Fame

"If it makes your neck muscles tighten, it's probably not funky. But if it makes your butt shake, then it might be." - Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

David Bowie and James Brown, circa 2000. All is forgiven?

Although the primary focus of this blog is on cover versions, occasionally a song comes along that turns out to be a bit more than a cover. In this case, it's a blatant ripoff. But as Nick Lowe once said, "If you're going to pinch something, do it from a good source".

James Brown was often called “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business”. He was also, far and away, the most sampled and therefore, the most ripped off man in show business. Snippets of James Brown’s music have been sampled and used, often unlicensed, for many Top 40 hits and countless other tracks since the earliest beginnings of rap and hip-hop.

However, Brown, like others who were influenced by his music, did his own share of borrowing. His 1976 single "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved)" used the very same distinctive main riff from "Fame" by David Bowie, and NOT the other way around, as is often believed. The riff was provided to "Fame" co-writers Bowie and John Lennon by Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar, who had briefly been a member of Brown's band in the late 60's. This happened late in the sessions for Bowie's 1975 album, "Young Americans". The album sessions in Philadelphia were cut short in favor of moving the operation to New York, so Bowie and Lennon could work together. Two songs from that collaboration ended up on "Young Americans"; significant for a record with only 8 songs on it.

My own online research on recording and release dates for both "Fame" and "Hot..." appears to confirm this, so it seems that James was not above some creative appropriation himself. Perhaps it was a way for James to get back at Carlos Alomar for some undisclosed disagreement. Maybe James just dug the riff enough to swipe it, even though he about made off with the whole song. Despite Brown's rewriting of the entire lyric, I think you'll find that the hook, the chord changes, and the rhythm breaks are the same. Only those involved know for sure. I can't find any record of any legal proceedings regarding this matter, and so I must assume that all parties decided to leave it be.

You be the judge. Here’s David Bowie with "Fame" from the "Young Americans" album. John Lennon's vocals can be clearly heard throughout the song.

Now, here's James Brown's "Hot...". The lyric is different, but that hook is in full effect! This song was released as a single in December of 1975, reaching #31 on the Billboard R&B chart, and later appeared as the lead track on Brown's 1976 album, "Hot".

 

Whatever you decide, both recordings belong in your music library. Most of the David Bowie catalog is still in print; often featuring nicely upgraded mastering and packaging. However, sorting through all the funky greatness by James Brown that's available is a formidable task; one best left to the serious collector. As a reasonable alternative, I will highly recommend that, without hesitation, you avail your bad self of the box set, "Star Time", which can be had, used, for under 20 bucks. It contains all the hits, big and small, along with all of the essential album cuts; a 'must' for any respectable collection.