Why do you think David Bowie chose to remove his lyrics on Cool Cat?

Not sure if he's given a reason - or if Queen has said anything other than "He didn't like it". I didn't really think he made too big of an impact on the song, just a nice subtle touch. He was basically rapping - a genre not explored by Queen. But I'm rambling, why do you think he wanted them scrapped? And let's not turn this into a 'this song is shite' topic!

Here's a quote from Brian [courtesy of Bechstein Debauchery]:

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"David just did a backing track. I don't think anyone thought any more about it, except that it was a nice ornamentation. We just sent him a courtesy note telling him that we had used it and he said, 'I want it taken off, because I'm not satisfied with it.' Unfortunately he didn't tell us until about a day before the album was supposed to be released, so it really set us back. It delayed the album's release."
BRIAN MAY, International Musician & Recording World, November 1982
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It's a shame really, as I think it's the superior version. I tend to hum Bowie's parts when I hear the album version.

I can see Bowie's point - it really is just grafted on an already existing song and I should imagine he'd rather not spread himself so thinly on the LP. He was also not happy about Under Pressure - I think he was probably annoyed they included that too.

Because "Cool Cat" is better without his contribution.
I love that song!

I love the song, and I do like the Bowie parts. I think he thought about it too hard, or looked a little too hard into it.. but I see his point.

Because they couldn't reach a financial agreement.

dysan wrote: I can see Bowie's point - it really is just grafted on an already existing song and I should imagine he'd rather not spread himself so thinly on the LP. He was also not happy about Under Pressure - I think he was probably annoyed they included that too. ..
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'Not happy  about ''under pressure'' !' ?  - Well it's included on his 'best of bowie' released about 9 or 10 years ago .....AND it's listed as 'David Bowie and Queen' !!!!!!- The cheeky bastard.

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Master marathon runner.

Did you make that up Microwave, or is it stated some where?

Really?

You think successful artists who make gazillions can just show up to a studio and record a song, and then decide they don't want the results released because they didn't think it's that great?

Maybe if my band wanted you to come in and sing harmonies...  but we've got producers, engineers, and those hungry label execs to feed.

This is David Bowie.   This is Queen.  The first collaboration blew up...  one of their best selling singles ever.

Someone wanted more than the other was willing to give, simple as that.  Happens all the time.  Why do you think the MJ / Freddie recording have never been released?  Because Mercury wanted something.

In Brian's words, Bowie's vocal on "Cool Cat" sound like they were intended to be there, that he sung them with the song and at least part of it sounds like it was done with Freddie. I agree that his contribution is small overall, "ornamentation" as Brian put it, but I still think it adds a nice extra layer, not just to the song, but to the album. 

I've never once heard Bowie state he was in any way unhappy with "Under Pressure" or its appearance on Hot Space. I'd love to read the source for that opinion. He didn't include it on his next album, Let's Dance, because that wasn't recorded until December of 1982, or released until April of 1983, by which time the song was already a relic (which isn't a bad thing). When he worked with Queen on UP, he wasn't recording an album at the time. Queen, obviously, *was* working on an album, so it wasn't greed that put UP on Hot Space, the song was a product of those sessions. It's no different than including "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" on The Game, where it was recorded the year before it's album was released as well. 

Though Brian doesn't state it, I'm sure the letter they wrote to Bowie said they were planning to use "Under Pressure" as well on Hot Space, so if Bowie had had a problem with the song, or his contribution, he would've told Queen "no go" on using it. That might have prompted Queen to re-record Bowie's vocals. The Queen & David Bowie version might have become the non-album version.

Also of note, Bowie performs UP on his tours ever since the tribute concert, so if by some crazy chance he didn't like the song in the '80s, he got over it by the '90s.

rhyeking wrote: In Brian's words, Bowie's vocal on "Cool Cat" sound like they were intended to be there, that he sung them with the song and at least part of it sounds like it was done with Freddie. I agree that his contribution is small overall, "ornamentation" as Brian put it, but I still think it adds a nice extra layer, not just to the song, but to the album. 

how does "bom bom" every once in a while on the album's least relevent song add "a nice extra layer" to the album? staying power adds a significant layer - that being horns and dance rhythms - along with body language & back chat in the same vein - while put out the fire and action this day keep the rock layer intact - finally Under Pressure, Life Is Real & Las Parablas give the album an acoustic laid back layer.

what good would "bom bom" do to enhance the layering of hot space?

How do they add a nice extra layer to the song?

By being cool as @#$%! 

It ain't much, but what's there is a shot of suave in an already smooth little album track.

How does it add a layer to the album?

Because Bowie on two tracks is better than Bowie on just one!

It ties the songs together, tightens the album up just a little more thematically and is like a character going from a cameo intro on one song to a star performance in the next. It's one of those details that, for me, elevates the work a bit, taking it from a collection of individual songs to a demonstration that the artists intended something a little more between these two tracks.

Maybe I'm overstating it. However, as they say, "God is in the details."

If it's a song and performance you don't think much of, fine. I take I little extra enjoyment out of it.

Hot space was going to be a duets album so maybe thats why he sand on Cool Cat also. Another piece of my heart with Rod Stewart was supposed to be on this album i think?

Another little piece of my heart was recorded in '83, was it not? Therefore, that's The Works.

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dysan wrote: I can see Bowie's point - it really is just grafted on an already existing song and I should imagine he'd rather not spread himself so thinly on the LP. He was also not happy about Under Pressure - I think he was probably annoyed they included that too. ..
..
.........
'Not happy  about ''under pressure'' !' ?  - Well it's included on his 'best of bowie' released about 9 or 10 years ago .....AND it's listed as 'David Bowie and Queen' !!!!!!- The cheeky bastard.
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Yes, he wasn't happy with it and said it is a good 'demo', but not a release. He only started playing it live well into the mid 90's when he was getting really deperate to dig into his untouched catalogue (he similarly debuted Lust For Life after it's success in Trainspotting. Likewise, it never appeared on a Bowie collection until '93, and you'll remember Queen themselves gave it a thorough remix around the same time. Coincidence?