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TL;DR:

  • A future rock star played on David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”
  • The star also played on Bowie’s version of “China Girl.”
  • “Let’s Dance” was a No. 1 single in the United States and the United Kingdom.
"Let's Dance" singer David Bowie in a suit
David Bowie | AFP / Stringer

One of the most famous classic rock songs of the early 1980s is David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Notably, Bowie got a future rock star to play on the track. Subsequently, “Let’s Dance” became a massive hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

David Bowie called another star on the phone to see if he’d play on 1 of his albums

According to the 2019 book Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan, drummer Chris Layton discussed how Vaughan got involved with Bowie. “The phone rang at three in the morning, and this quiet English voice said, ‘Is Stevie Vaughan there?'” he said. “I said, ‘Damn, who is this?’ ‘This is David Bowie.’ 

“I’m thinking, ‘You mean, the Thin White Duke? Ziggy Stardust? That David Bowie?'” he continued. “I paused and said, ‘Oh, just one minute.’

“I ran into Stevie’s room, shook him awake, and yelled, ‘Get up, get up! David Bowie’s on the phone!'” Layton added. 

Stevie Ray Vaughn played on David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ and ‘China Girl’

Layton discussed what happened next. “They talked for a while, and then Stevie said that Bowie asked him if he wanted to cut some tracks in New York for his new record and maybe join his band for a world tour,” he added. “Bowie had expressed interest in hiring Stevie the very first night he met him, but no one took it too seriously.”

Bassist Tommy Shannon discussed Vaughan’s reaction to the offer. “Stevie was really excited about being asked to play on Bowie’s next record,” he said. “At that point, he also thought we were going to open the shows, because that’s what Bowie told him.” Vaughan played guitar on the outro to “Let’s Dance.” He also played on another iconic Bowie hit from the same album: “China Girl.”

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How ‘Let’s Dance’ performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

After the success of “Fame,” “Let’s Dance” became Bowie’s second and final No. 1 single in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, staying on the chart for 20 weeks in total. The tune appeared on the album Let’s Dance, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 for 69 weeks. It was one of Bowie’s most popular albums in the U.S.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Let’s Dance” reached No. 1 for three weeks, remaining on the chart for 18 weeks. On the other hand, Let’s Dance reached No. 1 for three of its 61 weeks on the chart. “Let’s Dance” became something of a standard, and Prince, Josh Homme, and Jimmy Fallon each put their own spin on the track. 

“Let’s Dance” is one of the most famous dance songs of the 1980s and it wouldn’t be the same without Vaughan.

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