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Blue Jean
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Blue Jean
| cover = Bowie Blue Jean.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = David Bowie
| album = Tonight
| B-side = Dancing with the Big Boys
| released = 1 September 1984
| recorded = May 1984
| studio = Le Studio, Morin-Heights, Quebec, Canada
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:08
| label = EMI America
| writer = David Bowie
| producer =
| prev_title = White Light/White Heat
| prev_year = 1983
| next_title = Tonight
| next_year = 1984
}}
"'Blue Jean'" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie for his sixteenth studio album 'Tonight' (1984). One of only two tracks on the album to be written entirely by Bowie, it was released as a single ahead of the album and charted within the Top 10 in the UK and the United States, peaking at No. 6 and No. 8, respectively. The song is loosely inspired by Eddie Cochran.
Following the commercial success of Bowie's previous album, 'Let's Dance', its singles and the Serious Moonlight Tour, "Blue Jean" was launched with a 21-minute short film, 'Jazzin' for Blue Jean', directed by Julien Temple. The song performance segment from this was also used as a more conventional music video. The film won the 1985 Grammy Award for "Best Video, Short Form", later renamed "Best Music Video", which proved to be the only competitive Grammy Award Bowie won during his lifetime for over three decades, although Bowie posthumously won four Grammies for his album 'Blackstar' (2016).
"Blue Jean" would remain in Bowie's live repertoire for the rest of his career, being performed on his Glass Spider Tour (1987), Sound+Vision Tour (1990) and A Reality Tour (2004).
Composition and reception
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.""David Bowie The Interview" 1987, EMI America (Album) Track 24 BBC reviewer Chris Jones criticised the song in his appraisal of 'Best of Bowie' in 2002, arguing "'Blue Jean' barely exists, so formulaic is it." More positively, rock commentator Chris O'Leary, while locating "Blue Jean" firmly "in the pastiche lane," has described the song as "clever" and "catchy" and one of Bowie's "best second-rate hits."Chris O'Leary (2019). 'Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 19762016': p. 207
'Cash Box' said that it "features the dynamics of classic Bowie which range from the smooth and sultry verse to the exploding chorus."
Track listing
7": EMI America / EA 181 (UK)
# "Blue Jean" 3:08# "Dancing with the Big Boys" 3:32
* Some versions of the 7" single were released on blue vinyl
12": EMI America / 12EA 181 (UK)
# "Blue Jean" (Extended Dance Mix) 5:15# "Dancing with the Big Boys" (Extended Dance Mix) 7:28
# "Dancing with the Big Boys" (Extended Dub Mix) 7:15
* "Blue Jean" (Extended Dance Mix) remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez at Sigma Sound NYC Engineer: Jay Mark.
* "Dancing with the Big Boys" remixes produced by Arthur Baker.
Personnel
* David Bowie vocals
* Carlos Alomar guitar
* Carmine Rojas bass guitar; keyboards
* Omar Hakim drums
* Lenny Pickett tenor saxophone; bass clarinet
* Stanley Harrison alto saxophone
* Steve Elson baritone saxophone
* Guy St. Onge marimba
* Curtis King vocals
* George Simms vocals
* Robin Clark vocals
* Sammy Figueroa percussion
'Production'
* David Bowie producer
* Derek Bramble producer
* Hugh Padgham producer
Other releases
* It appears on the following compilations:
** 'Changesbowie' (1990)
** 'The Singles Collection' (1993)
** 'Best of Bowie' (2002)
** 'The Platinum Collection' (2005)
** 'The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987' (2007)
** 'Nothing Has Changed' (2014) (3-CD and 2-CD editions)
** 'Bowie Legacy' (2016) (2-CD edition)
single cover
Video versions
There are 3 versions of the video:
# The full 21-minute version entitled 'Jazzin' for Blue Jean.' It includes Richard Fairbrass from Right Said Fred on bass guitar, although he didn't play on the record.
# The 3-minute version of the performance of the title track, edited from the full 'Jazzin' for Blue Jean' video. The video is available to download for the Xbox 360 karaoke game Lips.
# An alternate version recorded for MTV in England that has no relation to the other videos. This alternate version was not popularly available until the DVD release of 'Best of Bowie' in 2002.
Chart performance
Certifications
References
* Pegg, Nicholas, 'The Complete David Bowie', Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000,
Category:1984 singles
Category:David Bowie songs
Category:Songs written by David Bowie
Category:Song recordings produced by David Bowie
Category:Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham
Category:EMI America Records singles
Category:1984 songs
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