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{{Short description|1975 single by David Bowie}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Fame
| cover = Bowie_Fame.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [[David Bowie]]
| album = [[Young Americans]]
| B-side = [[Right (David Bowie song)|Right]]
| released =
*{{Start date|df=yes|1975|06|02}} (US){{sfn|Griffin|2016|loc=chap. 6}}
*{{Start date|df=yes|1975|07|25}} (UK){{sfn|Clerc|2021|p=228}}
| recorded = January 1975
| studio = [[Electric Lady Studios|Electric Lady]] (New York City)
| genre = {{hlist|[[Funk]]<ref name="funk genre">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Steve |page=45 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&pg=PA45 |title=The A to X of Alternative Music |publisher=[[Continuum Books|Continuum]] |year=2006 |isbn=0826482171 |access-date=31 July 2013 |quote=...'Fame', a funk workout... |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705050900/http://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&pg=PA45 |archive-date=5 July 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Breithaupt 1996">{{cite book|title= Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s|first1=Don|last1=Breithaupt|first2= Jeff|last2= Breithaupt|date= October 15, 1996|chapter= The Sound of Philadelphia: Philly Soul|page= 59|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press|St. Martin's Griffin]]|isbn=031214704X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMPCAwAAQBAJ}}</ref>|[[funk rock]]<ref name="funk rock">{{cite web |first=Paul |last=Elliott |title=The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs |work=Classic Rock Magazine |date=30 May 2016 |url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-05-30/top-20-best-funk-rock-song |access-date=4 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322092102/http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-05-30/top-20-best-funk-rock-song |archive-date=22 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Smith">{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/12/every-no-1-song-of-the-1970s-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html?outputType=amp|title=Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best|first=Troy L.|last=Smith|date=14 December 2021|website=[[Cleveland.com.]]|access-date=19 June 2025|quote=But “Fame” doesn’t endure because of any real-life feud. It’s a funk rock song so enticing that James Brown would eventually copy it.}}</ref>|[[Soul music|soul]]<ref name="Molanphy 2018">{{Cite podcast|url=https://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/hit_parade/2018/07/featured_artists_weren_t_always_a_staple_of_the_pop_charts.html|title= The Feat. Don't Fail Me Now Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=July 27, 2018|access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref><ref name= "Stanley 2013">{{cite book|first=Bob |last=Stanley|title=Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop|chapter= It Came From the Suburbs: Marc Bolan and David Bowie|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-28198-5|page=332}}</ref>}}
| length =
* {{duration|m=4|s=21}} (album version)
* {{duration|m=3|s=30}} (single version)
| label = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| writer = {{hlist|[[David Bowie]]|[[Carlos Alomar]]|[[John Lennon]]}}
| producer = {{hlist|[[Harry Maslin]]|David Bowie}}
| prev_title = [[Young Americans (song)|Young Americans]]
| prev_year = 1975
| next_title = [[Golden Years (David Bowie song)|Golden Years]]
| next_year = 1975
| misc =
}}
"'''Fame'''" is a song by the English singer-songwriter [[David Bowie]]. It was released on his 1975 album ''[[Young Americans]]'' and was later issued as the album's second [[Single (music)|single]] by [[RCA Records]] in June 1975. Written by Bowie, [[Carlos Alomar]] and [[John Lennon]], it was recorded at [[Electric Lady Studios]] in New York City in January 1975. It is a [[funk rock]] song that represents Bowie's dissatisfaction with the troubles of fame and stardom.
The song was a major commercial success in North America, becoming Bowie's first number 1 single on both the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and the [[Canadian Singles Chart]]. The song was one of the most successful singles of the year, ranking at number 8 on the [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975|''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100]]. However, it was less successful in Europe, reaching number 17 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].
In 1990, Bowie remixed the song under the title "Fame '90" to coincide with his [[Sound+Vision Tour]]. "Fame" has since appeared on many [[compilation album]]s, and was remastered in 2016 as part of the ''[[Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)]]'' box set.
The song is one of four Bowie songs to be included in [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rockhall.com/exhibits/500-songs-that-shaped-rock-and/ |title=The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll |website=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=12 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317150057/http://rockhall.com/exhibits/500-songs-that-shaped-rock-and/ |archive-date=17 March 2010}}</ref>
==Background==
With the release of his 1972 album ''[[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars]]'', Bowie achieved stardom.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=616}} On that album, Bowie presented his aspirations to become famous in "Star", which also encapsulated the fantasies of "every adolescent dreamer miming into a hairbrush in a suburban bedroom", on top of Bowie's own frustration with not having fulfilled his potential.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=778}} By the beginning of 1975, "fame" meant a couple of different things to Bowie. It meant not only his stardom, but also impending lawsuits that were the result of the ending of Bowie's relationship with his manager [[Tony Defries]].{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=276}} It also meant an expensive musical theatre project concocted by Defries, titled ''Fame'', that was financed through MainMan, a company that was built around Bowie's fame; the show was an examination of [[Marilyn Monroe]] that closed after one night on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and after already flopping off-Broadway.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=276}} The failure of ''Fame'' almost ruined MainMan and was traumatic on Bowie and Defries' relationship.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=276}}
Bowie would later describe "Fame" as "nasty, angry", and fully admitted that it was written "with a degree of malice" aimed at MainMan. This is supported by biographer [[Peter Doggett]], who writes: "every time in "Fame" that Bowie snapped back with a cynical retort about its pitfalls, he had [Defries] and [Defries's] epic folly in mind," and noted the lyric "bully for you, chilly for me" as the striking example.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=276}} In 1990, Bowie recalled the song as his "least favourite track on the album"{{Sfn|Pegg|2016|p=257}} and reflected: "I'd had very upsetting management problems and a lot of that was built into the song. I've left all that behind me, now... I think fame itself is not a rewarding thing. The most you can say is that it gets you a seat in restaurants."<ref name=Q90>{{cite journal |title=David Bowie Interview |journal=[[Q magazine]] |date=April 1990 |pages=60–70}}</ref>
==Composition and recording==
[[File:John Lennon last television interview Tomorrow show 1975 (34 cropped).JPG|thumb|left|150px|alt=John Lennon in 1975|Bowie wrote "Fame" with former Beatle [[John Lennon]], who also contributed backing vocals and guitar.]]
With the ''[[Young Americans]]'' sessions mostly concluded by late 1974, the material was delayed while Bowie extricated himself from Defries. Sources differ on how "Fame" came to be in the studio, but both Doggett and [[Nicholas Pegg]] write that it was the product of "happy" accidents.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=275}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}} By late 1974, Bowie was staying in [[New York City]], where he met [[John Lennon]] during his [[John Lennon#Lost weekend|"lost weekend"]] period of estrangement. Shortly after Lennon reunited with his wife [[Yoko Ono]],{{sfn|Cherry|2022|p=137}} the pair [[Jam session|jammed]] together, leading to a one-day session at [[Electric Lady Studios]] in January 1975. There, [[Carlos Alomar]] had developed a guitar [[riff]] for Bowie's cover of "Footstompin'" by [[the Flairs|the Flares]], which Bowie thought was "a waste" to give to a [[cover version|cover]].{{efn|Alomar's riff was also used for an unreleased cover of [[Bruce Springsteen]]{{'}}s "[[It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City]]". Another recording with a different instrumental track would be included on ''[[Sound + Vision (box set)|Sound + Vision]]'' in 1989.<ref name="Grant 2025">{{cite news |last=Grant |first=Richard |title=The extraordinary untold story of Bowie's lost tapes |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/36050d3b8dc165b1 |access-date=19 January 2025 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=16 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250118183555/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/36050d3b8dc165b1 |archive-date=18 January 2025}}</ref>}} Lennon, who was in the studio with them, came up with the hook when he started to sing "aim" over the riff, which Bowie turned into "Fame" and thereafter, according to [[Marc Spitz]], wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song with Lennon.<ref name=TWRS>{{cite AV media |date=20 May 1990 |title=Timothy White's Rock Stars: Hearing Pictures: David Bowie's Sound + Vision |type=radio interview}}</ref>{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=249}} However, according to Doggett, Lennon made the "briefest lyrical contributions" that was "enough" to give him co-writing credit.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=275}} Bowie later said that Lennon was the "energy" and the "inspiration" for "Fame", and that's why he received a co-writing credit.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}} Lennon stated in a 1980 interview: "We took some [[Stevie Wonder]] middle eight and did it backwards, you know, and we made a record out of it!"{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=275}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}}
After the group solidified the riff, they emerged with something that was in the hand of "black American music" at the start of 1975: a "cousin" of "[[Hollywood Swinging]]" by [[Kool & the Gang]], "[[The Payback (song)|The Payback]]" by [[James Brown]], and "[[Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)]]" by [[B. T. Express]].{{sfn|Doggett|2012|pp=275–276}} (Later in 1975, Brown released the song "[[Hot (I Need to Be Loved, Loved, Loved)]]," whose main riff was borrowed directly from "Fame.") Doggett writes that other potential influences were the 1972 song "Jungle Walk" by [[the Rascals]] and the 1974 songs "[[Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band song)|Pick Up the Pieces]]" by the [[Average White Band]] and "Brighter Day" by [[Keith Christmas]], a friend of Bowie's.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=276}} Overall, Doggett believes "Fame" resembled "[[Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)]]" by [[Sly and the Family Stone]] which, like "Fame", is in the funk style with "viciously pointed" lyrics.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=277}}
"Fame" is a [[funk rock]] song<ref name="funk rock"/><ref name="Smith">{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/12/every-no-1-song-of-the-1970s-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html?outputType=amp|title=Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best|first=Troy L.|last=Smith|date=14 December 2021|website=[[Cleveland.com.]]|access-date=19 June 2025|quote=But “Fame” doesn’t endure because of any real-life feud. It’s a funk rock song so enticing that James Brown would eventually copy it.}}</ref> that represents Bowie's (and Lennon's) dissatisfaction with the troubles of fame and stardom, including "money-grabbing managers, mindless adulation, unwanted entourages and the hollow vacuity of the limousine lifestyle".{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=256–257}} Lennon's voice is heard interjecting the falsetto "Fame" throughout the song. Doggett found it "striking" that the falsetto expanded three octaves, from "[[Yoko Ono]] soprano" to "[[Johnny Cash]] basso profundo".{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=277}} Along with "Fame", Bowie worked with Lennon again when he decided to record a cover of Lennon's [[The Beatles|Beatles]] song "[[Across the Universe]]"; Lennon played rhythm guitar on the cover.{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=249}} According to Spitz, "Fame" and "Across the Universe" were both last-minute additions to ''Young Americans''.{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=249}} Although ''Young Americans'' was mostly co-produced by [[Tony Visconti]], he was not present at the sessions for "Fame";{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=249}} instead, both songs were co-produced by engineer [[Harry Maslin]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Visconti |first=Tony |title=Tony Visconti: the Autobiography: Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy |year=2007 |publisher=Harper |pages=222–224}}</ref> In the song, Bowie sings "What you need, you have to borrow" with, according to Spitz, the same "venom" that [[Jimi Hendrix]] sang, "Businessmen they drink my wine," on his cover of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[All Along the Watchtower]]".{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=247}}
==Release and reception==
"Fame" was released on 7 March 1975 as the final track on Bowie's ninth studio album ''[[Young Americans]]''.<ref name="UK single liner notes">{{cite AV media notes |title=Young Americans |author= |others=[[David Bowie]] |year=1975 |publisher=[[RCA Records]] |___location=US |type=liner notes |id=APK1-0998}}</ref><ref name="Erlewine allmusic">{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=''Young Americans'' – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/young-americans-mw0000098919 |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> It was subsequently released by RCA Records (as PB 10320) as the second single from the album in the US in June 1975 and the following month in the UK, with fellow album track "[[Right (David Bowie song)|Right]]" as the B-side.{{sfn|Griffin|2016|loc=chap. 6}}<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine |title=Top Single Picks |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=14 June 1975 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1975/Billboard%201975-06-14.pdf |page=51 |access-date=12 January 2023 |via=worldradiohistory.com }}</ref>{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|p=499}}
"Fame" became Bowie's first song to top the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], displacing "[[Rhinestone Cowboy]]" by [[Glen Campbell]] during the week of 20 September 1975. The following week, "Fame" dropped to number two behind [[John Denver]]'s "[[I'm Sorry (John Denver song)|I'm Sorry]]" for a week, before returning to the top spot for one final week, ultimately being replaced at number one by [[Neil Sedaka]]'s "[[Bad Blood (Neil Sedaka song)|Bad Blood]]". Bowie would later claim that he had "absolutely no idea" that the song would do so well as a single, saying "I wouldn't know how to pick a single if it hit me in the face."<ref name=MusicianMag>{{cite journal |last=Isler |first=Scott |title=David Bowie Opens Up – A Little |journal=[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]] |issue=106 |date=August 1987 |pages=60–73}}</ref> Despite "Fame" being Bowie's then-biggest success on the American charts, the song only reached number 17 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].
''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' said that "with a scintillating rhythm track and chicken-guitar courtesy of Mr. Lennon, David's versatile voice blends with John's to produce an ethereal dancer with some r&b psychedelia thrown in."<ref name=cb>{{cite news |title=CashBox Singles Reviews |date=21 June 1975 |page=22 |newspaper=Cash Box |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-06-21.pdf#page=22 |access-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812172748/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-06-21.pdf#page=22 |archive-date=12 August 2020}}</ref> [[Dave Thompson (author)|Dave Thompson]] of [[AllMusic]] calls the track "a hard-funking dance storm whose lyrics – a hostile riposte on the personal cost of success – utterly belie the upbeat tempo and feel of the song."<ref name="Thompson allmusic">{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Thompson (author) |title="Fame" – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/fame-mt0054050627 |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> Following [[Death of David Bowie|Bowie's death]] in 2016, ''Rolling Stone'' listed it as one of Bowie's 30 essential songs.<ref name="RS 30 essentials">{{cite magazine |author1=''Rolling Stone'' Staff |title=David Bowie: 30 Essential Songs |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=11 January 2016 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/david-bowie-best-songs-33438/ |access-date=25 January 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203085329/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/david-bowie-30-essential-songs-33438/modern-love-1983-2-152622/ |archive-date=3 December 2019}}</ref> In 2018, the writers of ''[[NME]]'', in their list of Bowie's 41 greatest songs, ranked "Fame" at number 21.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barker |first1=Emily |title=David Bowie's 40 greatest songs – as decided by ''NME'' and friends |website=[[NME]] |url=https://www.nme.com/photos/david-bowie-s-40-greatest-songs-as-decided-by-nme-and-friends-1418012 |access-date=16 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103063248/https://www.nme.com/photos/david-bowie-s-40-greatest-songs-as-decided-by-nme-and-friends-1418012 |archive-date=3 November 2019 |date=8 January 2018}}</ref> In 2016, ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' placed the single at number 25 in a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best.<ref name="UCR list">{{cite web |title=Every David Bowie Single Ranked |date=14 January 2016 |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-singles-ranked/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=19 September 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724234336/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-singles-ranked/ |archive-date=24 July 2021}}</ref>
"Fame" was used as the soundtrack of an animated music video of the same title, directed by [[Richard Jefferies (screenwriter)|Richard Jefferies]] and [[Mark Kirkland]] while students at [[California Institute of the Arts]]. The film, released in 1975, went on to win the [[Student Academy Award]] for animation and aired on NBC's ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aQr9H3lb27A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/aQr9H3lb27A |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live |title=David Bowie – Fame – Animated Video (Midnight Special) |last=dadsvolunteer |date=31 October 2016 |access-date=6 April 2018 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
A 40th anniversary version of "Fame" was released in 2015 and peaked at number 141 in France.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Bowie - Fame 40th Anniversary (Chanson) |url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=David+Bowie&titel=Fame+40th+Anniversary&cat=s |website=Lescharts.com |access-date=12 September 2020}}</ref>
==Live versions==
A live performance recorded on 23 March 1976 was included on ''[[Live Nassau Coliseum '76]]'',<ref>{{cite web |title=''Live Nassau Coliseum '76'' – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-nassau-coliseum-76-mw0003015315 |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117143208/https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-nassau-coliseum-76-mw0003015315 |archive-date=17 November 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> which was released as part of the 2010 reissues of the ''[[Station to Station]]'' album, on the 2016 collection ''[[Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)]]'',<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) |author= |others=[[David Bowie]] |year=2016 |publisher=[[Parlophone]] |___location=UK, Europe, US |type=Box set booklet |id=0190295989842}}</ref> and as a stand-alone album in 2017. Performances from the [[Isolar II – The 1978 World Tour|1978 Isolar II tour]] have been released on ''[[Stage (David Bowie album)|Stage]]'' (1978) and ''[[Welcome to the Blackout (Live London ’78)|Welcome to the Blackout]]'' (2018). A live performance from the [[Serious Moonlight Tour]], filmed on 12 September 1983, was included on the concert DVD [[Serious Moonlight (1983 film)|''Serious Moonlight'']] (1984) 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.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Loving the Alien (1983–1988) |author= |others=[[David Bowie]] |year=2018 |publisher=[[Parlophone]] |___location=UK, Europe, US |type=Box set booklet |id=0190295693534}}</ref> Live versions recorded during Bowie's 1987 [[Glass Spider Tour]] (in Sydney, Australia and Montreal, Canada) were released as part of the ''[[Glass Spider]]'' concert DVD/CD package. A July 1997 performance at the [[Phoenix Festival]] was released in 2021 on ''[[Earthling Tour#Look at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97)|Look at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97)]]''. Bowie's 25 June 2000 performance of the song at the [[Glastonbury Festival]] was released in 2018 on ''[[Glastonbury 2000]]''. An updated version recorded live by Bowie on 27 June 2000 was released on ''BBC Radio Theatre, London, 27 June 2000'', a bonus disc accompanying the first release of ''[[Bowie at the Beeb]]'' in 2000. A November 2003 live performance from the [[A Reality Tour]] is featured on the ''[[A Reality Tour (film)|A Reality Tour]]'' DVD, released in 2004, as well as the ''[[A Reality Tour (album)|A Reality Tour]]'' album, released in 2010.
==Other releases==
"Fame" was released as the B-side of the US release of "[[Beauty and the Beast (David Bowie song)|Beauty and the Beast]]" in January 1978. It appears on several compilations, including: ''[[Changesonebowie]]'' (1976);<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=David Bowie: ''Changesonebowie'' Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21896-changesonebowie/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=15 March 2020 |date=24 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910112248/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21896-changesonebowie/ |archive-date=10 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Singles Collection (David Bowie album)|Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993]]'' (1993); ''[[The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979]]'' (1998);<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=''The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979'' – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-david-bowie-1974-1979-mw0000041367 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=12 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006124441/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-david-bowie-1974-1979-mw0000041367 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Best of Bowie]]'' (2002);<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=''Best of Bowie'' – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/best-of-bowie-mw0000694821 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=15 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401192732/https://www.allmusic.com/album/best-of-bowie-mw0000694821 |archive-date=1 April 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Platinum Collection (David Bowie album)|The Platinum Collection]]'' (2006);<ref>{{cite web |last=Monger |first=James Christopher |title=''The Platinum Collection'' – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-platinum-collection-mw0001022492 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=28 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508195203/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-platinum-collection-mw0001022492 |archive-date=8 May 2019}}</ref> ''[[Nothing Has Changed]]'' (2014);<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/188662-david-bowie-nothing-has-changed/ |title=David Bowie: ''Nothing Has Changed'' |first=Evan |last=Sawdey |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=10 November 2017 |access-date=11 August 2017 |archive-date=14 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714155355/http://www.popmatters.com/review/188662-david-bowie-nothing-has-changed/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Legacy (The Very Best of David Bowie)]]'' (2016).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=David Bowie Singles Collection ''Bowie Legacy'' Announced |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/68602-david-bowie-singles-collection-bowie-legacy-announced/ |website=Pitchfork |date=28 September 2016 |access-date=29 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926222203/https://pitchfork.com/news/68602-david-bowie-singles-collection-bowie-legacy-announced/ |archive-date=26 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New David Bowie greatest hits album 'Bowie Legacy' set for release |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/david-bowie-447-1194836 |website=NME |last=Trendell |first=Andrew |access-date=19 October 2016 |date=28 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811101718/https://www.nme.com/news/music/david-bowie-447-1194836 |archive-date=11 August 2020}}</ref> The 7" single version appeared on ''[[The Best of Bowie]]'' (1980) as well as on ''[[Have a Nice Decade: The 70s Pop Culture Box]]'' (1998). ''Re:Call 2'', part of the ''[[Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)]]'' compilation released in 2016, included an attempted reconstruction of the single edit, which has been criticised as inaccurate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/SongDF.htm#F |title=David Bowie – Illustrated db Discography > Songs: D-F |first=Ruud |last=Altenburg |website=www.illustrated-db-discography.nl |access-date=6 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407115912/http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/SongDF.htm#F |archive-date=7 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Charts and certifications==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Fame"
! scope="col" |Chart (1975–2016)
! scope="col" |Peak<br>position
|-
{{single chart |Flanders|17|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=24 February 2013|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |Wallonia|20|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=2 August 2020|rowheader=true}}
|-
! scope="row"|Canada ([[CHUM Chart|CHUM]])<ref>{{cite web |title=CHUM 30: Week Starting September 27, 1975 |publisher=[[CHUM Chart|CHUM]] |url=http://chumtribute.com/75-09-27-chart.jpg |via=chumtribute.com |access-date=6 June 2022}}</ref>
| style="
|-
{{single chart |Canadatopsingles|3|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|chartid=4036a|access-date=12 September 2020|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |France|181|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=12 September 2020|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |Hungarysingle|12|year=2016|week=2|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=23 January 2016|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|4|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=October 7, 2023|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |Dutch100|6|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=24 February 2013|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |Norway|9|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|access-date=24 February 2013|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|17|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame|date=1975-09-06|access-date=24 February 2013|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |Billboardhot100|1|artist=David Bowie|access-date=24 February 2013|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{single chart |Billboardrocksongs|14|artist=David Bowie|access-date=31 January 2016|rowheader=true}}
|-
! scope="row"|US [[R&B]] (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/david-bowie/chart-history/bsi/ |title=David Bowie Fame Chart History |website=billboard.com |access-date=6 April 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512125839/https://www.billboard.com/music/david-bowie/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs/song/338220 |archive-date=12 May 2018}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|21
|}
{{Col-2}}
===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Year-end chart performance for "Fame"
! scope="col"|Chart (1975)
! scope="col"|Peak<br>position
|-
! scope="row"|Canada<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5173a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=enic7sdhqrbeuu9iiip880d0j4 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |work=collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801234702/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5173a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=enic7sdhqrbeuu9iiip880d0j4 |archive-date=1 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|37
|-
! scope="row"|Netherlands<ref>{{cite web |title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975 |publisher=[[Single Top 100]]. Hung Medien |access-date=13 March 2018 |language=nl |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1975&cat=s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215093338/http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1975&cat=s |archive-date=15 February 2014}}</ref>
|align="center"|71
|-
! scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Number One: Pop – Singles|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=December 27, 1975|page=10}}
</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|}
===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales certifications for "Fame"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1976|artist=David Bowie|title=Fame|salesamount=82,124|certyear=1976|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/RPM/70s/1976/RPM-1976-02-28.pdf|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|title=RCA's Bowie riding the charts on a musical bi-cycle|page=12|first=Michael|last=Dolgy|date=28 February 1976|accessdate=21 May 2023}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=David Bowie|title=Fame|type=single|certyear=2025|award=Gold|source=radioscope|access-date=29 August 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1975|certyear=1975|artist=David Bowie|title=Fame|access-date=24 February 2013}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
{{Col-end}}
==Personnel==
According to biographer Chris O'Leary:{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|p=426}}
*[[David Bowie]]{{snd}} lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, percussion
*[[John Lennon]]{{snd}} backing vocals, acoustic guitar
*[[Carlos Alomar]]{{snd}} lead and rhythm guitars
*[[Earl Slick]]{{snd}} rhythm guitar
*Emir Ksasan{{snd}} bass
*[[Dennis Davis]]{{snd}} drums, [[vibraslap]]
=="Fame '90"==
{{Infobox song
| name = Fame '90
| cover = Bowie_Fame90.jpg
| alt = The single cover shows David Bowie standing in front of a Ziggy-era poster and the words "Fame 90 David Bowie"
| type = single
| artist = David Bowie
| album = [[Changesbowie]]
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|1990|03|26}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = {{duration|m=3|s=36}} (Gass Mix)
| label = {{hlist|EMI|Rykodisc}}
| writer = {{hlist|[[David Bowie]]|[[Carlos Alomar]]|[[John Lennon]]}}
| producer = [[Arthur Baker (musician)|Arthur Baker]]{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=347}}
| prev_title = [[Never Let Me Down (David Bowie song)|Never Let Me Down]]
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = [[Real Cool World]]
| next_year = 1992
| misc =
{{External music video|{{YouTube|_Up1s8z7jH8|"Fame '90"}}}}
}}
A [[remix]]ed version of "Fame" was released by [[EMI Records|EMI]] in 1990 to coincide with the [[Sound+Vision Tour]], the release of the ''[[Changesbowie]]'' compilation, and the [[Pretty Woman (soundtrack)|''Pretty Woman'' soundtrack]].{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=87-88}} Bowie wanted to remix a successful American single for the tour and album release; of the two options ("Let's Dance" and "Fame"), "Let's Dance" was deemed to be too recent. Bowie liked the choice: "It covers a lot of ground, Fame; it stands up really well in time. It still sounds potent. It's quite a nasty, angry little song. I quite like that."<ref name=Q90/> For the Sound+Vision tour, Bowie would incorporate elements of "Fame '90" into the live production.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=87-88}}
Regarding the remix, Spitz states: "The best thing you can say about "Fame '90" is that it's much better than [[the Police]]'s "[[Don't Stand So Close to Me#"Don't Stand So Close to Me '86"|Don't Stand So Close to Me '86]]" but far inferior to [[George Michael]]'s "[[Freedom! '90]]".{{sfn|Spitz|2009|p=347}} ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' called it a "now happily forgotten" remix and placed it at number 104 (out of 119) in a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best.<ref name="UCR list"/>
===Track listing===
Song written by [[David Bowie]], [[Carlos Alomar]], and [[John Lennon]].
;US CD single (Rykodisc RCD5 1018)
# "Fame '90" (with [[Queen Latifah]]) – 4:10
# "Fame '90" ([[House music|House]] Mix) – 5:58
# "Fame '90" (Gass Mix) – 3:38
# "Fame '90" ([[Hip-hop music|Hip Hop]] Mix) – 5:58
# "Fame '90" (Absolutely Nothing Premeditated/Epic Mix) – 14:25
;West Germany maxi CD single (EMI CDP 560-20-3805-2)
# "Fame '90" (House Mix) – 5:58
# "Fame '90" (Hip Hop Mix) – 5:58
# "Fame '90" (Gass Mix) – 3:38
# "Fame '90" (Queen Latifah's Rap Version) – 3:10
;"Exclusive Changes pack" 7" vinyl single (FAMES 90)
# "Fame '90" (Gass Mix) – 3:38
# "Fame '90" (Queen Latifah's Rap Version) – 3:10
;Limited edition 7" vinyl picture disc (FAME PD 90)
# "Fame '90" (Gass Mix) – 3:38
# "Fame '90" (Bonus Beat Mix) – 4:45
* The single was released in a variety of formats: as a 7" single, a cassette single, a 12" single, CD singles and two limited edition releases: a picture disc (featuring the unique "Bonus Beat mix") and a 7" envelope pack that included 3 prints reflecting different phases in Bowie's career and a unique mix of Queen Latifah's mix<ref name=MelodyMaker90>"News," Melody Maker magazine, 24 March 1990, page 3</ref>
===Video===
Film director [[Gus Van Sant]] directed the promotional video for this version, which featured clips from many of Bowie’s previous videos.<ref name=MelodyMaker90/> In the music video, Bowie also performs a dance with [[Louise Lecavalier]], one of the main dancers of the [[French-speaking Quebecer|Québécois]] [[contemporary dance]] troupe [[La La La Human Steps]] (whom Bowie would collaborate with on the ''Sound + Vision'' tour).<ref name=RSMusicGuide90>{{citation |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title=Rolling Stone Summer Music Guide 1990 |year=1990 |page=3}}</ref> The US version of the video replaces some of Bowie's music videos for scenes from the movie ''[[Pretty Woman]]''.
===Chart performance===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Fame '90"
!Chart (1990)
!Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite Ryan |page=39}} retrieved 13 September 2020</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|85
|-
!scope="row"|Belgium ([[Ultratop]])<ref name=ACF90>{{citation|url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=David+Bowie&titel=Fame+90&cat=s |title=Australian-Charts.com David Bowie Fame 90 (Song) |access-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112102834/http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=David+Bowie&titel=Fame+90&cat=s |archive-date=12 November 2013}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|-
!scope="row"|Europe ([[Eurochart Hot 100]])<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1990/MM-1990-04-21.pdf |title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles |date=21 April 1990 |page= |accessdate=19 June 2021 |magazine=[[Music & Media]]}}</ref>
|align="center"|69
|-
{{single chart |Ireland2|11|song=Fame|access-date=August 11, 2019|rowheader=true}}
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands ([[Dutch Top 40]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/david-bowie/david-bowie-fame-90-6489 |title=David Bowie – Fame 90 |accessdate=June 21, 2021 |publisher=top40.nl}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands ([[Single Top 100]])<ref name=ACF90/>
| style="text-align:center;"|16
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand ([[RIANZ]])<ref name=ACF90/>
| style="text-align:center;"|32
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland ([[Schweizer Hitparade]])<ref name=ACF90/>
| style="text-align:center;"|29
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company]])<ref name=OFCF90>{{citation|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Fame+90 |title=Official Charts Company – Fame 90 |access-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112001205/http://www.officialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Fame+90 |archive-date=12 November 2013}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|6|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame 90|rowheader=true|access-date=7 October 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrapsongs|12|artist=David Bowie|song=Fame 90|rowheader=true|access-date=7 October 2023}}
|-
{{single chart |West Germany|36|song=Fame 90|artist=David Bowie|songid=2110|access-date=August 21, 2020|rowheader=true}}
|}
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite book |last=Clerc |first=Benoît |year=2021 |title=David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |___location=New York City |publisher=[[Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers|Black Dog & Leventhal]] |isbn=978-0-7624-7471-4}}
*{{cite book |last=Doggett |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Doggett |year=2012 |title=The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s |publisher=[[HarperCollins |HarperCollins Publishers]] |isbn=978-0-06-202466-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Griffin|first=Roger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EKE2DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT388|title=David Bowie: The Golden Years|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|___location=London|year=2016|isbn=978-0-85712-875-1}}
*{{cite book |last=O'Leary |first=Chris |title=Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie from '64 to '76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ggTmBwAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=[[John Hunt Publishing|Zero Books]] |___location=Winchester |isbn=978-1-78099-244-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Pegg |first=Nicholas |title=The Complete David Bowie |publisher=Titan Books |edition=7th |___location=London |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78565-365-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Spitz |first=Marc |author-link1=Marc Spitz |title=Bowie: A Biography |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-307-71699-6 |title-link=Bowie: A Biography |___location=New York}}
*{{cite book |last=Cherry |first=Ava |author-link=Ava Cherry |year=2022 |title=All That Glitters |publisher=Aquarius Press |isbn=978-1-73676-776-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zim-zgEACAAJ |access-date=25 January 2022}}
==External links==
* {{discogs master|type=single|50555}}
* {{YouTube|Ypgq0qdgVZA|Listen to "Fame"}} (1975 original)
{{David Bowie singles}}{{John Lennon}}{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1975 songs]]
[[Category:1975 singles]]
[[Category:1990 singles]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:David Bowie songs]]
[[Category:British funk songs]]
[[Category:British soul songs]]
[[Category:EMI Records singles]]
[[Category:Funk rock songs]]
[[Category:RCA Records singles]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:Rykodisc singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by David Bowie]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Harry Maslin]]
[[Category:Songs about fame]]
[[Category:Songs written by Carlos Alomar]]
[[Category:Songs written by David Bowie]]
[[Category:Songs written by John Lennon]]
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