Music of the Day, 22 April 2025
no tomorrow
One of my recent projects is officially complete: I proofread and copy edited a terrific novella, which is now available on Lulu.com. Seeing the URL this morning prompted a great funky song to start playing in my mind … I’m not sure why it was delayed, but I suspect being preoccupied by other concerns had a lot to do with it.
I had to laugh when it started though, because I’ll probably always be far from its topic. That’s fine with me.
As a copy editor, proofreader, and occasional ghostwriter, I’m used to my work taking place behind the scenes.1 I much prefer that for those roles: an editor’s task is to bring out the best in a writer’s ideas, not to remake the piece as they would prefer it to be. So I was quite surprised to see my name in the URL along with the author’s; but that’s just what the site does. It felt like a giant spotlight on me … hence “Fame”2 starting up on the radio station in my mind.
I’d always thought it was a negative song, but I didn’t realize how angry it was until researching it today. Younger Jackie almost certainly got caught up in the funky rhythm and music; I sure didn’t understand all the lyrics back then. It also struck me as a quite different sound for David Bowie, but that could have been because I was only familiar with what the radio served up.
The Young Americans Wiki page confirms that it marked his shift toward soul music. I might need to make it the first Bowie studio album I add to my library. If you’d like to persuade me otherwise, please leave a comment.
I’ve insisted on staying in the shadows for some work
which I learned today has John Lennon as cowriter and backup singer, providing the repeating falsetto “fame”
I so miss David Bowie. Is it possible that such a famous musician's work is underrated? The variety and breadth of his songbook is extraordinary.
You can't go wrong adding Young Americans as your first Bowie studio album, though it's not my favorite. I would recommend any of his following 5 albums (Station to Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters) before YA, but it's still an essential part of his catalog.
And I can relate to preferring the behind-the-scenes roles. Though getting some recognition and accolades is always a welcome addition.