Modern Love (song)



"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 the same-named tune 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. 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 and Sound+Vision tours of 1987 and 1990. A re-recording with Tina Turner was also featured on a Pepsi commercial in 1987.

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 – vocals
 * Stevie Ray Vaughan – guitar
 * Nile Rodgers – guitar
 * Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
 * Tony Thompson – drums
 * Robert Sabino – keyboards; piano
 * Robert Aaron – saxophone
 * Stan Harrison – saxophone
 * Steve Elson – saxophone
 * Sam Figueroa – percussion
 * David Bowie – producer
 * Nile Rodgers – producer

Other album appearances

 * The song has appeared on several compilations, almost always in its single edit form:
 * Changesbowie (1990)
 * Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)
 * The Singles Collection (1993)
 * Best of Bowie (2002)
 * Sound + Vision (2003 and later editions) – live B-side version
 * The Platinum Collection (2006)
 * The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007)
 * Nothing Has Changed (2014) (3-disc, 2-disc, and vinyl editions)
 * Bowie Legacy (2016) (2-disc and vinyl editions)

Movies

 * Featured in the opening credits of Couples Retreat (2009).
 * Featured in the soundtrack of Adventureland (2009).
 * Featured prominently in Leos Carax's Mauvais Sang (1986).
 * Heard on the radio in Hot Tub Time Machine (2010).
 * Featured in the film Frances Ha (2013).
 * Featured in the Brazilian film The Way He Looks (2014).
 * Featured in the film The Business (2005).
 * Featured in the film "Sleeping with Other People" (2015).

TV

 * Featured on the soundtrack of the Season 1 episode titled "Wedding" in New Girl.
 * The Venture Bros. 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 (S1, E4). 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.

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.