Prisoner of Love (Tin Machine song)

Last updated

"Prisoner of Love"
TinMachine PrisonerOfLove.jpg
Single by Tin Machine
from the album Tin Machine
B-side "Baby Can Dance" (Live) / "Crack City" (Live)
Released30 October 1989
RecordedAugust 1988 – early 1989;
studio material recorded at
Mountain Studios, Montreux Switzerland,
and Compass Point Studios, Nassau
live recording
25th of June 1989;
at La Cigale, Paris
Genre Rock
Length4:09
Label EMI
MT 76
Songwriter(s) David Bowie
Producer(s)
Tin Machine singles chronology
"Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)"
(1989)
"Prisoner of Love"
(1989)
"You Belong in Rock n' Roll"
(1991)

"Prisoner of Love" is a song by Tin Machine taken from their eponymous debut album, issued as their third single in October 1989.

Contents

Song development

Bowie claimed at the time he wrote the song for his then-partner Melissa Hurley. [1] It reads as worldly advice from the singer to his naive younger girlfriend. [2]

Live performances and video

The band elected not to make music videos for singles from the album, and instead created a 13-minute megamix video, in which "Prisoner of Love" was included. The video, directed by Julien Temple, went unreleased commercially until its 30th anniversary in 2019. [3]

"Prisoner of Love" was performed during the 1989 Tin Machine Tour. The single was backed by live tracks recorded at La Cigale, Paris on 25 June 1989, and had a novel heart-shaped 7" picture disc release. It failed to chart in the UK or the US.

Track listing

7" version

  1. "Prisoner of Love" (Edit) (Bowie, Gabrels, Sales, Sales) – 4:09
  2. "Baby Can Dance" (Live) (Bowie) – 6:16

12"/CD version

  1. "Prisoner of Love" (Edit) (Bowie, Gabrels, Sales, Sales) – 4:09
  2. "Baby Can Dance" (Live) (Bowie) – 6:16
  3. "Crack City" (Live) (Bowie) – 5:13
  4. "Prisoner of Love" (LP version) (Bowie, Gabrels, Sales, Sales) – 4:15

Credits and personnel

Producers

Musicians

Additional musicians

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tin Machine</span> British–American rock band

Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988. The band consisted of English singer-songwriter David Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass and vocals; and Hunt Sales on drums and vocals. The Sales brothers had previously performed with Bowie and Iggy Pop during the 1977 tour for The Idiot. Kevin Armstrong played additional guitar and keyboards on the band's first and second studio albums and first tour, and American guitarist Eric Schermerhorn played on the second tour and live album Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby (1992).

<i>Tin Machine</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Tin Machine

Tin Machine is the debut studio album by the Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, released on 22 May 1989 through EMI America Records. The band consisted of the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, the American guitarist Reeves Gabrels and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, while Englishman Kevin Armstrong acted as an additional guitarist. The project was spearheaded by Bowie, who felt disconnected in his career by 1987 and looked to reinvent himself. After meeting Gabrels through his Glass Spider Tour, the two agreed to work together and would collaborate frequently for the next decade. Bowie hired the Sales brothers, neither of whom he had worked with since the 1970s, after a meeting in Los Angeles, while English producer Tim Palmer was hired to co-produce.

<i>Tin Machine II</i> 1991 studio album by Tin Machine

Tin Machine II is the second and final studio album by the Anglo-American rock group Tin Machine, released on 2 September 1991 through Victory Music. The band, composed of David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels on guitar and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, recorded it in Sydney, Australia in late 1989 at the conclusion of the Tin Machine Tour. After Bowie completed his solo Sound+Vision Tour in late 1990, recording resumed in Los Angeles, California until March 1991. The production was handled by Tin Machine and Tim Palmer, who produced their debut studio album (1989), with additional production by Hugh Padgham on "One Shot". While the album musically retains a hard rock sound, the songs are more melodic compared to its predecessor, with lyrics focusing on love.

<i>Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby</i> 1992 live album by Tin Machine

Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby is a live album by Anglo-American rock band Tin Machine, originally released through London Records on 2 July 1992. The album includes songs, all from the band's two albums, recorded between 20 November 1991 and 11 February 1992 from five different venues on the North American and Asian legs of Tin Machine's It's My Life Tour. The maligned album title was intended as a pun on U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby. Oy Vey, Baby has received negative reviews, with many criticising the performances. It failed to chart in both the UK and the US. It was accompanied by a concert video of the same title, which was filmed at The Docks, Hamburg on 24 October 1991. Following its release, Tin Machine disbanded and Bowie quickly resumed his solo career with Black Tie White Noise (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Under the God</span> Song by Tin Machine

"Under the God" is the first official single released by Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, taken from their eponymous debut album in June 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tin Machine (song)</span> Song by Tin Machine

"Tin Machine" is a song by Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, and the song from which they took their name, a track from their debut album, also of the same name. It was released as a single in September 1989, as a double A-side with a live cover of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie's Farm”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Belong in Rock n' Roll</span> Song by Tin Machine

"You Belong in Rock n' Roll" is a song by Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, released ahead of their second album in August 1991. The song was the band’s first release on Victory Records, which was distributed by London Records in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Universal</span> Song by Tin Machine

"Baby Universal" is a song by Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, released as the second single from their Tin Machine II album in October 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Look Back in Anger (song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"Look Back in Anger" is a song written by English artists David Bowie and Brian Eno for the album Lodger (1979). It concerns "a tatty 'Angel of Death'", and features a guitar solo by Carlos Alomar.

<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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Years in Tibet (song)</span> 1997 single by David Bowie

"Seven Years in Tibet" is a song written by English musician David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels from the 1997 album, Earthling. It was released as the album's fourth single. In some territories, a version of the song sung by Bowie in Mandarin Chinese was released as "A Fleeting Moment".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead Man Walking (song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"Dead Man Walking" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released as the third single from his 21st studio album, Earthling (1997). Written by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels, it was a top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 32. Bowie described "Dead Man Walking" as his homage "to rock and roll that is still young while we are all growing old". As such, the lyrics reflect his thoughts on aging at this point in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thursday's Child (David Bowie song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"Thursday's Child" is a song recorded by David Bowie for his twenty-second studio album Hours (1999). Written by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels, the song was released as the album's lead single on 20 September 1999, by Virgin Records.

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

"Survive" is a song by the English musician David Bowie from his 1999 album Hours. It was later released in remixed form as the album's third single on 17 January 2000, reaching number 28 in the UK. Written by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels, it is a reflective number detailing the end of a relationship. Musically, it recalls the sound of Bowie's folk rock music of the late 1960s, and 1971's Hunky Dory. Its music video echoes the reflective quality of the recording, portraying Bowie levitating at a kitchen table with an egg. Praised as a highlight of Hours, Bowie performed "Survive" frequently through 1999 and 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell</span> 1999 song by David Bowie

"The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell" is a song by the English musician David Bowie from his 1999 album Hours. Written by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels, its title references past songs such as "Oh! You Pretty Things" and the Stooges' Raw Power track "Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell". On Hours, the song is a rockier number that contains elements of 1970s glam rock. The lyrics offer views on disillusionment and aging. The song was first released in a different mix in the film Stigmata before being released as the first single from the album in Australia and Japan, replacing "Thursday's Child". An unreleased music video was filmed that depicted Bowie encountering several of his past personas. It was performed live in 1999 and 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everyone Says "Hi"</span> Song by David Bowie

"Everyone Says 'Hi'" is a song recorded by English singer David Bowie for his twenty-second studio album Heathen (2002). It was written by Bowie, and produced by British duo Brian Rawling and Gary Miller, with vocals produced by Bowie himself with Tony Visconti. The song was released on 16 September 2002, by ISO and Columbia Records. "Everyone Says 'Hi'" peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart and also reached number 83 in the German Singles Chart.

The Tin Machine Tour was a concert tour headlined by the Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine. Following a performance of "Heaven's in Here" at the International Music Awards in New York City on 31 May 1989, the tour started on 14 June 1989 at The World in New York City, and finished on 3 July 1989 at The Forum in Livingston, Scotland. The tour comprised 12 performances in six countries, in venues with a capacity of 2,000 or less. Joined onstage by Kevin Armstrong, the band performed the entirety of their eponymous debut album with the exception of "Video Crime", augmented with cover version of songs from Bob Dylan and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's My Life Tour</span> 1991–1992 concert tour by Tin Machine

The It's My Life Tour was a concert tour by the Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine. The tour commenced on 5 October 1991 after two warm-up shows, one press show and three trade-industry shows, visiting twelve countries and concluding after seven months and sixty-nine performances, a larger outing than their first tour in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven's in Here</span> Song by David Bowie

"Heaven's in Here" is the lead track from the eponymous debut album by the Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine. Written by David Bowie, it was released as a promotional lead single from the album in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Shot (Tin Machine song)</span> Song by Tin Machine

"One Shot" is the second track from the album Tin Machine II by Tin Machine. It was released as the third single from the album, making it their sixth single overall, and the last single released by the band.

References

  1. Pegg, Nicholas (October 2016). "The Complete David Bowie New Edition: Expanded and Updated". Titan Books.
  2. O'Leary, Chris (2019). Ashes to Ashes The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016. Repeater Books. ISBN   9781912248308.
  3. McLennan, Scott (3 June 2019). "David Bowie & I: Socks, Sax & Sex Shops" . Retrieved 6 June 2019.