Underground (David Bowie song)

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"Underground"
Bowie Underground.jpg
Single by David Bowie
from the album Labyrinth
B-side"Underground (Instrumental)"
Released9 June 1986[1]
Recorded1985
Length5:57 (Album version)
4:25 (Edited version)
LabelEMI
EA216
Songwriter(s)David Bowie
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Absolute Beginners"
(1986) 		"Underground"
(1986) 		"When the Wind Blows"
(1986)
7" Picture Disc Cover
EAP 216 (UK)
EAP 216 (UK)
Music video
"Underground" on YouTube

"Underground" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie for the soundtrack of the 1986 film Labyrinth. It reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart.

Details and background[]

Bowie wrote and recorded five songs for Labyrinth, in which he also starred as Jareth, the king of the goblins.[3] "Underground" is the film's theme song; a slower, re-scored version by composer Trevor Jones plays over the opening credits whilst Bowie's original version plays during the end credits.[4][5] Explaining his choice of musical style for the song, Bowie said: "The film essentially deals with a girl's emotions and what she's going through, discovering about herself and her parents and her relationship to her family. So I wanted something very emotional, and for me the most emotional music I can think of is gospel."[4]

Bowie and producer Arif Mardin recorded "Underground" at Atlantic Studios in New York. The track included a large chorus of backing vocalists including Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross and Daphne Rubin-Vega,[2] along with the Radio Choir of the New Hope Baptist Church.[4] Lead guitar was played by blues guitarist Albert Collins, whose contribution to the song was described by Bowie as "a very savage, rough, aggressive sound which goes against some of the maybe superficial slickness of the synthesizers."[4]

Video[]

Steve Barron directed the promotional video clip for the song, which was filmed at Shepperton Studios over two days in 1986.[6] The video portrays Bowie as a nightclub singer who walks into an ominous alleyway where he encounters various puppet creatures from Labyrinth, including characters such as Hoggle and the Junk Lady.[2][7] Bowie turns into a cartoon figure, stepping into an animated underground world. Before his descent there is a brief montage of numerous past images of Bowie, including musical personae from Ziggy Stardust to Jazzin' for Blue Jean and his film characters from The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Hunger.[6][7]

Labyrinth director Jim Henson was impressed enough with Barron's style to offer him a job directing the pilot episode of The Storyteller.[4] Though Bowie was not heavily involved in promoting the film, Henson was nonetheless grateful for the "Underground" video, saying, "I think it's the best thing he could have done for the film."[8] Bowie was not happy with the video, saying in 1987, "I've found that the videos I put into other people’s hands have always been a mistake. Because of my lack of interest, I didn't get that involved with things like 'Underground' which I did for Labyrinth. I just left it up, and the result is just not my kind of video. I was a bit lax there. I didn't feel involved."[9][10] Despite Bowie's dislike for the video, Entertainment Weekly and Esquire considered it to be among his best after he died in 2016.[11][12]

Reception[]

Smooth Radio chose "Underground" as number 15 on its ranking of Bowie's 20 greatest songs.[13] Newsweek considered it the strongest song on the Labyrinth soundtrack,[14] a view shared by Screen Rant, which considered "Underground" as one of "the 10 best movie theme songs from the 80s".[15]

Follow-up singles[]

"As The World Falls Down" was considered for a Christmas 1986 single release, but was canceled.[16] "Magic Dance" was released as the second single from the soundtrack to limited countries in January 1987.

Track listing[]

All tracks by Bowie

7" Commercial Single/12" Promo Single: EMI / EA 216 (UK)[]

  1. "Underground (Edited version)" – 4:25
  2. "Underground (Instrumental)" – 5:40
    • This is the only Instrumental version featuring the backing singers.

All other Instrumental versions are slightly longer, backing-tracks only except on the back of the promo 12-inch single.

12" Club Single: EMI / 12EA 216 (UK)[]

  1. "Underground (Extended dance mix)" – 7:51
  2. "Underground (Dub)" – 5:59
  3. "Underground (Instrumental)" – 5:54

7" Picture Disc: EMI / EAP 216 (UK)[]

  1. "Underground (Edited version)" - 4:25
  2. "Underground (Instrumental)" - 5:52

Download: EMI / iEA 216 (UK)[]

  1. "Underground (Edited version)" – 4:25
  2. "Underground (Extended dance mix)" – 7:51
  3. "Underground (Instrumental of album version)" – 5:54
  4. "Underground (Dub)" – 5:59
  • released in 2007

Personnel[]

Chart positions[]

Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] 26
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 10
Canadian Singles Chart[19] 73
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[20] 7
Germany (GfK)[21] 20
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 6
Spain (AFYVE)[24] 11
Swedish Singles Chart[25] 19
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[26] 14
UK Singles Chart[27] 21
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[28] 22
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[29] 18

References[]

  1. ^ Underground Discogs
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Block & Erdmann (2016), pp. 165-166
  3. ^ Pegg (2016), pp. 673-675, "Labyrinth" in chapt. Stage and Screen
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Pegg (2016), p. 294, "Underground" in chapt. The Songs From A to Z
  5. ^ Eames, Tom (17 July 2020). "A guide to David Bowie's underrated songs from Labyrinth". Smooth Radio. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Martin, Peter (22 June 1986). "The Entertainer". Telegraph Sunday Magazine. The Sunday Telegraph (1309). London. pp. 37–38. Gale IO0701431518.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Palmer (2020), p. 172
  8. ^ "'Labyrinth' Music Video Applauded". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 4 July 1986. p. 23. ProQuest 389704937
  9. ^ "Dave In, Dave Out". Music & Sound Output Magazine. June 1987. Archived from the original on 25 August 1999. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Dave In, Dave Out", Music & Sound Output Magazine, June 1987, retrieved 11 July 2013
  11. ^ Anderson, Kyle (11 January 2016). "David Bowie's 20 best music videos". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  12. ^ Miller, Matt (11 January 2016). "David Bowie's 10 Greatest Music Videos". Esquire. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  13. ^ Eames, Tom (26 June 2020). "David Bowie's 20 greatest ever songs, ranked". Smooth Radio. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  14. ^ Schonfeld, Zach; Macallaster, Matt; Seeley, John (8 January 2017). "70 David Bowie Deep Cuts to Listen to on What Would Have Been Thin White Duke's 70th Birthday". Newsweek. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  15. ^ Desmarais, Guy (10 February 2020). "The 10 Best Movie Theme Songs From The 80s". Screen Rant. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  16. ^ Pegg (2016), p. 27, "As The World Falls Down" in chapt. The Songs From A to Z
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 978-0-646-11917-5.
  18. ^ "ultratop.be". Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  19. ^ Library and Archives Canada: Volume 44, No. 16, July 12 1986, 12 July 1986, retrieved 11 July 2014
  20. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  21. ^ "germancharts.de" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  22. ^ "dutchcharts.nl". Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  23. ^ "charts.nz". Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  24. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959-2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  25. ^ "swedishcharts.com". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  26. ^ "der Schweizer Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  27. ^ "OfficialCharts.com". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  28. ^ "David Bowie Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "David Bowie Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
Bibliography

External links[]

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