Modern Love (song)

"Modern Love"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Let's Dance
B-side "Modern Love (Live)"
Released September 1983
Format
Recorded December 1982
Studio Power Station, Manhattan, New York City
Genre
Length 3:56 (single)
4:46 (album)
Label EMI America – EA158
Songwriter(s) David Bowie
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"China Girl"
(1983)		 "Modern Love"
(1983)		 "Without You"
(1983)

"China Girl"
(1983)		 "Modern Love"
(1983)		 "Without You"
(1983)
Music video
"Modern Love" on YouTube

"Modern Love" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie. It was the opening track to his fifteenth studio album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983.

Bowie claimed the song was inspired by Little Richard, and it maintains the album's theme of a struggle between God and man. The line "Get me to the church on time" from the lyrics is the title of "Get Me to the Church on Time" from My Fair Lady.

By the time "Modern Love" was issued and edited as a single, Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour was underway. The track had become a popular encore on the tour, and Jim Yukich's video for the song used footage of Bowie and his band performing the song from concert in Philadelphia on 20 July 1983. A live version, recorded in Montreal on 13 July, was on the B-side.

The single reached No. 2 in the UK, and No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[4] As well as being a staple of the tour, it featured in Bowie's set at Live Aid in 1985, and in his subsequent Glass Spider Tour and Sound+Vision Tour of 1987 and 1990. A re-recording with Tina Turner was also featured on a Pepsi commercial in 1987.[5]

Formats and track listings

7": EMI America / EA 158 (UK)

  1. "Modern Love [Edit]" (David Bowie) – 3:56
  2. "Modern Love [Live]" (Bowie) – 3:43

12": EMI America / 12EA 158 (UK)

  1. "Modern Love" (Bowie) – 4:46
  2. "Modern Love [Live]" (Bowie) – 3:43

Credits and personnel

Production

  • David Bowie – producer
  • Nile Rodgers – producer

Chart performance

Chart (1983–2016) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 3
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[9] 3
Canada (RPM 50 Singles)[10] 2
France (SNEP)[11] 71
Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 27
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 3
Israel (Media Forest)[14] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 6
Poland (Polish Singles Chart)[18] 17
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 17
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 14
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[21] 6

Certifications

Country/Region Certification Sales
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver >200,000[22]

Other album appearances

Movies

TV

  • Featured on the soundtrack of the Season 1 episode titled "Wedding" in New Girl.
  • The Venture Bros.'s David Bowie character (voiced by James Urbaniak) quoted the first line of this song "I know when to go out" in the episode "Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I)"
  • Used as the opening theme for WWF All-Star Wrestling from 1984 to 1986.
  • Used in the last episode of My Mad Fat Diary (S2, E7).
  • Used in the second episode of Deutschland 83 (S1, E2).
  • Used in the fourth episode of Dead of Summer. The song also gives the name of the episode.
  • Featured on BBC's Homes Under the Hammer on January 7, 2016.
  • Featured on BBC's Match of the Day on 13 January 2016 - the first edition of the programme following Bowie's death.
  • Featured in the first episode of Dynasty (2017).
  • Featured in the second episode of A Million Little Things.

Covers

  • Chris Brokaw included an instrumental, classical guitar version of Bowie's "Modern Love" in his 2017 album The Hand That Wrote This Letter.
  • Biffy Clyro covered "Modern Love" in February 2018 for "The Howard Stern Tribute to David Bowie". It was hosted by Tony Visconti, David's longtime producer. [25]

Rock Band music gaming platform

It was made available to download on 25 January 2011 for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform in both Basic rhythm, and PRO mode which utilizes real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to vocals.

References

  1. ↑ Thompson, Dave. "David Bowie - Modern Love song review". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "David Bowie: Album guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Breihan, Tom (19 January 2016). "Greg Dulli – "Modern Love" (David Bowie Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  4. ↑ Joel Whitburn (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  5. ↑ Williamson, Laura (12 November 2009). "EXCLUSIVE: Didier Drogba unleashed... the shocking, other side of the Chelsea striker". Dailymail.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Buskin, Richard (April 2005). "CLASSIC TRACKS: Chic 'Le Freak'". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  7. ↑ bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Modern Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Modern Love - DAVID BOWIE". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 3
  10. ↑ "Top Singles - Volume 39, No. 10, November 05 1983". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste". Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc (in French). InfoDisc.fr. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "David Bowie"
  12. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – David Bowie – Modern Love". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. Retrieved 29 July 2013. 2nd result when searching "Modern love"
  14. ↑ "Media Forest weekly chart (year 2016 week 02)". Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – David Bowie - Modern Love" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – David Bowie – Modern Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Charts.nz – David Bowie – Modern Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "MODERN LOVE - David Bowie". Nowe Media, Polskie Radio S.A. LP3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – David Bowie – Modern Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Let's Dance awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  22. ↑ https://www.bpi.co.uk/bpi-awards/ type modern love and search
  23. ↑ "Adventureland review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  24. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Hot Tub Time Machine [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  25. ↑ Stern, Howard. "The Howard Stern Tribute to David Bowie". Howard Stern.
  • Nicholas Pegg The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5
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