I've long been a fan of both. Although I gotta say P is my all time fav. However, I was listening to my Best of Bowie CD some time ago and came across the weird but wonderful track "Ashes to Ashes" from 1979. This may have been unintentional on P's part, but the intro sounds alot like "Te Amo Corozon." They are both completely different songs and "Corozon" was of course recorded some twenty-six years later. But they do sound alike? Does anyone else agree?

PimpandCircumstance said:

No

Bowie is what prince is in the uk to what prince is what bowie is in the usa. Do you know what I mean? The strangest song ever is the laughing gnome...any one heard it...they both go from one extreme to the other. They have both dablled in sordid sex as art(the hunger, automitic) and found god at a higher level.

"Dolphin" is a bowie like track.

ufoclub said:

Also "Magic Dance" from Labyrinth sounds like a Prince Track!

Their similarities are only in persona - not musical style.

Both have pushed the envelope of androgny
Both have aged gracefully
Both have pioneered online music distribution
Both have branched off into side-projects

But really I do not see any musical comparison other than being experimental at times.

Bowie (and Neil Young) are the only other artists who I think come closest to the pedestal that Prince sits upon in terms of songwriting. Also, love the fact that they are all incredibly prolific what with their huge bodies of work which is just amazing to me.
[Edited 12/5/06 14:46pm]

And there have been many times where they both look like women.

Se7en said:

I agree with this. Bowie was a big influence on P during his Controversy period. But visually. P has biten off of Bowie musically, here and there. Take "Scarlet Pussy" and listen to the intro to Bowie's "Diamond Dogs".

just remember , most of the things P has done, Bowie did first!. Bowie also appears to be far more in touch with reality and has the common touch whereas P prefers the PrimaDonna approach.

Yeah, Prince took a lot of his Androgenous style from Bowie back in the day too!

Love them both dearly. I think one area in which Prince could learn from Bowie is, instead of Prince forcing his collaborators into doing things the way he'd do them (Mavis Staples, Sheila E., Ingrid Chavez), Bowie allows musical collaborators to influence what he himself does (Mick Ronson, Brian Eno, Reeves Gabrels). The best Prince collaborators have all done this - Wendy and Lisa, Eric Leeds, John Blackwell, to name a few. And Prince should be more open to that, in general.
[Edited 12/5/06 19:17pm]

They both rock - would love to see P do Bowies song Moonage Daydream - he could kill that with the guitar

PimpandCircumstance said:

I imagine its just a coincidence I kinda know what you mean, musically the songs have similiar tempo and drift along in similiar lazy way, but other than that I see them as entirely different, the Bowie one a depressing song about junkie and Prince 1 a Latino feel lovesong, Bowie is incredible a true star and artist but I dont know that its a direct influence in this tune just coincidence I think.

Se7en said:

co- and whatnot.

Music, like everything else, has a deep, rich history. Even though DB and Our Hero don't have much in common in terms of music, it's pretty sfae to say that certain aspects of P.'s public persona and career would have been different without Ol' Wonky Eyes coming first.

And they so need to work together. That would be heaven.

david bowie inspired the new romantics, and the NRs have inspired prince... but in a more aesthetic fashion.