Queen Bitch
Encyclopedia
"Queen Bitch" is a song written by David Bowie
in 1971
for the album Hunky Dory
. Bowie was a great Velvet Underground
fan and wrote the song in tribute to the band and Lou Reed
. He recorded a cover of "I'm Waiting for the Man
" in 1967 (which remains unissued), as well as live versions on Bowie at the Beeb
and the radio-recording of the live at Nassau Coliseum
concert that follow "Queen Bitch".
It starts with Bowie counting down to his acoustic guitar before Mick Ronson
's thrashy guitar riff enters. The song's arrangement, featuring a melodic bass line, a tight drum pattern, choppy distorted guitar chords, and an understated vocal performance by Bowie, provided the template for the glam rock
style which features prominently on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
, his seminal 1972 follow-up to Hunky Dory. While the main riff is similar to The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane
", it is actually lifted from Eddie Cochran
's "Three Steps to Heaven
". (a posthumous #1 hit single in the UK in 1960).
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...
in 1971
1971 in music
-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...
for the album Hunky Dory
Hunky Dory
Hunky Dory is the fourth album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1971. It was Bowie's first release through RCA, which would be his label for the next decade...
. Bowie was a great Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
fan and wrote the song in tribute to the band and Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
. He recorded a cover of "I'm Waiting for the Man
I'm Waiting for the Man
"I'm Waiting for the Man" is a song by the American rock band The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed. It was first released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico....
" in 1967 (which remains unissued), as well as live versions on Bowie at the Beeb
Bowie at the Beeb
Bowie at the Beeb is a compilation album by David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three CD set, the third, bonus CD being a recording on at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre...
and the radio-recording of the live at Nassau Coliseum
Station to Station
Station to Station is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1976. Commonly regarded as one of his most significant works, Station to Station is also notable as the vehicle for Bowie's last great 'character', The Thin White Duke...
concert that follow "Queen Bitch".
It starts with Bowie counting down to his acoustic guitar before Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
's thrashy guitar riff enters. The song's arrangement, featuring a melodic bass line, a tight drum pattern, choppy distorted guitar chords, and an understated vocal performance by Bowie, provided the template for the glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
style which features prominently on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
, his seminal 1972 follow-up to Hunky Dory. While the main riff is similar to The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
"Sweet Jane" is a song by The Velvet Underground, originally appearing on their 1970 album Loaded. The song was written by band's leader Lou Reed, who continued to incorporate the piece into live performances years later as a solo artist....
", it is actually lifted from Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
's "Three Steps to Heaven
Three Steps to Heaven (song)
"Three Steps to Heaven" is a 1960 single by Eddie Cochran. It became a posthumous UK number-one hit for Cochran following his death in a car crash. In the US it didn't reach the Billboard Hot 100...
". (a posthumous #1 hit single in the UK in 1960).
Live versions
- Bowie played the song at the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Sounds of the 70s 18 January 1972. This was broadcast at 7 February 1972 and in 2000 released on the album Bowie at the BeebBowie at the BeebBowie at the Beeb is a compilation album by David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three CD set, the third, bonus CD being a recording on at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre...
. - A version recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 20 October 1972 was released on Santa Monica '72Santa Monica '72Santa Monica '72 is a live album by David Bowie, recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 20 October 1972 during the Ziggy Stardust tour. Taken from an FM radio broadcast, it was available only as a bootleg for more than 20 years; according to author David Buckley, possessing a copy was the...
. - Another version recorded at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale 23 March 1976 was released on RarestOneBowieRarestOneBowieRarestOneBowie is a David Bowie compilation. This semi-legal release was one in the series of mid-nineties releases by MainMan, Bowie's former management company during the seventies...
and later on the deluxe re-issue of Station To StationStation to StationStation to Station is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1976. Commonly regarded as one of his most significant works, Station to Station is also notable as the vehicle for Bowie's last great 'character', The Thin White Duke...
. - Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
performed the song together with Bowie at his 50th Birthday Bash in New York City, New York in January 1997. - The Arcade FireThe Arcade FireArcade Fire is an indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It consists of the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Will Butler, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, Jeremy Gara, and Sarah Neufeld. William Butler and Régine Chassagne attended McGill University,...
have played this song with Bowie in New York City as well.
Other releases
- B-side of the UK release of the single "Rebel RebelRebel Rebel"Rebel Rebel" is a song by David Bowie, released in 1974 as a single and on the album Diamond Dogs. Cited as his most-covered track, it was effectively Bowie's farewell to the glam movement that had made him a star.-Music and lyrics:...
" in February 1974. - B-side of the US release of the single "19841984 (song)"1984" is a song by David Bowie, from his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. Written in late 1973, it was inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and, like much of its parent album, originally intended for a never-produced stage musical based on the novel.-Music and lyrics:The centerpiece of Side...
" in April 1974. - It was released as a picture disc in the Fashion Picture Disc Set.
- Featured on the soundtrack to the film The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an American comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Wes Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature length film, released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004...
. - Appears in the music video gameMusic video gameA music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock Band as downloadable content in a 3-song pack along with other David Bowie songs "Moonage DaydreamMoonage Daydream"Moonage Daydream" is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 and first released as a single under the name Arnold Corns. A rerecorded version was released in 1972 on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars....
" and "Heroes". - Is featured in the soundtrack of skateboarding video game skate.Skate (video game)Skate is a skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was released in North America on September 17, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and September 24, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and in Europe on September 28, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and October 5, 2007 for the...
- Is featured in the soundtrack of PS3 racing game MotorStorm: Pacific RiftMotorStorm: Pacific RiftMotorStorm: Pacific Rift is a racing video game by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to MotorStorm and is followed by MotorStorm: Arctic Edge for the PS2/PSP, and MotorStorm: Apocalypse...
- Featured in the 2007 film Run Fatboy RunRun Fatboy RunRun Fatboy Run is a 2007 British comedy film directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandie Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort, and Hank Azaria...
- Featured in promotional material for the 2008 Film MilkMilk (film)Milk is a 2008 American biographical film on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors...
. - Featured in the 2009 film 'The Damned United'.
Cover versions
- BirdbrainBirdbrain (band)Birdbrain was a Boston, MA post-grunge band that was founded by neighborhood friends in 1992 and dissolved in 1997. They had some success with their song "Youth of America" appearing in the hit film Scream as well as a contribution to The Last Supper” soundtrack with a cover of Paul McCartney’s...
- Let's Be Nice (1997) - Broken Hippie (aka Golden Smog) - Live Recording (1997)
- Capsize 7 - Crash Course for the Ravers - A Tribute to the Songs of David Bowie (1996)
- EaterEaterEater were an early British punk band from London who took their name from a Marc Bolan lyric. In 2001, the band’s second single, "Thinking of the USA" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time...
- The Album (1977) - Green RiverGreen River (band)Green River was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington that was active from 1984 to 1988. Although the band had little commercial impact outside of its native Seattle, Green River proved to have significant influence on the genre later known as grunge, both with its own music and with the...
- Rehab DollRehab DollCassette bonus track-Personnel:Green River*Jeff Ament – bass guitar, vocals, assistant production, inner sleeve design*Mark Arm – vocals, assistant production*Bruce Fairweather – guitars...
(1988) - The Hotrats - Turn OnsTurn OnsTurn Ons is a covers album by The Hotrats. It was released in the UK on 25 January 2010. The album has received generally favorable reviews since its release. It entered the US Heatseekers at number 40.-Track listing:...
(2010) - Seu JorgeSeu JorgeSeu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...
recorded a Portuguese version for the film The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an American comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Wes Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature length film, released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004...
(2004) - Frankenstein 3000 - Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie (2007)
- Rancid Vat - "Bowiecide" Single
- Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Live recording (with Bowie) - Spiral JettySpiral JettyThe Spiral Jetty, considered to be the central work of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is an earthwork sculpture constructed in 1970.Built entirely of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth, and water on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point in Utah, it forms a , ...
- Band Of Gold - The Unrehearsed - Live
- The Tragically HipThe Tragically HipThe Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
- Played live several times on the World Container Tour - Elf PowerElf PowerElf Power is an indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia. Currently, the line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, and drummer Eric Harris...
- Live in Ann Arbor, MI