Strangers When We Meet (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Strangers When We Meet


Artist = David Bowie
from Album = Outside
Released = November 1995
Format = 7”/CD single
Recorded = New York, January-February 1995; Westside Studios, London, October 1995.
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:19/3:35
Label = RCA
74321 329407
Producer = David Bowie, Brian Eno, David Richards
Chart position = * #39 (UK)
Last single = "The Hearts Filthy Lesson"
(1995)
This single = "Strangers When We Meet/The Man Who Sold the World (Live version)"
(1996)
Next single = "Hallo Spaceboy"
(1996)

"Strangers When We Meet" is a song by David Bowie, originally recorded for his 1993 album "The Buddha of Suburbia". In 1995, Bowie re-recorded the song for his "Outside" album, and this version was released edited as a single paired with a reworked version of Bowie’s 1970 classic “The Man Who Sold the World”.

Musically it shares several similarities to earlier Bowie songs. The background guitar theme of the "Buddha of Suburbia" version is very similar to that of "Look Back in Anger". Also the bassline at the beginning of the song is the same bassline used in the song "Join the Gang" from 1967.

While the new version of “The Man Who Sold the World” was billed as the “live version”, it was actually a studio-recorded track, based on a reworked version performed on the Outside Tour, and mixed by Brian Eno before the single’s release.

Samuel Bayer’s video for the song shared some visual similarities with that for “The Hearts Filthy Lesson”, but was a much more simple and placid affair set in a decaying artists studio. Despite a live performance on "Top of the Pops", the double A-side would enter the UK charts at #39 before dropping away.

The song's title may be a reference to the 1960 film of the same name or the chorus of Leroy Van Dyke's 1961 song 'Walk on By'.

Track listing

7” version

# "Strangers When We Meet (Edit)" (Bowie) – 4:19
# "The Man Who Sold the World (Live)" (Bowie) – 3:35

UK CD version

# "Strangers When We Meet (Edit)" (Bowie) – 4:19
# "The Man Who Sold the World (Live)" (Bowie) – 3:35
# "Strangers When We Meet (Album version)" (Bowie) – 5:06
# "Get Real" (Bowie/Eno)

US CD version

# "Strangers When We Meet (Album version)" (Bowie) – 5:06
# "Strangers When We Meet (Buddha of Suburbia album version)" (Bowie) – 5:06
# "The Man Who Sold the World (Live)" (Bowie) – 3:35

Australian CD version

# "Strangers When We Meet (Edit)" (Bowie) – 4:19
# "The Man Who Sold the World (Live)" (Bowie) – 3:35
# "Strangers When We Meet (Album version)" (Bowie) – 5:06
# "Strangers When We Meet (Buddha of Suburbia album version)" (Bowie) – 5:06

UK Promo version

# "Strangers When We Meet (Edit)" (Bowie) – 4:19

US Promo version

# "Strangers When We Meet (Edit)" (Bowie) – 4:19
# "Strangers When We Meet (Buddha of Suburbia Edit)" (Bowie) – 4:10
# "Strangers When We Meet (Album version)" (Bowie) – 5:06

Production credits

* Producers:
** David Bowie
** Brian Eno
** David Richards

* Musicians:
**David Bowie: vocals, keyboards, guitar, saxophone
**Brian Eno: synthesizers on “Strangers When We Meet” and “Get Real”
**Reeves Gabrels: guitar
**Carlos Alomar: guitar
**Erdal Kizilcay: bass, keyboards on “Strangers When We Meet” and “Get Real”
**Mike Garson: piano, keyboards
**Sterling Campbell: drums on “Strangers When We Meet” and “Get Real”
**Gail Ann Dorsey: bass guitar on “The Man Who Sold the World”
**Peter Schwartz, George Simms: keyboards on “The Man Who Sold the World”
**Zachary Alford: drums on “The Man Who Sold the World”

Other releases

* The radio edit of the song was released on the bonus disc that followed some versions of "Outside - version 2".

References

Pegg, Nicholas, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5