Young Americans (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Young Americans


Artist = David Bowie
from Album = Young Americans
B-side = "Suffragette City"
Released = start date|1975|2|21
Format = 7" single
Recorded = Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia; start date|1974|8|11
Genre = Rock/R&B
Length = 5:10 (album version)3:11 (single version)
Label = RCA
2523
Producer = Tony Visconti
Chart position = * #18 (UK)
* #28 (US)
Last single = "Rock 'n' Roll With Me"
(1974)
This single = "Young Americans"
(1975)
Next single = "Fame"
(1975)

"Young Americans" is a single by David Bowie.

History

The first studio result of Bowie’s mid-1970s obsession with soul, "Young Americans" was a breakthrough hit for the artist in America (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 the Watergate Scandal, McCarthyism and black repression via Rosa Parks, 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!" 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 "all night/all right" chorus is virtually identical to Bowie's 1972 song, "Lady Stardust".

Bowie sings "Do you remember your President Nixon?" while the song was recorded just two days after Nixon left office in 1974. Fact|date=September 2008

The song was a massive breakthrough in America, where glam rock had never really become very popular. The song reached #28 in the "Billboard" charts, making it his biggest success there up until that point.

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie except as noted.

UK release

# "Young Americans" – 5:10
# "Suffragette City" – 3:45

U.S. release

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

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

*Mick Ronson – guitar on "Suffragette City"
*Trevor Bolder – bass on "Suffragette City"
*Mick Woodmansey – Drums on "Suffragette City"
*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)
** "" (1993)
** "The Singles Collection" (1993)
* The U.S. single version appears on the "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" (2004)

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' "Sixteen Candles". [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/soundtrack]

The song was used briefly in the Nicolas Cage film "Lord Of War".

References

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