Written by: David Bowie, Kevin Armstrong
Recorded: 1994; February 1995
Producers: David Bowie, Brian Eno, David Richards
Released: 25 September 1995
Available on:
1.Outside
Ouvrez Le Chien (Live Dallas 95)
Personnel
David Bowie: vocals, keyboardsBrian Eno: keyboards, synthesizers
Reeves Gabrels, Carlos Alomar: guitar
Mike Garson: piano, keyboards
Erdal Kızılçay: bass guitar
Sterling Campbell: drums
‘Outside’ was the title track of David Bowie’s nineteenth studio album, 1995’s 1.Outside.
The song began life as ‘Now’, a discarded Tin Machine piece co-written by Bowie and Kevin Armstrong, which itself emerged from their 1988 reimagining of ‘Look Back In Anger’ with Reeves Gabrels.
Outside, Track 2 – Outside
This is a very nice song. My friend @kevarmst is a great guitarist and he also co-wrote this song with David. #TimsTwitterListeningParty
— Mike Garson (@mikegarson) July 5, 2020
Tin Machine performed ‘Now’ just twice during their 1989 tour, at London’s National Ballroom on 29 June 1989, and St George’s Hall, Bradford, on 2 July.
Only the opening lines made it to the 1.Outside recording. The rest were mostly variations on “I want you now/I hold you now”, suggesting that Bowie originally envisaged it as a love song of sorts. It was clearly a work-in-progress, one of many chances for the band to improvise on stage.
The album version is restless, twisting, ever-changing. Beginning with a vamp on the chords of F and E, it switches to two bars of C and two of G, before settling into the main sequence: repeating cycles of F/E♭/B♭ and Dm/Em/F/Am.
In the studio
‘Outside’ was recorded in February 1995 as a late addition to the album.
After the main album sessions had ended the previous month in New York, Bowie brought Brian Eno and Kevin Armstrong to Westside Recording Studios in London. There they reworked ‘Now’ into ‘Outside’, after which additional instruments were overdubbed.
So great to hear my friends playing music again on this one. Sterling sounds great on drums. As do @reevesgabrels and @guitarlos1 on guitar and Erdal – a very creative bass player. #TimsTwitterListeningParty
— Mike Garson (@mikegarson) July 5, 2020
During the Earthling Tour in 1997, Bowie and his band reportedly recorded a new version of ‘Outside’ at Sono Studios near Prague. Three different mixes were prepared, but were never released.
Live performances
‘Outside’ was often performed during the Outside Tour in 1995. A performance from Dallas on 13 October can be heard on the 2020 release Ouvrez Le Chien (Live Dallas 95).
It was again played during the 1997 Earthling Tour, during which Gail Ann Dorsey often sang the lead vocals. The final performance took place on 8 October 1997 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
