https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4d7Wp9kKjA
It’s difficult to pinpoint a zenith David Bowie’s expansive and illustrious career. Most probably consider The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, as perfect Bowie, but 1983’s Let’s Dance was a distillation of everything that was great about the Thin White Duke — it was weirdly engaging and infinitely funky.
Now, to honor what would be Bowie’s 71st birthday on January 8th, Parlophone Records has released an early demo of “Let’s Dance,” with notes from Bowie collaborator, guitarist and legend in his own right Nile Rodgers, who mixed the track last December at his Connecticut studio:
“I’ve been blessed with a wonderful career but my creative partnership with David Bowie ranks very, very, very high on the list of my most important and rewarding collaborations. This demo gives you, the fans, a bird’s eye view of the very start of it! I woke up on my first morning in Montreux with David peering over me. He had an acoustic guitar in his hands and exclaimed, “Nile, darling, I think this is a HIT!
The time we spent mixing it just before Christmas was full of tears as it felt like David was in the room with us. Happy Birthday David, I love you and we all miss you!”
Here’s the stripped down version of the classic track:
Now it’s worth taking a few minutes to hear Rodgers revealing the origin story of “Let’s Dance,” which came out of their first real musical moments together. The most astonishing fact: it took only 17 days for Rodgers, Bowie, and Stevie Ray Vaughn to put together one of the best rock albums ever.
(Via Pitchfork)
