Young Americans (song)

"Young Americans"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Young Americans
B-side	"Suffragette City"
Released	21 February 1975 (1975-02-21)
Format	7" single
Recorded	Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia; 11 August 1974 (1974-08-11)
Genre	Funk rock, blue-eyed soul
Length	5:10 (album version) 3:11 (single version)
Label	RCA 2523
Producer(s)	Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"Rock 'n' Roll with Me" (1974) "Young Americans" (1975) "Fame" (1975)

"Young Americans" is a single by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 1975. It is included in the album of the same name.

History

The first studio result of Bowie’s mid-1970s obsession with soul music, "Young Americans" was a breakthrough hit for the artist in the United States (where the single was released in an edited 3:11 version). The sound, often later reflected on by Bowie as "plastic soul", was matched by a cynical lyric, making references to McCarthyism, black repression via Rosa Parks, Richard Nixon (who had resigned the U.S. Presidency two days before the recording session), as well as a near-direct lift from The Beatles’ "A Day in the Life" with the line "I heard the news today oh boy!" (John Lennon, who originally authored the line, appeared twice on the Young Americans album, providing background vocals and guitar on his own "Across The Universe" and "Fame", for which he also received a co-writing credit.) In falsetto, Bowie asks the question: "Ain't there one damn song that can make me... break down and cry?". The backing vocal arrangement came at the suggestion of Luther Vandross.

The song was a massive breakthrough in the United States, where glam rock had never really become very popular outside the major cities. The song reached No. 28 in the Billboard charts, making it his biggest success there up until that point. The song is ranked at number 481 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie except as noted.

UK release

1. "Young Americans" – 5:10
2. "Suffragette City" (Live) – 3:45

U.S. release

1. "Young Americans" (single version) – 3:16
2. "Knock on Wood" (Live) (Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper) – 3:03

Charts

Personnel

("Young Americans" only except Bowie)

• David Bowie – vocals, guitar
• Willie Weeks – bass
• Mike Garson – piano
• Andy Newmark – drums
• David Sanborn – saxophone
• Pablo Rosario – percussion
• Larry Washington – congas
• Ava Cherry – backing vocals
• Robin Clark – backing vocals
• Luther Vandross – backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Earl Slick – guitar on "Knock on Wood"
• Herbie Flowers – bass on "Knock on Wood"
• Tony Newman – drums on "Knock on Wood"
• Mike Garson – piano on "Knock on Wood"

Live versions

• A live in-studio performance of "Young Americans" is included on the DVD set The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons

Other releases

• It appeared on several compilations:

• • ChangesOneBowie (1976)
  • Best of Bowie (1980)
  • Fame and Fashion (1984)
  • Sound and Vision (1989)
  • Changesbowie (1990)
  • Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
  • The Singles Collection (1993)
• The U.S. single version appears on The Best of 1974/1979, Rare, and the American/Canadian edition of Best of Bowie.

• It was released as picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set.

Cover versions

• The Braids – Here We Come (1998)
• The Cure – An XFM Compilation Album (1992)
• Everything – Drop Dead Gorgeous Soundtrack (1999)
• Lily of the Valley – Live Recording: Webster Hall, NYC
• Luther Vandross and Ava Cherry – Luther Vandross Live at Wembley, London
• Danny Michel – Loving the Alien: Danny Michel Sings the Songs of David Bowie
• Replica Schmeplica – Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie (2007)

In other media

The song has accompanied the end credits of Dogville and Manderlay, the first two films of Lars Von Trier's trilogy USA - Land of Opportunities. "Young Americans" was also featured on the soundtrack of John Hughes' film Sixteen Candles.

The song was used briefly in the Nicolas Cage film Lord of War. It was also played at the beginning of the film Down to You, starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Julia Stiles.

It was used in the trailer to the Ben Stiller-directed film Reality Bites to show how Generation X had been affected by earlier American history. It was used in the 2012 thriller Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise.

References

• Pegg, Nicholas. The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-73-0

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics