Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Cat People: Original Soundtrack
B-side "Paul's Theme (Jogging Chase)"
Released March 1982
Format 7"/12" single
Recorded Mountain Studios, Montreux, July 1981
Genre
Length 4:08 (edited version)
6:41 (full-length version)
Label MCA
Writer(s) Giorgio Moroder (music)
David Bowie (lyrics)
Producer(s) Giorgio Moroder
David Bowie singles chronology
Baal
(1982)		 "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
(1982)		 "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy"
(1982)
Let's Dance track listing
"Criminal World"
(6)		 "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
(7)		 "Shake It"
(8)

"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" is a song by David Bowie, the title song of the 1982 film Cat People. Recorded in July 1981, the song was written by Bowie with producer Giorgio Moroder. A re-recorded version of the song appears on the album Let's Dance.

History

The director Paul Schrader engaged Bowie for a theme song in 1981, with Moroder having already recorded most of the music. Bowie was to put lyrics to the main theme. The B-side is a Moroder-only instrumental which featured no input from Bowie.

The song itself, in keeping with the dark tone of the film, has some slight goth rock influences, with Bowie singing in a deep baritone croon while being backed up by a female chorus, a combination that The Sisters of Mercy would commonly employ years later.

Because of Moroder's contract, the single was issued by MCA. The full-length 6:45 version appeared on the soundtrack album, and the 12" single, while a 4:08 edited version was made for the 7" release. The single reached No. 26 in the UK, and No. 67 in the US - Bowie's biggest hit there since "Golden Years". It peaked at No. 1 in New Zealand, remaining there for three weeks, as well as in Sweden for four weeks. It was also No. 1 in Norway for seven consecutive weeks, and then returned to the top for a further week.

The single was released three separate times by MCA, first in March 1982 with "Cat People" as the A-side, then again two months later with "Paul's Theme" as the A-side, and finally in November 1982 with "Cat People" back on the A-side. Hungarian-born composer Sylvester Levay contributed to the orchestration.

In December 1982, Bowie re-recorded the song for his album Let's Dance, released the following year. This version was also released as the B-side to the title track's single release, and performed on Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour. He had originally planned on using the original version of the song, but MCA Records refused to license it, as Moroder was under contract to them at the time, and they were not about to let a competing label--EMI America—to use a song by one of its artists on their project.

In 2009, the track was used in another film, Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

Sharleen Spiteri recorded a new version of the song in 2010 which was included on her album The Movie Songbook.

Track listing

7": MCA / MCA 770 (UK)

  1. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 4:08
  2. "Paul's Theme (Jogging Chase)" (Moroder) – 3:51

12": MCA / MCAT 770 (UK)

  1. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 6:41
  2. "Paul's Theme (Jogging Chase)" (Moroder) – 3:51

12": MCA / DS 12087 (Australia)

  1. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 4:08
  2. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 9:20

Charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 15
Irish Singles Chart 17
New Zealand Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart[1] 1
Swedish Singles Chart[2] 1
Swiss Singles Chart[3] 8
UK Singles Chart[4] 26
US Billboard Pop Singles[5] 67
US Billboard Club Play Singles[5] 14
US Billboard Mainstream Rock[5] 9

Production credits

Other releases

Cover versions

Notes

  1. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  2. ↑ "swedishcharts.com". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  3. ↑ "hitparade.ch". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  4. ↑ "everyhit.com search results". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Billboard charts at Allmusic". Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  6. ↑ "The Music of Moroder at Vivid 2014". TimeOut Sydney. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Giorgio Moroder Covers". Anna Calvi Network. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Final track listing for Mimicry and Memories". Retrieved 29 March 2015.

References

External links