"Joe the Lion" is a song byDavid Bowie in 1977 for the album"Heroes". It was produced by Bowie andTony Visconti and featureslead guitar byRobert Fripp.

"Joe the Lion" has been described by critic Chris O'Leary as "phenomenal" and "one of the high peaks of Bowie's late Seventies".^[1]Mojo magazine listed it as Bowie's 94th best track in 2015.^[2]

The track is in part a tribute toperformance artistChris Burden,^[3] who was famous for having himselfcrucified to a Volkswagen in 1974 ("Nail me to my car and I'll tell you who you are") and for having an assistantshoot him in the arm at an art gallery in 1971 ("Guess you'll buy a gun / You'll buy it secondhand"). "Joe the Lion" has also been seen as reflecting Bowie's struggle to overcome the emotional numbness that appeared to permeate his previous albumLow ("You get up and sleep").^[4]

Bowie rehearsed the song for theIsolar II tour of 1978,^[5] but it ultimately was not performed live until the first two dates on the 1983Serious Moonlight Tour and more frequently on the 1995Outside Tour.^[6]

According to Chris O'Leary:^[1]

• David Bowie – lead and backing vocals, piano
• Robert Fripp – lead guitar
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• Brian Eno – EMS VCS 3synthesizer, guitar treatments
• George Murray – bass guitar
• Dennis Davis – drums
• Tony Visconti – backing vocals, guitar treatments

Technical

• David Bowie – producer
• Tony Visconti – producer, engineer
• Colin Thurston – engineer

• The song was released as the B-side of the US release of "John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)" in December 1979.
• It appeared on the following compilations:
  • Golden Years (1983)
  • Sound + Vision box set (1989)
• A remixed version, which replaced the distorted guitars and drums of the original with those reflecting late-1980s production values, was included in theRykodisc reissue of"Heroes" in 1991.
• A previously unreleased live soundcheck rehearsal of the song from theIsolar II Tour was released in February 2020, backing a picture disc, featuring a live recording of “Alabama Song“.^[5]
• Momus performed a cover version of "Joe the Lion" for his 2015 albumTurpsycore.

• A live version recorded in 1995 during Bowie'sOutside Tour was released as part of the live albumOuvre le Chien (Live Dallas 95) (2020).^[7]

• Buckley, David (1999).Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story. London:Virgin Books.ISBN 978-1-85227-784-0.
• Carr, Roy;Murray, Charles Shaar (1981).Bowie: An Illustrated Record. London:Eel Pie Publishing.ISBN 978-0-38077-966-6.
• O'Leary, Chris (2019).Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016. London:Repeater Books.ISBN 978-1-91224-830-8.
• Pegg, Nicholas (2016).The Complete David Bowie (revised and updated ed.). London:Titan Books.ISBN 978-1-78565-365-0.

• David Bowie songs
• 1977 songs
• Songs written by David Bowie
• Song recordings produced by David Bowie
• Song recordings produced by Tony Visconti

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