Let’s Dance is the first single and titular track from David Bowie’s 1983 album Let’s Dance. It is the second featured song here from the album after the previous entry – Modern Love. As I have remarked before, it has taken me years to warm to and appreciate the music of David Bowie (especially his 80’s material) including today’s featured track. My regard for this funk, post disco sound had never been high especially when it was popular, but now I appreciate Bowie’s sound more than ever. I hope I am able to explore more of his expansive discography in the following years.
I saw an interview-documentary on him on the Film and Arts channel. It was my second viewing of it and his interpretation of his ‘own’ artistry and delivery style was captivating. He’s a very eloquent speaker and someone who sounds as fascinating in interview format as they do on stage. There are few singer-songwriters who I value listening to interpreting their own music, but David Bowie is definitely one of the exceptions.
Let’s Dance was a direct shift from the post-punk and art rock sound Bowie experimented with on his 1980 album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) to a funk, post-disco, and dance pop sound. This stylistic change aligned Bowie with the popular music of the ‘80s and led to Let’s Dance becoming one of Bowie’s biggest-selling tracks. It topped the charts in the UK, the US, Ireland and New Zealand, and reached #2 in Austria, Australia and Germany.
[Verse 1]
(Let’s dance) put on your red shoes and dance the blues
(Let’s dance) to the song they’re playing on the radio
(Let’s sway) while colour lights up your face
(Let’s sway) sway through the crowd to an empty space
[Chorus]
If you say run, I’ll run with you
And 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 and tremble like a flower
[Refrain]
(Let’s dance)
(Let’s dance)
The following information was cherry-picked from the Wikipedia page below:
Let’s Dance was recorded in late 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. Co-produced by Nile Rodgers of Chic, it was recorded in late 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. With the assistance of engineer Bob Clearmountain, Rodgers transformed the song from its folk rock origins to a dance number through studio effects and new musicians Bowie had yet to work with. Bowie hired then-unknown Texas guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who added a blues-edge. Bowie has said that the original demo of the song was “totally different” from Nile Rodgers’ arrangement.
The music video for Let’s Dance below was directed by David Mallet in March 1983 in Australia at a bar in New South Wales and at the Warrumbungle National Park. Bowie chose to include residents of the town of the bar, most of whom had no knowledge of who David Bowie was or why they were shooting a video. The video includes multiple references to the Stolen Generations, which were the Aboriginal children who were forcefully removed from their families by Australian government agencies of the British settlers. These references constitute part of the several statements by Bowie featured on the album concerning the integration of one culture with another.
References:
1. Let’s Dance (David Bowie song) – Wikipedia
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