Absolute Beginners (David Bowie song)

"Absolute Beginners" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. Released on 3 March 1986, it was the theme song to the 1986 film of the same name (itself an adaptation of the book Absolute Beginners).

This article is about the song by David Bowie. For the song by the Jam, see Absolute Beginners (The Jam song).

"Absolute Beginners"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side"Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)"
Released3 March 1986
Recorded
Length8:03 (full-length album version)
5:36 (single version)
LabelVirgin
VS838
Songwriter(s)David Bowie
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Dancing in the Street"
(1985)		 "Absolute Beginners"
(1986)		 "Underground"
(1986)
Music video
"Absolute Beginners" on YouTube

Although the film was not a commercial success, the song was a big hit: reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top ten on the main singles charts in ten other countries, becoming his last single to achieve that. It was less successful in the US, peaking at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Bowie performed "Absolute Beginners" live on his 1987 Glass Spider Tour, his 2000 "Mini" Tour, and his 2002 Heathen Tour. The song has been included on a number of Bowie's compilation and "Best-of" releases, and was included as a bonus track on the 1995 re-release of Tonight (1984).

Background and recording

Bowie was good friends with the film's director, Julien Temple (who had worked with him in 1984 on the Jazzin' for Blue Jean short film). Bowie agreed to Temple's request to write music for the film if he could also play the part of Vendice Partners.

It was recorded at Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley's Westside Studios, London. The sessions were completed rapidly, but the song was delayed due to the problems with completing the film. Virgin wanted the release to tie in with the film's opening. The song featured Rick Wakeman on piano, who had previously performed on Bowie's "Space Oddity" single and Hunky Dory album. Shortly after the sessions wrapped, Mick Jagger flew in to record the charity cover of "Dancing in the Street" with Bowie, which used many of the same musicians. Bowie recorded the lead vocal of "Absolute Beginners" at Westside Studios in August.[2]

Reception

AllMusic described "Absolute Beginners" as "the gem of his post-Let's Dance '80s output, a big, breathtaking ballad allowing him to indulge the Sinatra croon that's driven many of his best performances".[3] It was chosen by Jeremy Allen in The Guardian as one of Bowie's "ten of the best" songs.[4] Biographer Paul Trynka described "Absolute Beginners" as "Bowie's last great composition of the 1980s",[5] while rock critic Chris O'Leary described it as "gorgeous and valedictory," with "one of the great Bowie melodies" in its refrain.[6] Mojo chose the song as number 61 in its countdown of Bowie's 100 greatest songs.[7] Don Weller's saxophone solo has been described by musicOMH as "perhaps the best" saxophone solo in a Bowie song. They characterised it as "the sound of one man trying to violently expel his innards through the bell of his instrument" and "one of the most heartbreaking things put to record".[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Bowie, except where noted.

3" CD: Virgin CDT 20 (UK)
  1. "Absolute Beginners" – 8:03
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:40

CD: Virgin CDF 20 (UK)
  1. "Absolute Beginners" – 8:03
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:40

7": Virgin VS 838 (UK)
  1. "Absolute Beginners" – 5:36
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:42

12": Virgin VSG 838–12 (UK)
  1. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:00
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:42
  • issued in a gatefold sleeve

12": EMI America SPRO 9623 (US)
  1. "Absolute Beginners (Edited Version)" – 4:46
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:00
  • includes exclusive "edited version"

Download: EMI iVS 838 (UK)
  1. "Absolute Beginners" – 5:36
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:00
  3. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:42

Download: Amazon.com (US)
  1. "Absolute Beginners" – 5:37
  2. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:03
  3. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:39
  4. "That's Motivation" – 4:14
  5. "Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)" (Comp.: Domenico Modugno) – 3:13
  • Original release date (of E.P. download with added tracks 4 and 5): 28 May 2007

Music video

Julien Temple shot the music video, which echoed the 1950s style of the movie. The video was a homage to an old British advert for Strand cigarettes. The ill-fated advertising tagline "You're never alone with a Strand" is quoted by Partners in the film. The video also uses footage from the film.

In 2016, Entertainment Weekly chose it as one of Bowie's 20 best music videos. They stated the video "does a far better job of expressing the noirish romanticism" of MacInnes' novel than the film did and also praised the "great dance-fighting scene at the end".[9]

Personnel

Gil Evans sings the refrain of the song in the film.

Live versions
  • The song was performed live during David Bowie's 1987 Glass Spider Tour and released on Glass Spider (1988/2007).
  • Bowie's 25 June 2000 performance of the song at the Glastonbury Festival was released in 2018 on Glastonbury 2000.
  • A live version recorded at BBC Radio Theatre, London, on 27 June 2000 was released on the bonus disc accompanying the first release of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000.
  • It was performed live on several occasions on the 2002 Heathen Tour as a duet with bassist Gail Ann Dorsey; usually the song would end with Bowie and Dorsey dancing. Mark Plati would play bass while she sang.

Other releases

Charts
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References
  1. Thompson, Dave (2006). Hallo Spaceboy: The Rebirth of David Bowie. ECW Press. p. 321. ISBN 978-1550227338.
  2. Shepherd, Jack (21 January 2016). "David Bowie impersonates Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed in newly unearthed recording". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  3. LeRoy, Dan. "Absolute Beginners – Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  4. Allen, Jeremy (3 December 2014). "David Bowie: 10 of the best". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  5. Trynka, Paul (2012). David Bowie: Starman. Sphere. ISBN 978-0751542936. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  6. O'Leary, Chris (2019). Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976–2016. Repeater Books. p. 230. ISBN 978-1912248308.
  7. "David Bowie - The 100 Greatest Songs". Rocklist.net. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. Jeffery, Alex (12 January 2016). "The Pranny Genius Of David Bowie". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  9. Anderson, Kyle (11 January 2016). "David Bowie's 20 best music videos". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. "ultratop.be David Bowie "Absolute Beginners"" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  12. Library and Archives Canada: Top Singles – Volume 44, No. 7, May 10, 1986, 10 May 1987, archived from the original on 19 April 2016, retrieved 11 July 2014
  13. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  14. "Single Search: David Bowie "Absolute Beginners"" (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  15. "dutchcharts.nl David Bowie "Absolute Beginners"". Hung Medien. MegaChartsformat=ASP. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  16. "charts.nz David Bowie "Absolute Beginners"" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  17. "ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS – David Bowie" (in Polish). LP3. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  18. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (Q)". Rock.co.za. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  19. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  20. "Portuguesecharts.com – David Bowie – Absolute Beginners". AFP Top 100 Singles.
  21. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1986". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2017.

Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5

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