"Black Tie White Noise"
Single by David Bowie featuring Al B. Sure!
from the album Black Tie White Noise
B-side"You've Been Around" (Dangers remix)
Released1 June 1993 (1993-06-01)[1]
Studio
GenreSoul
Length
  • 4:52 (album version)
  • 4:10 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)David Bowie
Producer(s)Nile Rodgers
David Bowie singles chronology
"Jump They Say"
(1993) 		"Black Tie White Noise"
(1993) 		"Miracle Goodnight"
(1993)
Music video
"Black Tie White Noise" on YouTube

"Black Tie White Noise" is the title track from British singer-songwriter and actor David Bowie's 1993 album of the same name. Featuring guest vocals by Al B. Sure!, it was produced by Nile Rodgers and released as the second single from the album in June 1993. It peaked at number 36 in the UK. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Mark Romanek.

Background

The track was inspired by Bowie's stay in Los Angeles in April 1992, when the city saw race riots in reaction to the Rodney King incident.[2] It is the epitome of its parent album's feelings towards conformity and corporations, with Benetton and the saccharine charity single "We Are the World" among the targets. Bowie would later explain that the track was concerned with the black community's own identity, and how it didn't need to be absorbed into the white community.

It is among the most jazz- and soul-influenced tracks on the album, highlighted by the key vocal of Al B. Sure!, although Lenny Kravitz was reportedly Bowie's first choice for the duet. Essentially a rhythm and blues tune, the song ultimately reinforced the feeling of Bowie's tendency as a chameleon of musical styles.

Release

Released as the album's second single, "Black Tie White Noise" was a top 40 hit in Britain and subsequently reached No. 36 in the UK chart[3] and No. 74 in Australia.[4]

Critical reception

Dave Simpson from Melody Maker commented, "This isn't bad. Nice cosmopolitan New York rhythm section, vague hints of Low-era sax. Hmmm. Apparently it's inspired by the LA riots, or rather David's view of them from the rooftop of his mansion."[5] Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "This oddly churning but attractive track is a little too slow for current dancefloor tastes. Not as instant as many of Bowie's bigger hits, it will need a lot to push it into the top end of the chart. A moderate hit."[6] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel felt it's "one of the better ones" on the album, adding, "The groove is faux-funky, and the melody is undercooked, but Bowie's trumpet injects flavor, and the lyrics have something to say about race relations in America: "Getting my facts from a Benetton ad/ looking through African eyes/ lit by the glare of an L.A. fire/ I've got a face, not just my race." Bowie's cool, detached voice is nicely partnered by that of soul singer Al B. Sure!, and Bowie sneaks in a Marvin Gaye allusion."[7] James Hamilton from the RM Dance Update described it as a "gloomy slow roller".[8] Leesa Daniels from Smash Hits gave it five out of five, declaring it as "fabulous", "funky and soulful – and you could listen to it again and again and never get bored. Genius."[9]

Music video

A music video for this piece was produced by Mark Romanek, featuring a montage of African-American youth playing in urban Los Angeles, while intercut with scenes of Bowie in a blue suit with his saxophone and Al B. Sure! singing. The music video attempted to capture Bowie's image behind the song: multiple ethnic groups coexisting with their own identities, and not attempting to absorb one another.

Track listing

Tracks #1-3 re-produced, re-arranged and mixed by Marc 'Funkyman' Paley, Raul 'DJ EFX' Recinos & Jeremy 'DJ Digit' Cowan
Track # 2 remix and additional production by John Waddell
Track # 4 remix and additional production by Al B. Sure & Timar

Credits and personnel

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 74
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 36
UK Dance (Music Week)[11] 25

Other releases

Cover versions

Other uses

A sample of the first bar of the song is the basis for the song Tziporen (Hebrew: ציפורן) from the 1994 album Iver be-lev yam by the Israeli singer Eran Zur.

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 29 May 1993. p. 23.
  2. ^ "Bowie's Wedding Album" by David Wild, Rolling Stone magazine, 21 January 1993, page 14
  3. ^ "Official singles Chart results matching: black tie white noise ft al b sure". Official Charts. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  4. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  5. ^ Simpson, Dave (22 May 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 27. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  6. ^ Jones, Alan (5 June 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 6. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  7. ^ Gettelman, Parry (16 April 1993). "David Bowie". Orlando Sentinel.
  8. ^ Hamilton, James (12 June 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 2. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  9. ^ Daniels, Leesa (28 April 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 49. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  10. ^ "black tie white noise ft al b sure | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 June 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
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