Black Tie White Noise

Side One

1 The Wedding, 5:04

2 You’ve Been Around, 4:45

3 I Feel Free, 4:52

4 Black Tie White Noise, 4:52

5 Jump They Say, 4:22

6 Nite Flights, 4:34

7 Pallas Athena, 4:39

Side Two

8 Miracle Goodnight, 4:12

9 Don’t Let Me Down & Down, 4:53

10 Looking For Lester, 5:36

11 I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday, 4:07

12 The Wedding Song, 4:29

On CD Only

13 Jump They Say (Remix), 3:58

14 Lucy Can’t Dance, 5:45

Bonus Tracks

(on EMI re-release 2003, EMI 7243 5 8481402)

13 Real Cool World, 5:25

14 Lucy Can’t Dance, 5:45”

15 Jump They Say (Rock Mix), 4:28

16 Black Tie White Noise (3^rd Floor US Radio Mix), 3:43

17 Miracle Goodnight (Make Believe Mix), 4:28

18 Don’t Let Me Down & Down (Indonesian Vocal Version), 4:53

19 You’ve Been Around (Dangers 12” Remix), 7:39

20 Jump They Say (Brothers In Rhythm 12” Remix), 8:23

21 Black Tie White Noise (Here Come Da Jazz), 5:32

22 Pallas Athena (Don’t Stop Praying Remix No 2), 7:24

23 Nite Flights (Moodswings Back To Basics Remix), 9:58

24 Jump They Say (Dub Oddity), 6:13

Recorded: Mountain Studios, Montreaux,

38 Fresh Recording Studios &

The Hit Factory, New York

(Summer 1992 - )

Musicians: David Bowie, vocals, guitar, saxophone,

dog alto

Nile Rogers, guitar, backing vocals

Barry Campbell, bass

Sterling Campbell, drums

Pugi Bell, drums

Richard Hilton, keyboards

John Regan, bass

Michael Reisman, harp, tubular bells

Dave Richards, keyboards

Philippe Saisse, keyboards

Richard Tee, keyboards

Gerado Velez, percussion

Reeves Gabrels, guitar

(You’ve Been Around)

Mick Ronson, guitar (I Feel Free)

Mike Garson, piano (Looking For Lester)

Wild T Springer, guitar

(I Know It’s Going To Happen Someday)

Lester Bowie, trumpet

Al B Sure!, vocals (Black Tie White Noise)

Fonzi Thorton, backing vocals

Tawatha Agee, backing vocals

Curtis King Jr., backing vocals

Dennis Collins, backing vocals

Brenda White-King, backing vocals

Maryl Epps, backing vocals

Frank Simms, backing vocals

George Simms, backing vocals

David Spinner, backing vocals

Lamya Al-Mughiery, backing vocals

Connie Petruk, backing vocals

Producers: David Bowie, Nile Rogers

Released: 5 April 1993

Label: Arista/BMG 74321 13697

CREDIBLE

Farwell then, Tin Machine. The real David Bowie stands up.

The 1980s was not a happy decade for David Bowie. Although he enjoyed huge commercial success with Let's Dance in 1983, that album also marked the point at which he slipped his artistic moorings. As a solo act, his subsequent search for a suitable musical role in the post-Live Aid world of corporate, mainstream rock produced rapidly diminshing returns, while the pre-grunge sound of Tin Machine proved an indigestible feast for many of his admirers.

Now he has rediscovered the insistent electro-dance rhythms and sensual synth and sax textures with which he seduced critics and fans alike during the latter part of the 1970s. By Bowie's own reckoning, "Black Tie White Noise" is an album which picks up where "Scary Monsters" left off in 1980, and if any collection of songs could reinstate his godhead status, then this is it.

But there will be no more disguises, no starnge new characters to add to the rogues' gallery of his 1970s personae. Right from the start - a peal of church bells introducing a sax-based instrumental which Bowie composed to be played at his wedding ceremony - the album deals primarily with the moods and experiences of the "real" David Bowie, unmediated by any fictional third party or arch dramatic irony.

The title track is a comment on the Los Angeles riot which Bowie experienced at close quarters. A smouldering soul-funk song featuring a vocal by Al B. Sure! and a qute from Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, it's as heartfelt and socially relevant as anything Bowie has recorded. Elsewhere, his romantic streak is given free rein, not only on The Wedding Song, but also on a gorgeously smoochy ballad called "Don't Let Me Down And Down", and the effervescnt Miracle Goodnight, which mixes a blippy rhthmic motif with delicate touches of highlife guitar.

Produced by Nile Rodgers (who also did Let's Dance), the album features a diverse roll-call of musicians including guitarist Mick Ronson and Reeves Gabrels, pianist Mike Garson (of Aladdin Sane fame) and the celebrated jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie (no relation). It is Lester's contribution which is the most telling, lending a sophisticated jazz dimension to many of the songs - most obviously the fusion groove of "Looking For Lester" - and coaxing some of the best saxophone performances from David ever commited to disc.

There are two covers - a hard electro arrangement of Cream's "I Feel Free" and a window-rattling rendition of Morrissey's ballad "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday", which Bowie takes over so completely that it is hard to think of it as one of his own compositions.

For all its imagination and charm, the one obstacle to this album's success is it's dearth of obvious hit singles. The first single, "Jump They Say", may boost some credible dancefloor remixes but it is not a song to rank alongside the classic Bowie hits of the past. There is some amazing stuff here - the deep electro-funk and stunning bass line of "You've Been Around", the sinister, psuedo-hip hop groove of "Pallas Athena" - but none of it really singles material. The Morriessey song could be the answer.

Mark Paytress

Q Magazine, May 1993