| "1984" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 A-side label of the Japan vinyl single | ||||
| Single byDavid Bowie | ||||
| from the albumDiamond Dogs | ||||
| B-side | "Queen Bitch" (US) "Lady Grinning Soul" (Japan) | |||
| Released | July 1974 | |||
| Recorded | January 1974 | |||
| Studio | Trident, London | |||
| Genre | Funk rock | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Bowie | |||
| Producer(s) | David Bowie | |||
| David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"1984" is a song by the English musicianDavid Bowie, from his 1974 albumDiamond Dogs, released as a single in the United States and Japan.[1] Written in 1973, it was inspired byGeorge Orwell'sNineteen Eighty-Four and, like much of its parent album, originally intended for a stage musical based on the novel, which was never produced because permission was refused by Orwell's widowSonia.[2]
The centrepiece of side two of the original vinyl album, in the context of Bowie's adaptation of Orwell's story, "1984" has been interpreted as representingWinston Smith's imprisonment and interrogation byO'Brien.[2] The lyrics also bear some similarities to Bowie's earlier song"All the Madmen", fromThe Man Who Sold the World ("They'll split your pretty cranium and fill it full of air").[1]
"1984"'swah-wah guitar sound is often likened to the "Theme fromShaft" (1971) byIsaac Hayes.[2][3] Played byAlan Parker, it was one of the few instances on theDiamond Dogs album where Bowie himself did not take the lead guitar part.[1] The track'sfunk/soul influence has been cited as a clear indicator of where Bowie's style was headed on his next album,Young Americans.[1]
"1984" was first recorded during theAladdin Sane sessions.[4] The song received its public debut, in a medley with "Dodo", known as "1984/Dodo", on the U.S. TV specialThe 1980 Floor Show (later bootlegged asDollars in Drag), which was recorded in London on 18–20 October 1973.[2] A studio version of "1984/Dodo" was recorded around that time, but went unreleased until it appeared on theSound + Vision box set in 1989. This was Bowie's last recording withMick Ronson,Trevor Bolder and producerKen Scott atTrident Studios,London.
In addition to the "1984/Dodo" medley, "Dodo" and "1984" were also recorded separately, "Dodo" as a demo in September 1973[5] and "1984" itself during the laterDiamond Dogs sessions that winter.[6] Only "1984" made it onto theDiamond Dogs album, with the separated "Dodo" being released for the first time as a bonus track on the 1990 Rykodisc release of the album.
The final version of "1984" was faster and funkier than the medley and, as described by Bowie encyclopedistNicholas Pegg, "an obvious single if there ever was one".[1] However, it was released as a single (PB 10026) only in America, Japan and New Zealand, reaching 17 in New Zealand and 96 in the United States (Cash Box). The track generally opened theDiamond Dogs concerts in 1974 but was not performed live after the soul tour in 1975.
Billboard regarded "1984" as Bowie's "most commercial cut...in a long time."[7]Cash Box said that "the combination and intensity of both words and music make this a true pop delight in classic Bowie form."[8]Record World said that "futuristic phantasmigorical fulfillment of Bowie's sci-fi epic promise is realized in the theme from hisMidnight Special TV shot."[9]
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Listener)[10] | 17 |
| USCash Box Top 100 Singles[11] | 96 |
According to Chris O'Leary:[6]
Technical
"1984" was performed regularly during Bowie's 1974Diamond Dogs Tour; a July 1974 performance of was released onDavid Live (1974), Bowie's first official live album. Another live version from the second leg of the Diamond Dogs Tour, recorded in September 1974 and previously available only on the unofficial albumA Portrait in Flesh, was released in 2017 onCracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74). A third live version, recorded during the third leg of the tour in October 1974, was released in 2020 onI'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74). A live in-studio performance recorded in November 1974 is included on the DVD setThe Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons.
"1984" was released as a single in the U.S. in July 1974, backed with "Queen Bitch" from Bowie's 1971 albumHunky Dory. The song has appeared on several of Bowie's compilation albums, includingChameleon (Australia/New Zealand 1979),Changestwobowie (1981),Fame and Fashion (1984), andThe Best of David Bowie 1974/1979 (1998). "1984/Dodo" was released in theSound + Vision box set in 1989, and on the bonus disc of the30th Anniversary Edition ofDiamond Dogs in 2004. "Dodo" was released as a bonus track on the 1990 Rykodisc reissue ofDiamond Dogs, as well as on the bonus disc of the30th Anniversary Edition ofDiamond Dogs in 2004.Tina Turner covered the song for her 1984 albumPrivate Dancer; that same year, Turner was a guest vocalist on Bowie's cover of "Tonight" for thealbum of the same name.
