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"Modern Love"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Let's Dance
B-side	"Modern Love (Live)"
Released	September 1983
Format	7"/12" single
Recorded	Power Station, New York, December 1982
Genre	Rock/Pop/Dance
Length	3:56 (single) 4:46 (album)
Label	EMI America Records EA158
Writer(s)	David Bowie
Producer	Nile Rodgers, David Bowie
David Bowie singles chronology
"China Girl" (1983) "Modern Love" (1983) "Without You" (1983)
Let's Dance track listing "Modern Love" (1) "China Girl" (2)

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

Bowie has claimed the song is inspired by Little Richard, and it maintains the album's theme of a struggle between God and man. Some commentators noted the similarities between the track and Elton John's near-simultaneous hit "I'm Still Standing", although both parties admitted the songs were recorded at roughly the same time with no knowledge of the other, and it seems to be just a coincidence.

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 the 20 July 1983 concert in Philadelphia. A live version, recorded in Montreal on July 13, was on the B-side.

The single reached #2 in the UK, and #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100^[1]. It would be performed throughout the Serious Moonlight Tour, and feature in Bowie's set at Live Aid, later continuing on the Glass Spider and Sound+Vision tours. A re-recording with Tina Turner was also featured on an ill-fated Pepsi commercial.

Track listing

7": EMI America / EA 158 (UK)

1. "Modern Love [Edit]" (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

Charts

Production credits

Producers

• Nile Rodgers
• David Bowie

Musicians

• David Bowie: Vocals
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: Guitar on "Modern Love"^{[citation needed]}
• Nile Rodgers: Guitar on "Modern Love"
• Carmine Rojas: Bass
• Omar Hakim, Tony Thompson: Drums
• Rob Sabino: Keyboards on "Modern Love"
• Mac Gollehon: Trumpet
• Robert Aaron: Saxophone on "Modern Love"
• Stan Harrison, Steve Elson: Saxophone
• Sam Figueroa: Percussion
• Earl Slick: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)"
• Carlos Alomar: Guitar on "Modern Love (Live)"
• David LeBolt: Keyboards on "Modern Love (Live)"
• Lenny Pickett: Saxophone on "Modern Love (Live)"
• Frank Simms, George Simms: Backing vocals on "Modern Love (Live)"

Other album appearances

• It appears on the following compilations:
  • Changesbowie (1990)
  • Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
  • The Singles Collection (1993)
  • Best of Bowie (2002)

Cover versions

• Butthole Cruisers - Ashes to Ashes: A Tribute to David Bowie (1998)
• The Rockridge Synthesiser Orchestra - Plays Classic David Bowie Trax
• Simultaneous Discs - Loving the Alien: Athens Georgia Salutes David Bowie
• Astrid Young - Spiders from Venus: Indie Women Artists and Female-Fronted Bands Cover David Bowie (2003)
• The Last Town Chorus - Wire Waltz (2006); featured on the television series Grey's Anatomy and The Learning Channel's ad campaign for Diana: Last Day of a Princess.
• Starlit - .2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie (2006)
• Matchbox Twenty - live version on Exile on Mainstream (2007)
• Kish Mauve (2006)
• Syme
• John Frusciante - Done in Paradiso, Netherlands (2001)
• Billy Talent - live at FUMS (2007)
• Geva Alon - The Wall of Sound (2007)
• Marie Mazziotti - This Time From the Heart (2000); featured in the film JCVD (2008).
• The Matinees - Make The Leap (2009)
• Cursive - Daytrotter Session (2009)
• Raphaël - Taratata (10/02/10)

References

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