Thursday's Child (David Bowie song)

"Thursday's Child"
Single by David Bowie
from the album 'hours...'
Released September 20, 1999
Format CD single
Recorded Seaview, Bermuda
Genre Rock, Pop Rock
Length 4:25
Label EMI/Virgin Records
7423 8 96265 2 9 0
Producer David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
David Bowie singles chronology
I Can't Read
(1997)		 Thursday's Child
(1999)		 The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell
(1999)
CD2 sleeve

"Thursday's Child" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels for the album 'hours...' in 1999. As with some of the other songs from 'hours...' it was originally written for the computer game Omikron - The Nomad Soul from 1999.

This was the first single lifted from 'hours...' and preceded the album by two weeks. An error from EMI UK led to a moderate number of mispressed UK CD version 2 being released; most of which made it to the US retail and online CD market. These CDs were indistinguishable from the correct CD version 2, but had the audio tracks from CD version 1 instead of CD version 2. They did however have the correct "Thursday's Child" video on the enhanced CD portion. The mispressed CDs quickly became a collector's item.

In a performance for VH1 Storytellers, he revealed that the title of the song was prompted by the memory of the autobiography of actress Eartha Kitt. The book, also called Thursday's Child, used to be a favourite of his when he was 14 years old.

A clip from the song was featured in the fourth season premiere of the MTV cartoon Daria.

A "Rock mix" of the song was also released on the single with heavier sounding drums and more guitar.

Contents

Track listing

UK CD version 1

  1. "Thursday's Child (edit)" - 4:25
  2. "We All Go Through" - 4:09
  3. "No One Calls" - 3:51

UK CD version 2

  1. "Thursday's Child (Rock mix)" - 4:27
  2. "We Shall Go to Town" - 3:56
  3. "1917" - 3:27

This version also includes the full length "Thursday's Child" video in QuickTime format.

International CD version 1

  1. "Thursday's Child (Radio edit)" - 4:25
  2. "Thursday's Child (Rock mix)" - 4:27
  3. "We Shall Go to Town" - 3:56
  4. "1917" - 3:27

International CD version 2

  1. "Thursday's Child (Radio edit)" - 4:25
  2. "Thursday's Child (Rock mix)" - 4:27

Promo version

  1. "Thursday's Child (Radio edit)" - 4:25
  2. "Thursday's Child (Rock mix)" - 4:27
  3. "Thursday's Child (Album version)" - 5:24

CD: Virgin / DPRO-14338 (US)

  1. "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell (edit)" - 3:59
  2. "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell (Call out hook #1)" - 0:11
  3. "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell (Call out hook #2)" - 0:11
  4. "Thursday's Child (Radio edit)" - 4:25
  5. "Thursday's Child (Call out hook #1)" - 0:12
  6. "Thursday's Child (Call out hook #2)" - 0:12

A cassette version was also released with the three tracks from the UK CD version 1 on both sides of the tape.

Music video

The music video was directed by Walter Stern, and shows Bowie in a motel room, looking in a mirror and reminiscing on his life and what could have been.

Charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 16

Live versions

Other releases