Fame - 2016 Remasterby David Bowie

By request!

This song is sampled by Night of the Living Baseheads

More David!! "Fame" was David Bowie's first #1 single in the US. Sampled in “Takeover” by Jay-Z, “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy, “Posse' on Broadway (The Godzilla Remix Edit)” by Sir Mix-a-Lot.

By request from Kristin in Lower Queen Anne! John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice

On this day in 1975 this gem was released! "Fame" was David Bowie's first #1 single in the US. Sampled in “Takeover” by Jay-Z, “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy, “Posse' on Broadway (The Godzilla Remix Edit)” by Sir Mix-a-Lot.

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. -- Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar came up with the guitar riff. It was based on a song called "Foot Stompin'" by The Flares, which Bowie had been performing on tour. "In funk music, what you want to do is put down a lot of holes," Alomar recalled to Mojo magazine of the song's instrumentation, "leaving a little space for someone to be able to dance in. Lennon played acoustic guitar and we reversed it and that's the suction sound you hear at the beginning."

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. -- Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar came up with the guitar riff. It was based on a song called "Foot Stompin'" by The Flares, which Bowie had been performing on tour. "In funk music, what you want to do is put down a lot of holes," Alomar recalled to Mojo magazine of the song's instrumentation, "leaving a little space for someone to be able to dance in. Lennon played acoustic guitar and we reversed it and that's the suction sound you hear at the beginning."

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. -- Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar came up with the guitar riff. It was based on a song called "Foot Stompin'" by The Flares, which Bowie had been performing on tour. "In funk music, what you want to do is put down a lot of holes," Alomar recalled to Mojo magazine of the song's instrumentation, "leaving a little space for someone to be able to dance in. Lennon played acoustic guitar and we reversed it and that's the suction sound you hear at the beginning."

OTD in 1975 David Bowie releases the single "Fame," featuring John Lennon on backing vocals. It becomes Bowie's first #1 hit in the US.

Six Degrees of Nirvana - The Cobain 50 podcast! David Bowie sampled Public Enemy's “Night of the Living Baseheads” on this track. You'll find 'The Man Who Sold The World' on the Cobain 50 list here: www.kexp.org Few people have managed to cover a David Bowie tune quite like Nirvana during their Unplugged performance that they recorded in November 1993. Revisit that filmed set now and you marvel as Kurt seems to own and inhabit the lyrics to the title track of this 1970 album – the original of which was recorded long before Bowie had found stardom himself. **RSD 2024 RELEASE** David Bowie - Waiting in the Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) recordstoreday.com

6 Degrees: Brian Eno collaborated with David Bowie on his "Berlin Trilogy." "'Fame' was one of two songs slotted at the very last minute onto that year's Young Americans album -- the other was a cover of the Beatles' 'Across the Universe.' Based upon a riff which guitarist Carlos Alomar appropriated from early-'60s R&B band the Flames' 'Footstompin',' and enhanced by a passing John Lennon, 'Fame' became David Bowie's first U.S. chart-topper in mid-1975, a hard-funking dance storm whose lyrics -- a hostile riposte on the personal cost of success -- utterly belie the upbeat tempo and feel of the song." www.allmusic.com

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. -- Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar came up with the guitar riff. It was based on a song called "Foot Stompin'" by The Flares, which Bowie had been performing on tour. "In funk music, what you want to do is put down a lot of holes," Alomar recalled to Mojo magazine of the song's instrumentation, "leaving a little space for someone to be able to dance in. Lennon played acoustic guitar and we reversed it and that's the suction sound you hear at the beginning."

On this day in 1975, David Bowie released the single "Fame" off the album "Young Americans," his first #1 single in the US. Sampled in “Takeover” by Jay-Z, “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy, “Posse' on Broadway (The Godzilla Remix Edit)” by Sir Mix-a-Lot.

On this day in 1975, David Bowie releases the single "Fame " off the album 'Young Americans,' his first #1 single in the US. Sampled in “Takeover” by Jay-Z, “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy, “Posse' on Broadway (The Godzilla Remix Edit)” by Sir Mix-a-Lo. __ John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar came up with the guitar riff. It was based on a song called "Foot Stompin'" by The Flares, which Bowie had been performing on tour. "In funk music, what you want to do is put down a lot of holes," Alomar recalled to Mojo magazine of the song's instrumentation, "leaving a little space for someone to be able to dance in. Lennon played acoustic guitar and we reversed it and that's the suction sound you hear at the beginning." __ www.davidbowie.com

From Young Americans, the ninth studio album by David Bowie, released 1975. David Bowie is an artist that's been given the sample treatment more than most, and according to John Lennon in a 1980 interview: "We took some Stevie Wonder middle eight and did it backwards, you know, and we made a record out of it!"

Celebrating David Bowie -- he passed away on this day in 2016 David Bowie met John Lennon at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor, and they hit it off -- Lennon went on to help write this song, as well as providing rhythm guitar and background vocals. Bowie went on to perform the song on Soul Train in 1975 - one of the first white artists to appear on the show! - youtu.be

Countdown number 411. David Bowie. Young Americans. 'Fame' gave David Bowie his first No.1 hit in the US. The 1975 single was co-written with John Lennon (who also provided guitar and background vocals). They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Support the KEXP Fall Drive by donating today: www.kexp.org

#489 "Fame" was released on his 1975 album Young Americans and written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Effin Lennon! Think of the fame you'll have with your friends when they see you sporting that new under the needle t-shirt! Just $10/month! www.kexp.org

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. - bit.ly David Bowie performed "Fame" live in Tokyo in 1990: www.youtube.com Traveling back in time with songs from 1975 to celebrate 50 years of KEXP today! kexp.org/50/

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. - bit.ly David Bowie performed "Fame" live in Tokyo in 1990: www.youtube.com Traveling back in time with songs from 1975 to celebrate 50 years of KEXP today! kexp.org/50/

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. - bit.ly David Bowie performed "Fame" live in Tokyo in 1990: www.youtube.com Traveling back in time with songs from 1975 to celebrate 50 years of KEXP today! kexp.org/50/

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. - bit.ly -- Mr. Bowie performed "Fame" live in Tokyo in 1990: www.youtube.com

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. - bit.ly

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City in January 1975. Bowie met Lennon less than a year earlier at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols, and they became good friends. bit.ly

On this day in 1975 – David Bowie releases the single "Fame " off the album Young Americans, his first #1 single in the US. Sampled in “Takeover” by Jay-Z, “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy, “Posse' on Broadway (The Godzilla Remix Edit)” by Sir Mix-a-Lot

Bowie performed this and "Golden Years" on Soul Train in an episode aired November 4, 1975, making him one of the first white artists to appear on the show. Bowie allegedly had a few drinks before he went on to calm his nerves. bit.ly Watch it here! youtu.be

John Lennon helped write this song; he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Bowie met Lennon less than a year earlier at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols, and they became good friends. Bowie often had conversations with Lennon about how fame took away parts of their lives. In the same interview, Bowie said: "We'd been talking about management, and it kind of came out of that. He was telling me, 'You're being shafted by your present manager' (laughs). That was basically the line. And John was the guy who opened me up to the idea that all management is crap. That there's no such thing as good management in rock 'n' roll, and you should try to do it without it. It was at John's instigation that I really did without managers, and started getting people in to do specific jobs for me, rather than signing myself away to one guy forever and have him take a piece of everything that I earn. Usually, quite a large piece, and have him really not do very much. So, if I needed a certain publishing thing done, I'd bring in a person who specialized in that area, and they would, on a one-job basis, work for me and we'd reach the agreed fee. And I started to realize that if you're bright, you kind of know you're worth, and if you're creative, you know what you want to do and where you want to go in that way." bit.ly

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Bowie met Lennon less than a year earlier at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols, and they became good friends.

Happy Bday yesterday Bowie! We miss you. www.davidbowie.com

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Bowie met Lennon less than a year earlier at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols, and they became good friends.

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Bowie met Lennon less than a year earlier at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols, and they became good friends.

John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background "Fame" parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Bowie met Lennon less than a year earlier at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols, and they became good friends.

'Young Americans' represented David Bowie's dive into soul music, particularly Philly Soul. Containing the stunning funk single "Fame," the album felt like a vehicle for Bowie to address one of his favorite topics—pop stardom—from a new angle, at a moment when it seemed likely to destroy him. bit.ly

Containing the stunning funk single "Fame," 'Young Americans" felt like a vehicle for Bowie to address one of his favorite topics pop stardom from a new angle! Read more about "Young Americans" here: bit.ly

Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, you can hear Lennon's falsetto "Fame" throughout the song..

With the Young Americans sessions mostly concluded by late 1974, the material was delayed while Bowie extricated himself from his contract with manager Tony Defries. During this time, he was staying in New York City, where he met John Lennon. The pair jammed together, leading to a one-day session at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. There, Carlos Alomar had developed a guitar riff for Bowie's cover of "Footstompin'" by the Flairs, which Bowie thought was "a waste" to give to a cover. Lennon, who was in the studio with them, came up with the hook when he started to sing "aim" over the riff, which Bowie turned into "Fame" and he thereafter wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song.

Lennon's voice is heard interjecting the falsetto "Fame" throughout the song.

Fame was written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon! www.youtube.com

Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar & John Lennon. You can also hear Lennon's voice as the falsetto "Fame" throughout the song.

The first #1 single for David Bowie in the U.S. was released on this day in 1975! (Hint: it's this one)

Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar & John Lennon. You can also hear Lennon's voice as the falsetto "Fame" throughout the song.

Check out Bowie performing Fame on Soul Train in 1975: www.youtube.com

Listener request!