David Bowie – Blue Jean (US 12″)
Posted by DjPaulT on January 20th, 2012
BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984
“Blue Jean” is a song from the album Tonight by David Bowie. One of only two tracks on the album to be written entirely by Bowie, it was released as a single ahead of the album.
Loosely inspired by Eddie Cochran, the song was an uncomplicated composition, recalling earlier Bowie rockers such as “The Jean Genie,” and is generally regarded as one of the better parts of a disappointing album.
Following the huge commercial success of Bowie’s previous album, Let’s Dance, its singles and the Serious Moonlight Tour, “Blue Jean” was launched with massive promotion. Julien Temple was engaged to direct a 21-minute short film to promote the song, Jazzin’ for Blue Jean. The song performance segment from this was also used as a more conventional music video.
“Blue Jean” was a hit in the UK and America, reaching No. 6 and No. 8, respectively.
The song would remain in Bowie’s live repertoire for the rest of his career, being performed on tours in 1987, 1990 and 2004.
Interviewed in 1987 and asked to compare a track like “Time Will Crawl” to “Blue Jean,” Bowie said “‘Blue Jean’ is a piece of sexist rock ‘n roll. [laughs] It’s about picking up birds. It’s not very cerebral, that piece.”
The flip side “Dancing with the Big Boys,” which Bowie also co-wrote with Iggy Pop, was written and recorded in eight hours as Bowie and Pop egged each other on. In what was described as an “exhilarating rush,” Bowie and Pop “went in [to the studio] with a few bottles of beer and would virtually bellow out anything that came into their heads,” said Hugh Padgham. “And I just recorded it all.” The song is about the “little guy” being crushed by “oppressive corporate structures.” The lyrics were taken from a backlog of unused lyrics; the line “this dot marks your location” was a reference to a “lengthy irritating stay” at a New York Hotel (Bowie had been looking at the hotel room’s fire escape map), and “Your family is a football team” was a reference to the immigrant families working in New York; “the whole family [has] to work together for survival.”
The track elicited this from Bowie:
There’s a particular sound I’m after that I haven’t really got yet; I’ll either crack it on the next album or retire from it. I think I got quite close to it on “Dancing with the Big Boys.” … I got very musical over the last couple of years – trying to write musically and develop things the way people used to write in the Fifties. I stayed away from experimentation. Now, I think I should be a bit more adventurous. And in “Big Boys,” Iggy and I broke away from all that for one track, and it came nearer to the sound I was looking for than anything else.
SIDE A:
Blue Jean (Extended Dance Mix) 5:16
Remix – John “Jellybean” BenitezWritten-By – David Bowie
SIDE B:
Dancing With The Boys (Extended Dance Mix) 7:28
Engineer [Remix] – Jay Burnette*Remix, Producer [Additional 12" Production] – Arthur Baker
Written-By – C. Alomar*, D. Bowie*, I. Pop*
Dancing With The Boys (Extended Dub Mix) 7:13
Engineer [Remix] – Jay Burnette*Remix, Producer [Additional 12" Production] – Arthur Baker
Written-By – C. Alomar*, D. Bowie*, I. Pop*
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
CHARTS:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Blue Jean | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #8 |
| 1984 | Blue Jean | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #2 |
| 1984 | Blue Jean | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | #2 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI America – V-7838-1/2
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock
Credits: Producer – David Bowie, Derek Bramble, Hugh Padgham
NOTES:
Album versions can be heard on “Tonight” SJ-17138
Find The 12″ On DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
PW: burningtheground
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January 20th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
great post , i love the b side!!
Thanks !
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DjPaulT Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
You’re welcome Drake. The b-side is super!
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January 20th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Another pleasant surprise coming from your great collection of 12 inches.Thank you for this one DjPaulT. You are the king of 12 inches. Also like the new look at the top of the site. It looks so classic 80′s to me.
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DjPaulT Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Sasomom thank you glad you like it
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January 20th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
BTG LIVE FOREVER!!!!
Thaaaannnnnnnkkkksssss
[Reply]
DjPaulT Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
You’re welcome Cdman!!
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January 20th, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Multiupload down? I’m getting no response:-(
[Reply]
DjPaulT Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Megaupload has been permanantly shut down you will have to use one of the other download links instead. Multiupload works fine for me.
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January 21st, 2012 at 1:08 am
yo mr.P ! excellent choice – I know the NLMD & Tonight Lp’s are derided as ‘Bowie on Corporate Auto-pilot’ but I love ‘em – I read that DB was pushed to record for his Post Let’s Dance ‘new fans’ & thats how they sound muddled directionless(to some!)
Also, I heard one idea was a Double Live album as the the follow-up to LD – although the ‘Dance’ e.p. (of Let’s Dance singles & others Remixed) wouldn’t have been sooooo bad an idea – I’d of bought it!
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January 21st, 2012 at 10:17 am
Thank you, Paul! Great choice
When the 12in first came out I remember being a bit disappointed there wasn’t a Jellybean Dub/Instrumental. He almost always did one. The record companies wouldn’t necessarily use them though.
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January 22nd, 2012 at 2:04 am
Hard to go wrong with music from 1984!
Thanks Paul!
And it’s double David! Fingers crossed for the third from 1985?
I’d sure be loving it.
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January 22nd, 2012 at 9:25 am
EXCELLENT!!! Great Bowie tracks!!!
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January 23rd, 2012 at 11:39 am
great post
looking for ages Bowie’s when the wind blows xtended and How do you stop by James Brown. Both xtra rare…
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theo Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 11:41 am
i mean “how do you stop maxi single”
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January 24th, 2012 at 1:14 am
Hi Paul. Thanks for another classic 12″ Do you possible have any of the 12″ mixes of the Never Let Me Down album – Title Track, Day In Day Out & Time Will Crawl.
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