Lodger cover art

  Studio Album · No. 13

Lodger Songwriting Credits by David Bowie

1979 RCA Records 10 tracks 35 min

Produced by David Bowie, Tony Visconti  ·  Engineered by Tony Visconti, David Richards, Eugene Chaplin, Rod O'Brien

RCA Records Art RockExperimental RockAvant-PopWorld MusicNew Wave
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
10 trackswritten by David Bowie 0 tracksoutside writers
David Bowie's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
3
Lyricists
2
Producers
2.2 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1979
Released
Data Insight

Lodger closes the Berlin Trilogy and is the most song-based of the three, with David Bowie writing or co-writing all ten tracks. Brian Eno co-wrote five songs, "Fantastic Voyage," "African Night Flight," "Red Sails," "D.J.," and "Look Back in Anger," while guitarist Carlos Alomar co-wrote "D.J." and "Red Money." Several tracks came from Eno's chance-based studio methods, with the musicians swapping instruments on "Boys Keep Swinging."

David Bowie's Lodger, released May 18, 1979 on RCA Records, is the third and final album of the Berlin Trilogy (though recorded partly in Montreux and New York) and features the most overtly poppy and world-music-influenced material of the three. Bowie co-wrote all ten tracks with Brian Eno, Carlos Alomar, or both, embracing a global pastiche approach that incorporated Middle Eastern, African, and Turkish musical influences into post-punk and art-rock frameworks. Tracks like 'Boys Keep Swinging,' 'DJ,' and 'Look Back in Anger' are among the most fully realized singles of his Berlin era, while 'Yassassin' and 'African Night Flight' reflect Bowie's restless global curiosity. The album reached the top five in the UK and confirmed Bowie's status as one of the most forward-thinking songwriters in rock, even as his commercial profile had somewhat diminished from the mid-70s peak. Lodger marked the end of Bowie's most collaborative writing period with Brian Eno, whose contributions are credited on six of the ten tracks.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Fantastic Voyage
David BowieBrian Eno David BowieBrian Eno David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
2
African Night Flight
David BowieBrian Eno David BowieBrian Eno David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
3
Move On
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
4
Yassassin
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
5
Red Sails
David BowieBrian Eno David BowieBrian Eno David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
6
D.J.
David BowieBrian EnoCarlos Alomar David BowieBrian EnoCarlos Alomar David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
7
Look Back in Anger
David BowieBrian Eno David BowieBrian Eno David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
8
Boys Keep Swinging #7
David BowieBrian Eno David BowieBrian Eno David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
9
Repetition
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
10
Red Money
David BowieCarlos Alomar David BowieCarlos Alomar David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 4 contributors

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Frequently Asked Questions Lodger

When was David Bowie's Lodger released and what trilogy does it complete?
Lodger was released in May 1979 on RCA Records. It is the third and final album in Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, following Low and "Heroes."
What genre is David Bowie's Lodger?
Lodger combines art rock, experimental rock, avant-pop, world music, and new wave. It is more song-oriented than the largely instrumental second halves of the earlier Berlin albums.
What role did Brian Eno play on David Bowie's Lodger?
Brian Eno co-wrote five of the album's ten tracks: "Fantastic Voyage," "African Night Flight," "Red Sails," "D.J.," and "Look Back in Anger." He appeared on and co-wrote six of the ten songs overall.
What is unusual about "Boys Keep Swinging" on Lodger?
On "Boys Keep Swinging" the musicians deliberately swapped to instruments they did not normally play, producing a looser sound. The track also shares its chord sequence with "Fantastic Voyage" and reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
What is "D.J." by David Bowie about?
"D.J." is Bowie's cynical response to disco culture, sung partly in imitation of David Byrne's vocal style. It was co-written with Brian Eno and Carlos Alomar and reached number 29 in the UK.
Who wrote the songs on David Bowie's Lodger?
David Bowie wrote or co-wrote all ten tracks. Brian Eno co-wrote five songs and Carlos Alomar co-wrote "D.J." and "Red Money."
How well did Lodger sell?
Lodger has sold around 2.2 million copies worldwide. It was certified Gold in the UK and the Netherlands.

Sources