David Bowie had already conquered folk-pop and glam rock by the time he released the single “Young Americans” in 1975 from the album of the same name. With that track and album, he added soul music to the list of genres that were within the realm of his massive talent.
What is the song about? Why did Bowie decide to make a change in his musical approach? And what famous soul singer gave a boost to the recording with his backing vocals? Let’s go back to David Bowie’s “plastic soul” period (as he called it) and find out how “Young Americans” came to be.
Restless Bowie
At the time David Bowie made the shift to soul music, many pundits wondered why he would take such a drastic U-turn away from the glam rock he’d ridden to stardom. But looking back from this point in history, we now know that change was the constant in Bowie’s career, as he never stuck around too long in any one genre or persona.
In the case of the Young Americans album, he, like a lot of other music fans, had become fascinated with the Philly Soul sound that was delivering hit after hit in the early ’70s. Bowie recorded the bulk of the album in Sigma Studios in Philadelphia just to try and catch that vibe.
It’s likely there were also mercenary reasons for Bowie’s new style. For all the success and adoration he had garnered, Bowie hadn’t really done much damage on the charts as a singles artist in the United States since “Major Tom” in 1969. By turning to a genre that encompassed many an American hit around that time, he was certainly increasing his chances of getting over that hump.
“Americans” Made
David Bowie had this to say about “Young Americans” in a 1975 interview with NME (as reported by Bowie Bible):
“It’s about a newlywed couple who don’t know if they really like each other. Well, they do, but they don’t know if they do or don’t. It’s a bit of a predicament.”
Bowie knew that capturing the Philly-soul vibes would take more than just writing for that genre. He made sure to surround himself with top-notch musicians who were well-versed in what the style required. Key contributions were made by Andy Newmark on drums and Larry Washington on congas driving the beat, Carlos Alomar on rhythm guitar and Willie Weeks on bass giving the song its bounce, and David Sanborn on saxophone delivering slinky, melodic fills.
But perhaps it was Luther Vandross who made the most impact on the track. Vandross hadn’t yet launched into his mega-selling solo career, but was making his mark for his session vocal work. On “Young Americans,” he not only sang backup but also suggested the call-and-response vocals in the refrain that are so integral to the soulful vibe.
What is the Meaning of “Young Americans”?
“Young Americans” might begin as the tale of two lovers (It took him minutes, it took her nowhere). But it expands from there into an overview of what Bowie sees as the disappointment inherent in the American existence, which is summed up in the heroine’s lament: Where have all Papa’s heroes gone?
Bowie does an incredible job on vocals here, belting out all those wordy lines with dramatic inflections to emphasize his points. As the youngsters tumble forward in search of a bit of pleasure, he wonders if they’re at all aware of their past: Do you remember the bills you have to pay / Or even yesterday?
The lyrics take noticeably dark turns, but Bowie keeps churning forward, at least until his falsetto exclamation at the end of his breathless vocal riffing: Ain’t there one damn some that can make me / Break down and cry? We’re not sure if “Young Americans” had that kind of effect on people (or was even meant to.) But we know that with the track, David Bowie earned his soul music credibility, as well as that elusive return to the American Top 40.
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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