4 Times David Bowie Wrote Songs for Other Musicians

Are you a David Bowie megafan and think you’ve heard everything the Thin White Duke has ever made? You might just be surprised to hear that the following four tunes were actually written by David Bowie for other musicians and bands. Let’s take a look at a few deep cuts, shall we?

“Pleasure Man/Hey Ma Get Papa” by Mick Ronson

Mick Ronson was a solid glam rock musician on his own. However, most people know him for his work with David Bowie, notably as the guitarist of his band Spiders From Mars. He was one heck of a session musician and also an excellent producer. 

It’s not exactly surprising that “Pleasure Man/Hey Ma Get Papa”, among other tunes, were actually written by Bowie for Ronson. However, the song was more of a collaborative effort between the two rock icons and Scott Richardson. Bowie also wrote a few other songs on Ronson’s debut album, Slaughter On 10th Avenue.

“Dum Dum Boys” by Iggy Pop

Everybody knows that David Bowie and Iggy Pop were tight. They lived in Berlin together in the 1970s and got clean, made good music, and radically changed their music careers at the same time.

“Dum Dum Boys” is one of a few songs that Bowie wrote for Pop. Bowie also produced the whole of Pop’s post-Stooges debut solo record, The Idiot.

“Madman” by Cuddly Toys

If you were a glam rock or new wave fan in the late 1970s, you might just remember Cuddly Toys. This oddball little outfit is best known for their first single, “Madman”, which was actually written by Bowie and Marc Bolan. The song peaked at no. 19 on the UK Indie chart in 1980. The collaboration came after Bowie stayed at Bolan’s house during his 1977 tour with Iggy Pop.

“Over The Wall We Go” by Paul Nicholas

This one’s a real deep cut. Most know Paul Nicholas from his stint as an actor, particularly on the BBC sitcom Just Good Friends in the 1980s. However, before that, Nicholas was a pop star. His third-ever single was the 1967 tune “Over The Wall We Go”, which was written and produced by a notably young David Bowie. It’s an early-career gem that provides a bit of insight into the kind of creative process Bowie had in the early years.

Photo by Chris Lopez/Sony Music Archive via Getty Images

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