Let's Dance (David Bowie song)

"Let's Dance" is the title song from English musician David Bowie's 1983 album of the same name. It was also released as the first single from that album in 1983, and went on to become one of his biggest-selling tracks. Stevie Ray Vaughan played the guitar solo at the end of the song.

The single was one of Bowie's fastest selling to date, entering the UK Singles Chart at number five on its first week of release, staying at the top of the charts for three weeks.^[3] Soon afterwards, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Bowie's second and last single to reach number 1 in the U.S. In Oceania, it narrowly missed topping the Australian charts, peaking at number two, but peaked at number one for 4 consecutive weeks in New Zealand.

Music video

The music video was made by David Mallet on location in Australia including a bar in Carinda in New South Wales and the Warrumbungle National Park near Coonabarabran. It featured Bowie playing with his band while impassively watching an Aboriginal couple’s struggles against metaphors of Western cultural imperialism, which were played by Terry Roberts and Joelene King.^[4] ^[5] The red shoes mentioned in the song's lyrics appear in several contexts. Bowie described this video (and the video for his subsequent single, "China Girl") as "very simple, very direct" statements against racism and oppression.^[6]

Track listing

7": EMI America / EA 152 (UK)

"Let's Dance" (Single Version) (Bowie) – 4:07
"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 5:09

12": EMI America / 12EA 152 (UK)

"Let's Dance" (Bowie) – 7:38
"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Moroder) – 5:09

Legacy

"Let's Dance" introduced Bowie to a new younger audience oblivious to his former career in the 1970s. Although the track was his most popular to date, its very success had the incongruous effect of distancing Bowie from his new fans, with Bowie saying he did not know who they were or what they wanted.^[7] His next two albums, made as an attempt to cater to his new-found audience, suffered creatively as a result and Bowie cited them as the albums he was least satisfied with in his career.^[8]

In 2007, Bowie gave R&B singer Craig David permission to sample the song for his single "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)".^[9]

Live performances

The track was a regular on the Serious Moonlight Tour (the name derived from a lyric in "Let's Dance"), and was released on the 1983 concert video Serious Moonlight. The song was also performed live on Bowie's 1987 Glass Spider Tour (and released on 1988's Glass Spider), and on his 1990 Sound+Vision Tour, and it was then reworked semi-acoustically for tours in 2000 and later. A live recording from 27 June 2000 was released on BBC Radio Theatre, London, June 27, 2000, a bonus disc accompanying the first release of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000.

Charts and certifications

Chart performance

Chart (1983–2016)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	2
Austrian Singles Chart	2
Belgian Singles Chart	1
Canadian Singles Chart	1
Dutch Singles Chart	1
German Singles Chart	2
Irish Singles Chart	1
Japan Hot 100	53
New Zealand Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	1
Swedish Singles Chart	1
Swiss Singles Chart	1
UK Singles Chart^[3]	1
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
US Billboard Rock Songs	7
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	14

Sales and certifications


Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
France (SNEP)^[10]	Gold	873,000^[11]
United Kingdom (BPI)^[12]	Gold	839,000^[13]
United States (RIAA)^[14]	Gold	1,000,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler	Irish Singles Chart number-one single 9 April 1983 – 16 April 1983	Succeeded by "Words" by F.R. David
Preceded by "Is There Something I Should Know" by Duran Duran	UK Singles Chart number-one single 9 April 1983 – 23 April 1983	Succeeded by "True" by Spandau Ballet
Preceded by "Twisting by the Pool" by Dire Straits	New Zealand Singles Chart number one 22 April 1983 – 20 May 1983	Succeeded by "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
		Succeeded by "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
Preceded by "She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby	Canadian "RPM" Singles Chart number-one single 7 May 1983
Preceded by "Angel Man (G.A.)" by Rhetta Hughes	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single 30 April 1983 – 4 June 1983	Succeeded by "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara
		Succeeded by "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara
Preceded by "Beat It" by Michael Jackson	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 21 May 1983

Production credits

Producers:
- Nile Rodgers

Musicians:
- David Bowie – vocals
- Nile Rodgers – rhythm guitar
- Stevie Ray Vaughan – lead guitar
- Carmine Rojas – bass
- Erdal Kizilcay – keyboard bass
- Tony Thompson – drums
- Rob Sabino – keyboards, piano
- Mac Gollehon – trumpet
- Robert Aaron, Stan Harrison, Steve Elson – saxophone
- Sammy Figueroa – percussion

Other releases

The 7" single edit also appears on the following compilations:
- Changesbowie (1990)
- Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993 (1993)
- The Singles Collection (1993)
- Best of Bowie (2002)
- The Platinum Collection (2006)
- The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007)
- Nothing Has Changed (2014)

Other appearances

The song is used for one of the levels in Elite Beat Agents.

References

↑ Erlewine,Stephen Thomas. "David Bowie - Let's Dance review". Allmusic. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
↑ Champan, Ian (2015). Experiencing David Bowie: A Listener's Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 159. ISBN 9781442237520.
1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 421–2. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
↑ http://www.bowiedownunder.com/artistconnections/robertsking.html
↑ http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/dancing-to-bowies-tune-still-resonates-30-years-on-20130505-2j12i.html
↑ Loder, Kurt (12 May 1983), "Straight Time", Rolling Stone magazine, no. 395, pp. 22–28, 81
↑ Pond, Steve (March 1997), "Beyond Bowie", Live! magazine: 38–41, 93
↑ Interview with David Bowie. Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. BBC. 5 July 2002.
↑ "Craig David Thanks David Bowie For Sample". Gigwise. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
↑ "French single certifications – David Bowie – Let's Dance" (in French). InfoDisc. Select DAVID BOWIE and click OK
↑ "Les Singles en Or :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
↑ "British single certifications – David Bowie – Let's Dance". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Let's Dance in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
↑ Buchanan, Elsa (11 January 2016). "David Bowie dies from cancer aged 69: The British rock legend in numbers". International Business Times. IBT Media. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
↑ "American single certifications – David Bowie – Let's Dance". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 June 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

General

Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5
Mojo Bowie, EMAP Performance Network Ltd, 2004

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

David Bowie singles

1960s

1964	"Liza Jane"

1965	"I Pity the Fool" "You've Got a Habit of Leaving"

1966	"Can't Help Thinking About Me" "Do Anything You Say" "I Dig Everything" "Rubber Band"

1967	"The Laughing Gnome" "Love You till Tuesday"

1969	"Space Oddity" "Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola"

1970s

1970	"The Prettiest Star" "Memory of a Free Festival"

1971	"Holy Holy" "Moonage Daydream" "Hang On to Yourself"

1972	"Changes" "Starman" "John, I'm Only Dancing" "The Jean Genie"

1973	"Drive-In Saturday" "Time" "Life on Mars" "Let's Spend the Night Together" "Sorrow"

1974	"Rebel Rebel" "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" "Diamond Dogs" "Knock on Wood" "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"

1975	"Young Americans" "Fame" "Golden Years"

1976	"TVC 15" "Suffragette City" "Stay"

1977	"Sound and Vision" "Be My Wife" "'Heroes'"

1978	"Beauty and the Beast" "Breaking Glass"

1979	"Boys Keep Swinging" "DJ" "Yassassin" "Look Back in Anger" "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"

1980s

1980	"Alabama Song" "Crystal Japan" "Ashes to Ashes" "Fashion"

1981	"Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" "Up the Hill Backwards" "Under Pressure" "Wild Is the Wind" "The Drowned Girl"

1982	"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy"

1983	"Let's Dance" "China Girl" "Modern Love" "Without You" "White Light/White Heat"

1984	"Blue Jean" "Tonight"

1985	"This Is Not America" "Loving the Alien" "Dancing in the Street"

1986	"Absolute Beginners" "Underground" "As the World Falls Down" "Magic Dance" "When the Wind Blows"

1987	"Day-In Day-Out" "Time Will Crawl" "Never Let Me Down"

1989	"Under the God" "Heaven's in Here" "Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)" "Prisoner of Love"

1990s

1990	"Fame '90"

1991	"You Belong in Rock n' Roll" "Baby Universal" "One Shot"

1992	"Real Cool World"

1993	"Jump They Say" "Black Tie White Noise" "Miracle Goodnight" "The Buddha of Suburbia"

1994	"Ziggy Stardust"

1995	"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" "Strangers When We Meet" / "The Man Who Sold the World (live)"

1996	"Hallo Spaceboy" "Telling Lies"

1997	"Little Wonder" "Dead Man Walking" "Seven Years in Tibet" "Pallas Athena" "I'm Afraid of Americans" "I Can't Read"

1999	"Without You I'm Nothing" "Thursday's Child" "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell"

2000s

2000	"Survive" "Seven"

2002	"Slow Burn" "Everyone Says 'Hi'" "I've Been Waiting for You"

2003	"New Killer Star" "Just for One Day (Heroes)"

2004	"Never Get Old" "Rebel Never Gets Old"

2006	"Arnold Layne" (David Gilmour version)

2010s

2011	"Golden Years - David Bowie vs KCRW"

2013	"Where Are We Now?" "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" "The Next Day" "Valentine's Day" "Love Is Lost"

2014	"'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)"

2015	"Blackstar" "Lazarus"

Discography
Book:David Bowie Book:Bowie singles and songs
Category:David Bowie

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