth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 21 April 1987 through EMI America Records. Co-produced by Bowie and David Richards and featuring guitarist Peter Frampton, the album was recorded in Switzerland and New York City from September to November 1986. Bowie's goal for the project was to record it differently following his disappointment with 1984's Tonight. Musically, Never Let Me Down has been characterised as pop rock, art rock and hard rock; Bowie himself considered the record a return to rock and roll music. The cover artwork features Bowie surrounded by numerous elements from the songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebel Rebel</span> 1974 song by David Bowie

"Rebel Rebel" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released in the UK on 15 February 1974 by RCA Records as the lead single from the album Diamond Dogs. Written and produced by Bowie, the song is based around a distinctive guitar riff reminiscent of the Rolling Stones. Cited as his most-covered track, "Rebel Rebel" has been described as Bowie's farewell to the glam rock movement that he had helped initiate, as well as being a proto-punk track. Two versions of the song were recorded: the well-known UK single release and the shorter US single release, which featured added background vocals, extra percussion and a new arrangement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fame (David Bowie song)</span> 1975 single by David Bowie

"Fame" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released on his 1975 album Young Americans and was later issued as the album's second single by RCA Records in June 1975. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, it was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City in January 1975. It is a funk rock song that represents Bowie's dissatisfaction with the troubles of fame and stardom.

The Scumfrog is a Dutch-American DJ/remixer/producer/artist, mostly known for his underground flavored remixes of artists like Kylie Minogue, Missy Elliott, New Order, and Annie Lennox and his collaborations writing and producing techno-oriented works with David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and Sting. He released four albums as a solo artist. As a DJ, he has toured the world many times over, between 2008 and 2014 he hosted and produced the weekly radio show/podcast Glam Scum International, and in 2015 he launched a new series of club nights named M.B.T.S.(Most Below The Surface).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat People (Putting Out Fire)</span> 1982 song by David Bowie

"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" is a song recorded by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie as the title track of the 1982 erotic horror film Cat People. Bowie became involved with the track after director Paul Schrader reached out to him about collaborating. The song was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland in July 1981. Bowie wrote the lyrics, which reflected the film, while the Italian producer Giorgio Moroder composed the music, which is built around only two chord changes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Dance (David Bowie song)</span> 1983 single by David Bowie

"Let's Dance" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally included as the title track of his 1983 album of the same name. Co-produced by Nile Rodgers of Chic, it was recorded in late 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. With the assistance of engineer Bob Clearmountain, Rodgers transformed the song from its folk rock origins to a dance number through studio effects and new musicians Bowie had yet to work with. Bowie hired then-unknown Texas guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who added a blues-edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Girl (song)</span> Song by David Bowie and Iggy Pop

"China Girl" is a song written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie in 1976, and first released by Pop on his debut solo album, The Idiot (1977). Inspired by an affair Pop had with a Vietnamese woman, the lyrics tell a story of unrequited love for the protagonist's Asian girlfriend, realizing by the end that his Western influences are corrupting her. Like the rest of The Idiot, Bowie wrote the music and Pop improvised the lyrics while standing at the microphone. The song was released as a single in May 1977 and failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modern Love (song)</span> 1983 song by David Bowie

"Modern Love" is a song written by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released as the opening track on his 1983 album Let's Dance and issued as the third single from the album later in the year. Co-produced by Bowie and Nile Rodgers of the American band Chic, it is a rock song that contains elements of new wave music. It was recorded at the Power Station in Manhattan and was one of the first tracks recorded for the album. It was performed by Bowie on the Serious Moonlight Tour, where it often closed the shows. A music video for the song, directed by Jim Yukich and featuring a performance of the song during the tour, was released in 1983 and played frequently on MTV.

"Tonight" is a song written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop for the latter's second solo studio album, Lust for Life (1977). The song was later made into the title-track for Bowie's own album Tonight (1984).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is Not America</span> Song by David Bowie

"This Is Not America" is a song by English singer David Bowie and American jazz fusion band Pat Metheny Group, taken from the soundtrack to the 1985 film The Falcon and the Snowman. It was released as a single in February 1985, reaching number 14 in the United Kingdom and number 32 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day-In Day-Out</span> Song by David Bowie

"Day-In Day-Out" is a song recorded by the English singer David Bowie, serving as the opening track for his seventeenth studio album, Never Let Me Down (1987). It was issued as a single on 23 March 1987 ahead of the record's release. The recording was solely written by Bowie, while production was handled by him along with David Richards. An R&B track, "Day-In Day-Out" criticizes the treatment of the homeless in the United States at that time, and deals with the depths to which a young mother sinks to feed her child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Will Crawl</span> Song by David Bowie

"Time Will Crawl" is a song recorded by the English singer David Bowie, serving as the second single for his seventeenth album, Never Let Me Down (1987). It was written by Bowie and produced by him and David Richards. Released in 1987 by EMI, the recording addresses the destruction of the planet by pollution and industry; the Chernobyl disaster was a direct influence on the lyrics. The accompanying video served as a teaser to Bowie's Glass Spider Tour (1987). Music critics reviewed "Time Will Crawl" positively, commending its lyrics and production, and describing it one of Bowie's best efforts of the mid– to late–1980s. Additionally, Bowie later called the song one of his favorites from his entire career. Commercially, the single peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart and at number seven on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Let Me Down (David Bowie song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"Never Let Me Down" is a song recorded by the English singer David Bowie, serving as the title track for his 1987 studio album of the same name. It was released as the third and final single from the record in 1987, and served as his last solo single until 1992's "Real Cool World". "Never Let Me Down" was written by the singer himself and Carlos Alomar, while production was handled by Bowie along with David Richards. The lyrics are about Bowie's relationship with his longtime personal assistant, Coco Schwab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Wonder (David Bowie song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"Little Wonder" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released as the second single from his 21st album, Earthling (1997). "Little Wonder" backed by three remixes, was issued on 27 January 1997. The single was a success, peaking at number 14 in the UK and topping the chart in Japan. The accompanying music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi and depicts Bowie at three different ages. Biographer David Buckley considers it a dance-oriented video rather than a rock one, reminiscent of Orbital's "The Box" (1996).

<i>Blah-Blah-Blah</i> (Iggy Pop album) 1986 studio album by Iggy Pop

Blah-Blah-Blah is the seventh studio album by American musician Iggy Pop. Released in September 1986, on the label A&M, it is his most commercially successful album. Blah-Blah-Blah appeared after a four-year hiatus for Pop, with David Bowie serving as his prime collaborator. It would be their final collaboration. A successful tour followed the album's release.

<i>Club Bowie</i> 2003 remix album by David Bowie

Club Bowie is a 2003 compilation of material by David Bowie. It includes non-contemporary club mixes of Bowie hits, despite the "rare and unreleased" claim on the cover.

<i>Loving the Alien (1983–1988)</i> 2018 box set by David Bowie

Loving the Alien (1983–1988) is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 12 October 2018. A follow-up to the compilations Five Years (1969–1973), Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), and A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982), the set covers the period of Bowie's career from 1983 to 1988, and includes eleven compact discs or fifteen LPs.

References

  1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 22.
  2. Murray, Charles Shaar (25 October 1984), "Let's Talk, A Conversation with David Bowie", Rolling Stone magazine (433): 14, 18, 74
  3. Fricke, David (December 1984), "David Bowie Interview", Musician (74): 46–56
  4. 1 2 Bromberg, Craig (June 1990), "David Bowie (Interview)", Smart: 50–57
  5. "Boys Keep Swinging", Q magazine , June 1989
  6. O'Leary 2019, chap. 5.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Pegg, Nicholas (October 2016). The Complete David Bowie New Edition: Expanded and Updated. Titan Books.
  8. Buckley, David (2015). David Bowie: The Music and The Changes. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-1-78038-988-2 . Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  9. Zushi, Yo (18 January 2016). "In defence of "bad" Bowie: why his least acclaimed album is my favourite". New Statesman. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  10. Jones, Chris. "David Bowie Best Of Review". BBC. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  11. "Scumfrog Vs Bowie". Official Charts. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. "Official Dance Singles Chart". Official Charts. 4 May 2002. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  14. "ultratop.be". Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Loving the Alien". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – David Bowie" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  17. "dutchcharts.nl". Hung Medien. MegaCharts . Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  18. "charts.nz". Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  19. "David Bowie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – David Bowie – Loving the Alien" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 March 2019.