"Thursday's Child" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by David Bowie | ||||
from the album Hours | ||||
B-side | "We Shall Go to Town" | |||
Released | 20 September 1999 | |||
Recorded | April–May 1999 | |||
Studio | Seaview Studio (Bermuda) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:24 (album version) 4:25 (single edit) | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Thursday's Child" on YouTube |
"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.
It was the first single from Hours and preceded the album by two weeks. In a performance for VH1 Storytellers , Bowie revealed that the title of the song was prompted by the memory of the autobiography of actress Eartha Kitt. The book, also called Thursday's Child, used to be a favourite of his when he was 14 years old.
The song, just like "Ashes to Ashes", is inspired by Danny Kaye's "Inchworm". According to Nicholas Pegg the song references Ray Charles' "That Lucky Old Sun" and John Donne's poem "The Sun Rising". [1]
According to the song's songwriter and producer Reeves Gabrels, Bowie initially wanted group TLC to sing background vocals on the song. However, he convinced Bowie not to do it, and invited his friend Holly Palmer to do the vocals instead. According to Gabrels, "I was David's friend, and his guitar player, musical director, co-producer, but I was also a fan. I felt like I was protecting his 'thing'. I wanted to make sure he stayed cool and stayed connected. He was a voracious chaser of new things. But not every new thing [should be chased]". [2]
The song begins with Bowie singing: "All of my life I've tried so hard/Doing my best with what I had/Nothing much happened all the same". In an interview with Uncut , the singer commented about the song: "I'm supposed to say, 'Ah, but that's the secret of stagecraft!' But no, I don't find it particularly hard – the guy in the song’s had a tough life, though. He's a teeth-grinding, I'll-get-this-job-done guy. But, right, it's not a dogged labour for me: I do work hard, but it comes easily". [3] Bowie further expanded on the song, revealing that it was about "somebody that maybe felt that he'd achieved anything that he was ever going to achieve in his life and that the way forward looked as bleak as much of his past had done.....until it was changed by meeting this particular person that he falls in love with. So it's like a glimmer of salvation in his own life". [1]
Jon Barnsley from News of the World viewed "Thursday's Child" as "a crafted, laidback offering". [4]
One of the single's B-sides was a track written by Bowie and Gabrels called "We Shall Go to Town", which was originally slated for inclusion on the album itself. Gabrels called it "a very dark track" in contrast to the rest of the album. He said the song "was about two people who were so grotesque, horribly disfigured, and people would stone them on the street, and they grew tired of having to live in the shadows, it’s like an 'Elephant Man' thing. And they think 'Tonight’s the night we go to town. This might be our last night on earth because people will probably kill us.' That was a little less jolly than 'Thursday’s Child.'" [2]
"1917" was originally called "Thrust" and was included in the video game The Nomad Soul during a rooftop fight with a demon, part of the soundtrack for the game written by Bowie and Gabrels. "No One Calls" was also from the game's soundtrack, with an alternate title of "Awakened 2", where it appeared only in instrumental form. [5]
On 3 October 1999, David Bowie was the musical guest on the 25th season of the television program "Saturday Night Live", performing "Thursday's Child" and "Rebel Rebel". A live version recorded in Paris in October 1999 was released on the single "Survive" in January 2000, and the full concert from which it was taken was released in 2021 as Something in the Air (Live Paris 99) . A performance from November 1999 was included in the live concert release David Bowie at the Kit Kat Klub (Live New York 99) (2021).
"Thursday's Child" was released on a promotional release of the single "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell" in 1999. Both the "Rock mix" and a slower version from the Omikron – The Nomad Soul video game was released on the bonus disc that followed the 2004 reissue of Hours. The radio edit of the song was included on some editions of Best of Bowie (2002), on the 3-disc and 2-disc versions of Nothing Has Changed (2014), and on the 2-disc edition of Bowie Legacy (2016).
The accompanying music video for "Thursday's Child" was directed by Walter Stern, and was filmed in early August 1999 in New York City. [6] In Bowie's own words, "The video is a strange and slow moving piece that wanders between a present and a past in a bewildering fashion". [7] It shows Bowie in a motel room, looking in a mirror at his younger self (played by Owen Beasley) [8] and reminiscing on his life and what could have been. Kara Manning from MTV News considered the video "surreal", while Time 's Melissa Locker included it on her list of Bowie's ten best music videos, saying it was "melancholy and contemplative". [9]
This version also includes the full length "Thursday's Child" video in QuickTime format.
A cassette version was also released with the three tracks from the UK CD version 1 on both sides of the tape.
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [10] | 16 |
Germany (GfK) [11] | 62 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [12] | 81 |
Scotland (OCC) [13] | 17 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [14] | 48 |
UK Singles (OCC) [15] | 16 |
Earthling is the twenty-first studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 3 February 1997 through RCA Records in the United Kingdom, Virgin Records in the United States, and Arista Records/BMG in other territories. Mostly self-produced by Bowie, it was primarily recorded from August to October 1996 at New York City's Looking Glass Studios. Bowie composed the tracks with Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, who are credited as co-producers, with Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey and Zack Alford providing overdubs later.
The Nomad Soul is an adventure game developed by Quantic Dream and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for Microsoft Windows in 1999 and Dreamcast in 2000. The player can engage in unarmed and armed combat, explore the three-dimensional environment of Omikron City, and talk with non-player characters to progress the story. It follows an investigation into a case of serial killings, which unravels the supernatural truth behind the city's ancient history.
"I'm Afraid of Americans" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released as a single from his album Earthling on 14 October 1997 through Virgin Records. The song was co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno and originally recorded during the sessions for Bowie's 1995 album Outside; this version was released on the soundtrack of Showgirls (1995). The song was then remade during the sessions for Earthling, featuring rewritten lyrics, overdubs and transposed verses. An industrial and techno track, it presents a critique of America through the eyes of a stereotypical "Johnny" and is characterised by drum patterns, synthesisers, various loops and vocal distortions.
Reeves Gabrels is an American guitarist, songwriter and producer. Currently a member of The Cure since 2012, Gabrels is also known for his work with David Bowie and Tin Machine from 1987 to 1999. He also fronts the band Reeves Gabrels & His Imaginary Friends, which is based in Nashville.
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.
Hours is the twenty-second studio album by the English musician David Bowie. It was originally released on 21 September 1999 through the Internet on the artist's website BowieNet, followed by a physical CD release on 4 October through Virgin Records. It was one of the first albums by a major artist available to download over the Internet. Originating as a soundtrack to the video game Omikron: The Nomad Soul (1999), Hours was the final collaboration between Bowie and guitarist Reeves Gabrels, with whom he had worked since 1988. The album was recorded in mid-1999 at studios in Bermuda and New York City. A song contest conducted on BowieNet in late 1998 resulted in a fan contributing lyrics and backing vocals to one of the tracks.
"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" is a song by English musician David Bowie from his 20th studio album, Outside (1995), and issued as a single ahead of the album. Released in September 1995 by Arista, BMG and RCA, it showcased Bowie's new, industrial-influenced sound. Lyrically, the single connects with the rest of the album, with Bowie offering a lament to "tyrannical futurist" Ramona A. Stone, a theme continued in subsequent songs. The song is also meant to confront Bowie's own perceptions about the ritual creation and degradation of art. Its music video was directed by Samuel Bayer and was so controversial that it required a re-edit for MTV. The song appears in the end credits of the 1995 film Seven.
"Prisoner of Love" is a song by Tin Machine taken from their eponymous debut album, issued as their third single in October 1989.
"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.
"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.
"Strangers When We Meet" is a song by English musician David Bowie, originally recorded for his 1993 album The Buddha of Suburbia. In 1995, Bowie re-recorded the song for his 20th studio album, Outside (1995), and this version was edited and released in November 1995 by RCA as the second single from the album, paired with a reworked version of Bowie's 1970 song "The Man Who Sold the World". The double A-side reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. In Sweden, "Strangers When We Meet" peaked at number 56 in 1996.
"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).
"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.
"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.
"Seven" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels for the album Hours in 1999. As with some of the other songs from Hours it was originally written for the computer game Omikron - The Nomad Soul from 1999. In July 2000, it was released as the fourth single from the album. The version used in the Omikron – The Nomad Soul was called "Demo version" on the single releases.
"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.
"I've Been Waiting for You" is a song written by Neil Young, which he recorded for his 1968 debut solo album. In a song review for AllMusic, critic Matthew Greenwald described it as "One of the most powerful and well-crafted songs from Neil Young's self-titled solo debut ... A very strong and engaging melody is set against a striking, descending guitar riff, which serves as the song's hook."
The Hours Tour was a small-scale promotional concert tour by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie comprising a handful of live performances and numerous television appearances in support of the album Hours in late 1999. Several live songs from the tour were included as b-sides to singles from the album, and concert recordings from the tour were released in 2020 as Something in the Air and in 2021 with David Bowie At The Kit Kat Klub .
David Bowie is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in June 2007 by Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records. The box set includes expanded versions of all of Bowie's Sony-owned albums: Outside, Earthling, Hours, Heathen and Reality..
Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 26 November 2021. A follow-up to the compilations Five Years (1969–1973), Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) and Loving the Alien (1983–1988), the set covers the period of Bowie's career from 1992 to 2001, commonly regarded by analysts as an artistic renaissance following his commercially successful but critically maligned work in the 1980s. However, Bowie's 1988–1992 tenure with the hard rock group Tin Machine is excluded. The set comprises eleven compact discs or 18 LPs.