Be My Wife

Infobox Single
Name = Be My Wife


Caption =
Artist = David Bowie
from Album = Low
A-side =
B-side = Speed of Life
Released = June 1977
Format = 7" single
Recorded = Château d'Hérouville Studios, Pontoise, France; September 1976
Genre = Rock
Length = 2:55
Label = RCA
PB 1017
Writer =
Producer = David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Certification =
Chart position =
Last single = "Sound and Vision"
1977
This single = "Be My Wife"
1977
Next single = "Heroes"
1977
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Low
Type = studio
prev_track = "Always Crashing in the Same Car"
prev_no = 5
this_track = "Be My Wife"
track_no = 6
next_track = "A New Career in a New Town"
next_no = 7
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Spanish cover
Type =


Lower caption =

"Be My Wife" is a song and single by David Bowie.

Arguably the most conventional track on "Low", "Be My Wife" toned down the electronic feel of the rest of the album. It also featured a more conventional set of lyrics, being closer to a traditional rock song than the more fragmented lyrics elsewhere on the album.

Several analysts of Bowie's career have seen the song as a last-ditch plea to Angela Bowie in the vain hope of saving his marriage. Tension had arisen between the couple, and disagreements had risen over the location of a new residence in Europe. Angela had shown herself to be heavily affected by his music; he had proposed to her by playing "The Prettiest Star" to her over the telephone. In the end David would not agree to move back to Switzerland from Berlin, and the relationship finally ended in divorce in 1980.

The song features a ragtime piano opening, which serves the somewhat retro lyrics some justice, although it is soon set against a backdrop of guitars and drums. The song repeats its lyrics, changing the spacing of the lyrics amongst the song's verse. The song closes simply with a fadeout, as the song returns to the introductory ragtime riff repeating indefinitely, with the rest of the band playing behind it.

As the second single from "Low", "Be My Wife" would receive Bowie's first official video since "Life on Mars?." The video was in fact rather similar; Bowie stands alone against a white backdrop singing the song alone. However, Stanley Dorfman's new clip featured a Bowie in make-up and clothing influenced by Buster Keaton and giving an irreverent, detached performance on a guitar, gelling with the candid feeling generated by the song.

Nevertheless, the song became the first new Bowie release since "Changes" to fail to break into the UK charts.

"Be my wife" was frequently played live on the various tours after its release and Bowie repeatedly announced this song during live performances as "one of my favourites".

Track listing

# "Be My Wife" (Bowie) – 2:55
# "Speed of Life" (Bowie) – 2:45

Production credits

* Producers:
** Tony Visconti
** David Bowie

* Musicians:
** David Bowie: Vocals, Guitar, Pump Bass
** Carlos Alomar: Rhythm Guitar
** George Murray: Bass
** Dennis Davis: Percussion
** Ricky Gardiner: Guitar
** Roy Young: Pianos

Live versions

* A live version was recorded in the 1978 tour for the "Stage" album, but was not released until 2005 on the remastered re-release of "Stage".
* A live version from Earls Court, London on start date|1978|7|1, was released on the semi-legal album "RarestOneBowie" in 1994.
* A live version can be viewed in the "David Bowie - A Reality Tour" DVD, featuring a live performance in Dublin during 2003.

Other releases

* It appeared on the following compilations:
** "Sound and Vision" box set (1989)
** "" (1993)
* It was released as a picture disc in the RCA "Life Time" picture disc set.

Cover versions

* Blame - "Ashes to Ashes: A Tribute to David Bowie" (1998)
* Exedra - "The Dark Side of David Bowie: A Tribute to David Bowie" (1997)
* Milk of Korova - ".2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie" (2006)

References

Pegg, Nicholas, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5