Young Americans (song)

"Young Americans"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Young Americans
B-side	"Suffragette City"
Released	21 February 1975
Format	7"
Recorded	Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, August 1974
Genre	Soul[1] blue-eyed soul[2]
Length	5:10 (album version) 3:11 (single version)
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	David Bowie
Producer(s)	Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"Rock 'n' Roll with Me" (1974) "Young Americans" (1975) "Fame" (1975)

"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.

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.^[3]

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

Charts

Chart (1975–2016)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	27
Canadian Singles Chart	33
Irish Singles Chart	13
New Zealand Singles Chart	7
UK Singles Chart	18
US Billboard Hot 100	28
US Billboard Rock Songs	25

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 (1983 film).

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), and the American/Canadian edition of Best of Bowie (2002).
• 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^[4] 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.^[5]

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.

Bibliography

• Pegg, Nicholas. The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-73-0

References

1. Edwards, Gavin (June 5, 2014). "Flashback: David Bowie and Cher Duet on 'Young Americans'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
2. Vogelman, Nee (18 January 2016). "The 20 Greatest David Bowie Singles". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
3. Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork.
4. Heath, Chris (11 January 2015). "7 David Bowie Songs to Play Over and Over Today". GQ. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
5. "Sixteen Candles (1984) : Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Rolling Stone article