David Bowie - Fame

First performance: 19/05/1978


Coverinfo

1978-05-19 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
 
Bruce played an instrumental snippet during the "Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour rehearsals" with no members of the public present.
 

Songinfo

"Fame" is a song recorded by David Bowie, initially released in 1975. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, it was a hit in North America, becoming Bowie's first number 1 single in the Canadian Singles Chart as well as the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. With the Young Americans sessions mostly concluded by late 1974, the material was delayed while Bowie extricated himself from his contract with manager Tony Defries. During this time, he was staying in New York City, where he met John Lennon. The pair jammed together, leading to a one-day session at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. There, Carlos Alomar had developed a guitar riff for Bowie's cover of "Footstompinby the Flairs, which Bowie thought was "a waste" to give to a cover. Lennon, who was in the studio with them, sang "aim" over the riff, which Bowie turned into "Fame" and he thereafter wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song. Lennon's voice is heard interjecting the falsetto "Fame" throughout the song. 
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

2016-01-16 - CONSOL ENERGY CENTER, PITTSBURGH

Bruce played the song ' Rebel Rebel'  as a tribute after David Bowie’s passing in 2016:
 
intro to the song:
 
"He supported our music way, way, way back in the early beginning. In 1973 he rang me up and I visited him in Philly where he was making the Young Americans record. He covered some of my music, It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City and Growin' Up, when he was a big supporter of ours. I took a Greyhound bus down to Philadelphia. That's how early it was. Anyway, we're thinking of him."
In 1973, Bowie was the first artist to cover Springsteen (Growin'up) with Ronny Wood on guitar, during the Diamond Dog sessions.   
 
Tweet:  
 
"Over here on E Street, we’re feeling the great loss of David Bowie. David was a visionary artist and an early supporter of our music. Always changing and ahead of the curve, he was an artist whose excellence you aspired to. He will be sorely missed.  - Bruce
 
 
  

Lyrics

Fame makes a man take things over
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) what you need you have to borrow Fame
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