The Sad Story of the Lost Elvis and David Bowie Album That Was Never Made

The late David Bowie often mentioned being a huge Elvis Presley fan throughout his career. In fact, he admired the King’s music so much that he tried to collaborate with him on multiple occasions. Bowie nearly got what he wanted, but unfortunate events got in the way. 

Elvis Presley once called David Bowie to work together

In 1997, Bowie and country singer Dwight Yoakam were bonding over their love of Presley’s music when Bowie shared an incredible story with him. As reported by Smooth Radio, Yoakam recalled the conversation while talking to the Orange County Register. During the interview, Yoakam revealed that Presley had once called Bowie after hearing one of his hit singles. The King wanted Bowie to produce his next album. 

“That was based on Elvis having heard Bowie’s ‘Golden Years,’ and I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s a tragedy that he was never able to make that.'” 

Presley called Bowie in 1977, six months before he died. It’s hard to imagine what could have been if the King had lived a bit longer, but it’s clear we missed out on some incredible music.

“I couldn’t even imagine 1977 David Bowie producing Elvis,” Yoakam stated. “It would have been fantastic. It has to be one of the greatest tragedies in pop music history that it didn’t happen, one of the biggest missed opportunities.”

David Bowie wrote ‘Golden Years’ for Elvis Presley

Years before Bowie got that phone call, Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker asked him to write a hit song for the King. According to Express UK, Bowie eagerly wrote “Golden Years,” but Presley rejected it with a note which read, “All the best, and have a great tour.” He allegedly kept that note for the rest of his life. 

In a 2002 interview, Bowie confirmed what Yoakam said about the possibility of him collaborating with Presley. 

“There was talk between our offices,” Bowie said, “that I should be introduced to Elvis and maybe start working with him in a production-writer capacity. But it never came to pass … I would have loved to have worked with him. God, I would have adored it.”

David Bowie regretted what he wore to Elvis Presley’s concert

More sad news with the passing of Lisa Marie Presley who suffered cardiac arrest yesterday. The daughter of Elvis and Priscilla was just 54 and had been seen in public with her mother only two days at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. She is pictured here with David and Iman in 2005. pic.twitter.com/hYGtg472oq

— David Bowie Official (@DavidBowieReal) January 13, 2023

A few years before Presley called him to collaborate, Bowie saw the King perform in New York City. Despite his fear of flying, he took to the air to catch Presley live wearing his usual Ziggy Stardust getup. According to the book Bowie on Bowie: Interviews and Encounters With David Bowie, the musician recalled the concert in a 1997 interview, saying:

“I came over for a long weekend. I remember coming straight from the airport and walking into Madison Square Garden very late. I wore all my clobber from the Ziggy period and had great seats near the front. The whole place just turned to look at me, and I felt like a right idiot. I had brilliant red hair, some huge padded space suits, and those red boots with big black soles. I wished I’d gone for something quiet because I must have registered with him. He was well into his set.”

Despite having crossed paths several times, it’s unclear whether the musician met his hero face-to-face.