"" is a song by movement that had made him a star.Mat Snow (2007). "Hang on to Yourself", ''
MOJO 60 Years of Bowie'': p.51David Buckley (1999). ''Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story'': pp.210-217
Originally written for a mooted style that had been his trademark. It was also his first hit since 1969 not to feature lead guitarist
Mick Ronson ; Bowie himself played guitar on this and almost all other tracks from ''Diamond Dogs'', producing what ''
NME '' critics
Roy Carr and
Charles Shaar Murray called "a rocking dirty noise that owed as much to
Keith Richards as it did to the departed Ronno".
Roy Carr &
Charles Shaar Murray (1981). ''Bowie: An Illustrated Record'': p.60
The song is notable for its gender-bending lyrics ("You got your mother in a whirl / She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl") as well as its distinctive with augmenting Bowie's guitar work on the album and UK single version of "Rebel Rebel", although the ''Diamond Dogs'' sleeve acknowledges Parker only on "
1984 "
The single quickly became a glam anthem, the female equivalent of Bowie's earlier hit for , featuring phased vocals and Bowie playing all of the instruments with the exception of
Geoff MacCormack on
Congas . It was swiftly withdrawn and replaced by the UK single version, but the same arrangement was used on Bowie's North American tour in 1974, appearing on the concert album ''
David Live ''.
After retiring the song on the 1990 ''
Sound + Vision '' tour, Bowie brought "Rebel Rebel" back for the 1999 ''
'hours...' '' promotional tour. In 2003, a new version was recorded, featuring an arrangement by
Mark Plati and without the reference to
Quaaludes present in the original. This was issued on a bonus disc that came with some versions of the ''
Reality '' album the same year, and on the ''30th Anniversary Edition'' of ''Diamond Dogs'' in 2004. Also in 2004, the track was blended in a
Mash-up with the ''Reality'' song "
Never Get Old "; the result was issued as the single "
Rebel Never Gets Old ".
#"Rebel Rebel" (Bowie) – 4:20
#"
Queen Bitch " (Bowie) – 3:13
The US and Canadian version of this single had "
Lady Grinning Soul " as the B-side.
- A live version from the 1974 tour was released on '' David Live ''. This version was also issued on the Dutch release ''Rock Concert''. Another live recording from the 1974 tour was released on the semi-legal album ''A Portrait in Flesh''.
- The new version of "Rebel Rebel" from 2003 was performed live on the '' A Reality Tour '' DVD. This was used as the opening piece for the bulk of A Reality Tour .
- It appeared on several compilations:
- --- '' ChangesOneBowie (1976)
- --- '' Changesbowie '' (1990)
- --- '''' (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 advertisements 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 2003 rerecording was released on the bonus disc of the ''30th Anniversary Edition'' of ''Diamond Dogs'' and on the Limited Edition bonus disc of '' Reality ''.
- A version of this song appeared on the '''' soundtrack.
Pegg, Nicholas, ''The Complete David Bowie'', Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5
