David loved hanging out at soul clubs in New York. He found Carlos Alomar, his guitarist here, and Carlos referred him to Luther Vandross. Carlos' wife Robin Clark, who worked with Luther at a store, was also backing vocals on the Young Americans album, and she joined the band Simple Minds in recording the songs Alive and Kicking and Sanctify Yourself. Simple Minds got their name from lyrics in a Bowie song called The Jean Genie. It all comes together like a circle.

That's definitely Luther singing with David Bowie beautiful queen! And I didn't know Anthony Hamilton sang backup with D'Angelo!! Wow!

some background for you. Guitarist Carlos Alomar from the Bronx was in the Apollo band when was 16 years old and later played with James Brown. When Bowie came to NY he already knew he wanted an American R&B sound and was introduced to Carlos. Carlos then brought in his girlfriend from high school, soon to be his wife, vocalist Robin Clark. She had already been singer of Chic's giant hits, and she brought in her friend she had met on the train in the Bronx, Luther. They were already starting a group called Jade. But Carlos convinced them to come work on the Young Americans album and they, along with Fonzie Thornton, then became the background harmony machine for every NY dance record made for the next ten years. Clive Davis saw Luther with Bowie and offered him a record deal later on.

It just fills me with joy to see David and his band giving pleasure to a whole new generation :)

The girl with the white hair is Ava Cherry, she was his girlfriend at the time. The guy with curly hair next to her is Geoff MacCormack, one of Bowie’s childhood friends. Luther you know, and David Sanborn plays sax. Bowie’s voice was sort of shot in this performance, and he blows a bunch of lines, but any Bowie performance is cool! 😆

He was married to a beautiful black super model named Iman for a long time up to his death!! He was the most fashionable rocker ever. God he was great! He has so many songs. I will have to check out if you have reacted to him before but Fame is great!!

Bowie was a genius at finding sounds for his ever changing style, he loved the sound of black soul and also disco (which back in the 70's definitely, featured many black singers) he loved to mix and layer sounds and different genres of music ... with some of the most talented music makers along the way... he is and always will be my music idol ...he is all over my home and In my cd collection ...May he rest peacefully, he passed 8 days after my father... double grief 🥺🥺🥺🥺

It was during the "Young Americans" sessions that David Bowie invited a young unknown Bruce Springsteen down to Philly to play some songs for him. Bowie ended up covering two of Bruce's songs, "Growing Up," and "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City." Bruce credits him as being a great early supporter of their music. David Bowie definitely had an ear for great talent.

Bowie knew how to spot talent.. this was Bowie's cocaine period.. but he made some groundbreaking classic albums in this period too.. To say that he influenced a generation is wrong. He influenced many generations & is still doing so today.. 💖⚡ Not sure if you know much about him, but if you know about his importance to so many people, I suggest you check out his video for Lazarus.. get some tissues ready first.. 💔

You should watch the interview in which Bowie turns it and start asking the interviewer about why MTV wasnt playing black artists

David Sanborn, the sax player played with just about everybody and was respected in all genres including jazz

The "Cracked Actor" documentary is an interesting watch it's filmed on the "Diamond Dogs" tour that came before "Young Americans" you see Bowie's interest in soul grow as he's driving across America (scared of flying at the time) listening obsessively to Aretha Franklin and the tour changing into the "Philly Dogs" tour and the soul - infused album that followed. I think it's the only one of Bowie's many genre shifts that the genesis of its captured on film. Good eye catching young Luther BTW! This was his big break that opened the door for him to start his own recording career.

On sax the legendary David Sanborn....now that's a rabbit hole!

He married a Somalian model named Iman in...oh 92 or so. TYhe sax player is David Sanborn, who now lives in Tampa Fl, my home and I had the pleasure to meet him there. David was dying from liver cancer and we both were weeping... one of my strangest music stories.

If you're going down THIS musical rabbit hole, may I suggest Fame, Space Oddity, Let's Dance, Modern Love, Alladin Sane, and definitely The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

Legendary! David Sanborn, the guy cutting loose on the saxophone, used to have his own late night music show on television back in the late 80's. I remember watching him jam with Sonic Youth once back then. Another Bowie television performance that must be seen to be believed is his 1979 appearance on Saturday Night Live where he turned "The Man Who Sold the World" into a piece of German avant-garde performance art. Poke around YT a little and you should be able to find a clip of it.

LV also sang backup (session) for Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. Look forward to your reaction to some Roxy Music tunes.

GOOD CALL ON THE LUTHER VANDROSS THING! I've been a Bowie fan since early 70s and never knew that. Who says that an old guy can't learn from the young???

You need to check out David Bowie's song "Let's Dance" .... He had a young new blues guitarist named Stevie Ray Vaughan play on it!!!!

That's a young David Sanborn, jazz legend, blowing sax. And yes, that was Luther and Robin Clark, Carlos Alomar's wife, and Ava Cherry (blond hair) David Bowie's girlfriend at the time, all singing backup. The guitar player with the glasses is Carlos. Chuck

I love the raising of hands he does after mentioning Nixon, like George and Jerry's disavowal action in Seinfeld.

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 7 March 1975 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B. Initial recording sessions took place following the first leg of his Diamond Dogs Tour in August 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, who would become one of Bowie's most frequent collaborators, and singer Luther Vandross. After the initial sessions, the tour continued, with the setlist and design changed due to the influence of the new material recorded; this portion of the tour has been labeled "the Soul tour". At the end of the tour, sessions continued at Electric Lady Studios and the Record Plant in New York City, which included contributions from former Beatle John Lennon. Bowie would label the album's sound "plastic soul". The album was very successful in the US; reaching the Top 10 in the Billboard charts, with the song "Fame" hitting No. 1 the same year. However, it received mixed reviews from music critics and continues to receive mixed reviews. Bowie himself had mixed feelings about the album throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, Bowie biographers have considered it one of his most influential records, mainly noting him as among the first white musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles. The album has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976) box set. Bowie's eighth studio album Diamond Dogs was his final album in the glam rock genreBiographer David Buckley writes: "In the sort of move which would come to define his career, Bowie jumped the glam-rock ship just in time, before it drifted into a blank parody of itself". Despite being mostly glam rock, the album contained two songs, "Rock 'n' Roll with Me" and "1984", that exhibit elements of funk and soul, which Bowie embraced for Young Americans.Diamond Dogs was also a milestone in Bowie's career as it reunited him with Tony Visconti, who provided string arrangements and helped mix the album at his own studio in London. Visconti would go on to co-produce much of Bowie's work for the rest of the decade.[6] In April 1974, Bowie met New York funk guitarist Carlos Alomar who would become Bowie's guide into black American music and, for the next 14 years, act as Bowie's bandleader.[ Before they met, Alomar was a session musician at the Apollo Theater, playing with the likes of James Brown, Chuck Berry and Wilson Pickett. According to Buckley, Alomar's substitute guitarist was Nile Rodgers, the future co-founder of the band Chic and later collaborator with Bowie for 1983's Let's Dance.[8] Biographer Nicholas Pegg writes that ten years prior, one of Bowie's favourite records was Brown's Live at the Apollo (1963), so meeting a musician who played at the Apollo was a dream come true for Bowie.[1] Although Alomar had never heard of Bowie when they met, they connected immediately and formed a working relationship that would last almost 15 years. In July 1974, towards the end of the first leg of his Diamond Dogs Tour, Bowie resided at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, where he recorded his 1974 live album David Live.] During his stay, he visited Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia to work on recordings for American musician Ava Cherry, who he allegedly had an affair with at the time. Sigma was owned by the writer-producer duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who co-founded Philadelphia International Records, the home of many well-known black American musicians.Following the end of the first leg of the tour, Bowie returned to New York City to mix David Live, where he requested a list of black albums to hear in preparation for his return to Sigma Sound i would say check the album out

in 1983, David Bowie berated the two year old MTV for its lack of racial diversity. He's always been a legend in more ways than most know.

Yes that's Luther in the powder blue suit. In interviews he always says he started out with David Bowie.Im a 62 year old black male .I grew up listening to Bowie. I've been to some of his concerts. Besides Ziggy Stardust he's know as the Thin White Duke.Hes a bad boy

It's truly luther... The documentary on this Album and David Bowie is dope! Bowie was hanging in NYC for a minute...

Stevie Ray Vaughan played on Bowie's Let's Dance album.

I think Bowie always wanted the very best people he could get in his music. Like most gifted artists (Fagen & Becker, Elton John, Beatles) he heard the sounds first and then tried to get them realized.

Luther Vandross has a co-writing credit on the album, as Fascination is adapted from Luther's own song Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me).

Yes indeed, it was the marvellous Luther ❤

This old dude thx u for this! My teens were filled with BOWIE music! Love that guy! Luv ur review!

David was married to black African super model and they had beautiful children, and loved each other very much,

check out this entire Album .. Young Americans and the Let's Dance album .. produced using mostly Motown artist and specifically Niles Rogers ..

John Lennon also sang background vocals for Bowie.

They were all such special people that sung with Bowie.. I know a few.. I wish those days were back!💖👨🏻‍🎤💖

1 of the wardrobe assistants for David Bowie was the mother of Slash.

FYI He was a bit off due to a fever of 102 and suffering from the flu. Yes, he helped Luther get his start among many others.

Bowie basically discovered Luther Vandross. Luther rose to fame AFTER working with Bowie. The saxophonist is David Sandborn is also here and an unknown until this point. The black band was unusual for a white musician in the 70s. This is barely 10 years after the civil rights movement. Bowie was subsequently the first white artist to appear on Soul Train.

In spite of the racism , music created a place for collaboration. It was beautiful.

What you are watching is a sick David Bowie because he had a cold when he did this performance but being the artist that he is he would not let his fans down.

What an excellent reaction.

David Bowie was working with Luther vandross and Niles Rogers a long time ago. Remember he was English. Check out the British invasion in music. The rolling Stones and all those guys were listening to the early race records/ rock and roll from black artists like like Chuck Berry and the old blues musicians like howlin' Wolf. You should find out about that record in particular, Young Americans. Bowie loved Black music. The blues.Jazz.Brought over on the slave ships. He knew and respected black music. He didn't have quite the same hangups about and racist attituds towards African Americans. as some Young Americans, did, and still do have about black folks. Black lives mattered to him back then. Plus the man married Iman for God's sakes. Plus he knew a good thing when he heard it

Golden Years by David Bowie that's the gold baby the gold standard Scrabble word proscribe and I'll describe

Yeah, that's Luther. You should watch '20 feet from stardom'. Luther Vandross was one of the male backup singers featured because of his work with Bowie. And one of the few that made that 20 foot walk to the front.

My favourite era of bowie the start of the thin white duke 😊

Yup Back up Singer 🔥 with The Great David Bowie

Back in the day, people were chosen and admired for their talents, not by their race or gender. We should get back to that.

1:29 that look you have when you jam out secretly while listening to music that people wouldn't think you listened to.

The studio recording of Fame was done With John Lennon playing guitar & yelling Fame. 🔥🔥

Bowie the king of everything cool

I miss him.

...and it was John Lennon singing backing on 'Fame'...

It was Luther who thought of the hook "young Americans, young Americans, they were the Young Americans"

You MUST check out Bowie doing “Stay” live on The Dinah Shore Show with the same band (minus backup singers) - it’s transcendant!

This was right when he added the killer lineup of Dennis Davis on drums, George Murray on bass, and Carlos Alomar on rhythm guitar. They played with him for the rest of the 70’s and seamlessly adapted to all his stylistic changes. He also had the amazing Earl Slick on lead guitar here, but unfortunately, he only stuck around for one more album. He rejoined Bowie’s band in the 2000’s, though.

David on the 12 string guitar. 🤟

Some other rabbit hole songs for Bowie- China Girl, Let’s Dance, Modern Love

That is David Sanborn on sax

Great job!

Hell y'all Luther 🔥 David Bowie 🔥

Back then, it was "hey, I like your music style, wanna job?" Artists had time to really create something special. Now it's just a production line.

David is here as "The Thin White Duke".

There's a documentary film about Bowie called "Five Years" - one year features Young Americans and shows behind the scenes writing and staging the backup vocals here - interesting

Props to all them Background Singers this song is playing in rotation in my local rock 📻 🔥

Oh man I am so glad I got to see that guy that was a long time ago girl you wouldn't believe how many bands were at that Festival I'll have to look that up and I'll report back

Acknowledge David's choice of his backing singers! Enjoy his music legacy.

Great eye spotting Luther!!!

Check out Golden Years by him! So funky they had him play it on Soul Train back in the day!

A mostly black backing band was definitely NOT normal for white rock stars--THEN OR NOW. This was David's "Philly soul period" so he went there to get as many A-list Philly soul people as he could the album for which this was the title track. It's said that he talked about things a LOT with Luther while recording the album.

One thing worth noting about a large majority of classic Rock and Rollers, their talent was real! Unlike the majority of today's flash/smoke and mirrors/bullshit kiddie-pop crap, lacking of any real substance or soul. You know how you can tell the difference....put them live on stage, and see what they sound like! All the best R&R's shined live, replicating what you heard on the record, and often enhancing that sound with their live performances. Anybody can sound good in the studio, but put a majority of today's "artists" on stage, and their shallowness, and lack of real talent can't be hidden!

His voice at this point was almost gone :( Glad he recovered.

Having left Ziggy behind, Bowie went funk for this album. The original was recorded at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound, with top session musicians. The LP included "Fame".

I love David bowie my 12 year old self discovered him myself

You have a bell of an eye to spot Luther in the back, he also co-wrote a great, funky tune on Bowie's Young American's album called Fascination that you should react to (no video to that though). Bowie called this his "plastic soul" album, and never did another that sounds like this one did / does. He was the first white performer ever to appear on Soul Train when this came out & many years later in an MTV interview asked why MTV didn't play any African American artists (which they didn't until Micheal Jackson's Thriller came out. Bowie had a talent for picking amazing talents to work with, keeping him inspired as well as changing up his sound. 25+ albums and each one different. You may LOVE one, and feel indifferent to another if you are not open to all genres. Been my musical idol since 1974, and will continue to be.

This is my favorite version!

Wow...an old white guy showing major diversity! I'll just let millennials think that they invented it. Yeah, you've got Ava Cherry in there....Luther....and a jazz saxophone legend named David Sanborn in the mix. I'm so proud of you for finding this gem of a song. I could totally hug you and place you on a throne for this one. The whole gang(my family) of 60 + cousins in Southside Virginia love, love, love you so much for this reaction! Welcome to the family!

Bowie was ahead of his time for sure, but he was behind the scenes with so much after he stopped writing songs for himself. If I'm not mistaken, he was worth over $1b when he died. All earned from his talents.

Fire!🔥❣🔥❣

I don't think having a racially diverse band was especially unusual in the UK... Check out Eric Burdon and War, and later in the 70s and early 80s the whole 2-Tone ska thing.

Yes

You should check out his song "I'm Afraid Of Americans" (remix with Trent Reznor)

You'll like the studio version also

Bowie always stood up for black rights. Respect.

Swag, Soul and Sauce

Bowie once called the Young Americans period "Plastic Soul", interestingly. Great album!

I was there at that time, no one gave a second thought about the color of his band,

indeed Vandross... Bowie drew the best of best 🎯🎯🔥🔥

Good spot on Luther!

This is from the Dick Cavett TV show . Bowie also did a interview as well

Please do the album version.

There were a lot of rock group back then that had a mixture of white and black musicians. Really, it's been common in Jazz and Blues for as long as I can remember.

You can actually hear Luther singing background on the studio version. Luther started singing backup for Roberta Flack. Also that's David Sanborn on sax

Great eyes catching Luther. Never knew, thank you

I’m pretty sure Luther did the arrangement for the song. He also sang back up for some other stars and wrote TV commercial jingles.

We live for just these twenty years Do we have to die for the fifty more?

Would love to see you react to David Bowie's one appearance on Soul Train, singing "Golden Years"

You know he was married to Iman, right? Beautiful classy couple, never in the tabloids....loved them.

His voice was shot in this video must of been after a long tour

Bowie🎼❤️💔

6:25 “l heard the news today oh boy” ......( classic Beatles lyrics).

Luther Vandross was backup vocals for the album with the same name. Also, John Lennon played lead guitar in this album as well.