Bowie developed an interest in music from an early age. He studied art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity", released in 1969, was his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie's single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK fans but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. In 1977, he again changed direction with the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.
After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had three number-one hits: the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure" (a 1981 collaboration with Queen). He achieved massive commercial success in the 1980s starting with Let's Dance (1983). Between 1988 and 1992, he fronted the hard rock band Tin Machine before resuming his solo career in 1993. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death from liver cancer at his home in New York City. He died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum, eleven gold and eight silver album certifications, and released 11 number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest artists in history. As of 2022, Bowie was the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie
Studio albums
David Bowie (1967)
David Bowie/Space Oddity (1969)
The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Hunky Dory (1971)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Aladdin Sane (1973)
Pin Ups (1973)
Diamond Dogs (1974)
Young Americans (1975)
Station to Station (1976)
Low (1977)
"Heroes" (1977)
Lodger (1979)
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Let's Dance (1983)
Tonight (1984)
Never Let Me Down (1987)
Black Tie White Noise (1993)
The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)
Outside (1995)
Earthling (1997)
Hours (1999)
Heathen (2002)
Reality (2003)
The Next Day (2013)
Blackstar (2016)
Fame '90 Remix
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fame lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame puts you there where things are hollow (fame)
Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame
That burns your change to keep you insane (fame)
Fame, (fame) what you like is in the limo
Fame, (fame) what you get is no tomorrow
Fame, (fame) it's mine, it's mine, it's just his line
To bind your time, it drives you to crime (fame)
Is it any wonder I reject you first?
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool? (fame)
Fame, bully for you, chilly for me
Got to get a rain check on pain (fame)
Fame
Fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame
Fame, what's your name?
Fame
In David Bowie's "Fame '90 Remix," the lyrics explore the idea of fame and the effects it has on individuals who attain it. Bowie sings about fame giving someone power and control over others, but at the same time, it also causes them to lose touch with reality. He suggests that fame can be intoxicating and drives people to do things they otherwise would not do. The lyrics mention fame being a flame that consumes and changes a person, leading them to commit acts of crime. The concept of borrowing and needing to borrow in order to maintain fame is also emphasized. Bowie's lyrics highlight the negative aspects of fame and how it can lead to a person losing themselves and their sanity in the process.
Overall, the song suggests that the pursuit of fame may lead to a loss of oneself and one's sanity. The lyrics convey the message that fame may look glamorous and desirable from the outside, but ultimately it can be detrimental to a person's well-being. Bowie's lyrics in "Fame '90 Remix" offer a unique perspective on fame that is not often discussed in popular culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Fame makes a man take things over
Fame gives a man the power to control things
Fame lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame makes a man feel free, but it's difficult to handle
Fame puts you there where things are hollow (fame)
Fame takes you to a place where everything feels empty and meaningless
Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame
Fame isn't about intelligence or talent, it's just about the attention it brings
That burns your change to keep you insane (fame)
The constant need for fame can exhaust and even drive a person crazy
Fame, (fame) what you like is in the limo
Fame can provide materialistic pleasures which may be short-lived and superficial
Fame, (fame) what you get is no tomorrow
The fame one has today may disappear tomorrow without warning
Fame, (fame) what you need you have to borrow Fame
Often, the fame one has is not enough, and they have to rely on others to get more of it
Fame, (fame) it's mine, it's mine, it's just his line
Fame belongs only to oneself, but it's just a superficial concept created by society
To bind your time, it drives you to crime (fame)
Being famous can make you feel as if your life is constrained by time, and this pressure can lead to making rash, illegal decisions
Is it any wonder I reject you first?
Is it a surprise that one would reject fame before it rejects them?
Fame, fame, fame, fame
The repetition of 'fame' emphasizes its importance and the constant desire for it
Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool? (fame)
Is it any wonder that famous people often become aloof in order to protect themselves from those who try to take advantage of them?
Fame, bully for you, chilly for me
Fame is a great thing for some, but for others, it can be cold and unforgiving
Got to get a rain check on pain (fame)
Fame can help you avoid pain for a limited time, but eventually, one will have to face it
Fame
The one-word line again emphasizes the importance and the constant presence of fame
Fame, fame, fame
Repetition of the word 'fame' again highlights its significance
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Another repetition of the word 'fame' to emphasize its hold over people
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Yet another repetition of the word 'fame' to drive home its importance
Fame, fame, fame
The final repetition of the word 'fame' to end the song with its lingering presence
Fame, what's your name?
The final line is a reminder that fame is just a concept created by society and that it doesn't define a person's true identity or worth
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Carlos Alomar, David Bowie, John Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RME76048
This is the best remix of any song ever. The production breathes and has so much depth and space in it. Amazing.
Jasmine Reynolds
That's my old mate Louis Scalise engineering, with Arthur Baker. He now works as an electrician since the work dried up.
stanley davis
The man,the legend ,
Truly a genius
Wing Nut
Hats off to Alomar for creating this hook. Long live Bowie!
VintageGuy1
Killer mix!
trfesok
In my Bowie playlist with a cover by Eurythmics. Thanks for the upload!
AutomatikSystematik
Love this version! Sounds so much better.
Ethan Obremski
awesome song! luv the beginnig! love the rythem! like care-free gangster.
edgardo gregorini
Fame 90`s Remix, appears on the compilation album "Changebowie" Released in 1990.
Toby Richmond
This exact remix was in the hit movie Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, that same year, (1990). Arguably the best track on the soundtrack for the movie too.
I have the 12" of this version. It has at least 3 other mixes on it, but this one is my favourite and has dated better than the others too. The worst is a version with Queen Latifah rapping on it, it's truly cringeworthy and ruins the track.
P.S. Among so many nice touches on this remix, (it's called the GASS Remix) is that little flute riff that pops up a few times, really fits in well.