Without You

Album: Let's Dance (1983)
Charted: 73
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A mid-tempo soul ballad with throwaway lyrics, "Without You," closes out the A-side of the LP version of Let's Dance. The album was co-produced by Nile Rodgers; his Chic bandmates Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson assist him here. In fact, you could say this is a Chic track with David Bowie rather than Alfa Anderson, Luci Martin and Norma Jean Wright on vocals.
  • Nile Rodgers told Mojo how Bernard Edwards was very briefly summoned to add bass to the song. "I made a bet with Bowie that Bernard would finish the bassline in 15 minutes," he recalled. "Bernard had such an attitude. He was so pissed off. He wasn't even, like nice to us. He played it down one time and looked at me and David and said, is that what you want? I just sat there a proud papa."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.