English rock band Kaiser Chiefs have once again confirmed that they turned down lyrics written by the late David Bowie. In a recent segment on Virgin Radio UK, band members Ricky Wilson and Andrew White recalled a time when they were missing a lyric on an album several years ago and contacted Bowie for help. After sending a line to them, they ultimately decided that it wasn’t right for the song. The line, “Waters aren’t going to muddy themselves,” was deemed “terrible” by White.
The claim that Bowie had helped write lyrics for the band was first brought to light in a 2011 interview with News of the World. Drummer Nick Hodgson mentioned that Bowie, a longtime friend of Kaiser Chiefs’ producer Tony Visconti, was contacted through Visconti to finish off a verse. This caused some controversy as Visconti later denied ever asking Bowie to write lyrics for the band. Now, Wilson and White have confirmed the story’s authenticity.
Kaiser Chiefs released their latest album, Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album, on March 1 through V2. It features the single “Burning In Flames.” While Wilson and White were recently amused at a comment by former The Fall frontman Mark E. Smith that the band should open a chip shop in North Yorkshire with Arctic Monkeys, they have not always received positive reviews from everyone. Former prime minister Boris Johnson once referred to Wilson personally as an “epic softie.” Despite this, Wilson states that he wouldn’t mind being called that and even thinks it would make a perfectly acceptable name for a new pop star.
It is not entirely clear if Bowie knew of or approved of Kaiser Chiefs, but his association with Visconti has been widely celebrated over the years. The two collaborated on over ten albums, including classics such as “Low,” “Heroes,” and “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).
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