"Andy Warhol" is a song written by English singer-songwriter

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

in 1971 for the album ''

Hunky Dory ''Hunky Dory'' is the fourth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 17December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, '' The Man Who Sold the World'', Bowie took time off from recording and tourin ...

''. It is an acoustic song about one of Bowie's early artist inspirations, the American pop artist

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

Background

The album track opens with a series of strange electronic tones which fades into studio chatter in which producer Ken Scott mispronounces Warhol's name and Bowie repeatedly corrects him. Scott then solemnly reintroduces the take with the correct pronunciation, and Bowie asks if the tape is rolling. Upon realising he is indeed being recorded, Bowie bursts into laughter and the song proper begins. The song is memorable for a distinctive repeated riff played by Mick Ronson on acoustic guitar. Originally the song was written for Dana Gillespie, who recorded it in 1971, but her version of the song was not released until 1973 on her album ''Weren't Born a Man''. Bowie produced Gillespie's version and Ronson also plays guitar. Gillespie performed the song in 1974 on the Dutch television programme '' TopPop''.

Warhol's reaction

Bowie, an admirer of Warhol, sent him a copy of ''Hunky Dory'' and performed "Andy Warhol" for him in person at Warhol's studio

the Factory The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstar ...

in New York in September 1971, before the album was released. But due to Warhol's typically minimal reaction, Bowie was never sure if he liked it. Tony Zanetta, who had brought Bowie to the Factory and later portrayed Warhol in Warhol's first play, ''

Pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

'' (1971), maintained that Warhol "didn't say anything but absolutely hated it".

Other releases

The song was released as the B-side of the single " Changes" in January 1972. It also appeared on the Japanese compilation ''The Best of David Bowie'' from 1974. An edited version, with the dialogue in the introduction cut, as it was on the US single version, is included on ''Re:Call 1'', part of the 2015 boxed set '' Five Years (1969–1973).''

Live versions

A performance sung by Dana Gillespie was recorded for BBC Radio's In Concert strand on 3 June 1971, presented by John Peel and first broadcast on 20 June that year. Bowie played this song at BBC's ''Sounds of the 70s'' with Bob Harris on 23 May 1972. This was broadcast on 19 June 1972, and in 2000 was released on the '' Bowie at the Beeb'' album. A performance recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 20 October 1972 has been released on '' Santa Monica '72'' and ''

Live Santa Monica '72 ''Live Santa Monica '72'' is a live album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released on in the United Kingdom and in the United States. It is the official release of KMET FM's radio broadcast, then bootleg album and – later � ...

''. The song was a 1972 regular performance, but it was not played again until the 1995 '' Outside Tour'' with

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

. One live performance from 1995 was released in 2020 on the live album '' Ouvre le Chien (Live Dallas 95)''. A November 1996 tour rehearsal recording of the song, which originally aired on a BBC radio broadcast in 1997, was released in 2020 on the album ''ChangesNowBowie''.

Personnel

: lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electronic sounds * Mick Ronson: acoustic guitar,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Homages

A riff from "Andy Warhol" (at 0'48") is quoted in

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

's song Master of Puppets (at 6'19"). It is an homage made by Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett to whom Bowie was a huge influence.''To Live is to Die, the life and death of Metallica’s Cliff Burton'', by Joel McIver, second edition, Jawbone Press, 2016, p.265.

References

External links

* {{authority control 1971 songs David Bowie songs Cultural depictions of Andy Warhol Song recordings produced by Ken Scott Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by David Bowie