Never Let Me Down (David Bowie song)

Last updated

"Never Let Me Down"
Bowie NeverLetMeDownSingle.jpg
Single by David Bowie
from the album Never Let Me Down
B-side "'87 and Cry"
Released17 August 1987
RecordedEarly 1987
Studio Power Station, New York City
Length3:58
Label EMI
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Time Will Crawl"
(1987)		"Never Let Me Down"
(1987)		"Under the God"
(1989)
Music video
"Never Let Me Down" on YouTube

"Never Let Me Down" is a song recorded by the English singer David Bowie, serving as the title track for his 1987 studio album Never Let Me Down . It was released as the third and final single from the record in 1987 and served as his last original solo single until 1992's "Real Cool World"; a remix of "Fame" was released in 1990. "Never Let Me Down" was a writing collaboration between the artist 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.

Contents

An accompanying music video for the single was shot by French director Jean-Baptiste Mondino and received positive response from critics. Commercially, "Never Let Me Down" reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. It was aided by a CD release, Bowie's first, and remained the singer's last single to chart within the top 40 in the United States until "Lazarus" (2015).

Background and development

"Never Let Me Down" was the last track written and recorded for the album, but despite this, Bowie said that the song was "completely finished in twenty-four hours from the beginning of the writing to the end of the arranging". [1] The name of the track was originally "Isolation" before Bowie changed it. [2] He had started with his own chord structure for the song but wasn't happy with it, calling it "ponderous and funereal." [3] Long-time collaborator and co-songwriter Carlos Alomar reworked the chords for "Never Let Me Down", using a chord structure from a song he had written on his own called "I'm Tired", and thus received part of the writing credit for the track. [1] [3] The singer described the single as a "pivotal" track for himself, calling it the most personal song he had written for an album to that point in his career. [3] The recording is about Bowie's long-time personal assistant, Coco Schwab. Bowie described their relationship, saying "It's platonic. But there is a romance in it, I guess, inasmuch as it's hard for two people to feel totally at ease in each other's company for that period of time and not expect too much from each other. Always being prepared to be there if the other one needs someone, you know? There's not many people you find in life that you can do that with, or feel that way with." [4]

Release and promotion

"Never Let Me Down" was released through EMI in 1987 and was the first Bowie single to be made available on CD, including a newly remixed version. [1] [5] Bowie performed the song on BBC's Top of the Pops on 16 September 1987 and it was aired on the first broadcast of the American version of the show. [6] The track was additionally performed live during his 1987 Glass Spider Tour and included as part of the Glass Spider (1988) concert film. [1] Bowie called his live performance of "Never Let Me Down" on the Glass Spider Tour "abrasive", [7] and, influenced by the minimalist choreography of Pina Bausch, he elaborated that on the tour, "I'm on my knees, with my arms in a kind of straitjacket, [in] a crawl for three-and-a-half minutes. A girl is with me, [...] but she has a cylinder on her back, and every now and then she's giving me oxygen. It felt like a very protective, a very sad little image, and it felt right for the song. [8]

The song was added to several compilation albums, including Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993 (1993) and Best of Bowie (2002). [1] [9] [10] A digital download version of the tracks was made available online in 2007. [1] A re-mastered / re-recorded version of the song, as well as several original remixes of the song, appear on the box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) (2018). [2]

Music video

Two still images from the video for "Never Let Me Down" David Bowie Never Let Me Down video stills.jpg
Two still images from the video for "Never Let Me Down"

French director Jean-Baptiste Mondino was selected by Bowie to direct an accompanying music video. Regarding this, Bowie said, "It's an experiment; I'm really putting myself in his [Jean-Baptiste's] hands. [...] I think if I did it [the video myself], it would be very abrasive, and I'm not quite sure if that's how I want the song to come off visually. In concert it will be abrasive; it won't have the same quality as the video. But I really think Mondino is a fantastic video maker. He just knows that this is his genre. He's like a craftsman and that's what he's trying to perfect, this craft of making his five minutes work." [7] Actor Joe Dallesandro makes appearances throughout the clip, announcing the dance marathon. [11] A shot from the music video was used to commercialize 7" releases of the single. [12]

The video, described as a dream-like portrayal of a 1950s-style dance marathon, and heavily-influenced by the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? , was viewed positively by one critic, who called it "creative and engaging." [13] A review in the Los Angeles Times scores the video "excellent (85/100)" [14] and the newspaper later rated the clip as one of the Top 10 of 1987. [15] Bowie encyclopedist Nicholas Pegg called the video "years ahead of its time", saying that it "beautifully captures the song's dreamlike quality." [1]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as a "John Lennon homage" and one of Bowie's "most underrated songs". [16] Pegg called the track "among the strongest" from the album due to its "refreshing spontaneity", compared to the overproduction of the rest of the album. [1] Commercially, "Never Let Me Down" was Bowie's last single to chart inside the top 40 of Billboard 's Hot 100 until his "Lazarus" (2015) did so in 2016. [17] Additionally, the track peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. [18]

Track listing

"Never Let Me Down" was written by Bowie and Alomar, and "'87 and Cry" solely by Bowie. A limited edition picture disk (EAP 239) was issued in some territories. All songs were made available as digital downloads in 2007. [1]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Never Let Me Down. [22]

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [23] 63
Canada (RPM (magazine)) [24] 37
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [25] 70
Ireland (IRMA) [26] 27
UK Singles (OCC) [18] 34
US Billboard Hot 100 [27] 27
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [28] 17
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [29] 15

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Additional musicians on the "single version", "Extended Dance Mix", "Dub" and "A Capella" versions.

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Bowie discography</span> List of works by the English singer-songwriter

During his lifetime, English singer-songwriter David Bowie (1947–2016) released 26 studio albums, nine live albums, two soundtrack albums, 26 compilation albums, eight extended plays, 128 singles and six box sets. Since his death, one further studio album, 13 live albums, one soundtrack album, one compilation album, four extended plays and six box sets have been released. Bowie also released 28 video albums and 72 music videos. Throughout his lifetime, Bowie sold at least 100 million records worldwide. In 2012, Bowie was ranked ninth best selling singles artist in United Kingdom with 10.6 million singles sold. As of January 2016, 12.09 million David Bowie singles had been sold in Britain. In a period of 24 months since his death, five million records were sold in UK, 3.1 million singles and two million albums.

<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.

<i>Young Americans</i> 1975 studio album by David Bowie

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 7 March 1975 through RCA Records. A departure from the glam rock style of previous albums, the record showcased Bowie's interest in soul and R&B. Music critics have described the sound as blue-eyed soul; Bowie himself labelled the album's sound "plastic soul".

<i>Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)</i> 1980 studio album by David Bowie

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), also known simply as Scary Monsters, is the fourteenth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 12 September 1980 through RCA Records. His first album following the Berlin Trilogy (Low, "Heroes" and Lodger), Scary Monsters was Bowie's attempt at creating a more commercial record after the trilogy proved successful artistically but less so commercially.

<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.

<i>Black Tie White Noise</i> 1993 studio album by David Bowie

Black Tie White Noise is the 18th studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 5 April 1993 through Savage Records in the United States and Arista Records in the United Kingdom. Conceived following Bowie's marriage to model Iman and the disbandment of his rock band Tin Machine, it was recorded throughout 1992 between studios in Montreux, Los Angeles and New York City. Bowie co-produced with his Let's Dance (1983) collaborator Nile Rodgers, who voiced dissatisfaction with the project in later decades. The album features several guest appearances, including previous collaborators Mike Garson and Mick Ronson, and new arrivals Lester Bowie and Chico O'Farrill.

<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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When the Wind Blows (song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"When the Wind Blows" is a 1986 song from the soundtrack of the film of the same name, performed by David Bowie and written by Bowie and Erdal Kızılçay. It was released as a single in October 1986 and released digitally in 2007.

<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.

<i>Labyrinth</i> (1986 soundtrack) 1986 soundtrack album by David Bowie and Trevor Jones

Labyrinth is a soundtrack album by David Bowie and composer Trevor Jones, released in 1986 for the film Labyrinth. It was the second of three soundtrack releases in which Bowie had a major role, following Christiane F. (1981) and preceding The Buddha of Suburbia (1993). The soundtrack album features Jones' score, which is split into six tracks for the soundtrack: "Into the Labyrinth", "Sarah", "Hallucination", "The Goblin Battle", "Thirteen O'Clock", and "Home at Last".

<i>Glass Spider</i> 1988 video by David Bowie

Glass Spider is a concert film by English singer David Bowie. The release was sourced from eight shows during the first two weeks of November 1987 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia during the last month of the Glass Spider Tour. The 86-show tour, which also visited Europe, North America and New Zealand, was in support of Bowie's album Never Let Me Down (1987). Originally released in 1988 on VHS, the tour was choreographed by Toni Basil, directed by David Mallet, and produced by Anthony Eaton. The VHS was released by MPI Home Video in the US and by Video Collection International in the UK.

<i>Bowie – The Video Collection</i> 1993 video by David Bowie

Bowie – The Video Collection is a video album by David Bowie, released in 1993. It included most official music videos made by Bowie between 1972 and 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls (Tina Turner song)</span> 1987 single by Tina Turner

"Girls" is a song written by David Bowie and originally recorded by Tina Turner for her 1986 album Break Every Rule. It was released as a single in the Netherlands, where it reached No. 19 on the Singles Charts. Bowie recorded his own studio version of the track during his 1987 Never Let Me Down recording sessions, and released the track as the B-side to his 1987 single "Time Will Crawl".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pegg, Nicholas (October 2016). The Complete David Bowie New Edition: Expanded and Updated. Titan Books.
  2. 1 2 Loving the Alien (1983–1988) (Media notes). Parlophone. 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Isler, Scott (August 1987), "David Bowie Opens Up – A Little", Musician (106): 60–73
  4. ↑ Loder, Kurt (23 April 1987), "Stardust Memories", Rolling Stone, no. 498, pp. 74–77, 80, 82, 168, 171
  5. 1 2 Never Let Me Down (Liner notes). EMI (Barcode: 5099920199678). 1987.
  6. ↑ Bowie Wonderworld, archived from the original on 4 October 2012, retrieved 10 January 2013
  7. 1 2 "Dave In, Dave Out", Music & Sound Output Magazine, June 1987
  8. ↑ Pareles, Jon (2 August 1987), "Bowie Creates a Spectacle", The New York Times, archived from the original on 3 June 2022, retrieved 28 May 2013
  9. ↑ Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993 (Liner notes). Rykodisc (Barcode: 014431021824). 1993.
  10. ↑ Best of Bowie (Liner notes). EMI (Barcode: 724349010390). 2002.
  11. ↑ Ferguson, Michael (17 February 2015). Joe Dallesandro: Warhol Superstar, Underground Film Icon, Actor. Open Road Media.
  12. ↑ Never Let Me Down (Liner notes). EMI. 1987.
  13. ↑ Jacobson, Colin (2002). "David Bowie Best of Bowie 2002 Video Review". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  14. ↑ Atkinson, Terry (16 August 1987), "Where The Surf Meets The Rap", Los Angeles Times , archived from the original on 5 November 2013, retrieved 29 October 2013
  15. ↑ Willman, Chris; Atkinson, Terry (27 December 1987), "The Year of Tawny's Legs", Los Angeles Times , archived from the original on 5 November 2013, retrieved 29 October 2013
  16. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "David Bowie – Never Let Me Down". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  17. ↑ Gary Trust (19 January 2016). "David Bowie Scores First Top 40 Hot 100 Single Since 1987 With 'Lazarus'". Billboard . Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  19. ↑ Never Let Me Down (Liner notes). EMI (Barcode: 5099920203764). 1987.
  20. ↑ Never Let Me Down (Liner notes). EMI (Barcode: 077771925511). 1987.
  21. ↑ Never Let Me Down (Liner notes). EMI (Barcode: T4988006617544). 1987.
  22. ↑ Never Let Me Down (Liner notes/ CD booklet). EMI. 1987.
  23. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  24. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 10, 1987" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  25. ↑ "David Bowie – Never Let Me Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  26. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Never Let Me Down". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  27. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  28. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  29. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.