📰 Village People Cut Bowie: Feb. 1979
- David Bowie
- Feb 19, 1979
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 18
A brief but revealing industry update announcing the Village People’s new version of “Just A Gigolo” for the soundtrack of David Bowie’s film.
📰 Key Highlights
• Published February 19, 1979 (publication unknown)
• Announces Village People’s new single: “Just A Gigolo”
• Song tied to David Bowie’s film Just A Gigolo
• Added to the soundtrack album on the Jambo label (distributed by Pye)
• Replaces the withdrawn track “I Am What I Am”
• Soundtrack also features:
– Marlene Dietrich
– Manhattan Transfer
– Pasadena Roof Orchestra
– The Ragtimers
📰 Overview
This short news item captures a curious intersection of late‑’70s pop culture: the Village People — then riding high with “Y.M.C.A.” — stepping into the orbit of David Bowie’s film Just A Gigolo. The article reports that their version of the title song has been selected for the official soundtrack, replacing a previously scheduled track. It’s a small but telling moment in the promotional ecosystem surrounding Bowie’s film work.
📰 Source Details
Publication / Venue: Unknown UK music‑press source
Date: February 19, 1979
Issue / Format: One‑page news item
Provenance Notes: Likely from a weekly music trade or pop‑press column.
📰 The Story
The article announces that the Village People — still charting with “Y.M.C.A.” — have recorded and reissued a version of “Just A Gigolo,” the title song of David Bowie’s then‑new film.
Their single was scheduled for release that same week on DJM Records.
More significantly, their version was added to the official soundtrack album, released by the newly formed Jambo label (distributed by Pye). This soundtrack was a stylistically eclectic collection, featuring:
• Marlene Dietrich
• Manhattan Transfer
• Pasadena Roof Orchestra
• The Ragtimers
The Village People track replaced the previously planned “I Am What I Am,” which was withdrawn for reasons not disclosed in the article.
The piece reflects the unusual promotional landscape of Just A Gigolo — a film whose soundtrack was as eclectic and unpredictable as its cast.
📰 Visual Archive
“Village People Cut Bowie Film Song,” February 19, 1979.
📰 Related Material
Explore the tags below for connected posts and themes.
📰 Closing Notes
This brief article captures a quirky moment in Bowie’s late‑’70s film era — a crossover between disco icons and a Berlin‑set art film, revealing the unpredictable intersections of pop culture in 1979.
📰 Sources
• February 19, 1979 news clipping
• Just A Gigolo soundtrack documentation
• Contemporary UK music‑press archives
📝 Copyright Notice
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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