Listen to David Bowie’s isolated vocal on the Lou Reed song ‘Satellite of Love’
The co-founder and bandleader of The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, was known to have been rather challenging to collaborate with at times; this was primarily attributable to his creative obstinance and dry sense of humour. Just how difficult Reed was to work with is a matter of conjecture among fans, but he managed to maintain friendships with his Velvet Underground peers and many subsequent collaborators, including David Bowie.
In the late 1960s, Bowie was one of very few Brits to purchase a copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico. The progressive debut album of 1967 is today regarded as a cornerstone of 20th-century music, but in its time, it was criminally underappreciated, selling in modest quantities. Following The Starman’s rise to fame following his 1969 single ‘Space Oddity’ and the 1971 album Hunky Dory, he was lucky enough to meet one of his heroes.
Bowie and Reed first met in 1971 after being introduced to one another by actor Tony Zanetta, who first caught Bowie’s eye while performing in Andy Warhol’s theatre production, Pork. Zanetta also introduced Bowie to Warhol and Iggy Pop around the same time and would later manage his landmark Ziggy Stardust tour.
Following Reed’s poorly received solo debut LP of 1971, Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson agreed to help Reed produce his second solo album, Transformer. Released in November 1972, the album sparkled with Bowie’s glam-rock sensibilities and boosted Reed to the top 20 in the UK and US, primarily thanks to his most successful single, ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. Aside from this, the album was home to essentials like ‘Vicious’, ‘Perfect Day’ and ‘Satelite of Love’.
Reed and Bowie remained close friends until the former died in 2013, but a spat in the late ’70s strained their relationship significantly. After performing together at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1979, Bowie, Reed and some of their fellow musicians departed for the Chelsea Rendezvous restaurant.
During the meal, Reed asked Bowie if he’d like to produce his ninth solo studio album, The Bells. Bowie accepted but said he would only work with Reed on the album if he agreed to get sober as he had done himself in Berlin two years prior. Though the injunction came from a caring place, Reed took it as a personal insult as an intoxicated rage overcame him. Suddenly, he lurched across the table, grabbed Bowie by the scruff of the neck, and dropped a few punches on him. “Don’t you ever say that to me! Don’t you ever fucking say that to me,” Reed reportedly shouted.
Despite this intense confrontation, Reed had only pleasant things to say of Bowie in his interviews over the years since. “How can I remember my first impression of David Bowie? That’s really… [smiles] Okay… I mean, David and I are friends to this day,” Reed beamed in a 2004 interview with Louder Sound. “He’s very smart and very, very talented, and I met him in New York and thought, ‘This guy would be a fun guy to work with; we could really bring something to the dance’.”
“David is no slouch,” he added. “We were rehearsing for our little show, and we’re doing ‘Satellite Of Love’, and we were doing the real background part at the end, and the guys were really admiring David and going, ‘Holy shit, what a part that is.’ He outdid himself.”
Listen to David Bowie’s isolated vocal track from ‘Satelite of Love’ below.
