Modern Love (song)

"Modern Love"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Let's Dance
B-side	"Modern Love (Live)"
Released	September 1983
Format	7"/12" single
Recorded	Power Station, New York, December 1982
Genre	Rock, pop, dance
Length	3:56 (single) 4:46 (album)
Label	EMI America Records EA158
Writer(s)	David Bowie
Producer	Nile Rodgers, David Bowie
David Bowie singles chronology
"China Girl" (1983) "Modern Love" (1983) "Without You" (1983)
Let's Dance track listing "Modern Love" (1) "China Girl" (2)

"Modern Love" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie, and the first track on his album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983.

Bowie has claimed the song is inspired by Little Richard, and it maintains the album's theme of a struggle between God and man. Some commentators noted the similarities between the track and Elton John's near-simultaneous hit "I'm Still Standing"^{[citation needed]}, although both parties admitted the songs were recorded at roughly the same time with no knowledge of the other.^{[citation needed]}

By the time "Modern Love" was issued and edited as a single, Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour was underway. The track had become a popular encore on the tour, and Jim Yukich's video for the song used footage of Bowie and his band performing the song from the July 20, 1983 concert in Philadelphia. A live version, recorded in Montreal on July 13, was on the B-side.

The single reached #2 in the UK, and #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. As well as being a staple of the tour, it featured in Bowie's set at Live Aid in 1985, and in his subsequent Glass Spider and Sound+Vision tours of 1987 and 1990. A re-recording with Tina Turner was also featured on a Pepsi commercial in 1987.

In 2007 the Israeli Alternative folk artist Geva Alon made a cover of this song, which was included in his second album, The Wall of Sound.

Track listing

7": EMI America / EA 158 (UK)

1. "Modern Love [Edit]" (Bowie) – 3:56
2. "Modern Love [Live]" (Bowie) – 3:43

12": EMI America / 12EA 158 (UK)

1. "Modern Love" (Bowie) – 4:46
2. "Modern Love [Live]" (Bowie) – 3:43

Charts

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	6
Canadian Singles Chart	2
Dutch Singles Chart	10
Irish Singles Chart	3
German Singles Chart	27
Swiss Singles Chart	17
U.K. Singles Chart	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	14
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	6

Production credits

Producers

• Nile Rodgers
• David Bowie

Musicians

• David Bowie: Vocals
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: Guitar on "Modern Love"^{[citation needed]}
• Nile Rodgers: Guitar on "Modern Love"
• Carmine Rojas: Bass
• Omar Hakim, Tony Thompson: Drums
• Robert Sabino: Keyboards on "Modern Love"
• Mac Gollehon: Trumpet
• Robert Aaron: Saxophone on "Modern Love"
• Stan Harrison, Steve Elson: Saxophone
• Sam Figueroa: Percussion
• Earl Slick: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)"
• Carlos Alomar: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)"
• David LeBolt: Keyboards on "Modern Love (Live)"
• Lenny Pickett: Saxophone on "Modern Love (Live)"
• Frank Simms, George Simms: Backing vocals on "Modern Love (Live)"

Other album appearances

• It appears on the following compilations:
  • Changesbowie (1990)
  • Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
  • The Singles Collection (1993)
  • Best of Bowie (2002)

In Popular Culture

Movies

• Featured in the opening credits of Couples Retreat (2009).
• Featured in the soundtrack of Adventureland (2009).
• Featured in a segment in leos carax's bad blood movie (1986).

TV

• Featured on the soundtrack of the Season 1 episode titled "Wedding" in New Girl (TV series).
• Used as the opening theme for WWF All-Star Wrestling from 1984 to 1986.

References

• Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5