Young Americans (song)

Last updated

"Young Americans"
Bowie YoungAmericansSingle.jpg
Single by David Bowie
from the album Young Americans
B-side
Released21 February 1975 (1975-02-21)
RecordedAugust and November 1974
Studio Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre
Length
  • 5:10 (album version)
  • 3:11 (US single)
Label RCA
Songwriter(s) David Bowie
Producer(s) Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"Rock 'n' Roll with Me"
(1974)		"Young Americans"
(1975)		"Fame"
(1975)

"Young Americans" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie from his ninth studio album of the same name. It was mostly recorded in August 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and was debuted on the Soul tour the following month. The song featured contributions from then-unknown singer Luther Vandross, who conceived the backing vocal arrangement. An embracement of R&B and Philadelphia soul, the song presents an Englishman's impressionist portrait of America at the time, featuring various characters and allusions to American totems and events.

Contents

Released by RCA Records as the lead single on 21 February 1975, the song reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart but was a breakthrough in the United States, at the time becoming Bowie's second highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 28. He promoted it with an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show in November 1974 and on The Cher Show the following year. Bowie performed the song on his concert tours throughout the 1980s, before retiring it after the Sound+Vision Tour in 1990. Ranked among Bowie's best songs by numerous publications, critics praise "Young Americans" as a successful transition to soul music following the artist's glam rock releases. It has since appeared on several compilation albums and was remastered in 2016 for the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

Overview

Music and lyrics

"Young Americans" was a major musical departure for David Bowie. Following years of glam rock and hard rock releases, [1] the song represented a full embracement of the R&B and Philadelphia soul sound of the mid-1970s. [2] [3] [4] Bowie himself referred to the sound as "plastic soul". [1] [5] [6] [7] Discussing the stylistic departure in his book Starman: The Definitive Biography, author Paul Trynka describes the song as a "statement of intent", wherein Bowie was "repositioning the brand". [8]

"Young Americans" compositionally stands out from Bowie's prior recordings. [5] With an improvisational song structure containing three verses and refrains, a saxophone solo, a bridge, a breakdown and two additional extended verses and refrains, [9] author James E. Perone says the use of four-measure phrases flow together through the usage of dominant chords "in a completely natural way". [5] The song is primarily in the key of C major; the verses end on G major, extending into the refrains with F major before reverting back to C on the title phrases. The bridge deviates into A minor before the guitar closes it with A major, while the fourth verse is in D major. [9]

[The song is] about a newly-wed couple who don't know if they really like each other. Well, they do, but they don't know if they do or don't. It's a bit of a predicament. [10]

—David Bowie, NME , 1975

According to biographer Nicholas Pegg, "Young Americans" presents a rapid lyric "sketching an Englishman's impressionist portrait of 20th century America". [11] Production team the Matrix noted "America" as "a bit like a teenager: brimming with energy and imagination, occasionally overstepping the mark, but always with a great sense of possibility". [12] The title itself does not appear in the song, only "the young American", who runs through various myths to the point that by the end, he does not know which ones to believe or follow. Author Peter Doggett interprets the song, in one way, as "the portrait of a fantasy: the global dream of how it would feel to have life laid out before you in the land of plenty". [13] The opening verse describes a frigid sexual encounter, which "took him minutes, took her nowhere". [lower-alpha 1] [11] Perone says the story informs listeners that issues related to sex and "emotional impotence" exist both outside and in mainstream society, while additional verses reveal the discriminations between race and social classes that exist in American society. [5]

Unlike the fractured imagery of Bowie's previous album Diamond Dogs (1974), "Young Americans" is observational and lyrically influenced by the works of Bruce Springsteen; [lower-alpha 2] [8] [14] biographer Chris O'Leary compares the song's clutter of characters to Springsteen's The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973). [9] Throughout the song, allusions are made to the Watergate scandal – US President Richard Nixon having resigned only three days prior to its recording [8] – the McCarthy witch hunts ("now you have been the un-American") and civil rights struggles ("sit on your hands on a bus of survivors"). [11] Additional references are made to charms of American society, including "Afro-sheen" – a hair-care product regularly advertised on Soul Train [8] – "Ford Mustang", "Barbie doll", "Cadi" and "Chrysler", and lyrics that provoke images of violence and anguish ("would you carry a razor in case, just in case of depression?" and "ain't there a woman I can sock on the jaw?") [11] Pegg argues the lyrics "cut as deep as 'I'm Afraid of Americans' twenty years later". [11]

The song also makes several British allusions. The opening line, "they pulled in just behind the fridge", was a reference to the comedic English duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's stage revue Behind the Fridge, [lower-alpha 3] which Bowie had attended in London in 1973. [11] The revue painted American life as a British comedy rather than, in O'Leary's words, "a standard-issue American make-out session in a car parked off the highway". [9] "Young Americans" also contains a vocal quotation of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" (1967): "I heard the news today, oh boy", [lower-alpha 4] which anticipated Bowie's imminent collaboration with former band member John Lennon. [lower-alpha 5] [11] Drawing further Lennon comparisons, Perone relates the song's production on saxophone to Phil Spector's work on Lennon's initial post-Beatle recordings. [5]

Recording

Recording for "Young Americans" began at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the first day of the Young Americans album sessions, on 11 or 13 August 1974. [15] Additional recording took place later on in November. [9] [13] With Tony Visconti producing and Carl Paruolo engineering, the lineup consisted of Bowie, Carlos Alomar on guitar, Willie Weeks on bass, Mike Garson on piano, Andy Newmark on drums, David Sanborn on alto saxophone and Larry Washington on congas. Singer Ava Cherry, Alomar's wife Robin Clark and then-unknown singer Luther Vandross contributed backing vocals. [9] [16]

Unlike other songs recorded at Sigma Sound, the song's structure was mostly already written before the sessions began. The gospel and soul backing vocal arrangements in the refrains were constructed by Vandross with help from Clark, and eagerly added by Bowie. [9] [11] Bowie wrote the middle section after visiting various New York clubs in the spring of 1974 and learning DJs enjoyed singles with breakdowns, such as Eddie Kendricks' "Girl You Need a Change of Mind". For "Young Americans", this sequence initially boasted a phased guitar solo by Alomar. [9]

In September 2009, take three of the song, dated 13 August 1974 on the Sigma Sound reel tape, was leaked online. In this version, all the lyrics are the same but the saxophone and backing vocals are absent, and Bowie's vocal delivery is more conventional than the funkier, syncopated feel of the final version. [11]

Release and promotion

Bowie on the Soul tour in 1974, where he performed "Young Americans" regularly. Bowie at Young Americans Tour C.jpg
Bowie on the Soul tour in 1974, where he performed "Young Americans" regularly.

Bowie premiered "Young Americans" live on the opening show of his Soul tour in Los Angeles on 2 September 1974, introducing it as "The Young American", and it was a regular throughout the remaining tour; [11] a live version recorded in October was released on I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) in 2020. [17] The song, the then-upcoming album's title track, [18] was selected as the lead single and released by RCA Records on 21 February 1975. [9] The UK single (RCA 2523) featured the full five-minute album cut, while the US single (RCA JB 10152) was edited to 3:11, excluding two verses and a refrain. [1] [11] The former's B-side was the Ziggy Stardust track "Suffragette City" (1972), while the latter's was Bowie's 1974 cover of Eddie Floyd's "Knock on Wood" (1966). [19]

Reaching number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100, [20] [21] the single represented a downturn for Bowie on the United Kingdom charts but was a breakthrough in the United States, becoming his second highest charting single since "Space Oddity" in 1973 and raised his profile significantly in the country. [11] [22] Bowie's 2 November 1974 performance of the song on The Dick Cavett Show was used as promotion, airing on the BBC's Top of the Pops on 21 February 1975 and was later included on the Best of Bowie and Dick Cavett Show DVD sets, and the 2007 CD/DVD reissue of Young Americans. [11] On the album, released on 7 March, [23] "Young Americans" appeared as the opening track. [24] Later that year on 23 November, Bowie appeared on The Cher Show , where he and Cher sang a medley of American classics bookended by "Young Americans". [25] [26]

Critical reception

"Young Americans" was met with positive reviews from music critics on release, with most praising the music. Reviewing the single, a writer for Cash Box said that Bowie "places his voice against a very R&B oriented track and with such a rock solid foundation for his wall of sound he feels secure hurling his socially conscious lyrics around like so much graffiti". [27] Record Mirror 's Sue Byrom referred to it as one of his "most commercial" sounding records to date, highlighting the "funky" saxophone and "lavish" backing vocals. [28] Upon its release on the Young Americans album, Billboard named the song one of the best tracks. [29] Critic Robert Christgau, who called the album an almost total failure in his Record Guide , gave sole praise to "Young Americans", in which "pain stimulates compassion". [30] In a review for Rolling Stone , Jon Landau praised the song as "one of his handful of classics, a bizarre mixture of social comment, run-on lyric style, English pop and American soul". [31] In Canada, Bill Man of The Gazette praised "Young Americans" as one of the best songs Bowie has ever written. [32] In its year-end list, NME ranked "Young Americans" the seventh best single of 1975. [33]

In a more unfavourable review, Melody Maker 's Michael Watts referred to the song as "a reasonable, if unmemorable discotheque record". [34] According to Doggett, some contemporary reviewers were perplexed by certain lyrics, such as the notion that "your momma" was suffering from "cramps" or "crabs". The author says that one unnamed "ungracious" British newspaper suggested the latter referred to David's wife Angie Bowie. [13]

Legacy

Bowie continued performing "Young Americans", often equipped with an acoustic guitar, on the 1983 Serious Moonlight, 1987 Glass Spider and 1990 Sound+Vision concert tours. [11] A Serious Moonlight performance, filmed on 12 September 1983, was included on the accompanying concert DVD in 1984 and later on the live album Serious Moonlight (Live '83), released as part of the 2018 box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) and separately the following year. [35] [36] A Glass Spider performance also appeared on its accompanying DVD in 1988. [37] Beyond 1983, Bowie tended to update the lyrics to match the current times, such as changing "Nixon" to "Reagan" and "Bush". [11] For Sound+Vision, the song often erupted into an extended blues jam featuring snippets of blues and jazz standards such as "Jailhouse Blues". Despite bassist Gail Ann Dorsey's consistent requests to play the song throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bowie retired "Young Americans" from live performances after Sound+Vision. [11]

The full-length album version has appeared on several compilation albums, including Changesonebowie (1976), [38] The Best of Bowie (1980), [39] Fame and Fashion (1984), [40] the Sound + Vision box set (1989), [41] Changesbowie (1990), and The Singles Collection (1993). [42] [43] The US single edit has appeared on Rare (1982), The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979 (1998), the American/Canadian edition of Best of Bowie (2002), [11] and the 2-CD and vinyl editions of Bowie Legacy (2016). [44] [45] In 2016, both versions were remastered and included as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set. [46] [47] In his review of the box set, Chris Gerard of PopMatters panned the US single as "one of the most abruptly jarring edits ever to make it onto a single". [47] A 2007 remix by Visconti, edited to match the US single, appeared on the 3-CD edition of Nothing Has Changed (2014) and on a 40th-anniversary vinyl single release (2015). [11]

Retrospective appraisal

Musically simple, lyrically fragmented, emotionally inspired, "Young Americans" presented a Bowie who had never been heard on record before, catching almost everyone who had followed him by surprise. [13]

—Peter Doggett, The Man Who Sold the World, 2012

In subsequent decades, "Young Americans" has attracted acclaim. [3] Deemed a masterpiece by AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [48] Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield hailed the song as one of Bowie's finest, with "the rhythm inspiring his most passionate (and compassionate) love letter to his fans". [49] Doggett praises Bowie's vocal performance and overall commitment to the song. [13] Terry Staunton of NME called it his best single ever in 1991. [50] Several critics commended Bowie for a successful transition to soul music and his full commandeering of the style. [5] [7] [51] Perone opines that Bowie effectively established a "new hybrid [soul] style" rather than being a white singer merely attempting to sing soul music. [5] The Guardian 's Alexis Petridis commented, "A white British rock star adopting the breezy, sumptuous sound of Philly soul shouldn't have worked at all, but it did, to life-affirming effect." [51] The "ain't there one damn song..." vocal break was later selected by Mojo magazine as the most impressive passage in Bowie's entire catalogue, [1] and by a Rolling Stone writer as his "royal peak". [52]

Following Bowie's death in 2016, Rolling Stone listed "Young Americans" as one of Bowie's 30 essential songs. [3] The song has also appeared on lists compiling Bowie's best songs by The Telegraph , [53] NME (4), [54] The Guardian and Mojo (7), [51] [55] Consequence of Sound (13) and Uncut (17). [7] [56] NME readers also voted it number 14 in a 2018 list of Bowie's 20 best songs. [57] In 2016 lists ranking every Bowie single, "Young Americans" placed at numbers three and five by Ultimate Classic Rock and Slant Magazine , respectively. The former argued the song "summ[ed] up the mid-'70s in five catchy minutes", while the latter called it one of the decade's "best examples" of blue-eyed soul. [4] [58]

The song has also appeared on other best-of lists. In 2003, Blender magazine placed "Young Americans" on its list "the 1001 greatest songs to download right now!" [12] One year later, the song ranked at number 481 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, [59] and moving up to 204 in its 2021 revised list. [60] In 2016, Pitchfork ranked it number 44 on its list of the 200 best songs of the 1970s. [2]

Covers and appearances in media

Vandross frequently performed the song on stage after 1975, [11] while Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has spoken about the song's influence on him as a musician. [56] The song has accompanied the end credits of Dogville (2003) [61] and Manderlay (2005), the first two films of Lars von Trier's trilogy USA – Land of Opportunities, and also appeared briefly in the Nicolas Cage film Lord of War (2005). [11]

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: [9]

Technical

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Young Americans"
Chart (1975)Peak
position
Australian Singles (Kent Music Report) [62] 27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [63] 36
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [64] 33
Ireland (IRMA) [65] 13
New Zealand ( Listener Chart) [66] 1
UK Singles (OCC) [20] 18
US Billboard Hot 100 [21] 28
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [67] 25
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles [68] 20
Chart (2015)Peak
position
France (SNEP) [69] 133

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Young Americans"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [70] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ Pegg and Trynka believe this aligned to Bowie's "planned seduction" of America at the time. [11] [8]
  2. ↑ Bowie recorded a cover of Springsteen's "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" (1973) during the Young Americans sessions, during which Springsteen himself visited the studio. [14]
  3. ↑ Pegg says Behind the Fridge was an "ironic deflation" of the duo's 1960s show Beyond the Fringe . [11]
  4. ↑ O'Leary notes that Lennon had "read" the news in the first song, establishing "fact is now rumour". [9]
  5. ↑ On a cover of the Beatles' "Across the Universe" and "Fame", both released on Young Americans. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Earthling</i> (album) 1997 studio album by David Bowie

Earthling is the 21st 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life on Mars (song)</span> 1971 song by David Bowie

"Life on Mars?" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released on his 1971 album Hunky Dory. Bowie wrote the song as a parody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way". "Life on Mars?" was recorded on 6 August 1971 at Trident Studios in London, and was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott. Bowie's backing band consisted of guitarist and string arranger Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, drummer Mick Woodmansey and Strawbs member Rick Wakeman on piano. "Life on Mars?" is primarily a glam rock ballad, with elements of cabaret and art rock; it has a complex structure that includes chord changes throughout. The lyrics are about a girl who goes to a cinema to escape reality, and include surreal images that reflect optimism and the effects of Hollywood.

<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).

<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>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 suffering from various drug addictions, most prominently cocaine, and later said that he recalled almost nothing of the production.

<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">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">Fashion (David Bowie song)</span> 1980 song by David Bowie

"Fashion" is a song by the English musician David Bowie from his 14th studio album Scary Monsters (1980). Co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti and recorded from February to April 1980 at New York and London, it was the last song completed for the album. Originating as a reggae parody titled "Jamaica", "Fashion" is a post-punk, dance and funk track structurally similar to Bowie's "Golden Years". King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp contributed lead guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changes (David Bowie song)</span> 1971 song by David Bowie

"Changes" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie from his 1971 album Hunky Dory. RCA Records then released it as a single from the album on 7 January 1972. Written following his promotional tour of America in early 1971, "Changes" was recorded at Trident Studios in London between June and July that year. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it featured Rick Wakeman on piano and the musicians who would later become known as the Spiders from Mars—Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John, I'm Only Dancing</span> Song by David Bowie

"John, I'm Only Dancing" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, originally released as a non-album single on 1 September 1972. A glam rock and R&B number, the lyrics describe a situation in which the narrator informs his lover not to worry about the girl he is with because he is "only dancing" with her. Although ambiguous, many interpreted it as concerning a gay relationship. Recorded in London in June 1972, it was boosted by a low-budget promotional video directed by Mick Rock. It reached number 12 in the UK; RCA refused to release it in America due to its suggestive lyrical content.

<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">Boys Keep Swinging</span> 1979 song by David Bowie

"Boys Keep Swinging" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on 27 April 1979 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom as the lead single from his 1979 album Lodger. It was written by Bowie and Brian Eno and recorded in Montreux and New York City in September 1978 and March 1979. The recording utilised techniques from Eno's Oblique Strategies cards, which resulted in the musicians swapping instruments. Adrian Belew contributed a guitar solo, which he played receiving little guidance and was composited from multiple takes. The song was also built on the same chord sequence as the album track "Fantastic Voyage". Musically, "Boys Keep Swinging" contains elements of glam rock, funk and new wave, while lyrically, the song deals with the concept of gender identity, featuring various gender-bending lyrics. Bowie himself stated that the song was full of irony.

<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">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.

"Black Country Rock" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World. The song was recorded in May 1970, with sessions taking place at Trident and Advision Studios in London. The lineup featured Bowie on lead vocals, guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist/producer Tony Visconti, drummer Mick Woodmansey and Ralph Mace on Moog synthesiser. The track was mostly composed by Ronson and Visconti, who developed it using a basic song sketch from Bowie. Labelled under the working title "Black Country Rock", Bowie used the title to write the lyrics towards the end of the sessions, resulting in a repeated two-line verse and chorus. A blues rock and hard rock number, Bowie imitates T. Rex's Marc Bolan in his vocal performance.

<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.

<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">Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)</span> 1980 song by David Bowie

"Ashes to Ashes" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie from his 14th studio album, Scary Monsters (1980). Co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, it was recorded from February to April 1980 in New York and London and features guitar synthesiser played by Chuck Hammer. An art rock, art pop and new wave song led by a flanged piano riff, the lyrics act as a sequel to Bowie's 1969 hit "Space Oddity": the astronaut Major Tom has succumbed to drug addiction and floats isolated in space. Bowie partially based the lyrics on his own experiences with drug addiction throughout the 1970s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Thompson, Dave. "'Young Americans' – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork . 22 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "David Bowie: 30 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone . 11 January 2016. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Every David Bowie Single Ranked". Ultimate Classic Rock . 14 January 2016. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Perone 2007, pp. 46–47.
  6. ↑ Simon, Mashaun D. (11 January 2016). "'Plastic Soul': David Bowie's Legacy and Impact on Black Artists". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Cosores, Philip (8 January 2017). "David Bowie's Top 70 Songs". Consequence of Sound . Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Trynka 2011, pp. 259–260.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 O'Leary 2015, chap. 9.
  10. ↑ Anthony, O'Grady (August 1975). "David Bowie: Watch Out Mate! Hitler's On His Way Back". NME . Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2022– via The Quietus.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Pegg 2016, pp. 322–324.
  12. 1 2 Collis, Clark; et al. (October 2003). "The 1001 greatest songs to download right now!". Blender . No. 20. p. 98.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Doggett 2012, pp. 259–261.
  14. 1 2 Giles, Jeff (7 March 2016). "Revisiting David Bowie's R&B Move, 'Young Americans'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  15. ↑ 11 August: Pegg 2016 , pp. 322–324; Trynka 2011 , pp. 259–260; 13 August: O'Leary 2015 , chap. 9
  16. ↑ Pegg 2016, pp. 373–379.
  17. ↑ "I'm Only Dancing for Record Store Day 2020". David Bowie Official Website. 19 February 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  18. ↑ Buckley 2005, p. 219.
  19. ↑ Pegg 2016, p. 780.
  20. 1 2 "David Bowie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  21. 1 2 "David Bowie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  23. ↑ "Young Americans album is 40 today". David Bowie Official Website. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  24. ↑ O'Leary 2015, Partial Discography.
  25. ↑ Buckley 2005, p. 244.
  26. ↑ Edwards, Gavin (5 June 2014). "Flashback: David Bowie and Cher Duet on 'Young Americans'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  27. ↑ "Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box . 22 February 1975. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021– via worldradiohistory.com.
  28. ↑ Byrom, Sue (22 February 1975). "Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror . p. 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2022– via worldradiohistory.com.
  29. ↑ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 15 March 1975. p. 80. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020– via worldradiohistory.com.
  30. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "David Bowie: Young Americans". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Boston: Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  31. ↑ Landau, Jon (22 May 1975). "Young Americans". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  32. ↑ Bill, Mann (12 April 1975). "Bad is Good and Eric Nods, David Bowie Goes to Philly". The Gazette . p. 49. Retrieved 20 October 2023– via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
  33. ↑ "NME's best albums and tracks of 1975". NME. 10 October 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  34. ↑ Watts, Michael (15 March 1975). "David Bowie: Young Americans Review". Melody Maker . p. 31 – via The History of Rock 1975.
  35. ↑ 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)
  36. ↑ 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)
  37. ↑ Pegg 2016, p. 643.
  38. ↑ Thompson, Dave. "Changesonebowie – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  39. ↑ Pegg 2016, pp. 500–501.
  40. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Fame and Fashion – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  41. ↑ "Sound + Vision boxset repack press release". David Bowie Official Website. 26 July 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  42. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Changesbowie – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  43. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Singles: 1969–1993 – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  44. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (28 September 2016). "David Bowie Singles Collection Bowie Legacy Announced". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  45. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (28 September 2016). "New David Bowie greatest hits album 'Bowie Legacy' set for release". NME. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  46. ↑ "Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) details". David Bowie Official Website. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  47. 1 2 Gerard, Chris (28 September 2016). "David Bowie: Who Can I Be Now? (1974/1976)". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  48. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Young Americans – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  49. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (13 June 2007). "David Bowie: Young Americans". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  50. ↑ Staunton, Terry (4 May 1991). "David Bowie: Young Americans / Station to Station". New Musical Express . p. 37.
  51. 1 2 3 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.
  52. ↑ "The 200 Best Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 1 January 2023. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  53. ↑ "David Bowie's 20 greatest songs". The Telegraph . 10 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  54. ↑ 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.
  55. ↑ "David Bowie – The 100 Greatest Songs". Mojo (255): 81. February 2015.
  56. 1 2 "David Bowie's 30 best songs". Uncut (133). 19 February 2015 [March 2008]. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  57. ↑ Anderson, Sarah (8 January 2018). "20 best David Bowie tracks – as voted by you". NME. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  58. ↑ Vogelman, Nee (18 January 2016). "The 20 Greatest David Bowie Singles". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  59. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: David Bowie, 'Young Americans'". Rolling Stone. 11 December 2003. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  60. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: David Bowie, 'Young Americans'". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  61. ↑ Heath, Chris (11 January 2015). "7 David Bowie Songs to Play Over and Over Today". GQ . Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  62. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  63. ↑ "David Bowie – Young Americans" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  64. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3958a." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  65. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Young Americans". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  66. ↑ "David Bowie (search)". Flavour of New Zealand.
  67. ↑ "David Bowie Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  68. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. 10 May 1975. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022– via worldradiohistory.com.
  69. ↑ "David Bowie – Young Americans" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  70. ↑ "British single certifications – David Bowie – Young Americans". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 7 July 2023.

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.