♦️𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬: 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚♦️

"𝙄'𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚."
(–David Bowie)

Today we celebrate the 💥𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬💥 of a very special collaboration. 22 years ago, on August 16th 1999, "𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚" 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗲 was released. There are two different versions of the single. The regular CD consisted of the collaboration with David and a remix by UNKLE. The Enhanced CD included two more remixes by Flexirol and Brothers in Rhythm.

Photo credits unknown, edit by Silke

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁. 𝗗𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗕𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗘 – 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚
http://bit.ly/2PYcidb 

According to Brian the song is about someone he used to date and that he wrote it because he felt so sorry that this relationship failed (see quotes below). In a chat with David he said that it can be seen on three levels: "I think. It's us, the band, talking to ourselves; its me talking to certain people in my past; it's also us talking to our fans."
In opposite to some other songs from an early stage of their career Brian has always been quite proud of “Without you I'm nothing“: “Not just for the fact that David Bowie liked it so much that he had to sing on it, song-writing wise, I think that it’s quite interesting because it doesn’t have any repeating parts, and I also like the lyrics“ (Classic Rock, January 2005).

𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗫𝗘𝗦
𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗨𝗡𝗞𝗟𝗘 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘅)
💿 https://bit.ly/363XlOq 

 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗥𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗺𝗶𝘅)
 💿 https://bit.ly/3y5yKoe 

 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘅)
 💿 https://bit.ly/3jwfV9E 

Photo credit unknown

“Without you I'm nothing“ was first released on the same-titled album in October 1998 and wasn't meant to become a single at that time, let alone to be recorded as a collaboration with David Bowie. So how came this song into being?
We all know that David Bowie was a great mentor of Placebo and supported the band by taking them on tour with him after hearing their demo tape, so that they could catch the attention of a lot of people who had never heard of Placebo before. They stayed in contact, and after the release of the second album “Without you I'm nothing” David called Brian because he liked the song so much that he wanted to cover or re-record it with the band.
Of course Brian and his band mates felt very honoured by this request and immediately decided to do a collaboration. Bowie's vocals were recorded at Looking Glass Studios in New York City on March 28th 1999 and added to the original song that was produced at Real World Studios in Bath, UK the previous year.

On 29th of March 1999 Placebo and David Bowie played the song together at Irving Plaza in New York City. Enjoy watching the video!

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁. 𝗗𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗕𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗘 – 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 (𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲)
 💿 http://bit.ly/39xOULp 

 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡 “𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚“ 
💬 “You know, that’s about someone I used to go out with really, and that was like me exorcising the guilt or that failing relationship which I was mainly responsible for.“
(NME, December 1998)

💬 “I always thought there was a deep irony: I imagine that perhaps many couples make love on this song and 'My sweet prince' and this two songs talk about relationships that are falling apart: I find that deeply ironic. Very depressive songs but that people sing as love proof."
(Guitar Part, November 2000)

Photo credit unknown

💬 "He [David Bowie] heard our demos and invited us to take Morrissey's place on tour after Morrissey had a hissy fit and went home to his mother. So we just called each other up. We were scheduled to do some performances at award ceremonies and we said, "Should we do this?' He told me, "Brian, I've written my own harmony part. I hope you don't mind.' I said, "David, write what you want!' So there I was in the studio with David Bowie and [producer] Tony Visconti. I said, "Pinch me, I'm dreaming."'
(Morning Call, May 19th 2001)

💬 "Certain people have had a large impact on me emotionally. I think it’s usually more than one person I’m writing about though. Like the song ‘Without you I’m nothing’, it’s not necessarily about one person. I usually bring together the mistakes I’ve made with a couple of different people and use that as a catalyst for song writing."
(Drowned in Sound, March 2003)

💬 “That song is very misunderstood. It is not a love song, the narrator is suffering from pathological low self-esteem. It’s about co-dependence, feeling like you don’t have an identity without somebody else.”
(Independent, October 17th 2017)

 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗙𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡 “𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗜'𝗠 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚“ 
 "It was very strange, one day he [David Bowie] called and said "Hey guys, I love what you do and especially 'Without you I'm nothing', I would be pleased to record it with you or cover it. What do you think ?" We said: "Ok, we will meet and see what we can do (laughs)!" And then you know, there was a sort of unease... It's Bowie and he conducts and wants to control everything... And then, finally he came to the studio and there he went to sing... how to say that ? We were there behind the window : "Fuck that's Bowie!" It was magical! I can't say it was a dream come true because I never think about it, but after the fact, I must admit it was one of the most thrilling and unforgettable time of my life."
(Rock Sound n°72, September 1999)

Ppst by Silke