I can't see any reason why he would need her permission. She didn't even record the original version.

@@stevelayton1271 Yes, but already the fact that he respectfully asked permission from her is very gentlemanly.

@@pelegrim3264 I'd like to know your source for this somewhat apocryphal story. Bowie had cover versions on Hunky Dory, Ziggy and Aladdin Sane, not to mention the all covers Pinups. Do you think he took all of the composers and previous performers of those songs to dinner because he's a gentleman?

@@stevelayton1271 It is possible that 1975 was a very foggy year for David Bowie, but they first met in 1974 purely by chance. Simone became an audience member with her daughter at a Bowie concert at Madison Square Garden. As she left the venue, Bowie invited her to sit down and exchange phone numbers. That same evening, at 3:00 am, he called her and she told her about the problems she was struggling with. She has personally revealed that she had bipolar disorder and has been secretly taking medication since the 60s. But David influenced her on a personal level, they talked a lot and inspired each other. There is even an interesting snippet from Nina's performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1976 where she mentioned David. As a result, they met a lot, and the main reason why he asked her about recording this song was not only a tribute to Nina, but also as part of the her influence on himself at that time. All information about this is in open sources from the stories of Nina or David. Of course, we cannot know everything, you need to be either her or him. But the story is very interesting.

@@pelegrim3264 this is absolutely correct. Their respect for each other and David's support for her in the mid 70's, considering his cocaine use, is a testament to his character.

Agreed - the spectacular earlier versions show his vocal range, and although he does a good job disguising it, one can really tell how much range he'd lost by the time of this performance. He did eventually give up cigarettes and regained much of his range.

So beautiful

They were very good friends.

I was there! All three nights. It was one of the best concerts I ever attended....and you can hear me screaming after he sings "Don't fake it baby..." in Moonage Daydream (1:06-7). It was a time when David was at his absolute worst and it was still absolute magic. xo

@@cait0fionn WOW 😲. I was at Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles for this show. Ran up to the stage just before the show started and before I knew it, Bowie came out for 1984 and I touched his red ballet shoe. Then was quickly escorted back to my seat. Best concert ever. That screaming was you? Cool! I've heard it a million times.

@@mistersnitty7721 The Tower Theatre was a small venue-hence the 3 nights-so it seemed very intimate and the acoustics were amazing, which is probably why they chose it for the live recordings. I'll bet it was pretty incredible seeing it on a bigger stage too...room to stretch. The critics were so hard on the Diamond Dogs tour. I admit that David was exhausted and decimated by drugs and mental issues...BUT the whole concept and vision was genius. The music and lyrics, the musicians--Earl Slick, Mike Garson, David Sanborn- the breathtaking sets, the choreography and the Starman himself. I treasure the memory.

@@cait0fionn Universal Amphitheater was a 6,000 seat open air (before they put a roof over it) venue. It still remains the best concert I've ever been to, and David Live one of my favorite albums.

cheers!

Actually it was written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington for the film by the same name in 1957. It was first recorded by the Paramount Studios Orchestra, then by Johnny Mathis, and THEN by Nina Simone. xo