Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Young Americans (song)

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B-side
  
"Suffragette City"

Genre
  
Soul blue-eyed soul

Format
  
7"

Released
  
21 February 1975 (1975-02-21)

Recorded
  
Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, August 1974

Length
  
5:10 (album version) 3:11 (single version)

"Young Americans" is a single by English singer and songwriter David Bowie, released in 1975. It is included in the album of the same name. The song was a massive breakthrough in the United States, where glam rock had never really become very popular outside the major cities. The song reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his second biggest success there up until that point.

Contents

In 2010, the song ranked at #486 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2016, it ranked at #44 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 best songs of the 1970s.

History

The first studio result of Bowie’s mid-1970s obsession with soul music, "Young Americans" was a breakthrough hit for the artist in the United States (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 McCarthyism, black repression via Rosa Parks, Richard Nixon (who had resigned the U.S. Presidency two days before the recording session), 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!" (John Lennon, who originally authored the line, appeared twice on the Young Americans album, providing guitar and backing vocals on his own "Across the Universe" and "Fame", for which he also received a co-writing credit.) The backing vocal arrangement came at the suggestion of Luther Vandross.

Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie except as noted.

UK release

  1. "Young Americans" – 5:10
  2. "Suffragette City" (Live) – 3:45

U.S. release

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

Personnel

("Young Americans" only except Bowie)

  • David Bowie – vocals, guitar
  • Carlos Alomar- guitar
  • Willie Weeks – bass
  • Mike Garson – piano
  • Andy Newmark – drums
  • David Sanborn- sax
  • Larry Washington – congas
  • Ava Cherry – backing vocals
  • Robin Clark – backing vocals
  • Luther Vandross – backing vocals

    • Additional personnel

  • 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", taped on 2 November 1974, is included on the DVD sets The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons and Best of Bowie.
  • A live performance filmed on 12 September 1983 is included on the concert DVD Serious Moonlight.

    • Other releases

  • The album version of the song has appeared on several compilations:
  • ChangesOneBowie (1976)
  • The Best of Bowie (1980)
  • Fame and Fashion (1984)
  • Sound + Vision (1989)
  • Changesbowie (1990)
  • Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
  • The Singles Collection (1993)
  • The U.S. single version appears on Rare (1982), The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979 (1998), the American/Canadian edition of Best of Bowie (2002), Re:Call 2 (part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) boxed set released in 2016), and the 2-CD and vinyl editions of Bowie Legacy (2016).
  • An edit of the 2007 Tony Visconti mix appears on the 2014 Nothing Has Changed compilation.
  • The song was released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set.
  • It appears on the soundtrack of 20 Feet From Stardom.

    • 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
  • Replica Schmeplica – Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie (2007)

    • 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' film Sixteen Candles.

    The song was used briefly in the Nicolas Cage film Lord of War. It was also played at the beginning of the film Down to You, starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Julia Stiles.

    It was used in the trailer to the Ben Stiller-directed film Reality Bites to show how Generation X had been affected by earlier American history. It was used in the 2012 thriller Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise.

    The 2015 British drama series The Enfield Haunting featured the song during the finale and end credits of the final episode.

    References

    Young Americans (song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA