Modern Love (song)
Encyclopedia
"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 has claimed the song is 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 admitted 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 the July 20, 1983 concert in Philadelphia. A live version, recorded in Montreal
on July 13, was on the B-side.
The single reached #2 in the UK, and #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100
. 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.
In 2007 the Israeli Alternative
folk
artist Geva Alon
made a cover of this song, which was included in his second album, The Wall of Sound
.
Musicians
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and the first track on his album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983.
Bowie has claimed the song is inspired by Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, 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
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's near-simultaneous hit "I'm Still Standing
I'm Still Standing
"I'm Still Standing" is a song on English pop rock performer Elton John's 1983 album, Too Low for Zero. He sings about making a comeback despite problems in daily life. The video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, was shot in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur in France and features the colours of the...
" , although both parties admitted 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
Serious Moonlight Tour
The David Bowie Serious Moonlight Tour was thus far Bowie's longest, largest and most successful concert tour. The tour opened at the Vorst Forest Nationaal - Brussels on 18 May 1983 and ended in the Hong Kong Coliseum on 8 December 1983; 16 countries visited, 96 performances, 2,601,196 tickets...
was underway. The track had become a popular encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
on the tour, and Jim Yukich's video for the song used footage of Bowie and his band performing the song from the July 20, 1983 concert in Philadelphia. A live version, recorded in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on July 13, was on the B-side.
The single reached #2 in the UK, and #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. As well as being a staple of the tour, it featured in Bowie's set at Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
in 1985, and in his subsequent Glass Spider
Glass Spider Tour
In 1987, David Bowie embarked on The Glass Spider Tour in support of the album Never Let Me Down alongside famed guitarist Peter Frampton. The tour was named after the album track "Glass Spider." The concert tour was the most ambitious by Bowie up to that date, surpassing the Serious Moonlight Tour...
and Sound+Vision tours of 1987 and 1990. A re-recording with Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
was also featured on a Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercial in 1987.
In 2007 the Israeli Alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
artist Geva Alon
Geva Alon
Geva Alon is an Israeli blues/folk/rock musician and singer-songwriter.-Biography:Geva Alon was born and raised in Kibbutz Ma'abarot. He began playing guitar at the young age of 12, and in the year 2000 became the founding member of the rock trio The Flying Baby which achieved relative success in...
made a cover of this song, which was included in his second album, The Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is the second studio album by Israeli alternative folk artist Geva Alon, released on July 13, 2007.One single was released from the album, a cover to David Bowie's classic hit single "Modern Love".-Track listing:-Personnel:...
.
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) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 10 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| German Singles Chart | 27 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 17 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
6 |
Production credits
Producers- Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
Musicians
- David Bowie: Vocals
- Stevie Ray VaughanStevie Ray VaughanStephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
: GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
on "Modern Love" - Nile Rodgers: Guitar on "Modern Love"
- Carmine RojasCarmine RojasCarmine Rojas, Bassist, Musical Director, Composer & Producer born February 14, 1953, Brooklyn, NY.With the efforts and support of his family, friends and professional relationships, Carmine has traveled the World earning the reputation as one of the most renowned and respected bass players in the...
: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Omar HakimOmar HakimOmar Hakim is an American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer.Hakim credits jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri with giving him his first break in 1980; Hakim appeared in a video with Mainieri called The Jazz Life and began working with singer Carly Simon through Mainieri...
, Tony ThompsonTony ThompsonAnthony T. "Tony" Thompson was a session drummer best known as a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, NY.-Chic:...
: DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Robert SabinoRobert SabinoRobert Sabino is an American rock keyboardist.. , The New York Times He was born and raised in the Bronx...
: KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on "Modern Love" - Mac Gollehon: TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Robert Aaron: SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on "Modern Love" - Stan HarrisonStan HarrisonStan Harrison is an American saxophonist who is also accomplished in playing other woodwind instruments, namely the horn, flute and clarinet. He has also written music for television. Harrison released his first solo album The Ties That Blind in 2000 on his own record label...
, Steve Elson: Saxophone - Sam Figueroa: Percussion
- Earl SlickEarl SlickEarl Slick is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Jim Diamond and Robert Smith, although he has also worked with other artists , John Waite, and even released some solo recordings.In the early 1970s, Earl Slick gained his...
: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)" - Carlos AlomarCarlos AlomarCarlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)" - David LeBolt: Keyboards on "Modern Love (Live)"
- Lenny Pickett: Saxophone on "Modern Love (Live)"
- Frank SimmsFrank SimmsFrank Simms is an American singer and voice-over artist known for providing the voices behind such iconic characters as the Kool-Aid Man, the Honeycomb Craver, the bug-eyed, fuzzy mascot of Honeycomb cereal, and the Geico ringtone. He is one of the founding members and songwriters of The Simms...
, George Simms: Backing vocals on "Modern Love (Live)"
Other album appearances
- It appears on the following compilations:
- ChangesbowieChangesbowieChangesbowie is a compilation album by David Bowie, released in 1990 in the United States by Rykodisc and by EMI in the UK as part of Rykodisc's Bowie remastering program, to replace the deleted RCA Records compilation Changesonebowie....
(1990) - Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
- The Singles CollectionThe Singles Collection (David Bowie album)The Singles Collection is a compilation album by David Bowie, released in 1993 in the UK and as The Singles 1969 to 1993 in the United States...
(1993) - Best of BowieBest of BowieBest of Bowie is a career-spanning greatest hits album by multi-platinum recording artist David Bowie. The songs range from his second album to 2002. It was released 35 years after his first album, David Bowie....
(2002)
- Changesbowie