David Bowie Boys Keep Swinging - Fantastic Voyage (1979 Japan) estimated value € 35.00
Label: RCA – SS-3215 (PB 1585)
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Recorded at: September 1978: The initial backing tracks were recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland > March 1979: Vocals and final overdubs were completed at The Record Plant in New York City
Released: 1979
Country: Japan
Recording and release
"Boys Keep Swinging" was released as a single from the album Lodger on 27 April 1979.
During the Lodger recording sessions, Bowie had wanted to capture a garage band style for the track, and agreed with Brian Eno that the best way to achieve this sound was to get the band to swap instruments after this was 'suggested' by Eno's deck of 'Oblique Strategies' cards which supplied the suggestion "Reverse Roles". Guitarist Carlos Alomar played drums and drummer Dennis Davis played bass.
Track listing
Side A – Boys Keep Swinging – 3:17
Music / Text: David Bowie, Brian Eno
Producer: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Side B – Fantastic Voyage – 2:55
Music / Text: David Bowie, Brian Eno
Producer: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Description
Media Condition
Media: Near Mint (NM)
Sleeve: Near Mint (NM)
Ring wear: No
All three seams perfect: Yes
Picture sleeve near mint: Yes
Creases/folds: No
Stamps or writing: No
"Boys Keep Swinging" has exactly the same chord sequence as the song "Fantastic Voyage" from the same album ("Fantastic Voyage" was also the B-side to the single of "Boys Keep Swinging").
RCA decided against releasing the single in the US, choosing "Look Back in Anger" instead. Bowie performed the track with a puppet body special effect on Saturday Night Live on 15 December 1979, joined by Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias as backing singers. During the broadcast NBC censors muted the lines "life's a pop o'the cherry" and "other boys check you out", but failed to notice the puppet's bouncing phallus at the close of the song.
The song reached No. 7 in the UK, returning Bowie to the top 10 of the Singles chart for the first time since "Sound and Vision" in February 1977. It was performed only during one tour, the 1995 Outside Tour.
Interviewed in 2000, Bowie said the following about the song: "I do not feel that there is anything remotely glorious about being either male or female. I was merely playing on the idea of the colonization of gender."
Production credits
Producers:
Tony Visconti
David Bowie
Musicians
David Bowie: lead vocals, guitar on "Boys Keep Swinging", piano on "Fantastic Voyage"
Adrian Belew: guitar on "Boys Keep Swinging", mandolin on "Fantastic Voyage"
Dennis Davis: bass guitar on "Boys Keep Swinging", percussion on "Fantastic Voyage"
Tony Visconti: bass guitar on "Boys Keep Swinging", mandolin on "Fantastic Voyage", backing vocals on "Fantastic Voyage"
Carlos Alomar: drums on "Boys Keep Swinging"
Brian Eno: piano on "Boys Keep Swinging", ambient drone on "Fantastic Voyage"
Simon House: violin on "Boys Keep Swinging", mandolin on "Fantastic Voyage"
Sean Mayes: piano on "Fantastic Voyage"
Key Production Details
Instrument Swapping: To achieve a raw "garage band" sound, Bowie used Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies cards, which suggested "reverse roles". Consequently, guitarist Carlos Alomar played drums and drummer Dennis Davis played bass (though producer Tony Visconti later overdubbed the bass to ensure it was usable).
Collaboration: The track was co-produced by David Bowie and Tony Visconti, featuring a prominent guitar solo by Adrian Belew.
Album and Release: It was the lead single for the album Lodger (the final part of the Berlin Trilogy) and was released on April 27, 1979.
Notable Performances
The Kenny Everett Video Show: A separate version was recorded on April 8–9, 1979, at Good Earth Studios in London specifically for this television broadcast.
Saturday Night Live: Bowie performed the song on December 15, 1979, using a puppet-body special effect to obscure the live broadcast censors