“Calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?” It was 1985, and I was a studio engineer at Westside Studios in Holland Park. Picture this: me in the hot seat behind a large SSL mixing desk, and just ten feet away, Mick Jagger was powerfully delivering that iconic line from Martha Reeves and The Vandellas’ Motown classic, “Dancing In The Street.” It was a surreal moment, just a year and a day after I’d landed this incredible job in a real recording studio – a massive leap from my dad’s makeshift studio in a Hampshire cowshed. I couldn’t believe my luck, and the day was about to get even more unbelievable because David Bowie was up next!
An Unforgettable Day Begins: ‘Absolute Beginners’
At David Bowie’s request, the day started surprisingly early, 9 am – not exactly rock and roll o’clock. We were already making great progress, having laid down the brilliant backing track for “Absolute Beginners,” the title song for the movie of the same name starring Bowie. The whole session was proving to be incredibly productive. My bosses, producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, known for their work with Madness, Dexys Midnight Runners, and Elvis Costello, were overseeing the soundtrack for “Absolute Beginners,” and Bowie had been a regular presence at Westside Studios for some time.
Rumors and Buzz: Jagger is Coming?
Around noon, the studio started buzzing with rumors – Mick Jagger might be coming down. Whispers suggested it was “to do something with Bowie for Live Aid.” By 1 pm, a percussionist arrived, confirming, “I’m here for the Bowie/Jagger session.” My mind raced. I imagined a simple radio promo – “I’m David Bowie,” “I’m Mick Jagger,” “Donate to Live Aid!” The thought of recording a whole new track hadn’t even crossed my mind. Bowie, meanwhile, remained his usual enigmatic self, keeping mum about the surprise, though I suspected he’d already cleared it with Clive and Alan, asking them to keep it under wraps. Shortly after, two backing singers showed up, also announcing they were there for the “Bowie, Jagger session!” The studio atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
‘Dancing in the Street’: The Surprise Song Choice
Around 5 or 6 pm, Bowie finally broke the news. We were pausing work on “Absolute Beginners” because “Mick Jagger’s coming down in about an hour, and we are recording a song for Live Aid.” He then produced a cassette tape, handing it to one of the band members with simple instructions: “Here you go lads, go and learn this.” The cassette label read “Dancing In The Street.”
The band, a stellar lineup of Neil Conti on drums, the late, great Matthew Seligman on bass, Kevin Armstrong on guitar, and Steve Nieve on piano, rushed into the live room. Gathered around a cassette player, they immersed themselves in the song, figuring out their parts. I remember Neil Conti confidently taking charge, steering everyone to focus on the task at hand.
Word had clearly spread about Jagger’s impending arrival. Suddenly, the studio was filling up. Producers from the “Absolute Beginners” film and various movie people, who hadn’t shown much interest in the music-making process before, were now eager to observe.
Jagger Arrives: Energy and Musicality
By the time Mick Jagger walked in, I counted thirteen onlookers crammed into the back of the control room, including a few kids. I wondered if Jagger would be put off by the crowd, but he seemed only momentarily surprised before getting straight to work. He even brought his daughter Jade along.
It quickly became clear that music was in Mick Jagger’s DNA. As the band ran through sections of “Dancing in the Street,” stopping and starting to refine parts, Jagger was a kinetic force. Even mid-conversation, the moment the music played, he’d be dancing – still talking, still engaged. He was clearly thrilled to be there, and his energy was infectious. I remember thinking, “I want to be Mick Jagger’s mate!”
Recording the Magic: Vocals and Takes
Soon, the band was ready, and Mick, David, and backing vocalists Tessa Niles and Helena Springs were led to a communal recording booth, separated from the band. They launched into the first take. The extended drum intro sounded a little unusual initially. Bowie must have requested a specific number of drum bars before the song properly kicked in. During this intro on the first take, neither Mick nor David sang, perhaps still figuring out vocal parts.
Hearing the whole band and singers performing live together was fantastic. It was a less common recording approach, especially in the 80s, when studio recording had become far more clinical and often involved recording parts separately. They nailed two incredible takes and came back to the control room to listen. The consensus was that the first take had a special vibe.
The decision was made to re-record the vocals, not for performance reasons, but due to vocal bleed – the singers were all in the same room, and their voices were bleeding onto each other’s microphones. While this was common practice in the 60s and earlier, it wasn’t ideal for mixing in the 80s studio environment. The backing singers went first, laying down their parts quickly and perfectly.
Then it was Mick’s turn. Mick, true to form, performed as if he was commanding a packed Madison Square Garden. Witnessing this legend up close was electrifying. Alan Winstanley tasked me with recording the vocals, placing me directly in Jagger’s line of sight. Talk about pressure!
Mick unleashed two takes. The live room was dimly lit, and he’d sometimes disappear from view as he strutted around during lines, only to reappear just in time for the next brilliant lyric. There was no need to ask for “more feeling” with Mick; he poured everything into each performance.
We listened back to both takes, knowing they were both phenomenal. However, Clive Langer, perhaps emboldened by a few glasses of white wine, nervously quipped, “I think there was one word on the second take that was a bit better than on the first.” All eyes turned to Clive, then back to Mick, who responded with something like, “Oh yeah? Let’s have a listen.” I can’t recall if a word was actually taken from Mick’s second take, but Clive, looking sheepish, gave me a look that said he probably should have kept his opinion to himself in the presence of such musical giants.
Finally, with limited time before they had to leave for the video shoot in London’s docklands, it was David’s turn. David was a different artist entirely compared to Jagger. His vocal recording approach was a puzzle to me. He’d sing brilliantly with the band during the live backing tracks – any of those takes could have been lead vocals. He never delivered a phoned-in performance; his singing was consistently excellent. Yet, when recording lead vocals, he’d record one line at a time, stop, listen back, and then do the next. This meticulous method seemed unnecessary for such a gifted singer. He often checked lines against a demo version before recording the new take.
At one point near the song’s end, I had to execute a precise punch-in and punch-out to re-record a line David wanted to redo. I had to drop out of record just before the line following the re-recorded section. There was very little margin for error, and this was on analog tape – no ‘undo’ button in those days! But I nailed it. And with that, the vocals were complete.
The Rough Mix and a Souvenir Cassette
Next, a rough mix was needed for the sound engineer at the video shoot. Being conscientious, I put two cassette players into record, my standard practice. I thought Mick and David might want to listen to the mix en route to the set. Towards the end of the song, David’s manager, Coco, spotted a cassette player recording and exclaimed, “Are you recording a cassette?!!!” “Yes,” I replied, “I thought you might need one.” She only mentioned one cassette, so I didn’t correct her about the second. “I’ll take that, please,” Coco said sharply. I handed her one cassette, and when she wasn’t looking, I quickly slipped the other under the mixing desk. That’s how I ended up with a copy of that first rough mix!
Beyond the Studio: Video Shoot and Final Touches
David generously invited everyone to join them at the film set. I was tempted, but exhaustion, mostly from nervous energy, had set in. Plus, I desperately needed a shower after sweating through the vocal recording session.
After the video shoot, Mick took the tapes to New York, where brass and additional bass parts were added. Prog rock keyboardist Rick Wakeman also contributed some extra piano. The legendary Bob Clearmountain then mixed the track. I was incredibly proud and happy to see my name in the engineer credits on the record sleeve for “Dancing in the Street” – a truly unforgettable experience working with Jagger and Bowie.
