David Bowie | Suffragette City | LIVE (1972)
"Suffragette City" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally released in April 1972 as the B-side of the single "Starman" and subsequently appeared on his fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972).
1972-04-28 19:00:00 - David Bowie
The song was later reissued as a single in 1976, with the US single edit of "Stay" as the B-side, to promote the compilation album Changesonebowie in the UK. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it was recorded by Bowie at Trident Studios in London with his backing band the Spiders from Mars, consisting of Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey, at a late stage of the album's sessions.
The song was originally offered to English band Mott the Hoople, who declined it and recorded Bowie's "All the Young Dudes" instead. It is a glam rock song that is influenced by the music of Little Richard and the Velvet Underground.
The lyrics include a reference to Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and the famous lyric "Oooohh Wham Bam, Thank you, Ma'am".
"Suffragette City" received critical acclaim from music critics, with many praising the guitar work, the band's performance, the false ending, the famous lyric and the song's power.
It has subsequently been called one of Bowie's greatest songs by multiple publications, including NME. Bowie performed the song frequently during his concert tours and it has appeared on multiple compilation albums.
It has been remastered several times, including 2012 for the 40th anniversary of the album; this version was included as part of the 2015 box set Five Years (1969–1973).