🔘Day‑In Day‑Out – Single: Mar. 1987

David Bowie
Mar 23, 1987
2 min read

Updated: Mar 23

Released: March 23, 1987

Catalogue Number: EA 239

Bowie confronts the realities of American homelessness with sharp 1980s urgency.

“Day‑In Day‑Out,” written by David Bowie and produced by Bowie and David Richards, was released as a 7‑inch single in the UK on March 23, 1987. The track serves as a critique of the treatment of the homeless in the United States, focusing on the extreme measures a young mother takes to provide for her child. Musically rooted in R&B‑inflected pop, the song became the most commercially successful single from Never Let Me Down.

A music video was filmed in 1987 and faced bans from several broadcasters due to its depiction of social issues, though it still earned a nomination for “Best Male Video” at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. The single reached number 17 in the UK and charted within the top 40 in multiple countries. A re‑engineered version featuring Bowie’s original vocals and new instrumentation was later released in 2018 as part of Never Let Me Down 2018 within the Loving the Alien (1983–1988) box set.

🔘 Track List

Side One

Day‑In Day‑Out — Bowie

Side Two

Julie — Bowie

Produced by: David Bowie, David Richards

Engineers: [Not supplied]

🔘 Variants

(Discogs‑verified only — no speculative formats)

UK – EMI America – EA 239 (1987)

Format: 7‑inch Vinyl, Single

Country: UK

Year: 1987

Notes:

Standard UK 7‑inch issue

B‑side: “Julie”

🔘 Chart Performance

United Kingdom — Official Singles Chart

Peak Position: 17

First Chart Date: March 28, 1987

Weeks on Chart: [Not supplied]

Top 40: Yes

Top 75: Yes

Top 100: Yes

Label: EMI America

Catalogue Number: EA 239

Chart Run:

[Not supplied]

🔘 Context & Notes

Personnel

David Bowie — vocals, writer, co‑producer

David Richards — co‑producer

Recording Notes

R&B‑influenced production

Social‑commentary lyrical theme

Recorded for Never Let Me Down (1987)

Press Reception

Music video banned by some stations due to content

Nominated for “Best Male Video” at the 1987 MTV VMAs

Legacy

Most commercially successful single from Never Let Me Down

Re‑engineered version released in 2018 with new instrumentation

🔘 Visual Archive

David Bowie stands mid‑motion on a theatrical, surreal stage set featuring curtains, ropes, painted backdrops, and scattered props. He wears a white shirt with suspenders and brown trousers, captured in a dynamic pose. The single’s title and artist name appear in stylized lettering.

Caption:

David Bowie — “Day‑In Day‑Out” (1987), cover artwork.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single: [Not supplied]

Next Single: [Not supplied]

Related Releases: Never Let Me Down (1987), Never Let Me Down 2018 (2018)

🔘 Discography

“Day‑In Day‑Out” (1987)

Never Let Me Down (1987)

Never Let Me Down 2018 (2018)

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

-- 1987: Single released