Young Americans (album)
Encyclopedia
Young Americans, released in 1975, shows off David Bowie
’s 1970’s shift to his “obsession” with soul music . For this album, Bowie let go of the influences he had drawn from in the past, replacing them with sounds from “local dance halls”, which, at the time, were blaring with “…lush strings, sliding hi-hat whispers, and swanky R&B rhythms of Philadelphia Soul…". Bowie is quoted describing the album as “…the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak rock, written and sung by a white limey
” . Because of the strong influence of “black” music on the album, Bowie used the term “plastic soul
” (originally coined by an unknown black musician in the 1960s) to describe the sound of “Young Americans” . Although Bowie was an English musician bringing up touchy American issues, the album was still very successful in the United States; the album itself reached the American Top Ten, with the song “Fame” hitting the number one spot the same year the album was released .
tour, Young Americans was recorded by Tony Visconti
primarily at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was agreed early on to record as much of the album as possible live, with the full band playing together, including Bowie’s vocals, as a single continuous take for each song. According to Visconti, the album contains “… about 85% ‘live’ David Bowie.”
In order to create a more authentically soulful sound, Bowie brought in musicians from the funk and soul community, including an early-career Luther Vandross
and Andy Newmark, drummer of Sly and the Family Stone. It was also Bowie’s first time working with Carlos Alomar
, leading to a working relationship spanning more than 30 years. The song "Young Americans," which Bowie said was about "the predicament on two newlyweds," took two days to record.
The sessions at Sigma Sound lasted through November of 1974. The recording had attracted the attention of local fans who began to wait outside the studio over the span of the sessions. Bowie built up a rapport with these fans, whom he came to refer to as the “Sigma Kids”. On the final day of tracking the Sigma Kids were invited into the studio to listen to rough versions of the new songs.
“Across the universe” and “Fame” were recorded at Electric Lady Studios
with John Lennon
. They replaced previously recorded tracks “Who can I be now” and “It’s gonna be me” on the record, though these songs were later released as bonus tracks on reissues of the album. The guitar riff for “Fame,” created by Alomar, was based on the song “Foot Stompin’” by the doo-wop band The Flares.
Bowie considered several different titles for the album, including "Somebody Up There Likes Me," "One Damned Song," "The Gauster" and "Fascination."
except where noted.
Side one
Side two
(containing three bonus tracks) on silver CD and later on AU20 Gold CD, the third in 1999 by EMI
(featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks). A fourth reissue with an accompanying DVD was released on 19 March 2007, in higher sound resolution and mixed in 5.1 surround sound, featuring "Who Can I Be Now?" and "John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)" from the 1991 Rykodisc
release, an alternative version of that release's "It's Gonna Be Me" bonus track plus video footage from the Dick Cavett
TV show. The Rykodisc and 5.1 surround mixes both replace "Win", "Fascination", and "Right" with alternate mixes from 1974. (the later Au20 edition restores the original mixes) Another outtake appears on the 1989 box set Sound & Vision, "After Today", released in 2003. The Rykodisc editions (original and Au20) both have incorrect production credits.
1989 Sound & Vision box set
Single
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
’s 1970’s shift to his “obsession” with soul music . For this album, Bowie let go of the influences he had drawn from in the past, replacing them with sounds from “local dance halls”, which, at the time, were blaring with “…lush strings, sliding hi-hat whispers, and swanky R&B rhythms of Philadelphia Soul…". Bowie is quoted describing the album as “…the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak rock, written and sung by a white limey
Limey
Limey is an old slang nickname, often pejorative, for the British, originally referring to their sailors. The term is believed to derive from Lime , referring to the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy practice of supplying lime juice to British sailors to prevent scurvy...
” . Because of the strong influence of “black” music on the album, Bowie used the term “plastic soul
Plastic soul
Plastic soul is a term coined by an unknown black musician in the 1960s, describing Mick Jagger as a white musician singing soul music.Paul McCartney heard the comment and later said that the name of the The Beatles album Rubber Soul was inspired by the term "plastic soul"...
” (originally coined by an unknown black musician in the 1960s) to describe the sound of “Young Americans” . Although Bowie was an English musician bringing up touchy American issues, the album was still very successful in the United States; the album itself reached the American Top Ten, with the song “Fame” hitting the number one spot the same year the album was released .
Album development
Begun on August 11th, 1974, during breaks in Bowie’s Diamond DogsDiamond Dogs
Diamond Dogs is a concept album by David Bowie, originally released by RCA Records in 1974. Thematically it was a marriage of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Bowie's own glam-tinged vision of a post-apocalyptic world...
tour, Young Americans was recorded by Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
primarily at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was agreed early on to record as much of the album as possible live, with the full band playing together, including Bowie’s vocals, as a single continuous take for each song. According to Visconti, the album contains “… about 85% ‘live’ David Bowie.”
In order to create a more authentically soulful sound, Bowie brought in musicians from the funk and soul community, including an early-career Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
and Andy Newmark, drummer of Sly and the Family Stone. It was also Bowie’s first time working with Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
, leading to a working relationship spanning more than 30 years. The song "Young Americans," which Bowie said was about "the predicament on two newlyweds," took two days to record.
The sessions at Sigma Sound lasted through November of 1974. The recording had attracted the attention of local fans who began to wait outside the studio over the span of the sessions. Bowie built up a rapport with these fans, whom he came to refer to as the “Sigma Kids”. On the final day of tracking the Sigma Kids were invited into the studio to listen to rough versions of the new songs.
“Across the universe” and “Fame” were recorded at Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. They replaced previously recorded tracks “Who can I be now” and “It’s gonna be me” on the record, though these songs were later released as bonus tracks on reissues of the album. The guitar riff for “Fame,” created by Alomar, was based on the song “Foot Stompin’” by the doo-wop band The Flares.
Bowie considered several different titles for the album, including "Somebody Up There Likes Me," "One Damned Song," "The Gauster" and "Fascination."
Track listing
All songs written by David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
except where noted.
Side one
- "Young AmericansYoung Americans (song)"Young Americans" is a single by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 1975. It is included in the album with the same name.-History:...
" – 5:10 - "WinWin (song)"Win" is a song written by David Bowie for his Young Americans album in 1975. The chorus is performed in 5/4 time. Singer Beck did a cover version of the song in 2001.-Musicians:*David Bowie – vocals, guitar, piano*Carlos Alomar – guitar...
" – 4:44 - "FascinationFascination (David Bowie song)"Fascination" is a song written by British singer-songwriter David Bowie and American musician Luther Vandross for Bowie's Young Americans album in 1975. The song originated from a Vandross song called "Funky Music" which Mike Garson Band used to play before Bowie concerts in 1974...
" (Bowie, Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
) – 5:43 - "RightRight (David Bowie song)"Right" is a song written by David Bowie for his Young Americans album in 1975.-Other releases:* It was released as the B-side of the single "Fame" in 1975.* It was also released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set....
" – 4:13
Side two
- "Somebody Up There Likes MeSomebody Up There Likes Me (song)"Somebody Up There Likes Me" is a song written and performed by David Bowie for his Young Americans album in 1975. The song was featured in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which was played on the fictional radio station K-DST....
" – 6:30 - "Across the UniverseAcross the Universe"Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,...
" (John Lennon, Paul McCartneyLennon/McCartneyThe Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...
) – 4:30 - "Can You Hear Me" – 5:04
- "FameFame (David Bowie song)"Fame" is a song recorded by David Bowie, initially released in 1975. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of September 20, 1975.-Song development:...
" (Bowie, Carlos AlomarCarlos AlomarCarlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
, Lennon) – 4:12
CD releases
This album has been re-released on CD four times, with the first being by RCA in 1984, the second in 1991 by RykodiscRykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
(containing three bonus tracks) on silver CD and later on AU20 Gold CD, the third in 1999 by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
(featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks). A fourth reissue with an accompanying DVD was released on 19 March 2007, in higher sound resolution and mixed in 5.1 surround sound, featuring "Who Can I Be Now?" and "John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)" from the 1991 Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
release, an alternative version of that release's "It's Gonna Be Me" bonus track plus video footage from the Dick Cavett
Dick Cavett
Richard Alva "Dick" Cavett is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues...
TV show. The Rykodisc and 5.1 surround mixes both replace "Win", "Fascination", and "Right" with alternate mixes from 1974. (the later Au20 edition restores the original mixes) Another outtake appears on the 1989 box set Sound & Vision, "After Today", released in 2003. The Rykodisc editions (original and Au20) both have incorrect production credits.
1991 reissue bonus tracks
- "Who Can I Be Now?" – 4:35
- "It's Gonna Be Me" – 6:29
- "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"John, I’m Only Dancing " was a single by David Bowie. It was a re-recording of Bowie's 1972 track "John, I’m Only Dancing", made during the sessions for the album Young Americans....
" – 6:58
1989 Sound & Vision box set
- "After Today" - 3:50
2007 Collector's Edition bonus tracks
- "John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)"
- "Who Can I Be Now?"
- "It's Gonna Be Me" (alternate version, with strings)
- "19841984 (song)"1984" is a song by David Bowie, from his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. Written in late 1973, it was inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and, like much of its parent album, originally intended for a never-produced stage musical based on the novel.-Music and lyrics:The centerpiece of Side...
" (live on The Dick Cavett Show, DVD only) - "Young Americans" (live on The Dick Cavett Show, DVD only)
- "Dick Cavett Interviews David Bowie" (DVD only)
Musicians
- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
– vocals, guitar, piano - Carlos AlomarCarlos AlomarCarlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
– guitar - Mike GarsonMike GarsonMike Garson is an American pianist, most notable for his work with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan, Free Flight, and The Smashing Pumpkins.- Early career :...
– piano - David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
– saxSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Willie WeeksWillie WeeksWillie Weeks is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also gained notoriety touring with many of rock's heavyweights throughout his career...
– bass except on "Across the Universe" and "Fame" - Andy NewmarkAndy NewmarkAndrew "Andy" Newmark is an American musician, best known as a popular session drummer, and for playing with the funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1972 to 1973....
– drums except on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
Additional musicians
- Larry Washington – congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
- Pablo Rosario – percussion on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
- Ava Cherry, Robin ClarkRobin ClarkRobin Clark is an American vocalist best known for her 1985 work with UK band Simple Minds in Once Upon A Time album and tour. She has also performed vocals on numerous other tours and albums, including work with David Bowie and Luther Vandross amongst others...
, Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
– background vocals - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– vocals, guitar on "Across the Universe" and "Fame" - Earl SlickEarl SlickEarl Slick is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Jim Diamond and Robert Smith, although he has also worked with other artists , John Waite, and even released some solo recordings.In the early 1970s, Earl Slick gained his...
– guitar on "Across the Universe" and "Fame" - Emir Kassan – bass on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
- Dennis DavisDennis DavisDennis Davis is an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie.He was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City and studied with the late drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones. He met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers...
– drums on "Across the Universe" and "Fame" - Ralph MacDonaldRalph MacDonaldRalph MacDonald is an American percussionist and song-writer. He joined Harry Belafonte's band at age 17. He wrote the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song "Where is the Love" with songwriting partner William Salter. Probably his best-known composition is the Grover Washington, Jr...
– percussion on "Across the Universe" and "Fame" - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
- backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame" - Jean Fineberg – backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
- Jean Millington – backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | UK Albums chart | 2 |
| 1975 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Albums |
9 |
| 1975 | Norwegian album chart | 13 |
| 1975 | Australian Kent Report album chart | 9 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Fame" | Billboard Black Singles | 21 |
| 1975 | "Fame" | Billboard Club Play Singles | 2 |
| 1975 | "Fame" | Billboard Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1975 | "Fame" | UK single chart | 17 |
| 1975 | "Fame" | Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... 's single chart |
9 |
| 1975 | "Young Americans" | UK single chart | 18 |
| 1975 | "Young Americans" | Billboard Pop Singles | 28 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | 2 July 1975 |