Anxiety, have I ever told u that "Fame" is my ALL TIME FAVORITE SONG BY ANYONE? EVER? Well, it is. The backward intro and the backward break, the bass WAAAY high up in the mix, Carlos Alomar's guitar riff, the speeded up, slowed down vocals at the end. It's just "in the pocket" funk. Period. Bowie's vocals are on target. The song is the shit. A bonafide crossover hit if there ever was one. Black AND white stations (r&b, rock) played the hell out of this. Bowie was the first ever white performer on Soul Train, and guess what song he performed? This bought Bowie his funk card and he's held on to it ever since, really. Who else here, people, likes this song?

It's not my favorite of his from that time, but it definitely defines that period of his work.

For some reason I always equate it with Prince's "Kiss".

Right Here!!

Yup, that's the kind of funk that makes you hunch your back, !!

fame isn't on my shortlist of favorites, but i do love hearing him do it live. it's got an amazing groove, and the fact that it had involvement from john lennon just makes it that much cooler.

Classic!!!! Bowie defined the world of Fame and Fashion with both those songs

Love it. Didn't Paul McCartney play bass and co-write on the track?

Anxiety said:

I totally agree witcha. John Lennon got co-writing credit and well he should have. He was the one that came up the hook! I knew John was funky with shit like "I Am The Walrus" which is another one of my faves, but damn!

paligap said:

Pali, help me straighten up!....Oh Lord. My back! Pali, get me that Vicks out of the medicine cabinet.

Ifsixwuz9 said:

Well, I know Lennon co-wrote, as Anxiety and myself stated earlier.

Love it. Not my absolute favorite Bowie track, but it's up there.

S

I love it! We recently danced to it in a show I did too.

minneapolisgenius said:

Hi, Ms. Maddox.

blackguitaristz said:

Hello.

minneapolisgenius said:

We were kinda tight once, huh?

blackguitaristz said:

You could say so.

minneapolisgenius said:

Oh, I love it! You're so... "guarded" with me now. And u know what I mean, too.

blackguitaristz said:

minneapolisgenius said:

Yeah, yeah.

Anxiety said:

minneapolisgenius said:

Oh, where have those days gone?

He stole it from James Brown's Hot (I Need to be Loved, Loved, Loved)



But seriously, I'm in 100% agreement with you. It's definitely one of the funkiest songs of all time and it's my absolute favorite Bowie song.

psykosoul said:

Didja know that 'Fame' was actually inspired by the song 'Foot Stompin'' by The Flares?

blackguitaristz said:

I know right? I was like DAMN John, I ain't know you had funk like that! But then I listened to "Walrus" and well there it was...

psykosoul said:

Hey player! Tell me I don't know how to bring u out! Come on now! Yeah, I know it's "Hot" by James. Definately. U know I be spottin' those bites!

Anxiety said:

Musically? Damn. I did read that Bowie said he wanted a JB vibe to it, and I totally hear it in "Hot" and I also hear it in "The Payback".

SquarePeg said:

U listened to Walrus cuz of the post?

blackguitaristz said:

yah - from what i understand, they did a cover of 'foot stompin'' on tour a few times, then the riff kinda mutated into 'fame'. i think bowie and the band even performed 'foot stompin'' on TV - on dick cavett or dinah shore around the time of the 'diamond dogs' tour...

Anxiety said:

I think it's on RarestOneBowie also.

GangstaFam said:

i wish i could remember where i remembered seeing the whole thing about bowie discussing 'fame' and the flares' song...i think it might have been on an MTV interview from waaaay back in '87, when he was promoting the 'glass spider tour'.