Untitled - (Mimicking to Absolute Beginners backing track)
(David Bowie)



1. David Bowie as 'Bruce Springsteen'.

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the board and she ate up the sand
With a horse at the south crack tailing behind
With fire that aims to please

When the fires broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
And the hubcaps that burnt through the skin of your hand
Left nothing at all but the sound of a rock 'n' roll band

DB: "I'm gonna be doing somebody else now, just 'cost I feel like it. Keep, keep that last one."


2. David Bowie as 'Marc Bolan'.

When the fires broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the board and she ate up the sand
With a horse at the side tried tailing behind
With fire that aims to please

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
And the hubcaps that burnt through the skies of your hand
Nothing left at all but the sound of a rock 'n' roll band

DB: "OK. Let's... (laughs) I'm just fucking about now."


3. David Bowie as 'Tom Waits'.

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the board and she ate up the sand
With a horse on the side dragged tailing behind
Fire that aims to please

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
And hubcaps that burnt through the skin of your hand
But nothing left at all but the sound of a rock 'n' roll band

DB: "Oh yeah." (laughs)


4. David Bowie as 'Lou Reed'.

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the board and she ate up the sand
With a horse at the south side tailing behind
A fire that aims to please

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
Hubcaps that burnt through the skin of your hand
Hard luck

DB: "No, no, no, no, it's nothing, he's real hard Lou. (laughs). How would he do this? Christ. OK, alright, nearly, OK, yes."


5. David Bowie as 'Anthony Newley'.

When the fires broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the boards and she ate up the sand
With a horse of the south track tailing behind
A fire that aims to please

When the fires broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
And hubcaps that burnt through the skin of your hand
Nothing left at all but the sound of a rock 'n' roll band

DB: (Laughing). "Oh dear. Lou Reed. Er Jim, OK Iggy then. Iggy. (practises). Yeah, yeah. OK, yeah, yeah, OK."


6. David Bowie as 'Iggy Pop'.

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the board and she ate up the sand
With the horse at the south dragged tailing behind
Fire that aims to please

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
And hubcaps that burnt through the skin of your hand
Nothing left at all but the sound of a rock 'n' roll band

DB: "Difficult, he's somewhere between all of them. (laughs) I couldn't never, I couldn't even get anywhere near to him. It's erm. Fuck, fuck." (laughing)


7. David Bowie as 'Neil Young'.

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Put my foot to the board and she ate up the sand
With the horse at the side left tailing behind
Fire that aims to please

When the fire broke out on the Rio Grande
Left nothing standing but the smell of the land
Hubcaps that burnt through the skin of your hand
Nothing left at all but the sound of a rock 'n' roll band

DB: "That's it. Good night now." (laughs)



(Recorded late June 1985 at Westside Studios in Holland Park, West London W11. David had finished recording the final lead vocal for 'Absolute Beginners' and decided to have some fun by mimicking various artists to the backing track. The spoken dialogue is between David with Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley in the control room).