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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Tuesday 25 July 2023
How David Bowie became a writer on a Chris Young song

By MARIA SHERMAN self feel about the posthu-
AP Music Writer mous collaboration?
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coun- “Hate is a strong word,”
try star Chris Young’s latest said Tiffany Naiman, UCLA’s
single, “Young Love & Sat- director of music industry
urday Nights,” is a vivid love programs and an expert on
letter to summertime week- Bowie, of the icon’s feelings
ends, old trucks, dive bar toward the genre. “I think
bands, and crushes. And it he had a very difficult rela-
might sound immediately tionship with certain parts
familiar: The guitar lick that of America including coun-
opens the track is lifted di- try music.”
rectly from David Bowie’s It might have not been his
1974 hit “Rebel Rebel.” thing, she said, but that
Bowie is credited posthu- didn’t mean he never lis-
mously as a songwriter on tened to country music.
the track, making it one of She urges listeners to con-
the genre-melding icon’s sider Bowie’s documented
few forays into country mu- love of Elvis Presley, who
sic noteworthy, because began his career as a
Bowie himself was not quite country star, and Bowie’s
a fan of the genre. Chris Young performs at the 56th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn., cover of the country track
“I think the only music I on April 16, 2021, left, and David Bowie performs during a concert in Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 14, “It Ain’t Easy” by Ron Davis,
didn’t listen to was coun- 1995. recorded during his 1971
try and western, and that Associated Press “Hunky Dory” sessions and
holds to this day,” Bowie Ben Vaughn, president in a statement. “Interpola- ten by Ashley Gorley, Josh released on 1972’s “The
told NPR’s Terry Gross in and chief executive officer tions to me are a way of Thompson and Frasure, he Rise and Fall of Ziggy Star-
2002. “It’s much easier for of Warner Chappell Mu- tipping a hat to my heroes knew he wanted to record dust and the Spiders from
me to say that, the kind of sic Nashville, says his team and maybe even introduc- it. Mars.”
music I didn’t listen to was asked songwriter Jesse Fra- ing their music to a new au- “It tackles universal themes Young himself told the AP
pretty much that.” sure to “get creative using dience.” that a lot of people can that he doesn’t think his
So how did Bowie, who elements from Bowie’s cat- He added that it is an hon- related to. That’s the end song is “introducing David
died in 2016, end up on the alog to write a new country or to have Bowie’s music goal of the song: to make Bowie to a new genre.”
track? song. He ended up doing “be heard in the country you feel like you’re in it,” Bowie might not have
Warner Chappell Music an interpolation of ‘Rebel genre.” Young told The Associated leaned into country mu-
became the custodian of Rebel’ and the demo he WMC A&R executive Spen- Press. “And the fact that sic, Young says, but “if you
Bowie’s musical legacy ac- turned in was an instant cer Nohe then pitched the David Bowie’s catalog got asked country fans, ‘Hey,
quiring the worldwide rights smash.” song to Young’s team while picked up and they decid- do you know who David
to over 400 of his songs, “Getting the call from their legal counsel, Steve ed to do something special Bowie is?’ they’re going to

including “Rebel Rebel” Bowie’s estate and War- Butler, negotiated the deal. like this, and list him as a name a song. And even if
when the company pur- ner Chappell to creatively Young writes many of his songwriter on the song, is a they don’t, they’re going to
chased his extensive music explore his catalog was an own songs, but when he really cool thing.” recognize the weight of the
catalog in 2022. exciting day,” Frasure said first heard the demo writ- But how would Bowie him- name.”q

Zoe Saldaña put self-doubt aside to star in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’

By ALICIA RANCILIO in three successful film axy “ and “ Star Trek “ yet mentary, adding that he siders important, he won’t
Associated Press franchises — “ Avatar “, when Taylor Sheridan ap- was writing a character call you back for weeks. If
Zoe Saldaña has starred “ Guardians of the Gal- proached her to lead his with her in mind. As exciting it’s really something that
new TV series, “Special as the project seemed, she he wants to really hear, he
Ops: Lioness,” she said no. passed. calls back within seconds,
“I have ADD and I’m dys- “I read the pilot, I loved it so that’s exactly what he
lexic, so learning a lot of so much that I freaked out did.
dialogue was always very and I walked away from it.” “He said, ‘I’m waiting on
daunting,” said Saldaña A year later she was in Italy you. The script is still here.
in an interview prior to the filming the limited-series We haven’t done anything
start of the actors strike. “I “From Scratch” and found with it.
never thought that I would herself once again thinking Please say yes.’ And I did,”
ever get to be a part of about that Sheridan offer Saldaña recounted.
(projects) where the dialog and brought it up to her After that initial trepidation
and the writing is most im- husband. to take the role, Saldaña
portant to the whole story. “I guess he was just sick of says her admiration of
.. I tend to run away from me always mentioning the Sheridan’s work has only
that. I have a hard time show and not doing any- grown. He wrote each of
focusing, which is why the thing about it. He was like, the show’s eight episodes.
action genre was always ‘Just call him, just text him.’ “I have a great deal of re-
Zoe Saldana appears at the premiere of the Paramount+ series appealing to me.” And the thing about Taylor spect of somebody that re-
“Special Ops: Lioness” in London on July 11, 2023. She says Sheridan called is that if if he’s busy and it’s ally, really believes in what
Associated Press her and was very compli- not something that he con- they do,” she said. q