What in the World
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| "What in the World" | |
|---|---|
| Song by David Bowie | |
| from the album Low | |
| Released | 14 January 1977 |
| Recorded | September–November 1976 |
| Genre | Art rock |
| Length | 2:23 |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) | David Bowie |
| Producer(s) | David Bowie and Tony Visconti |
"What in the World" is a song by David Bowie released on his 1977 album Low, later making appearances as repertoire in the 1978 world tour as well as other major tours.
"What in the World" showcases some of Bowie's Berlin-era songwriting and production techniques. This song, like others on Low, shows Bowie's experiments with disjointed, non-linear lyrics with seemingly random sentences and free-associative phrases.[1]
The song makes heavy use of
Harmonizer which Tony Visconti brought to the studio which was used to Dennis Davis' drumming. The song also features Iggy Pop on backing vocals. Pop's album The Idiot
was recorded back-to-back with Low at the same facility, was produced by Bowie, and featured many of the same musicians.
Live versions
- A live performance recorded during the Welcome to the Blackout, released in 2018.
- A live version recorded on 12 September 1983 during the Serious Moonlight Tour was released on the concert film of the same name and on the live album Serious Moonlight (Live '83), which was part of the 2018 box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) and was released separately the following year.
Production credits
- Producers:
- Musicians:
- David Bowie: lead vocals
- Carlos Alomar: rhythm guitar
- George Murray: bass
- Dennis Davis: drums
- Ricky Gardiner: lead guitars
- ARP synthesizers, Rimmer E.M.I.
- Iggy Pop: backing vocals
- Roy Young: piano, Farfisa
Other releases
- The live version from Stage, was released as the B-side of the single "Star" in 1978.
- The original album version was released as the B-side of the US release of the single "Boys Keep Swinging" in April 1979.
Cover versions
- The Blue Guitars, released as a single
- Gary Jones, released as a single
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, live in Auckland (14 January 2013 at the Vector Arena)
- Shearwater – as part of a live performance of the entire Berlin Trilogy for WNYC (2018)[2]
See also
References
- ^ See the lyrics.
- ^ Dorris, Jesse (23 October 2018). "A Surprising Tribute to David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, Played in a Manhattan Mall". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
