Let's Dance (David Bowie song)

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"Let's Dance"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Let's Dance
B-side "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
Released March 17, 1983 (1983-03-17)
Format 7"/12" single
Recorded Power Station, New York, December 1982
Genre Post-disco
Length 7:37 (Album version)
4:10 (Single edit)
Label EMI America Records - EA152
Writer(s) David Bowie
Producer Nile Rodgers
Certification Gold (RIAA & BPI)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy"
(1982)		 "Let's Dance"
(1983)		 "China Girl"
(1983)
Let's Dance track listing
"China Girl"
(2)		 "Let's Dance"
(3)		 "Without You"
(4)

"Let's Dance" is the title album track on David Bowie's album Let's Dance. It was also released as the first single from that album in 1983, and went on to become one of his biggest-selling tracks.

The single was one of Bowie's fastest selling to date, entering the UK singles chart at number five on its first week of release, staying at the top of the charts for three weeks. Soon afterwards, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100, Bowie's only single to reach number one on both sides of the Atlantic. It narrowly missed topping the Australian charts, peaking at number two.

Contents

[edit] Music video

The music video was made by David Mallet on location in Australia including a bar in Carinda in New South Wales, featured Bowie watching an Aboriginal couple’s struggles against metaphors of Western cultural imperialism impassively while playing with his band. Bowie described this video (and the video for his subsequent single, "China Girl") as "very simple, very direct" statements against racism and oppression.[1]

[edit] Track listing

[edit] 7": EMI America / EA 152 (UK)

  1. "Let's Dance" (Single Version) (Bowie) – 4:07
  2. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 5:09

[edit] 12": EMI America / 12EA 152 (UK)

  1. "Let's Dance" (Bowie) – 7:38
  2. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 5:09

[edit] Legacy

"Let's Dance" introduced Bowie to a new younger audience oblivious to his former career in the '70s. Although the track was his most popular to date, it in fact alienated Bowie from his new fans, who said he didn't know who they were or what they wanted.[2] His next two albums, made as an attempt to cater to his new-found audience, suffered creatively as a result.[3]

[edit] Live performances

The track was a regular on the Serious Moonlight Tour (the name derived from a lyric in "Let's Dance"), and was released on the 1983 concert video Serious Moonlight. It was also performed live on Bowie's 1987 Glass Spider Tour (and released on 1988's Glass Spider), the 1990 Sound+Vision Tour, and was then reworked semi-acoustically for tours in 2000 and later.

[edit] Charts

Chart (1983) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 2
Austrian Singles Chart 2
Canadian Singles Chart 1
Dutch Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
New Zealand Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart 1
Swedish Singles Chart 1
Swiss Singles Chart 1
German Singles Chart 2
U.K. Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 1
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 8
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 14
Preceded by
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler		 Irish Singles Chart number-one single
9 April 1983 - 16 April 1983		 Succeeded by
"Words" by F.R. David
Preceded by
"Is There Something I Should Know" by Duran Duran		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
9 April 1983 – 23 April 1983		 Succeeded by
"True" by Spandau Ballet
Preceded by
"Twisting by the Pool" by Dire Straits		 New Zealand Singles Chart number one
22 April 1983 - 20 May 1983		 Succeeded by
"Beat It" by Michael Jackson
Preceded by
"She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby		 Canadian "RPM" Singles Chart number-one single
May 7, 1983
Preceded by
"Angel Man (G.A.)" by Rhetta Hughes		 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
April 30, 1983 - June 4, 1983		 Succeeded by
"Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara
Preceded by
"Beat It" by Michael Jackson		 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
May 21, 1983

[edit] Production credits

[edit] Other releases

[edit] Cultural references to the song

  • The song is referenced in the Bret Easton Ellis novel Less Than Zero when Daniel is said to have looked like Bowie himself by Alana, and whispers as she walks away, "Maybe I should have hummed a few bars of 'Let's Dance'".
  • Bowie himself appears in the film Zoolander to the accompaniment of this song.
  • The original song and music video appear on the PlayStation 2 game, Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA.
  • This song is featured in some promotional spots for the 2007 version of Hairspray.
  • Gnarls Barkley "appears" in the "Let's Dance" video in their music video for "Smiley Faces".
  • In the indie film Eagle vs Shark, the character Lily sings part of the song incorrectly to herself and is corrected by her lover Jarrod.
  • In the movie Charlie Wilson's War, the original song is heard on the jukebox in the bar scene where Charlie Wilson finds out his charges for cocaine use have been dropped.
  • Appears as a playable song for the Nintendo DS game Elite Beat Agents.
  • In the film Private Parts, the song is played as Howard Stern drives into New York after being hired by WNBC.
  • In the film The Boat That Rocked (the original UK version of the USA film "Pirate Radio"), the track is played at the end of the film as various album covers are displayed to celebrate 40 years of radio Rock and Pop broadcasting.
  • The song appears in skateboarding film Yeah Right! during Robbie McKinley's cameo.
  • The song appears in Bollywood movie Page3, mixed with a Punjabi beat.
  • The song appears in the HBO film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie.
  • The song appears in both Band Hero and Lego Rock Band, two music video games.
  • The song, covered by Mýa, appears in the credits of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?, which stars Richard Gere.
  • The track was used in series three of the BBC television series Ashes to Ashes.
  • The song appears in the 2010 Bulgarian film Mission London.
  • The song appears in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law in the episode "The Dabba Don".

[edit] Covers

[edit] Samples

[edit] References

  1. ^ Loder, Kurt (12 May 1983), "Straight Time", Rolling Stone magazine (395): 22–28,81 
  2. ^ Pond, Steve (March 1997), "Beyond Bowie", Live! magazine: 38–41, 93 
  3. ^ Fricke, David (December 1984), "David Bowie Interview", Musician magazine (74): 46–56 
  • Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5
  • Mojo Bowie, EMAP Performance Network ltd, 2004
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Let%27s_Dance_(David_Bowie_song)&oldid=471606342"
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