“Underground” is a song written and recorded by David Bowie for the soundtrack of the film Labyrinth. It reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart.
Details
The track was something of an experiment for Bowie, dabbling in gospel music to a small extent, helped by a large chorus of backing vocalists and blues guitarist Albert Collins, but retaining use of synthesizers.
Track listing
side A. Underground (Edited version) – 4:25
side B. Underground (Instrumental) – 5:40
This is the only Instrumental version featuring the backing singers.
All other Instrumental versions are slightly longer, backing-tracks only except on the back of the promo 12-inch single.
All tracks by Bowie
Description
Label: EMI 1A 006-20 1281 7
Format: Vinyl, 7″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: Netherlands
Released: june 1986
Recorded at:
Recorded date:
Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Good (G)
ring wear: Yes
All three seams looking perfect: Yes
Picture sleeve looks near mint: No
creases or folds: Yes
stamps or writing: No
Producers
David Bowie
Arie Mardin
Musicians
David Bowie: Vocals
Robbie Buchanan: Keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Andy Thomas: Additional programming
Richard Tee: Acoustic piano, Hammond organ
Albert Collins: Lead guitar
Nicky Moroch: Rhythm guitar
Steve Ferrone: Drum effects
Bob Gay: Saxophone
Cissy Houston, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Fonzi Thornton, Marcus Miller, Marc Stephens, Daphne Vega, Garcia Alston, Mary David Canty, Beverly Ferguson, A. Marie Foster, James Glenn, Eunice Peterson, Rennele Stafford: Backing vocals
Video
Steve Barron directed the video clip for promoting the song, which featured images shown in quick succession of Bowie’s most notable “roles”, including Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke (Bowie’s 1976 persona, explicitly named during the title track of Station to Station), Thomas Newton (from The Man Who Fell to Earth), Jareth (from Labyrinth) and Baal, before Bowie dances with the puppet characters from the Labyrinth film and turns into an animated figure similar to effects seen in Barron’s earlier video for “Take On Me” by A-ha.
Bowie was not happy with the video, in 1987 saying “I’ve found that the videos I put into other people’s hands have always been a mistake. Because of my lack of interest, I didn’t get that involved with things like “Underground” which I did for Labyrinth. I just left it up, and the result is just not my kind of video. I was a bit lax there. I didn’t feel involved.”
However, Jim Henson and his son Brian were impressed with Barron’s style, enough to offer him a job directing the pilot episode of The Storyteller. Barron’s work on the pilot, “Hans My Hedgehog” came to define the look of the entire series.
Follow-up singles
A video for “As the World Falls Down”, another track from the Labyrinth album, was mooted for a Christmas 1986 single release, with a 3:36 edit and another Steve Barron video made. However, this release was canceled, for reasons that are still largely unknown. The video, consisting mainly of clips from the film, has since been released on Bowie collections. In January 1987, another track from the soundtrack, “Magic Dance,” was issued as an American 12″-only release.
