Today In Music History - Bowie Conquers The Atlantic

41 years ago today (May 21st 1983) David Bowie went to Number 1 on the charts in both the USA and the UK with his hit Lets Dance.

It was Bowie's first single to reach number one on both sides of the Atlantic. The dance hit was co-produced by Nile Rodgers of Chic and recorded in late 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. With the assistance of engineer Bob Clearmountain, Rodgers transformed the song from originally sounding folk rockish to a dance number through studio effects and new musicians Bowie had yet to work with. Bowie hired guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan who at the time was relatively unknown, who added a blues-edge.

The music video was made by David Mallet on location in Australia including a bar in Carinda in New South Wales, featured Bowie playing with his band while impassively watching an Aboriginal couple’s struggles against metaphors of Western cultural imperialism.

Whats your favourite Bowie hit?