Beauty and the Beast (David Bowie song)

Infobox Single
Name = Beauty and the Beast


Caption =
Artist = David Bowie
from Album = "Heroes"
A-side =
B-side = "Sense of Doubt"
Released = 6 January 1978
Format = 7" single
12" single (US promo, Spain)
Recorded = Hansa Studio by the Wall, West Berlin
July-August 1977
Genre = Rock, Krautrock, Electronic
Length = 3:32
5:18 (12" extended version)
Label = RCA Records
PB 1190
PC 1204 (12" Spain)
JD 11204 (12" US promo)
Writer =
Producer = David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Certification =
Last single = "Heroes"
(1977)
This single = "Beauty and the Beast"
(1978)
Next single = "Breaking Glass"
(1978)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Type = Studio
Album = "Heroes"
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "Beauty and the Beast"
track_no = 1
next_track = "Joe the Lion"
next_no = 2

"Beauty and the Beast" is a song by David Bowie, the first track on his 1977 album ""Heroes"". It was issued as the second single from the album in January 1978, becoming a minor UK hit, peaking at #39 on the UK Singles Chart.

Music and lyrics

The opening music, a disjointed combination of piano, guitar, electronics and voice rising steadily to a crescendo, has been described as sounding like "Bowie is about to turn into The Incredible Hulk before your very ears".Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). "Bowie: An Illustrated Record": pp.91-93] The song proper features Robert Fripp on lead guitar, with treatments and synthesizer work by Brian Eno.

The lyrics have been interpreted as a look back at Bowie's severe mood swings during his cocaine addiction while living in Los Angeles from 1975 to 1976, with the line "Thank God Heaven left us standing on our feet" suggesting the singer's gratitude for making it through that period.Nicholas Pegg (2000). "The Complete David Bowie": p.35] The phrase "someone fetch a priest" alludes not to a desire for religious succour but to co-producer Tony Visconti's frequent expletive during the recording sessions for "Heroes", "someone fuck a priest".

Release and aftermath

The follow-up single to ""Heroes"", "Beauty and the Beast" was considered an unconventional choice for release, reflected in it just scraping into the UK Top 40. "NME" editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray remarked that its "jarring, threatening edge (and it was one of the most menacing singles of a menacing year) obviously put off a great many of the floating singles buyers attracted by the intoxicating romanticism of its immediate predecessor". The US release failed to chart, despite being augmented by a promo 12" single featuring Bowie's earlier US #1 hit "Fame" on the B-side.

Bowie has only performed the song live on his 1978 tour, with a version appearing on "Stage".

Track listing

7" single

# "Beauty and the Beast" (David Bowie) – 3:32
# "Sense of Doubt" (Bowie) – 3:57

12" single

# "Beauty and the Beast" (Bowie) – 5:18
# "Fame" (Bowie, John Lennon, Carlos Alomar) – 3:30

Production credits

* Producers:
** Tony Visconti
** David Bowie

* Musicians:
** David Bowie: Vocals, Guitar, Saxophone, Keyboards
** Robert Fripp: Guitar
** George Murray: Bass
** Dennis Davis: Drums
** Brian Eno: Synthesizer

Live versions

* A version recorded on the "Heroes" tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum in April 1978, was released on the live album "Stage".

Other releases

* It appeared on the following compilations:
** "Chameleon" (Australia and New Zealand 1979)
** "The Singles Collection" (1993)
** "The Best of 1974/1979" (1998)
* It was released as a picture disc in the RCA "Life Time" picture disc set.

Notes

References

* [http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/SongB.htm#B Beauty and the Beast] at the Illustrated db Discography
*Pegg, Nicholas, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5