Actors - Rebel Rebel

Home > Listing Index > Actors > Rebel Rebel

	Actors - Rebel Rebel

Rebel Rebel was a single by David Bowie. The first track reduced from the forthcoming Diamond Dogs
album, “Rebel Rebel” was a rather unrepresentative sample of Bowie’s latest direction. Originally written for a mooted Ziggy Stardust musical in late 1973, the song was stylistically similar to Bowie’s previous glam material, while Diamond Dogs would see the chameleonic singer moving away from this genre just before it faded from popularity.

The song itself was another sizeable UK hit for Bowie, reaching #5, and charted at #64 in the USA. The latter release briefly featured a different take that was swiftly withdrawn and replaced by the UK single edit. This US version had an arrangement very like that revived for the Diamond Dogs tour.

The song has gone on to be one of Bowie’s best-known. During his late 1980s/early 1990s crossroads, Bowie seemed to tire of the song, singling it out to represent his unwilling global rock star status on more than one occasion. However, the song was resurrected on live dates in 1999, and in 2003 a new version was recorded. This was issued on a bonus disc that came with some versions of the Reality
album the same year. In 2004, the track was blended with the Reality song "Never Get Old", the result issued as the single "Rebel Never Gets Old".

Track listing

# "Rebel Rebel" (Bowie) – 4:20 # "Queen Bitch” (Bowie) – 3:13

The US and Canada version of this single had "Lady Grinning Soul" as the B-side.

Production credits

Producers:
* David Bowie

Musicians:
* David Bowie
: vocals, guitar
* Herbie Flowers: bass
* Mike Garson
: piano
* Aynsley Dunbar: drums

Live versions

A live version from the 1974 tour was released on David Live
. This version was also released on Rock Concert. Another live recording from the 1974 tour was released on the semi-legal album A Portrait in Flesh.

Other releases

It appeared on several compilations:
* ChangesOneBowie
(1976)

* ChangesBowie (1990)

* Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993 (1993)

* The Singles Collection (1993)

* The Best of 1969/1974 (1997)

It was released as picture discs in the RCA Life Time picture disc set and the Fashion Picture Disc Set.

A cover version of the guitar intro was featured in a series of Mazda car advertisments in the US and Canada in 1998/1999.

The soundtrack of the 1999 film Detroit Rock City
featured "Rebel Rebel".

The rare US single version was released in the Sound + Vision box set and on the bonus disc of the 30th Anniversary Edition of Diamond Dogs
in 2004.

The 2002 rerecording was released on the bonus disc of the 30th Anniversary Edition of Diamond Dogs
and on the Limited Edition bonus disc of Reality

Cover versions

"Rebel Rebel" is one of Bowie’s most covered songs.

Bryan Adams - Live recording: The Secret Show (1993)

The Bay City Rollers - It's a Game (1992)

Big Shot

Shawn Cassidy – Wasp (1980)

Dead or Alive – Neukleopatra (1998)

Def Leppard

Rick Derringer - Live in Cleveland Promo (1976)

Donna Destri - 3 Mixes (1983)

The Diamonds - Million Copy Hit Songs Made Famous By Elton John & David Bowie

Double You - The Blue Album (1994)

Duran Duran - Live recording

The Great Imposters - Dollars In Drag: A Tribute To David Bowie

International Chrysis – Single (1994)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – Flashback (1993)

Rickie Lee Jones - Traffic From Paradise (1993)

Legion of Dynamic Diskord – Single

Ligabue – Radiofreccia

Magnus Uggla

The Mike Flowers Pops

Niels released a Swedish version called "Punkjävel" ("Punk Devil")

Iggy Pop
and Lenny Kravitz performed the song live at the VH-1 Fashion Awards 1998. The video for “The Jean Genie” was used as a backdrop for the performance.

Prozak for Lovers - Prozak for Lovers (1998)

The Rockridge Synthesiser Orchestra - Plays David Bowie Classic Trax

Seu Jorge
- A Portuguese version of the song for the soundtrack of the 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
.

Sigue Sigue Sputnick - The First Generation (1990) and David Bowie Songbook.

Slant 6 – Single

The Smashing Pumpkins - Live in Spectrum, Oslo, Norway, 4/12/96

Sunday Painters

Lyn Tod

Twilight Clone - Ashes To Ashes: A Tribute To David Bowie (1998)

Kyosuke Himuro - Live in Tokyo Dome (1989)

Kenichi asai (2006)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Rebel Rebel ]