Andy Warhol

The song Andy Warhol, born from the pen of David Bowie in 1971, immerses us in a particular tribute to a key figure of his artistic inspiration: American pop art Andy Warhol. What makes this track stand out from the very first moment is its peculiar beginning. You will hear a sequence of electronic, almost ethereal sounds, which fade to give way to a studio murmur. In this introduction, producer Ken Scott mispronounces Warhol's surname, and Bowie, patiently, corrects him again and again. After a pause, Scott introduces him correctly again, and Bowie, realizing the tape is recording, bursts into laughter that kicks off the main theme. The piece is also distinguished by a distinctive and repetitive strumming of acoustic guitar, by Mick Ronson.

This track was initially conceived for Dana Gillespie, who recorded it in 1971, although her version did not see the light of day until 1973. Bowie, in addition to being the composer, also handled the production of Gillespie's version, on which Ronson contributed his guitar. Bowie, a confessed admirer of Warhol, sent him a copy of the album Hunky Dory and performed Andy Warhol for him in person at the latter's studio, The Factory, in New York, in September 1971, even before the album was released. Warhol's typically reserved reaction left Bowie with the doubt of whether he had actually liked it. The song was released as the B-side of the single Changes in January 1972. The recording of the album Hunky Dory took place in the summer of 1971 at Trident Studios in London, with Bowie co-producing alongside Ken Scott.