Let's Dance

 

Cover version of the month #94
M. Ward covers David Bowie

Tonight I'm going to be dancing to David Bowie songs at The Admiral Woods in Glasgow as the pub celebrates the life of the inspirational and unique artist. So I thought it might be appropriate to write a blog about one of my favourite Bowie songs - Let's Dance. 

Bowie's Let's Dance, from the album of the same name, was released back in 1983. Co-produced with the wonderful Nile Rodgers of Chic, Let's Dance swiftly becoming the biggest selling single of Bowie's career.

It's not hard to hear why. 

Everything Rodgers touched turned to gold. And Bowie was on to this, informing Nile that he wanted his help in making 'hits'. I would highly recommend reading Nile's Le Freak autobiography which is exceptionally fast-paced and incredibly entertaining.

Bowie played Rodgers an acoustic version of Let's Dance on a 12-string guitar that only had 6-strings. Rodgers completely rearranged the song and his original demo was released on Record Store Day in 2018.

As for the released version, it is a sensational work of pop art!

Bowie and Rodgers signal their intentions to create a hit from the get go with a Beatles Twist n Shout rip off into huge shimmering riffs over bass and beats. Bowie sounds incredible as he demands 

Let's dance

Put on your red shoes and dance the blues

Bowie doesn't only sound incredible, check out the video of him performing the song in a pub in the Australian outback, bleached blonde hair, gloriously tanned, resplendent in white and somehow managing to play his guitar while wearing gloves!

 Let's Dance official video

There is a rush as Bowie hits the chorus at the one-minute mark

If you say run

I'll run with you

If you say hide

We'll hide

Because my love for you

Would break my heart in two

If you should fall, into my arms, tremble like a flower

The groove continues, Rodgers adds shimmering guitar riffs, Bowie sounds super seductive, almost whispering through the second verse until he rises for the line;

Under the moonlight, the serious moonlight

And then we're into another rush through the euphoric chorus. The single cut is 4-minutes long while the album version stretches to a magnificent 7-minutes. 

Let's Dance is an incredible song by an all-time great, so it is a bold move to cover it!

M Ward isn't an artist I know a great deal about, so I've enjoyed delving into sections of his back catalogue of 10 solo albums, his work with She & Him (with Zooey Deschanel) and Monsters of Folk (with members of My Morning Jacket and Bright Eyes).

After a couple of lofi album, Ward signed to to Merge Records and released the Transfiguration of Vincent album in March 2003, featuring his version of Let's Dance, 20-years after Bowie's.

Ward completely strips the song right back, potentially to be more akin to Bowie's original demo (that I sadly can't find online anywhere). It's just Ward, his acoustic guitar, mouth organ and some faint piano in the background at times. Ward's voice is very soothing, particularly while listening on headphones. It is rather lovely, while Bowie's is beautifully bold as brass - setting out to be a hit and achieving the goal with ease.

Bowie's original and the M Ward cover version are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE

Official video

Nile Rodgers tells the story of Let's Dance

M Ward version

Previous covers of the month blogs

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt

14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

16. California Soul

18. Wonder wall 

19. Dancing In The Dark

20. Always On My Mind

21. Ceremony

22. Heroes

23. Different Drum

24. Wild Horses

25. Respect

26. Mr Tambourine Man

27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

28. Superstar

29. Twist and Shout

30. Purple Rain

31. Baker Street

32. Not Fade Away

33. Stop Your Sobbing

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down 
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday 
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U

56. Hey Jude

57. Seven Days Too Long

58. L.O.V.E Love

59. Into Your Arms

60. Heart Of Glass

61. Take Me To The River

62. We Can Work It Out 

63. Talking In My Sleep

64. Lola

65. Lost In Music

66. My Little Red Book

67. Isn't It A Pity

68. Walk On By

69. Walk Away Renee

70. Tainted Love

71. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

72. Listen The Snow Is Falling

73. Mrs Robinson

74. He's Gonna Step On You Again

75. In My Life

76. Caravan Of Love

77. The Only Way Is Up

78. Dancin' Round & Round

79. With A Little Help From My Friends

80. Killing Me Softly

81. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

82. Drop

83. Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay

84. Sympathy For The Devil

85. I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor

86. Love Will Tear Us Apart

87. Indian Rope Man + bonus Strawberry Fields Forever + This Wheels On Fire

88. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

89. Love The One You're With

90. Cum On Feel The Noize

91. Addicted To Love

92. Valerie

93. Ride On Time

My 10 favourite Bowie songs

1947 - 2016, R.I.P

Like many, I have spent today listening to songs from the truly exceptional back catalogue of David Bowie following his sad passing after a battle against cancer.

Bowie was unique; he was a pop star to some, he seemed like an alien to many others when he was beamed into their TV's on Top of the Pops to perform Starman, he was a chameleon, he was inspirational and he was an incredible artist.

Heartfelt tributes have been pouring in all day for this wonderful creative, eclectic and eccentric singer, songwriter and performer. Bowie inspired many (Morrissey, Marc Almond, Brett Anderson and probably most of the 80's new wave romantics) but he quite simply could not be imitated.

Bowie always ahead of the game, he didn't just stick to a formula, he challenged himself and others and he was a leader; bold and imaginative, bursting with energy and creativity.

I thought I would take 20-minutes out to write a short blog about my 10 favourite Bowie songs.

1. Sound and Vision
I don't know what it is about this song that grabbed me on first listen and has never let me go. I've played it loads of times when I have DJ'd in the past; the opening beats into a glorious guitar riff and instrumental that flows beautifully eventually leading to synths and eventually a deep sigh and finally   the lyrics. Brilliant. Bowie is definitely someone who wondered about sound and vision.

2. Let's Dance
I used to manage the Glasgow band Sonny Marvello and their singer Stephen is a Bowie nut. The band covered this, I think for a night at Pinup Nights in the Flying Duck, and it led me to checking out a lot of Bowie's 80's material. A couple of years ago I was at the Wickerman Festival when Nile Rodgers played this song, that he co-produced, and again it led me to listen to it over and over again for weeks afterwards. It is so clever; from the Beatles-y Twist and Shout opening to the funky bass and synth, the incredible vocals that encourage the listener/muse to put on your red shoes and dance the blues and then the glorious....

If you say run, I'll run with you

If you say hide, we'll hide

Because my love for you

Would break my heart in two

If you should fall into my arms

Tremble like a flower

3. Modern Love
Another 80's Bowie song that Sonny Marvello covered. It is a real pop gem that the band learned for a set before singer Stephen's wedding and they played it at a party the night before. I always think of an incredible 2-days with some great friends, culminating in a beautiful wedding when I hear this song.

4. Heroes
Yeah it doesn't really get much better. Totally spine tingling.

5. Under Pressure
OK it's not all Bowie, but this may well have been the first Bowie song I head when I was a kid. That and his Dancing In The Streets duet with Mick Jagger! I still think it is a beautiful song and the performance is sensational with Bowie bringing out the best in Freddie Mercury and the song inspiring Bowie to reach fantastic heights.

This is our last dance

6. Starman
Loads of musicians from a certain era cite this as the moment they decided to form a band. Bowie beaming into their homes looking out of this world; was he a boy, a girl or an alien? Who cared, he was different and he was cool. The moment he puts his arm around Mick Ronson is brilliant - he knows he is f**king good. He packs everything into 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

7. Queen Bitch 
Another song I have played quite a lot when DJ-ing. That opening acoustic riff suddenly develops into something monstrous, quite punk rock and Bowie is in full flight sounding like he is loving it.

8. Changes
One of the first Bowie songs I really fell for in my late teens. The delivery of ch-ch-ch-changes and the line time may change me, but I can't trace time seemed to be written for me. Yet again, Bowie pens a song that flows superbly.

9. Ziggy Stardust
Bowie had many looks, guises and disguises throughout his career, Ziggy Stardust was arguably his best. The vision, ambition and delivery of the look, the songs and the album were pure pop art. Nothing like this had been done before. No-one could do it afterwards.

the kid was just crass

he was the nazz

with God given ass

he took it all too far

but boy could he play guitar

10. Five Years
From the legendary Ziggy Stardust album, it was yet another cover version that caused me to fall for this song and go back and dig out my second hand vinyl copy. This time it was an acoustic performance by singer Kevin Harper at a charity show I put on at Maggie's Centre in Glasgow. Knowing the diagnosis' some people in the room were dealing with, the song took on a new meaning to me and I got quite emotional.