The Single File is regular feature where I explore this history of the promotional single by taking a look them one by one. Each installment will feature an individual release, the only criteria being that it was officially released as a single, and that I like it, or at least find it interesting. Expect to see some hits, some rarities and of course some oddities from any and all genres.
First in line is David Bowie’s “1984”, a song inspired by George Orwell’s 1948 novel of the same name. Commonly challenged and banned for its social and political critiques as well as some sexual references, the book has ranked as high as #5 on the most banned books of all time. Since I’m kicking off this new column during Banned Books Week, I figured I would I discuss a single relevant to the topic.
Only released in three countries, “1984” was the third single off of Bowie’s Diamond Dogs album. Put out by RCA/Victor in July 1974, the U.S. and New Zealand versions featured Hunky Dory rocker, "Queen Bitch" as the B-side. In Japan, it was the Aladdin Sane ballad, "Lady Grinning Soul".
Japanese Single by RCA/Victor, 1974.
Although it never charted, the song is notable in the Bowie for catalog for a number reasons, not the least of which being that it’s really good. It helped bridge the gap between Bowie’s glam rock phase which ended with Diamond Dogs, and the so-called “plastic-soul” of 1975’s Young Americans album. In addition, it sheds some light onto Bowie’s creative process as it is one of only a few songs salvaged from an otherwise abandoned project.
Dystopian lyrics carried along by a driving cinematic funk score, the song sounds like it could be the theme to a 70’s Blaxploitation adaption of Orwell’s novel. Not surprising since musically, it was heavily influenced by the work of soul legend Isaac Hayes, specifically his work on “Theme from Shaft” from 1971. This trend towards R&B would foreshadow Bowie’s attempt to capture the “Philly Soul” sound in the coming months. The tumultuous year in which this transition took place is chronicled nicely in this NPR article from 2014.
Dystopian lyrics carried along by a driving cinematic funk score, the song sounds like it could be the theme to a 70’s Blaxploitation adaption of Orwell’s novel. Not surprising since musically, it was heavily influenced by the work of soul legend Isaac Hayes, specifically his work on “Theme from Shaft” from 1971. This trend towards R&B would foreshadow Bowie’s attempt to capture the “Philly Soul” sound in the coming months. The tumultuous year in which this transition took place is chronicled nicely in this NPR article from 2014.
1970's Norwegian printing. Cover design by Peter Haars.
"1984” is not the only song on Diamond Dogs to cite Orwell’s seminal work. In fact, many of the songs on the album loosely form a concept that shares a similar theme, and a few, such as “Big Brother” and “We Are the Dead”, reference the book directly. This is because the album began life as what Bowie original intended to be a musical adaption of Orwell’s novel produced for television. Ultimately, that project fell apart but some of the songs survived and made their way onto the album as we know it. If you’d like to learn more about this lost project, Open Culture did a great piece on it earlier this year.
Whether you view “1984” as a glimpse into the future of what Bowie would soon become, or as a relic of his past ambitions, one thing is for certain, it’s a great song.
Bonus Track: Check out Bowie's legendary live performance of "1984" from The Dick Cavett Show on December 5, 1974.
Banned Books Week 2016: Celebrating our Freedom to Read (September 29th – October 1st)
Whether you view “1984” as a glimpse into the future of what Bowie would soon become, or as a relic of his past ambitions, one thing is for certain, it’s a great song.
Bonus Track: Check out Bowie's legendary live performance of "1984" from The Dick Cavett Show on December 5, 1974.
Banned Books Week 2016: Celebrating our Freedom to Read (September 29th – October 1st)
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