Panic in Detroit

David Bowie was launched to stardom through the release of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and his performance of "Starman" on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops in early July 1972.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=347}} To support the album, Bowie embarked on the Ziggy Stardust Tour in both the UK and the US.{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=268}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=361–362}} He composed most of the tracks for the follow-up record on the road during the US tour in late 1972.{{sfn|Buckley|2005|p=157}} Because of this, many of the tracks were influenced by America, and his perceptions of the country.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=362}}

"Panic in Detroit" was written based on friend Iggy Pop's descriptions of revolutionaries he had known in Michigan, Pop's experiences during the 1967 Detroit riots and the rise of the White Panther Party, specifically their leader John Sinclair.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 6}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Thompson (author) |title='Panic in Detroit' – David Bowie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/panic-in-detroit-mt0052219402 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=11 March 2023}} "Panic in Detroit" was recorded at London's Trident Studios in January 1973, following the conclusion of the American tour and a series of Christmas concerts in England and Scotland.{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=283}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=547–548}} Like the rest of its parent album, the song was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott and featured Bowie's backing band the Spiders from Mars—guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Woody Woodmansey—with backing vocals from Linda Lewis and Juanita Franklin.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 6}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}{{cite web|last=Gallucci|first=Michael|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-aladdin-sane-album/|title=How David Bowie Returned, Ziggy-Like, for 'Aladdin Sane'|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=13 April 2018|access-date=18 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430053523/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-aladdin-sane-album/|archive-date=30 April 2020|url-status=live}}

A dispute arose between Bowie and Woodmansey during the recording, wherein the latter refused to play the former's desired Bo Diddley drum figure, reportedly arguing it was "too obvious". The drummer instead played sixteenth notes on his tom-toms, with crash cymbals on the chorus phrases. Bowie's friend Geoff MacCormack eventually added congas and maracas that achieved the effect.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 6}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}} Biographer Nicholas Pegg says that the disagreement contributed to growing dissent between the singer and drummer, eventually leading to Woodmansey's firing later in the year.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}

Musically "Panic in Detroit" has been described as a "Salsa variation on the Bo Diddley beat";{{sfn|Carr|Murray|1981|p=54}} Pegg considers Ronson's guitar part very "bluesy".{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}} The lyrics namecheck Che Guevara and are also said to contain references to John Sinclair of the White Panther Party.{{sfn|Carr|Murray|1981|p=54}} Bowie compared the ideas of Sinclair to the rebel martyr Che Guevara for the narrator in "Panic in Detroit".{{sfn|Doggett|2012|pp=189–190}} The lyrics are very dark, featuring images of urban decay, violence, drugs, emotional isolation and suicide,{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}} adding to the album's overarching theme of alienation.{{sfn|Perone|2007|pp=33–39}} Author Peter Doggett finds a thematic link between the song and Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower", which "used a similar three-chord riff to underpin its apocalypse".{{sfn|Doggett|2012|pp=189–190}}

"Panic in Detroit" was released on Aladdin Sane on 20 April 1973, sequenced as the fourth track on side one of the original LP, between "Drive-In Saturday" and "Cracked Actor".{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=291}}

The song was later included in the Sound + Vision box set (1989) and on Best of Bowie (US/Canada edition 2002).

Bowie recorded a new version of "Panic in Detroit" in December 1979, intended for broadcast for The "Will Kenny Everett Make It to 1980?" Show. It featured Zaine Griff on guitar, Andy Clark on piano, Tony Visconti on bass and backing vocals, and Andy Duncan on drums.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 6}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}} The remake was dropped in favour of the acoustic of "Space Oddity" recorded in the same session. The "Panic in Detroit" remake was left unreleased until it appeared as a bonus track on the 1992 Rykodisc CD release of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and later the bonus disc of Heathen (2002).{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 6}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}

Bowie played "Panic in Detroit" during his concert tours, first added to the 1973 US leg of the Ziggy Stardust Tour.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}} It appeared prominently throughout the Diamond Dogs Tour; one live version was released as the B-side of the 1974 single "Knock on Wood" before appearing on the Rare compilation in 1983, on the 2005 and subsequent reissues of David Live, and on Re:Call 2, part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) compilation released in 2016.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/who-can-i-be-now-1974-1976-mw0002967707 |title=David Bowie – 'Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=11 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901150317/http://www.allmusic.com/album/who-can-i-be-now-1974-1976-mw0002967707 |archive-date=1 September 2017 |url-status=live }} Another live recording from the tour was released on I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) in 2020.{{cite web |title=I'm Only Dancing for Record Store Day 2020 |url=https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2020/2/19/im-only-dancing-for-record-store-day-2020 |website=David Bowie Official Website |access-date=31 October 2020 |date=19 February 2020 |archive-date=18 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418032903/https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2020/2/19/im-only-dancing-for-record-store-day-2020 |url-status=live}} The song was again played throughout the 1976 Isolar tour, a live performance from which was included on Live Nassau Coliseum '76, released as part of the 2010 reissues of the Station to Station album: the CD and vinyl releases featured a heavily edited 6:02 version, while the full-length 13:08 recording was offered as an exclusive download.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}} The recording also appeared on Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976). "Panic in Detroit" made further appearances on the 1990 Sound+Vision, 1997 Earthling and 2003–2004 A Reality tours.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}

According to Chris O'Leary:{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 6}}

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Original version

• David Bowie – lead vocal, acoustic guitar
• Mick Ronson – lead and rhythm guitars
• Trevor Bolder – bass
• Woody Woodmansey – drums
• Aynsley Dunbar – percussion
• Juanita Franklin – backing vocals
• Linda Lewis – backing vocals
• Geoff MacCormack – backing vocals, congas, maracas, handclaps

Technical

• David Bowie – producer
• Ken Scott – producer, engineer

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1979 re-recording

• David Bowie – lead vocal, 12-string acoustic guitar
• Zaine Griff – lead guitar
• Andy Clark – piano
• Tony Visconti – bass, backing vocals{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=207–208}}
• Andy Duncan – drums

Technical

• Tony Visconti – producer

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{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin|30em}}

• {{cite book |last=Buckley |first=David |year=2005 |orig-year=1999 |title=Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story |location=London |publisher=Virgin Books |isbn=978-0-75351-002-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Cann |first=Kevin |year=2010 |title=Any Day Now – David Bowie: The London Years: 1947–1974 |location=Croydon, Surrey |publisher=Adelita |isbn=978-0-95520-177-6}}
• {{cite book |last1=Carr |first1=Roy|author-link1=Roy Carr |last2=Murray |first2=Charles Shaar| author-link2=Charles Shaar Murray |year=1981 |title=Bowie: An Illustrated Record |location=London |publisher=Eel Pie Publishing |isbn=978-0-38077-966-6}}
• {{cite book |last=Clerc |first=Benoît |year=2022 |title=David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |location=New York City |publisher=Black Dog & Leventhal |isbn=978-0-7624-7471-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Doggett |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Doggett |year=2012 |title=The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e27t-ag4NakC |location=New York City |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |isbn=978-0-06-202466-4}}
• {{cite book |last=O'Leary |first=Chris |title=Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie from '64 to '76 |year=2015 |publisher=Zero Books |location=Winchester |isbn=978-1-78099-244-0}}
• {{cite book |last=Pegg |first=Nicholas |title=The Complete David Bowie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqFkDQAAQBAJ |publisher=Titan Books |location=London |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78565-365-0 |edition=Revised and Updated}}
• {{cite book |last=Perone |first=James E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C6bz2BFdPawC&pg=PA57 |title=The Words and Music of David Bowie |location=Westport, Connecticut |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |date=2007 |isbn=978-0-27599-245-3}}

{{Refend|30em}}

{{David Bowie singles}}

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Category:David Bowie songs

Category:1973 songs

Category:Songs about Detroit

Category:Songs written by David Bowie

Category:Song recordings produced by Ken Scott

Category:Song recordings produced by David Bowie