Comments on: DAVID BOWIE – “Let’s Dance”

By: Izzy

Izzy — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:31:41 +0000

I could listen to him talk and strum all day, that’s magnificent.

By: swanstep

swanstep — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:33:36 +0000

Nile Rodgers talks us through Let’s Dance’s guitar part, alternatives that were discarded, and so on, here. Highly highly recommended.

Video of the rest Rodgers’s seminar onstage in Manchester (Zion center) last week is available too. Yay youtube.

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:39:07 +0000

There’s an exhaustive and exemplary analysis of this song (including a quote from the thread above) at the Bowie blog, here:
http://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/lets-dance/

By: DV

DV — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:56:28 +0000

I may already have said this, but I recall that at the time people thought Let’s Dance was a sign that Bowie had run out of ideas and was just aping other people, while now it sounds weird and unlike anything else of the time.

By: MikeMCSG

MikeMCSG — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:58:20 +0000

Rosie 129 # It is a relatively straight version I agree but in a chart context the song itself is avant-garde material. None of the other versions you mention were hit singles.

By: rosie

rosie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:49:05 +0000

MikeMCSG @ 129: I’d hesitate to call Bowie’s version of the Alabama Song particularly avant-garde, even if it is my least favourite of the four versions at my fingertips (the others being by Ute Lemper, Robyn Archer and The Doors). It’s no more avant-garde than Lotte Lenya doing it in 1930, let alone any of the above.

By: MikeMCSG

MikeMCSG — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:26:35 +0000

I think the success of this one owes a lot to relief. Bowie had really tested his audience in 82 with the avant-garde Baal’s Hymn and Alabama Song and then that awful Bing Crosby thing so his fans were grateful for something conventional to buy.

Unfortunately for them, after this his output dropped off the scale with Tonight, Never Let Me Down and the godawful Tin Machine. It’s difficult to think of any other artist whose quality has slipped so precipitously.

By: TomLane

TomLane — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:22:55 +0000

Another thing I remember. Didn’t this song debut in the Billboard Top 40 American charts in the mid-20′s. It caught me by surprise, but at that moment I knew the song would at least go Top 5.

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:37:11 +0000

Really liked this when I was ten, still do now.

Two things about it that I can belatedly contribute. Everybody comments on the glossiness of this, but the other side of this gloss is a sense of galvanised hardness. Not just the enormo-drums, but that castanettey thing which (IIRC) acompanies a shot of a scorpion in the video, the appearance of Stevie Ray Vaughan and the separated and thumpy bassline. Its not a record that’s asking you to love it. This effect is accentuated by the lyrics raising of the idea of seriousness and blues, I think. And the idea of moonlight supports this chiaroscuro separation and hardness.

The other thing is that I much prefer this in the seven inch/radio edit. The full-length version just goes on – it never really starts to breathe and swing like Nile Rogers’ own extended songs.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:24:09 +0000

Gabrielle Drake in Coronation Street last night! (important admin announcement there)

By: wildheartedoutsider

wildheartedoutsider — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:55:20 +0000

#115 OK… I’ve taken your kind suggestion and added my personal thoughts on a subject I’ve always been fascinated by – and have often felt quite passionate about – which ties in quite neatly with:

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2005/01/the-rolling-stones-its-all-over-now/

By: Erithian

Erithian — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:22:19 +0000

The alternative was “Tom’s entries”, Pete, which sounds even worse.

By: peter goodlaws

peter goodlaws — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:02:30 +0000

Erithian # 114 – “We’ll obviously need to get used to longer gaps between Tom’s contributions for a little while…” “Tom’s CONTRIBUTIONS?” Whatever do you mean, son?

Lino # 115 – Often thought about this (well, Waldo has) and might well do something about it finally. Waldo totally wired into the French Open at the moment, of course. Then there’s a new tournament down here in Eastbourne and then Wimbledon. It’s going to be difficult jump-starting the drunken bastard but I’ll see what I can do.

Conrad # 116 – Gabrielle Drake was and is luscious. She turned up in an old Emma Peel “Avengers” episode running a cats’ home with Ronnie Barker. And it doesn’t get more surreal than that, let me tell you.

By: Erithian

Erithian — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:41:35 +0000

… and as of that last post, “Let’s Dance” crashes into the top ten listed at #117! Only another seven posts to go and it’ll be at number 6.

Blimey, this site releases your inner geek, doesn’t it?

By: admin

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:19:55 +0000

no FT, no comments JOHNNIE RAY - "Just Walking In The Rain" MARVIN RAINWATER - "Whole Lotta Woman" CONWAY TWITTY – 'It's Only Make Believe' ELVIS PRESLEY – 'I Got Stung' / 'One Night' SHIRLEY BASSEY – 'As I Love You' BOBBY DARIN – 'Dream Lover' EMILE FORD AND THE CHECKMATES - "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?" CLIFF RICHARD - "Please Don't Tease" ROY ORBISON - "Only The Lonely" ELVIS PRESLEY - "It's Now Or Never" ELVIS PRESLEY - "Surrender" JOHN LEYTON - "Johnny Remember Me" THE SHADOWS - "Kon-Tiki" CLIFF RICHARD AND THE SHADOWS - "The Young Ones" ELVIS PRESLEY - "Good Luck Charm" RAY CHARLES - "I Can't Stop Loving You" ELVIS PRESLEY - "Return To Sender" ELVIS PRESLEY - "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" THE ROLLING STONES - "It's All Over Now" GEORGIE FAME AND THE BLUE FLAMES - "Yeh Yeh"

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:06:04 +0000

Thanks admin.

Do you fancy listing the ones with no comments?

Also, if yr interested, I’ve got a large number of the early entries on vinyl, fair number of pic covers, if yr ever bored on a bank holiday and want to put them up…

By: admin

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:39:13 +0000

GPWM of course.

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2006/07/engelbert-humperdinck-the-last-waltz/ #237 (with 7 comments now) was the first popular post after moving to wordpress (coming up to 3 years ago now). Tom pasted some of the HaloScan comments in for posterity, but that system only kept the most recent few dozen comments.

By: Mark M

Mark M — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:43:44 +0000

Re: 117 remembering that there were many early comments that got lost along the way…

By: admin

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:12:05 +0000

number of popular posts with least comments
20 x 0 comments
31 x 1 comment
21 x 2 comments
23 x 3
17 x 4
15 x 5
14 x 6
18 x 7
11 x 8
12 x 9
9 x 10
7 x 11
4 x 12
6 x 13
7 x 14
2 x 15

top 10 commented popular posts
DONNA SUMMER – “I Feel Love” 121
QUEEN – “Bohemian Rhapsody” 122
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN AND JOHN TRAVOLTA – “You’re The One That I Want” 124
SHOWADDYWADDY – “Under The Moon Of Love” 125
WINDSOR DAVIES AND DON ESTELLE – “Whispering Grass” 129
THE SEX PISTOLS – “God Save The Queen” 148
THE BOOMTOWN RATS – “Rat Trap” 191
THE BEE GEES – “Night Fever” 204
ABBA – “Dancing Queen” 218
JJ BARRIE – “No Charge” 272

a crowdsource power law sort of thing

By: Conrad

Conrad — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:24:46 +0000

UFO’s Gabrielle Drake, her of the purple haired wig, and sister of Nick!

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:34:37 +0000

Ooh, cheeky.

Can anyone (bar Tom) remember which entries have no comments at all? Do Wildheartedoutsider or Peter G fancy having a go at stretching an older, unappreciated thread?

By: Erithian

Erithian — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:06:15 +0000

We’ll obviously need to get used to longer gaps between Tom’s contributions for a little while, but this thread is showing signs of running out of inspiration. Why do we find it hard to write the next line?

By: pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør

pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:21:39 +0000

next i will be confusing jon landau with martin landau

By: Mark M

Mark M — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:18:15 +0000

Re 111: Uh, that would be UFO, Mark.

By: pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør

pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:40:50 +0000

Are those other surnames of actresses who were in Space 1999?