Dead Man Walking (song)

"Dead Man Walking"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Earthling
Released	21 May 1997
Format	CD single
Recorded	Looking Glass Studio, New York City
Genre	Alternative rock, dance-rock, IDM
Length	4:01
Label	BMG/RCA 74321 47585 2
Writer(s)	David Bowie (lyrics and music), Reeves Gabrels (music)
Producer(s)	David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels, Mark Plati
David Bowie singles chronology
"Little Wonder" (1997) "Dead Man Walking" (1997) "Seven Years in Tibet" (1997)

"Dead Man Walking" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels and released as single from the 1997 album Earthling. It was a number 32 hit in the UK.

The guitar riff used in the intro dates back to the mid-1960s when Jimmy Page taught this to Bowie.^[1] Bowie later used it for his song "The Supermen" in 1970, and revived it 25 years later for "Dead Man Walking".

The single

2 track CD

1. "Dead Man Walking (edit)" – 4:01
2. "Dead Man Walking (Album version)" – 6:50

Released 21 March 1997 in the Netherlands by BMG.

Arista / 74321 47480 2 (EU)

1. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix)" – 7:31
2. "Dead Man Walking (Album version)" – 6:50
3. "I'm Deranged (Jungle mix)" – 7:00

Released 21 March 1997 in the Netherlands by BMG.

CD: Arista / 74321 47614 2 (EU)

1. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix)" – 7:31
2. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
3. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
4. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29

Released 24 March 1997 in the Netherlands by BMG.

CD: RCA / 74321 47584 2 (UK)

1. "Dead Man Walking (Single edit)" – 4:01
2. "I'm Deranged (Jungle mix)" – 7:00
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Good Karma mix)" – 5:00

Released 14 April 1997 in UK by RCA/BMG.

CD: RCA / 74321 47585 2 (UK)

1. "Dead Man Walking (Album version)" – 6:50
2. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix 1)" – 7:31
3. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
4. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28

Released 14 April 1997 in UK by RCA/BMG.

CD: Arista / 74321 47614 2 (Australia)

1. "Dead Man Walking (Single edit)" – 4:01
2. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix 1)" – 7:31
3. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
4. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
5. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29

Released 28 April 1997 in Australia by BMG.

Arista / BVCA-8845 (Japan)

1. "Dead Man Walking (Single edit)" – 4:01
2. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
3. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
4. "I'm Deranged (Jungle mix)" – 7:00

Released May 1997 in Japan.

UK 12" vinyl version

1. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
2. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29
3. "Telling Lies (Paradox mix)

Italian 12" vinyl version

1. "Dead Man Walking (Moby mix 1)" – 7:31
2. "Dead Man Walking (House mix)" – 6:00
3. "Dead Man Walking (This One's Not Dead Yet Remix)" – 6:28
4. "Dead Man Walking (Vigor Mortis Remix)" – 6:29

At least 6 additional promo singles were released.

Personnel

• David Bowie – production, writing credits, vocals, sampling

Session musicians Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar, backing vocals Zachary Alford – drums Mike Garson- keyboards, piano Mark Plati – drum loops, electronic percussion, production, programming, samples Reeves Gabrels – production, writing credits, programming, guitar, vocals

Live versions

• Bowie played an acoustic version of the song on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien show together with Reeves Gabrels. This was later released on the various artist album Live from 6A.
• Another live version recorded at Fort Apache Studios, 8 April 1997, was broadcast at WBCN. The year after this version appeared on the album WBCN Naked Too.
• Bowie played a different live acoustic version of "Dead Man Walking" at a concert at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta, Georgia on 4 August 1997, which was hosted by Atlanta alternative rock radio station 99X. 99X later included it as a track on their 99X Live X IV "Home" CD.

Other releases

• It was featured in the movie The Saint in 1997.
• Two Moby mixes were released on the bonus disc of the 2004 Digibook Expanded Edition of Earthling.

Use in other media

• "Dead Man Walking" is used for "Lo Que Queda del Día", a late-afternoon news programme from Chilean Radio Cooperativa.

References

1. "Changes 2.1" by Joe Gore, Guitar Player magazine, June 1997, pp 45–58