"You Belong in Rock n' Roll" is a song by Anglo-American hard rock band

Tin Machine Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass ...

, released ahead of their second album in August 1991. The song was the band’s first release on Victory Records, which was distributed by

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

in the UK.

Background and recording

Recorded in 1989 after Tin Machine's first tour, the song spent a year in mixing and overdubs by guitarist

Reeves Gabrels Reeves Gabrels (born June 4, 1956) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. A member and guitarist of British band the Cure since 2012, Gabrels worked with David Bowie from 1987 to 1999, and was a member of the band Tin Machine. ...

, who was inspired by

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

' album ''

Pretty Hate Machine ''Pretty Hate Machine'' is the debut studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by TVT Records on October 20, 1989. Production of the record was handled by NIN frontman Trent Reznor and English producer Flood, among ...

'' (1989), saying that "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" started basically "as a bass song. I wanted to lay in some industrial stuff against it." Gabrels tried using an electric razor to influence the sound of his guitar for the song, but ended up instead using a vibrator that he bought from a local sex store. The single was launched with a barrage of publicity, including appearances on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'', where Gabrels chose to play his guitar with a bread roll, and ''

Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 until 1992, presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...

'', where the band again mimed, and this time Gabrels played his guitar with the vibrator, and lead vocalist

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 ...

visibly tired of the host’s patter. The single peaked at UK No. 33 – a disappointment, but it would be Tin Machine’s biggest hit single.

Track listing

7" version

# "You Belong in Rock 'n' Roll" (Bowie, Gabrels) – 3:33 # "Amlapura" (Indonesian version) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 3:49

12"/CD version 1

# "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" (Extended version) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 6:32 # "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" (LP version) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 4:07 # "Amlapura" (Indonesian version) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 3:49 # "

Shakin' All Over "Shakin' All Over" is a song originally performed by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. It was written by leader Johnny Kidd, and his original recording reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1960. The song is sometimes credited to Frederick ...

" (Live) (

Kidd Kidd may refer to: Places * Kidd (railway point), British Columbia, a former Canadian settlement * Kidd's Beach, a coastal town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa * Kidd Islands, Antarctic island grouping * Mount Kidd, a peak in the Canadian Roc ...

) – 2:49

CD version 2

# "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" (Bowie, Gabrels) – 3:33 # "Amlapura" (Indonesian version) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 3:49 # "Stateside" (H. Sales) – 5:38 # "Hammerhead" (Bowie, H. Sales) – 3:15

Credits and personnel

Producers *

Tim Palmer Timothy J. Palmer (born 4 October 1962, in North Shields) is an English record producer, audio engineer, guitarist and songwriter of rock music, rock and alternative rock, alternative music. He Audio mixing (recorded music), mixed Pearl Jam's d ...

Musicians *

– vocals, guitar,

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

– lead guitar *

Hunt Sales Hunt Sales (born March 2, 1954) is an American rock drummer, who has played with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop and Tin Machine with David Bowie. He has often worked with his brother Tony Sales, a bass guitarist. Personal life Hunt Sales is a son o ...

– drums, vocals *

Tony Sales Tony Fox Sales (born September 26, 1951) is an American rock musician and composer. Normally on bass guitar, Sales and his brother, Hunt Sales, have worked with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop, and in Tin Machine with David Bowie. Early life and career B ...

– bass, vocals * Kevin Armstrong – rhythm guitar

Live versions

* A live version recorded during the 1991 Tin Machine tour was released on the live album '' Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby'' in 1992.

Chart performance

References

* Pegg, Nicholas, ''The Complete David Bowie'', Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, {{Authority control Tin Machine songs 1991 songs 1991 singles Songs written by David Bowie Songs written by Reeves Gabrels London Records singles Victory Records singles