Beauty and the Beast (David Bowie song)

"Beauty and the Beast"
Single by David Bowie from the album "Heroes"
B-side	"Sense of Doubt"
Released	6 January 1978
Format	7" single 12" single (US promo, Spain)
Recorded	Hansa Studio by the Wall, West Berlin July-August 1977
Genre	Rock, Krautrock, Electronic
Length	3:32 5:18 (12" extended version)
Label	RCA Records PB 1190 PC 1204 (12" Spain) JD 11204 (12" US promo)
Producer	David Bowie, Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"Heroes" (1977) "Beauty and the Beast" (1978) "Breaking Glass" (1978)
"Heroes" track listing
"Beauty and the Beast" (1) "Joe the Lion" (2)

"Beauty and the Beast" is a song by David Bowie, the first track on his 1977 album "Heroes". It was issued as the second single from the album in January 1978, becoming a minor UK hit.

Contents 1 Music and lyrics 2 Release and aftermath 3 Track listing 3.1 7" single 3.2 12" single 4 Production credits 5 Live versions 6 Other releases 7 Notes 8 References

Music and lyrics

The opening music, a disjointed combination of piano, guitar, electronics and voice rising steadily to a crescendo, has been described as sounding like "Bowie is about to turn into The Incredible Hulk before your very ears".^[1] The song proper features Robert Fripp on lead guitar, with treatments and synthesizer work by Brian Eno. The lyrics have been interpreted as a look back at Bowie's severe mood swings during his cocaine addiction while living in Los Angeles from 1975 to 1976, with the line "Thank God Heaven left us standing on our feet" suggesting the singer's gratitude for making it through that period.^[2] The phrase "someone fetch a priest" alludes not to a desire for religious succour but to co-producer Tony Visconti's frequent expletive during the recording sessions for "Heroes", "someone fuck a priest".^[2]

Release and aftermath

The follow-up single to ""Heroes"", "Beauty and the Beast" was considered an unconventional choice for release,^[2] reflected in it just scraping into the UK Top 40. NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray remarked that its "jarring, threatening edge (and it was one of the most menacing singles of a menacing year) obviously put off a great many of the floating singles buyers attracted by the intoxicating romanticism of its immediate predecessor".^[1] The US release failed to chart, despite being augmented by a promo 12" single featuring Bowie's earlier US #1 hit "Fame" on the B-side. Bowie has only performed the song live on his 1978 tour, with a version appearing on Stage.

Track listing

7" single

1. "Beauty and the Beast" (David Bowie) – 3:32
2. "Sense of Doubt" (Bowie) – 3:57

12" single

1. "Beauty and the Beast" (Bowie) – 5:18
2. "Fame" (Bowie, John Lennon, Carlos Alomar) – 3:30

Production credits

• Producers:
  • Tony Visconti
  • David Bowie
• Musicians:
  • David Bowie: Vocals, Guitar, Saxophone, Keyboards
  • Robert Fripp: Guitar
  • George Murray: Bass
  • Dennis Davis: Drums
  • Brian Eno: Synthesizer

Live versions

• A version recorded on the Heroes tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum in April 1978, was released on the live album Stage.

Other releases

• It appeared on the following compilations:
  • Chameleon (Australia and New Zealand 1979)
  • The Singles Collection (1993)
  • The Best of 1974/1979 (1998)
• It was released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set.

Notes

References

• Beauty and the Beast at the Illustrated db Discography
• Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5