"Word on a Wing" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

in 1975 for the ''

Station to Station ''Station to Station'' is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 23 January 1976 through RCA Records. Regarded as one of his most significant works, the album was the vehicle for Bowie's performance person ...

'' album, where it appears as the closing track of the LP's first side. Bowie admits that the song was written out of a coke-addled spiritual despair that he experienced while filming ''

The Man Who Fell to Earth ''The Man Who Fell to Earth'' is a 1976 British science fiction drama film directed by Nicolas Roeg and written by Paul Mayersberg. Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 novel of the same name, the film follows an extraterrestrial (Thomas Jerome Newt ...

''. In 1980 Bowie spoke of the song to ''NME'', claiming "There were days of such psychological terror when making the Roeg film that I nearly started to approach my reborn, born again thing. It was the first time I'd really seriously thought about

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

and

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

in any depth, and 'Word on a Wing' was a protection. It did come as a complete revolt against elements that I found in the film. The passion in the song was genuine... something I needed to produce from within myself to safeguard myself against some of the situations I felt were happening on the film set." During the time of recording this song Bowie began to wear a silver crucifix given to him by his father, stating in ''NME'' in 1980 "I wear it, I'm not sure why I wear it now even. But at the time I really needed this". A Kirlian photograph of this crucifix featured on tour material around the ''Station to Station'' album, in art for his 1997 album '' Earthling'', and cover art for " Little Wonder".

Live versions

* A live version recorded at Nassau Coliseum, Long Island on 23 March 1976 was first released as a bonus track on the 1991

Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first Compact Disc, CD-only independ ...

CD release of ''Station to Station''. The same performance was included on the album ''

Live Nassau Coliseum '76 ''Live Nassau Coliseum '76'' is a live album by David Bowie recorded on 23 March 1976 during Bowie's Isolar Tour in support of the album ''Station to Station''. The recording was first released in September 2010, as part of special and deluxe e ...

'', which was released as part of the 2010 reissues of the ''

'' album, in the 2016 collection ''

Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) ''Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 23 September 2016, focused on the artist's "American Phase". A follow-up to the 2015 compilation '' Five Years (1969–1973)'', ''Who Can I ...

'', and as a stand–alone album in 2017. * After regular appearances on the

Isolar – 1976 Tour The David Bowie Isolar – 1976 Tour was a concert tour in support of the album ''Station to Station''. It opened on 2 February 1976 at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, and continued through North America and Europe, concluding at the Pavillo ...

, "Word on a Wing" remained under wraps for over twenty years. Bowie revived the song in 1999, initially during his episode of the

VH1 Storytellers ''Storytellers'' is a television music series produced by the VH1 network. In each episode, artists perform in front of a (mostly small and intimate) live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat ...

television music series, when Bowie reaffirmed that the song was a product of "the darkest days of my life... I'm sure it was a call for help," noting that he spent much of 1975-76 pondering such questions as "Do the dead interest themselves in the affairs of the living?" and "Can I change the channel on my T.V. without using the clicker?"

Other releases

* An edit of the song was released as the B-side of the single "

Stay Stay may refer to: Places * Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US Law * Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment * Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tri ...

" in July 1976. The single version is included on ''Re:Call 2'', part of the ''

'' compilation released in 2016.

Personnel

– lead vocals,

chamberlin The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by the American inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. There are severa ...

Warren Peace Geoffrey Alexander MacCormack, better known as Warren Peace, is an English vocalist, composer and dancer best known for his work with David Bowie in the 1970s. Musical career A long-time friend of Bowie since their schooldays in Bromley, Peace ...

– percussion, backing vocals *

Roy Bittan Roy J. Bittan (born July 2, 1949) is an American musician best known as a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Professor", Bittan joined the E Street Band in 1974. He plays the piano, organ, accordion and synthe ...

– piano, organ *

Earl Slick Earl Slick (born Frank Madeloni in Brooklyn, New York, October 1, 1952) is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Robert Smith. He has also worked with other artists including John Waite, Tim ...

– lead guitar * George Murray – bass guitar *

Carlos Alomar Carlos Alomar (born 7 May 1951) is a Puerto Rican guitarist. He is best known for his work with David Bowie from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, having played on more Bowie albums than any musician other than pianist Mike Garson. He has als ...

– rhythm guitar *

Dennis Davis Dennis Davis (August 28, 1949 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, playing on ten albums - including seven successive studio albums - during the singer's classic mid- and lat ...

– drums *

Harry Maslin Harry Maslin is an American record producer, recording/mixing engineer, and studio owner/designer. In the mid-1970s, he engineered No. 1 hits for Barry Manilow (" Mandy"), and Dionne Warwick & The Spinners (" Then Came You"). As a producer, his c ...

– synthesizers,

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

References

{{Authority control David Bowie songs 1976 songs Blue-eyed soul songs Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by David Bowie