Studio Album · No. 17
Never Let Me Down Songwriting Credits by David Bowie
Produced by David Bowie, David Richards · Engineered by Bob Clearmountain, Malcolm Pollack
Holds writing credit on 10 of 11 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
David Bowie wrote or co-wrote the bulk of Never Let Me Down himself, returning to a more hands-on authorship after the covers-heavy Tonight. He shared writing credits with longtime guitarist Carlos Alomar on the title track and with multi-instrumentalist Erdal Kizilcay on "Too Dizzy," while "Bang Bang" was a cover of an Iggy Pop and Ivan Kral song. Bowie later disowned much of the record's overproduced 1980s sound, though he defended the strength of the underlying songs.
David Bowie's Never Let Me Down, released April 27, 1987 on EMI Records, is the final album of what critics have called the 'commercial trilogy' following Let's Dance and Tonight, a hard rock and pop record that Bowie himself later described as 'not a great album' and whose Glass Spider Tour productions he found overwrought. Bowie wrote nine of the eleven tracks himself, with 'Never Let Me Down' co-written with Carlos Alomar and 'Iggy Pop's Bang Bang' serving as the lone cover. Peter Frampton appears as lead guitarist across much of the album. 'Day-In Day-Out' and 'Time Will Crawl' were the principal singles. The album reached the top six in the UK but received mixed reviews and underperformed commercially, prompting Bowie to later reassess his mid-80s output and ultimately return to more experimental work with Tin Machine. Despite its reputation, Bowie's authorship of the underlying material remained consistent, he wrote or co-wrote virtually everything, even at this commercial and creative low point.
Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Day-In Day-Out
#17
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 2 |
Time Will Crawl
#33
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 3 |
Beat of Your Drum
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Never Let Me Down
#34
|
David BowieCarlos Alomar | David BowieCarlos Alomar | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Zeroes
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 6 |
Glass Spider
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 7 |
Shining Star (Makin' My Love)
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 8 |
New York's in Love
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 9 |
'87 and Cry
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 10 |
Bang Bang
|
Iggy PopIvan Kral | Iggy PopIvan Kral | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 11 |
Too Dizzy
|
David BowieErdal Kızılçay | David BowieErdal Kızılçay | David BowieDavid Richards | David Bowie (Vocals) |