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Let's Dance
Studio album by David Bowie
Released	14 April 1983 (1983-04-14)
Recorded	Power Station, New York, December 1982
Genre	Pop rock, dance
Length	39:41
Label	EMI America Records (1983) Virgin Records (1995) EMI (1999)
Producer	David Bowie and Nile Rodgers
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Blender [1] Robert Christgau (B) link Rolling Stone link
David Bowie chronology
Christiane F. (1981) Let's Dance (1983) Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture (1983)

Let's Dance is an album by David Bowie, released in 1983. It is a post-disco album with co-production by Chic's Nile Rodgers. The first three songs on the album, "Modern Love", "China Girl", and its title track, respectively, have become standards and three of Bowie's 80's classics. "China Girl" was actually a new version of a song which Bowie had co-written with Iggy Pop for the latter's album The Idiot. Let's Dance is also notable as a stepping stone for the career of the late Texas blues guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan, who played on the album. It was also available as a limited edition Picture Disc which on one side shows the album front cover photo along with the track listing, while on the other side it says "Serious Moonlight Tour '83" along with a concert photo.

Track listing

All tracks written by David Bowie except as noted.

1. "Modern Love" – 4:46
2. "China Girl" (Bowie, Iggy Pop) – 5:32
3. "Let's Dance" – 7:38
4. "Without You" – 3:08
5. "Ricochet" – 5:14
6. "Criminal World" (Peter Godwin, Duncan Browne, Sean Lyons) – 4:25
7. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (Bowie, Giorgio Moroder) – 5:09
8. "Shake It" – 3:49

Reissues

In 1995 Virgin Records re-released the album on CD with "Under Pressure" as a bonus track. EMI did the second re-release in 1999 (featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks).

The Canadian version of the 1999 EMI release includes a data track, so that when the CD is loaded on a Windows PC, the user is presented with a promotion of internet access services and other premium content from the davidbowie.com website. This marks one of the earliest attempts by a mainstream artist to combine internet and normal promotion and distribution methods.

There was a further reissue in 2003 when EMI released the album as a hybrid stereo SACD / PCM CD.

Personnel

Performance

• David Bowie – lead vocals, saxophone, guitar, keyboards
• Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
• Omar Hakim, Tony Thompson – drums
• Nile Rodgers – guitar
• Stevie Ray Vaughan – lead guitar
• Rob Sabino – keyboards
• Mac Gollehon – trumpet
• Robert Aaron, Stan Harrison – tenor saxophone, flute
• Steve Elson – baritone saxophone, flute
• Sammy Figueroa – percussion
• Frank Simms, George Simms, David Spinner – backing vocals
• David Bowie, Nile Rodgers – horn arrangements
• Bernard Edwards – bass guitar on "Without You"

Technical

• David Bowie – producer
• Nile Rodgers – producer
• Bob Clearmountain, Nile Rodgers, David Bowie – engineering/mixing
• Bob Ludwig - mastering

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Peak Position
1983	Billboard Pop Albums	4 [2]
1983	UK Albums Chart	1 [3]
1983	Norway's album chart	1
1983	Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart	1

Single

Year	Single	Chart	Peak Position
1983	"Let's Dance"	UK Singles Chart	1 [3]
1983	"Let's Dance"	Norway's single chart	1
1983	"Let's Dance"	US Billboard Hot 100	1
1983	"China Girl"	Norway's single chart	7

Notes