Loving the Alien

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For other uses, see Loving the Alien (disambiguation).
"Loving the Alien"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Tonight
B-side Don't Look Down
Released May 1985
Format 7"/12" single
Recorded Le Studio, Morin Heights, May 1984
Genre Pop rock
Length 7:11 (album version)
4:43 (single remix)
Label EMI
EA195
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"This Is Not America"
(1985)		 "Loving the Alien"
(1985)		 "Dancing in the Street"
(1985)
7" Picture Disc Cover
EAP 195 (UK)
12" Picture Disc Cover
SEAV-7860 (US)

"Loving the Alien" is a track from the album Tonight by David Bowie. One of two tracks on the album written solely by Bowie, the song was released as a single in May 1985, nine months after the release of "Blue Jean" as a single, and eight months after the release of the album. The single performed well, reaching No. 19 in the UK.

Background

As a demo track, the song was simply called "1". Bowie said "'Alien' came about because of my feeling that so much history is wrong - as is being rediscovered all the time - and that we base so much on the wrong knowledge that we've gleaned."[1] He recorded the demo in Montreux, Switzerland.[2] He would later comment that the production on the song undid the power of the lyric, saying he preferred the demo version.[3]

Bowie performed the track on his 1987 Glass Spider Tour.[3] On the Reality Tour in 2003 and 2004, he again performed this track, but this time a stripped down version with only Bowie on vocals and Gerry Leonard on guitar; in the film of the tour, Bowie remarked that this arrangement was perhaps "the way it should have always been done."

Track listing

7": EMI America / EA 195 / EAP 195 (UK)

  1. "Loving the Alien" (Re-mixed version) (Bowie) – 4:43
  2. "Don't Look Down" (Re-mixed version) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:04
  • The 7" was released in a gatefold sleeve that contained still images from the video on the inside and back covers.
  • The 7" shaped picture disc (EAP 195) contained the same tracks (a very small number of these were pressed on translucent amber vinyl).

12": EMI America SEAV-7860 / 12EA 195 / 12EAP 195 (UK)

  1. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dance Mix) (Bowie) – 7:27
  2. "Don't Look Down" (Extended Dance Mix) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:50
  3. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dub Mix) (Bowie) – 7:14
  • The 12" single was released in a gatefold sleeve that covered in images from the video. The lyrics to "Loving the Alien" were also printed on the inner sleeve. A "limited" version of the 12" single also included a fold-out poster.
  • Also available as a picture disc.
  • Re-mixed by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero.
  • The Extended Dance Mix of Loving The Alien is very similar to the album version, the differences include a remixing of the marimba, an added drum break and an extra instrumental passage between the first chorus and second verse.
  • The Extended Dub Mix is a stripped-down version of the track with full vocals.

Download: EMI / iEA 195 (UK)

  1. "Loving the Alien" (Re-mixed version) (Bowie) – 4:43
  2. "Don't Look Down" (Re-mixed version) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:04
  3. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dance Mix) (Bowie) – 7:27
  4. "Loving the Alien" (Extended Dub Mix) (Bowie) – 7:14
  5. "Don't Look Down" (Extended Dance Mix) (Pop, Williamson) – 4:50
  • Released in 2007

Music video

The lavish video was co-directed by Bowie with David Mallet.

Charts

Chart (1985) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 19
Irish Singles Chart 9
Australian Kent Report Singles Chart 65
German Singles Chart 27

Production credits

Producers
Musicians

Other releases

Cover versions

The Scumfrog vs Bowie

"The Scumfrog vs Bowie : Loving the Alien"
File:The Scumfrog vs Bowie - Loving the Alien.jpg
Single by David Bowie; The Scumfrog
A-side "Loving the Alien"
B-side "8 Days, 7 Hours"
Released 2002
Format CD
Length 3:20 (single version)
Label Nettwerk America

In 2002 the Dutch producer The Scumfrog made a club mix of the song and released it as a single together with the original video of the song.

Track listing

  1. "Loving the Alien (Radio edit)" - 3:20
  2. "Loving the Alien (Original Club mix)" - 8:23
  3. "8 Days, 7 Hours (by Scumfrog)" - 7:43
  4. "Loving the Alien (video)"

References

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  • A Reality Tour, 2004
  • Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5

External links

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