Neighborhood Threat

Written by: David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Ricky Gardiner
Recorded: May-June 1984
Producers: David Bowie, Derek Bramble, Hugh Padgham

Released: 24 September 1984

Available on:
Tonight

Personnel

‘Neighborhood Threat’ was one of three Iggy Pop songs recorded by David Bowie for his 16th studio album Tonight.

As with the song ‘Tonight’, ‘Neighborhood Threat’ was originally recorded by Pop for his 1977 album Lust For Life. The music was written by Bowie and guitarist Ricky Gardiner, with lyrics by Pop. Bowie co-produced and played piano and sang on the original.

‘Neighborhood Threat’ is one of Pop’s social commentary songs, its tale of urban decay, anguished children and distressed mothers a forerunner of some of Bowie’s work with Tin Machine.

Although one of the more spirited recordings on the lacklustre Tonight, Bowie later distanced himself from the recording.

That’s one I wish I’d never touched, or at least touched it differently. It went totally wrong. It sounded so tight and compromised, and it was such a gas doing it. It was the wrong band to do it with – wonderful band, but it wasn’t quite right for that song. I had this huge bunch of people and it just made the whole thing claustrophobic, tightened the whole thing up and it sounds squeaky.