Station to Station (song)

Last updated

"Station to Station"
David Bowie - Station to Station song cover art.jpg
Label of the French promotional single
Song by David Bowie
from the album Station to Station
Released23 January 1976 (1976-01-23)
RecordedSeptember–November 1975
Studio Cherokee, Los Angeles
Genre
Length
    • 10:14 (album)
    • 3:40 (French single)
Label RCA
Songwriter(s) David Bowie
Producer(s)

"Station to Station" is a song by the English musician David Bowie. It was released in January 1976 as the title track and opener of his tenth studio album Station to Station , as well as on a promotional 7-inch single in France the same month. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, it was written and recorded in Los Angeles between September and November 1975. At over 10 minutes in length, it is Bowie's longest studio recording. Opening with a train-like noise, the song's first half is a slow march, while the second takes the form of a prog-disco suite in a different key and tempo than the first. It has been characterised as art rock and is influenced by the German electronic bands Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream.

Contents

Lyrically, the song introduces Bowie's sinister persona the Thin White Duke, who became the mouthpiece for Station to Station and, throughout 1976, often the embodiment of Bowie himself. During the recording, Bowie was heavily dependent on drugs such as cocaine, which is referenced directly throughout. "Station to Station" also makes references to the Kabbalah, occultism, gnosticism, paranoia and other fixations that affected Bowie's mind at the time. The opening sound effect is a red herring meant to represent the Stations of the Cross, along with a juncture connecting two different stages of his career; it combined the funk and soul of his previous album Young Americans with the experimental sound he would explore on his Berlin Trilogy.

"Station to Station" has received acclaim from music critics and biographers, who have praised the performances. Retrospectively, it has been named one of Bowie's greatest songs and, like its parent album, is seen as the indicator of where his career was heading at the time. He performed the track throughout the 1976 Isolar Tour, often in character as the Thin White Duke, and continued to perform it on different tours throughout his career. It was remastered, along with its parent album, as part of the box set Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) in 2016.

Composition

I got some quite extraordinary things out of Earl Slick. I think ["Station to Station"] captured his imagination to make noises on guitar, and textures, rather than playing the right notes. [1]

—David Bowie discussing Earl Slick's contributions to "Station to Station"

"Station to Station" was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles between September and November 1975. [2] According to Emily Barker of NME , Bowie "starved his body of all nutrients (besides milk, red peppers, and cocaine)" during the song's recording. [3] Bowie would recall later that he could not remember recording the album at all, saying "I have only flashes of making it." [4] Author David Buckley states that Bowie's only memory of the sessions was "standing with [lead guitarist] Earl Slick in the studio and asking him to play a Chuck Berry riff in the same key throughout the opening of 'Station to Station'." [4]

At over 10 minutes in length, "Station to Station" is Bowie's longest studio recording. [5] Structurally, the song builds from a droning, guitar-driven introductory portion that mimics a train building up speed. [6] Following the train noise, the band begins to enter, with percussion and keyboards playing chords in and out of key, [7] after which the groove begins. The opening section consists of a 6
4 A minor measure, followed by 4
4 one over F and G, before returning to 6
4. [8] Author Peter Doggett describes the section as a "slow, hypnotic instrumental march". [7] The march lasts for more than three minutes before Bowie begins his vocals. [9] After several verses, at the five-minute mark, a thud of drums signals a change of tempo and key and the band erupts into what Alan Light of Rolling Stone calls a "celebratory groove", which lasts for the rest of the track. [9] [10] [11] Doggett likens the section to a progressive rock suite by the 1970s bands Genesis and Jethro Tull. [7] Like the album, the entire song encompasses art rock. [12]

The train sound effect was created by Slick using flangers and delay effects. [6] [7] The noise pans from right to left across the stereo channels before fading out using feedback, which Doggett likens to "disappearing into a tunnel". [7] According to Nicholas Pegg, the effect "acknowledges" the influence of the 1974 album Autobahn by the German electronic band Kraftwerk, which begins with a car starting up and driving across the stereo speakers. [5] Pegg believes another influence is from Edgar Froese of the German electronic band Tangerine Dream, whom Bowie befriended during his "Berlin" years (1977–1979); Froese's 1975 album Epsilon in Malaysian Pale also begins with a train sound effect. [5] However, he notes that the train is a red herring in that it expresses what Bowie later called "the album's 'wayward spiritual search'". [5] More specifically, it reinstates the "travelling metaphor" of earlier compositions: "the stations recall the 'new surroundings' of "Rock 'n' Roll with Me" [from Diamond Dogs ], and the "mountains on mountains" reprise the questing motifs of "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" [from David Bowie (1969)] and The Man Who Sold the World ." [5] Bowie would later state, "the 'Station to Station' track itself is very much concerned with the Stations of the Cross", [13] the series of 14 images depicting Christ's path to his crucifixion, each symbolising a stopping-point for prayer. [5] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork supports this, saying: "the title track's momentous prog-disco suite [...] charts a course from spiritual void toward ecstatic religious reawakening." [14] It has been also described as "Kraut-disco" by Rolling Stone. [15]

Another possible influence is guitarist Jimmy Page of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Page was a session musician on Bowie's earliest recordings and had been an occasional acquaintance ever since. [16] During the same time Bowie became dependent on cocaine, Page had become dependent on heroin, which Pegg considered "even more fearful" than Bowie's addiction. [16] Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti was released in February 1975, [17] months ahead of the Station to Station sessions. [16] Pegg writes: "It's possible to discern in ["Station to Station"] a distinct flavour of the groove, tempo and sense of building tension created by the famous rising riff of Physical Graffiti's standout track 'Kashmir'", an epic track that evokes a "troubled spiritual journey" through its music and lyrics. [16]

Bowie himself also credited German Krautrock-duo Neu! with some influence on the track, especially "the setting of the aggressive guitar-drone against the almost-but-not-quite robotic/machine drumming of Dinger". [18]

Lyrics

Bowie in character as the Thin White Duke performing on the 1976 Isolar Tour. The Thin White Duke 76.jpg
Bowie in character as the Thin White Duke performing on the 1976 Isolar Tour.

"Station to Station" introduces Bowie's persona the Thin White Duke, a sinister figure who became the mouthpiece for Station to Station and, often throughout 1976, for Bowie himself. [5] [6] [9] The persona was noticeably darker than Bowie's previous characters, being described as "a mad aristocrat", [6] an "amoral zombie", [19] and "an emotionless Aryan superman". [20] For Bowie himself, the Duke was "a nasty character indeed". [21] The lyrics themselves contain very cryptic messages and direct references, including to the 13th century Jewish mystical system known as the Kabbalah and gnosticism. [13] Bowie would later claim in 1997: "All the references within ["Station to Station"] have to do with the Kabbalah." [22] Doggett believes the main themes of the track are magic, the arts of legendary musicians, both real and fictitious, the Kabbalah's mythical account of progress from Kether to Malkuth, love and cocaine. [22] Doggett further argues: "just as [the Hunky Dory track] "Quicksand" offered a catalogue of avenues open to the inquisitive imagination of David Bowie circa 1971, so "Station to Station" present a more confused medley of the themes that were haunting his nightmares in the final weeks of 1975." [22]

The Duke introduces himself by saying "the return of the Thin White Duke/throwing darts in lovers' eyes." [10] Darts, or arrows, are interpreted to be a symbol of direction revealing the dynamic of the True Will. [22] Doggett argues that aside from the Thin White Duke, another duke was at the heart of the action: Prospero, the Duke of Milan and protagonist of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest . [2] He writes that Prospero, like the Thin White Duke, is a "master of magic", who can control elements while "lost in my [magic] circle", as well as cast spells over "lovers' eyes" (mirroring throwing darts), as Prospero does with his daughter Miranda and her lover Ferdinand over the course of the play. [23] Fixation with the English occultist Aleister Crowley is evident in such phrases as "white stains", the name of a book of poetry by Crowley, [24] who was previously mentioned by Bowie on "Quicksand". [5] Once the song changes into the prog-disco section, the lyrics become brighter. Punctuated by the refrain "It's too late", [6] Bowie enters a landscape of "mountains and sunbirds". [11] Themes in this section include drug use, as presented in the lyrics "It's not the side effects of the cocaine/I'm thinking that it must be love", [25] which he sings in a joyous tone. [11] Light writes that other themes present on the track are "paranoia and odd fixations" that were present in Bowie's mind at the time. [9] At different points Bowie declares "the European canon is here", which Doggett believes is a "pretentious way" of summarising Bowie's interest in Kraftwerk and Brechtian theatre; he also notes the word 'canon' could be interpreted "at a stretch" as the word 'cannon'. [22]

Release and reception

"Station to Station" was released as the opening title track to Bowie's tenth studio album of the same name on 23 January 1976. [12] [26] The song was also released as a promotional single, with the catalogue number 42549 A, in January 1976 in France by RCA Records, with a shortened duration of 3:40 and "TVC 15" as the B-side. [27] The single version begins at the central section of the song with the drums just prior to the "once there were mountains..." lyric. [16] The single edit appears on the 2010 Deluxe Edition of Station to Station and on Re:Call 2, as part of the 2016 box set Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) . [28] [29] The full track was remastered, along with its parent album, and released on the same box set. [29]

The song has been acclaimed by music critics, who have praised the performance of the band and Bowie himself. Nicholas Pegg described it as "Scintillatingly performed and gorgeously produced, it represents one of the high watermarks in his studio work." [5] He further praises Bowie's vocal performance and Earl Slick's guitar contributions. [5] Dave Thompson of AllMusic calls the guitar work "fabulous" and makes the argument that the track could be the most "evocative" song Bowie ever wrote. [30] Doggett writes that what saves the track from "utter obscurity" and his audience from "alienation" was the music itself. [7] Alex Needham of The Guardian , in a review declaring Station to Station his favorite album, calls the track "monumental", adding that "Bowie blasts away his immediate Philly soul past and speeds into a more experimental future over 10 totally exhilarating minutes". [10] Needham also found it impressive that the song did not "overshadow" the rest of the album, which he believes shows "how much Bowie was on fire". [10] In a review of the live album Glastonbury 2000 in 2018, Sean T. Collins of Pitchfork calls the track a "teutonic-occult behemoth" and a highlight of the album. He felt the main section's "off-kilter groove" and the "barreling braukeller climax" were made for performing live. [31] He continued, "hearing Bowie croon Kabbalistic jargon like 'one magical movement from Kether to Malkuth' to [a] massive crowd serves as a helpful reminder that he remained, even then, one of the weirdest people ever to achieve festival-headlining success". [31] In 2018, the writers of NME listed "Station to Station" as Bowie's 24th greatest song. [3] In a list of Bowie's 50 greatest songs, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian ranked the song third, calling the shift into its second section as "possibly the single most thrilling moment in his entire catalogue." [32] In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it number 400 in their updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [33]

Legacy

Buckley describes "Station to Station" as heralding "a new era of experimentalism" for Bowie. [34] Along with the rest of the album, the song presented the new direction Bowie was taking in his career, from the funk and soul of Young Americans to the experimental sound of his Berlin Trilogy. [6] [16] In 2001, Bowie said, "As far as the music goes, Low and its siblings were a direct follow-on from the title track [of Station to Station]. It's often struck me that there will usually be one track on any given album of mine, which will be a fair indicator of the intent of the following album." [16] Needham from The Guardian similarly writes that with the lyrics "the European cannon is here", Bowie fully announces what was to come. [10] Doggett writes: "Here was Bowie's first nod of recognition to the so-called motorik sound of Krautrock, as the ominous, Wagnerian strains of the early segments of the song were succeeded by the propulsive dance rhythms of the finale. Only a churl would have worried that the theme of this cathartic moment was that it was too – suggesting that the spiritual journey might be only just beginning." [11]

Live versions

"Station to Station" was the opening number throughout the 1976 Isolar Tour. [16] A performance from this tour was included on the live album Live Nassau Coliseum '76 , [35] which was released as part of the 2010 Deluxe Edition of Station to Station, in the 2016 box set Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), and as a standalone album in 2017. [28] [29] The song was subsequently performed on the Stage (1978), Serious Moonlight (1983), Sound+Vision (1990), Summer 2000, and A Reality (2003–2004) tours. [16] Performances from the Stage Tour have been released on Stage (1978) and Welcome to the Blackout (2018). [36] [37] The Stage version was also featured in the Uli Edel film Christiane F. (1981), where Bowie, lip-synching to his 1978 recording, made an appearance as himself performing the song at a concert. [16] An edit of this version was released on the film's soundtrack. A performance from the Serious Moonlight Tour was included on the live album Serious Moonlight (Live '83), which was part of the 2018 box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) [38] and released as a standalone album in 2019. [39] Bowie's performance of the song at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2000 was released in 2018 on Glastonbury 2000 . [31]

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie. [27]

7" French promotional single
  1. "Station to Station" – 3:40
  2. "TVC 15" – 4:40

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary and Benoît Clerc: [8] [40]

Technical

Related Research Articles

<i>Diamond Dogs</i> 1974 studio album by David Bowie

Diamond Dogs is the eighth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 24 May 1974 through RCA Records. Bowie produced the album and recorded it in early 1974 in London and the Netherlands, following the disbanding of his backing band the Spiders from Mars and the departure of producer Ken Scott. Bowie played lead guitar on the record in the absence of Mick Ronson. Diamond Dogs featured the return of Tony Visconti, who had not worked with Bowie for four years; the two would collaborate for the rest of the decade. Musically, it was Bowie's final album in the glam rock genre, though some songs were influenced by funk and soul music, which Bowie embraced on his next album, Young Americans (1975).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suffragette City</span> 1972 song by David Bowie

"Suffragette City" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally released in April 1972 as the B-side of the single "Starman" and subsequently appeared on his fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972). The song was later reissued as a single in 1976, with the US single edit of "Stay" as the B-side, to promote the compilation album Changesonebowie in the UK. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it was recorded by Bowie at Trident Studios in London with his backing band the Spiders from Mars, consisting of Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey, at a late stage of the album's sessions. The song was originally offered to English band Mott the Hoople, who declined it and recorded Bowie's "All the Young Dudes" instead. It is a glam rock song that is influenced by the music of Little Richard and the Velvet Underground. The lyrics include a reference to Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and the lyric "Oooohh wham bam, thank you, ma'am".

<i>The Idiot</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Iggy Pop

The Idiot is the debut studio album by the American musician Iggy Pop, released on March 18, 1977, through RCA Records. It was produced by David Bowie and primarily recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France. The album followed the break-up of Pop's band the Stooges in 1974 and a period of drug addiction for both Pop and Bowie, after which the two moved to Europe in an effort to kick their addictions.

<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>Station to Station</i> 1976 studio album by David Bowie

Station to Station is the tenth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 23 January 1976 through RCA Records. Regarded as one of his most significant works, the album was the vehicle for Bowie's performance persona the Thin White Duke. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, Station to Station was mainly recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California, in late 1975, after Bowie completed shooting the film The Man Who Fell to Earth; the cover art featured a still from the film. During the sessions, Bowie was dependent on drugs, especially cocaine, and later said that he recalled almost nothing of the production.

<i>Lodger</i> (album) 1979 studio album by David Bowie

Lodger is the 13th studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 25 May 1979 through RCA Records. Recorded in collaboration with the musician Brian Eno and the producer Tony Visconti, it was the final release of his Berlin Trilogy, following Low and "Heroes". Sessions took place in Switzerland in September 1978 during a break in the Isolar II world tour, and in New York City in March 1979 at the tour's end. Most of the same personnel from prior releases returned, and the future King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew joined from the tour. The sessions saw the use of techniques inspired by Eno's Oblique Strategies cards, such as having the musicians swap instruments and play old songs backwards.

<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 14th 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 to create a more commercial record after the trilogy proved successful artistically but less so commercially.

<i>Low</i> (David Bowie album) 1977 studio album by David Bowie

Low is the eleventh studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 through RCA Records. The first of three collaborations with the producer Tony Visconti and the musician Brian Eno that became known as the Berlin Trilogy, the project originated following Bowie's move to France in 1976 with his friend Iggy Pop to rid themselves of their drug addictions. There, Bowie produced and co-wrote Pop's debut studio album, The Idiot, featuring sounds the former would explore on his next record. After completing The Idiot, sessions for Low began at Hérouville's Château d'Hérouville in September 1976 and ended in October at Hansa Studios in West Berlin, where Bowie and Pop had relocated.

<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.

"The Man Who Sold the World" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The title track of Bowie's third studio album, it was released in November 1970 in the US and in April 1971 in the UK by Mercury Records. Produced by Tony Visconti, it was recorded at Trident and Advision Studios in London in May 1970, towards the end of the album's sessions; Bowie recorded his vocal on the final day of mixing for the album, reflecting his generally dismissive attitude during the sessions. Musically, it is based around a "circular" guitar riff from Mick Ronson. Its lyrics are cryptic and evocative, being inspired by numerous poems including the 1899 "Antigonish" by William Hughes Mearns. Bowie's vocals are heavily "phased" throughout and have been described as "haunting".

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

"Golden Years" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records on 21 November 1975 as the lead single from his tenth studio album Station to Station (1976). Partially written before Bowie began shooting for the film The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), the song was mostly compiled in the studio and was the first track completed for the album. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, recording took place at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles during September 1975. Due to Bowie's heavy cocaine use, he later recalled remembering almost nothing of Station to Station's production.

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

"Fame" is a song recorded 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">TVC 15</span> 1976 song by David Bowie

"TVC 15" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1976 album Station to Station. RCA Records later released it as the second single from the album on 30 April 1976. The song was recorded in late 1975 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, the recording featured guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick, bassist George Murray, drummer Dennis Davis, pianist Roy Bittan and Warren Peace on backing vocals. The upbeat song is mostly art rock performed in a style reminiscent of the 1950s. Lyrically, the song concerns a character's girlfriend being eaten by a television set. It was inspired by a dream of Iggy Pop's and Bowie's role in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). Some lyrics are also influenced by the Yardbirds and Kraftwerk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound and Vision</span> 1977 song by David Bowie

"Sound and Vision" is a song by the English musician David Bowie. It was released in January 1977 by RCA Records on side one of his 11th studio album Low. RCA later chose it as the first single from the album. Co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, the song was recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France, in September 1976, and completed at Hansa Studios in West Berlin in October and November. The song began as a simple G major chord progression that Bowie gave to the backing musicians, writing and recording his vocals afterward. It features backing vocals from Brian Eno and Visconti's then-wife Mary Hopkin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up the Hill Backwards</span> 1981 single by David Bowie

"Up the Hill Backwards" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1980 album Scary Monsters . It was later issued by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in March 1981. Originally written under the title "Cameras in Brooklyn", the song was recorded between February and April 1980 at the Power Station in New York City and Good Earth Studios in London. The recording features backing vocalists, guitar contributions from Robert Fripp and acoustic guitar played by co-producer Tony Visconti. Lyrically, the song concerns the struggles of facing a crisis, partially influenced by Bowie's divorce from his wife Angie. Musically, the song contains numerous time signature changes and a Bo Diddley-inspired beat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Trilogy</span> Trilogy of studio albums by David Bowie

The Berlin Trilogy consists of three studio albums by English musician David Bowie: Low, "Heroes" and Lodger (1979). Bowie recorded the albums in collaboration with English musician Brian Eno and American producer Tony Visconti. The trilogy originated following Bowie's move from Los Angeles to Europe with American singer Iggy Pop to rid themselves of worsening drug addiction. Influences included the German krautrock scene and the recent ambient releases of Eno.

"Five Years" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it was recorded in November 1971 at Trident Studios in London with his backing band the Spiders from Mars − comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. As the opening track on the album, the song introduces the overarching theme of the album: an impending apocalyptic disaster will destroy Earth in five years and the being who will save it is a bisexual alien rock star named Ziggy Stardust. While the first two verses are told from a child narrator's perspective, the third is from Bowie's, who addresses the listener directly. As the track progresses, it builds intensity, before climaxing with strings and Bowie screaming the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moonage Daydream</span> 1972 song by David Bowie

"Moonage Daydream" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally recorded in February 1971 at Radio Luxembourg's studios in London and released as a single by his short-lived band Arnold Corns in May 1971 on B&C Records. Bowie subsequently re-recorded the song later that year with his backing band the Spiders from Mars—Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey—for release on his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The re-recording was co-produced by Ken Scott and recorded at Trident Studios in London in November 1971. The re-recording is a glam rock song that uses melodic and harmonic hooks, as well as percussion and guitar influenced by heavy metal. On the album, the song directly introduces the character Ziggy Stardust, who describes himself as a bisexual alien rock superstar who will save the Earth from the impending disaster described in the opening track "Five Years". It features saxophone played by Bowie and a guitar solo and string arrangement by Ronson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziggy Stardust (song)</span> 1972 song by David Bowie

"Ziggy Stardust" is a song written by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie for his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, he recorded it at Trident Studios in London in November 1971 with his backing band the Spiders from Mars—comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. Lyrically, the song is about Ziggy Stardust, a bisexual alien rock star who acts as a messenger for extraterrestrial beings. The character was influenced by English singer Vince Taylor, as well as the Legendary Stardust Cowboy and Kansai Yamamoto. Although Ziggy is introduced earlier on the album, this song is its centrepiece, presenting the rise and fall of the star in a very human-like manner. Musically, it is a glam rock song, like its parent album, and is based around a Ronson guitar riff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay (David Bowie song)</span> 1976 song by David Bowie

"Stay" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1976 album Station to Station. The song was recorded in late 1975 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, the recording featured guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick, bassist George Murray, drummer Dennis Davis, pianist Roy Bittan and Warren Peace on percussion. The track features prominent dual guitar work from Slick and Alomar, who mostly composed it in the studio. Based on the chord structure of "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)", a funk reworking of "John, I'm Only Dancing" (1972), "Stay" emulates funk rock, soul and hard rock. The song's lyrics are abstract and relate to love.

References

  1. ↑ Wilcken 2005, pp. 5–6.
  2. 1 2 Doggett 2012, p. 285.
  3. 1 2 Barker, Emily (8 January 2018). "David Bowie's 40 greatest songs – as decided by NME and friends". NME . Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  4. 1 2 Buckley 2005, p. 234.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pegg 2016, p. 266.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carr & Murray 1981, pp. 78–80.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Doggett 2012, p. 287.
  8. 1 2 O'Leary 2015, chap. 10.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Light, Alan (23 January 2017). "How David Bowie Brought Thin White Duke to Life on 'Station to Station'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Needham, Alex (16 September 2011). "My favorite album: Station to Station by David Bowie". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Doggett 2012, p. 288.
  12. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Station to Station – David Bowie | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019. At its heart, Station to Station is an avant-garde art-rock album, most explicitly on 'TVC 15' and the epic sprawl of the title track
  13. 1 2 Cavanagh, David (February 1997). "ChangesFiftyBowie". Q magazine : 52–59.
  14. ↑ Berman, Stuart (29 September 2010). "David Bowie: Station to Station (Deluxe Edition)". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  15. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pegg 2016, p. 267.
  17. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Bowie Tribute To Neu! For Reissue Campaign". David Bowie. 19 April 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Buckley 2000, p. 258.
  20. ↑ Pegg 2016, p. 382.
  21. ↑ Wilcken 2005, p. 24.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Doggett 2012, p. 286.
  23. ↑ Doggett 2012, pp. 285–286.
  24. ↑ Wilcken 2005, p. 7.
  25. ↑ Wilcken 2005, p. 9.
  26. ↑ Station to Station (liner notes). David Bowie. UK: RCA Victor. 1976. APL1 1327.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. 1 2 "Station to Station" (Single liner notes). David Bowie. France: RCA. 1976. 42549.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. 1 2 Station to Station (Deluxe edition liner notes). David Bowie. USA & Europe: EMI. 2010. 5099964760124.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. 1 2 3 Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) (Box set booklet). David Bowie. UK, Europe & US: Parlophone. 2016. 0190295989842.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ Thompson, Dave. "Station to Station". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  31. 1 2 3 Collins, Sean T. (5 December 2018). "David Bowie: Glastonbury 2000 Album Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  32. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (19 March 2020). "David Bowie's 50 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  33. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: David Bowie, 'Station to Station'". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  34. ↑ Buckley 2000, pp. 275–277.
  35. ↑ "Live Nassau Coliseum '76 – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  36. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78) – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  37. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Stage – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  38. ↑ Loving the Alien (1983–1988) (Box set booklet). David Bowie. UK, Europe & US: Parlophone. 2018. 0190295693534.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ↑ Serious Moonlight (Live '83) (CD liner notes). David Bowie. Europe: Parlophone. 2019. 0190295511180.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ↑ Clerc 2021, pp. 240–241.

Sources

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.