Black Tie White Noise (song)

"Black Tie White Noise" is the title track from British singer-songwriter and actor David Bowie's 1993 album of the same name. Featuring guest vocals by Al B. Sure!, it was produced by Nile Rodgers and released as the second single from the album in June 1993.

Background

The track was inspired by Bowie's stay in Los Angeles in April 1992, when the city saw race riots in reaction to the Rodney King incident."Bowie's Wedding Album" by David Wild, Rolling Stone magazine, 21 January 1993, page 14 It is the epitome of its parent album's feelings towards conformity and corporations, with Benetton and the saccharine charity single "We Are the World" among the targets. Bowie would later explain that the track was concerned with the black community's own identity, and how it didn't need to be absorbed into the white community.

It is among the most jazz- and soul-influenced tracks on the album, highlighted by the key vocal of Al B. Sure!, although Lenny Kravitz was reportedly Bowie's first choice for the duet. Essentially a rhythm and blues tune, the song ultimately reinforced the feeling of Bowie's tendency as a chameleon of musical styles.

Release

Released as the album's second single, "Black Tie White Noise" was a top 40 hit in Britain and subsequently reached No. 36 in the UK chart and No. 74 in Australia.

Critical reception

Alan Jones from ''Music Week'' wrote, "This oddly churning but attractive track is a little too slow for current dancefloor tastes. Not as instant as many of Bowie's bigger hits, it will need a lot to push it into the top end of the chart. A moderate hit." James Hamilton from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update described it as a "gloomy slow roller". Leesa Daniels from '' Smash Hits'' gave it five out of five, saying, "This is the title track from his new album and it's fabulous. Funky and soulful – and you could listen to it again and again and never get bored. Genius."

Music video

A music video for this piece was produced by Mark Romanek, featuring a montage of African-American youth playing in urban Los Angeles, while intercut with scenes of Bowie in a blue suit with his saxophone and Al B. Sure! singing. The music video attempted to capture Bowie's image behind the song: multiple ethnic groups coexisting with their own identities, and not attempting to absorb one another.

Track listing

* 7" version
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Radio Edit) (Bowie) – 4:10
# " You've Been Around" ( Dangers Remix) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 4:24

* 12" version
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Extended Remix) (Bowie) – 8:12
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Trance Mix) (Bowie) – 7:15
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Album Version) (Bowie) – 4:52
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Club Mix) (Bowie) – 7:33
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Extended Urban Mix) (Bowie) – 5:32

* CD version
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Radio Edit) (Bowie) – 4:10
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Extended Remix) (Bowie) – 8:12
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Urban Mix) (Bowie) – 4:03
# "You've Been Around" (Dangers Remix) (Bowie, Gabrels) – 4:24

* US commercial CD (Savage 74785-50045-2)
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Waddell's Mix) – 4:12
# "Black Tie White Noise" (3rd Floor Mix) – 3:42
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Al B. Sure! Mix) – 4:03
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Album Version) – 4:52
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Club Mix) – 7:33
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Digi Funky's Lush Mix) – 5:44
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Supa Pump Mix) – 6:36

* US promo DJ 12" (Savage SADJ-50045-1)
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Extended Remix) – 8:12
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Club Mix) – 7:33
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Trance Mix) – 7:15
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Digi Funky's Lush Mix) – 5:44
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Supa Pump Mix) – 6:36
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Funky Crossover Mix) – 3:45
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Extended Urban Remix) – 5:32

* US promo DJ CD (Savage SADJ-50046-2)
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Chr Mix 1) – 3:43
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Chr Mix 2) – 4:12
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Churban Mix) – 3:45
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Urban Mix) – 4:03
# "Black Tie White Noise" (Album edit) – 4:10

* 'CHR Mix 1' is the '3rd Floor Mix' on the regular US CD
* 'CHR Mix 2' is the 'Waddell's Mix' on the regular US CD
* 'Urban Mix' is the 'Al B. Sure! Mix' on the regular US CD

Tracks #1-3 re-produced, re-arranged and mixed by Marc 'Funkyman' Paley, Raul 'DJ EFX' Recinos & Jeremy 'DJ Digit' Cowan

Track # 2 remix and additional production by John Waddell

Track # 4 remix and additional production by Al B. Sure & Timar

Credits and personnel

* Producers:
** Nile Rodgers
* Musicians:
**David Bowie – vocals
**Al B. Sure! – vocals
** Nile Rodgers – guitar
**Barry Campbell – bass
** Sterling Campbell – drums

Richard Hilton
– keyboards
**Lester Bowie – trumpet
**Reeves Gabrels – guitar on "You've Been Around"

Charts

Other releases

* On the bonus disc following the 10th anniversary edition of ''Black Tie White Noise'' the remixes "3rd Floor US Radio Mix" and "Here Come Da Jazz" appeared.

Cover versions

* The Rockridge Synthesiser Orchestra – ''Plays David Bowie Classic Trax''

Other uses

A sample of the first bar of the song is the basis for the song ''Tziporen'' () from the 1994 album ''Iver be-lev yam'' by the Israeli singer Eran Zur.

References

* Black Tie White Noise Limited Edition DVD, 2004
* Pegg, Nicholas, ''The Complete David Bowie'', Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000,

{{authority control

1993 singles
David Bowie songs
Music videos directed by Mark Romanek
Songs about black people
Songs against racism and xenophobia
Songs written by David Bowie
Song recordings produced by Nile Rodgers
1992 songs
Arista Records singles
Bertelsmann Music Group singles
Al B. Sure! songs
1992 Los Angeles riots