Modern Love (song)

"Modern Love" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie, and the first track on his album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983.

Bowie claimed the song was inspired by Little Richard, and it maintains the album's theme of a struggle between God and man. Some commentators noted the similarities between the track and Elton John's near-simultaneous hit "I'm Still Standing" , although both parties said the songs were recorded at roughly the same time with no knowledge of the other.

By the time "Modern Love" was issued and edited as a single, Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour was underway. The track had become a popular encore on the tour, and Jim Yukich's video for the song used footage of Bowie and his band performing the song from concert in Philadelphia on 20 July 1983. A live version, recorded in Montreal on 13 July, was on the B-side.

The single reached No. 2 in the UK, and No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.^[3] As well as being a staple of the tour, it featured in Bowie's set at Live Aid in 1985, and in his subsequent Glass Spider and Sound+Vision tours of 1987 and 1990. A re-recording with Tina Turner was also featured on a Pepsi commercial in 1987.^[4]

Track listing

7": EMI America / EA 158 (UK)

"Modern Love [Edit]" (Bowie) — 3:56
"Modern Love [Live]" (Bowie) — 3:43

12": EMI America / 12EA 158 (UK)

"Modern Love" (Bowie) — 4:46
"Modern Love [Live]" (Bowie) — 3:43

Charts

Chart (1983–2016)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[5]	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[6]	3
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)^[7]	3
Canada (RPM 50 Singles)^[8]	2
France (SNEP)^[9]	71
Germany (Official German Charts)^[10]	27
Ireland (IRMA)^[11]	3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[12]	9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[13]	10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[14]	6
Poland (Polish Singles Chart)^[15]	17
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[16]	17
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[17]	2
US Billboard Hot 100^[18]	14
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks^[18]	6

Production credits

Producers

Musicians

David Bowie: Vocals
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Guitar on "Modern Love"
Nile Rodgers: Guitar on "Modern Love"
Carmine Rojas: Bass
Tony Thompson: Drums
Robert Sabino: Keyboards and Piano on "Modern Love"
Robert Aaron: Saxophone on "Modern Love"
Stan Harrison, Steve Elson: Saxophone
Sam Figueroa: Percussion
Earl Slick: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)"
Carlos Alomar: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)"
Andy Clark: Keyboards on "Modern Love (Live)"
Lenny Pickett: Saxophone on "Modern Love (Live)"
Frank Simms, George Simms: Backing vocals on "Modern Love (Live)"

Other album appearances

The song has appeared on several compilations, almost always in its single edit form:
- Changesbowie (1990)
- Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
- The Singles Collection (1993)
- Best of Bowie (2002)
- Sound and Vision (2003 and later editions) – live B-side version
- The Platinum Collection (2006)
- The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007)
- Nothing Has Changed (2014)

In popular culture

Movies

Featured in the opening credits of Couples Retreat (2009).
Featured in the soundtrack of Adventureland (2009).^[19]
Featured prominently in Leos Carax's Mauvais Sang (1986).
Heard on the radio in Hot Tub Time Machine (2010).^[20]
Featured in the film Frances Ha (2013).
Featured in the Brazilian film The Way He Looks (2014).
Featured in the film The Business (2005).
Featured in the film "Sleeping with Other People" (2015).

TV

Featured on the soundtrack of the Season 1 episode titled "Wedding" in New Girl.
The Venture Bros.'s David Bowie character (Voiced by James Urbaniak) quoted the first line of this song "I know when to go out" in the episode "Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I)"
Used as the opening theme for WWF All-Star Wrestling from 1984 to 1986.
Used in the last episode of My Mad Fat Diary (S2, E7).
Featured on BBC's Homes Under the Hammer on January 7, 2016.
Featured on BBC's Match of the Day on 13 January 2016 - the first edition of the programme following Bowie's death.

Rock Band music gaming platform

It was made available to download on 25 January 2011 for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform in both Basic rhythm, and PRO mode which utilizes real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to vocals.

References

↑ "Modern Love By David Bowie - Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. RZO Publishing, Inc. Retrieved 24 June 2013. cf. Arrangement Details
↑ McFerrin, John. "David Bowie". Retrieved 29 July 2013. ""Modern Love" is lyrically much more interesting than your average dance rock."
↑ Joel Whitburn (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
↑ Williamson, Laura (12 November 2009). "EXCLUSIVE: Didier Drogba unleashed... the shocking, other side of the Chelsea striker". Dailymail.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Modern Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "Modern Love - DAVID BOWIE". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved 29 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 3
↑ "Top Singles - Volume 39, No. 10, November 05 1983". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste". Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc (in French). InfoDisc.fr. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "David Bowie"
↑ "Officialcharts.de – David Bowie – Modern Love". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 2nd result when searching "Modern love"
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – David Bowie - Modern Love search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – David Bowie – Modern Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "Charts.org.nz – David Bowie – Modern Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "MODERN LOVE - David Bowie". Nowe Media, Polskie Radio S.A. LP3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – David Bowie – Modern Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ "October 1983/ Archive Chart: 8 October 1983" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
1 2 "Let's Dance awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
↑ "Adventureland review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Hot Tub Time Machine [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2013.

Nicholas Pegg The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5

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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