The David Bowie Hit Originally Written for Elvis, but Ultimately Rejected by the King

While it’s normally hard to imagine anyone performing a David Bowie hit better than David Bowie, one iconic track originally written for Elvis Presley is the exception. Because although this song became one of Bowie’s most popular, it wouldn’t take much for a listener to picture what the song might’ve sounded like had Elvis taken Bowie’s offer.

Bowie ended up putting the song on his tenth studio album ‘Station to Station’ in 1975, two years before Presley’s tragic death. And while the “Fame” singer released the track to great critical acclaim, not getting to collaborate with the King was always a major regret.

Bowie ended up putting the song on his tenth studio album, ‘Station to Station,’ in 1975, two years before Presley’s death. While the man behind “Ziggy Stardust” released the track to great critical acclaim, not getting to collaborate with the King of Rock and Roll remained a major regret in his career.

The David Bowie Hit Written For Elvis

The effortless combination of glam, funk, and cool makes “Golden Years” one of David Bowie’s most distinctively Bowie tracks, but the singer-songwriter didn’t originally intend to perform it. According to David Buckley’s Strange Fascination: David Bowie, the Definitive Story, some of Bowie’s demos landed in the lap of Presley, a fellow RCA artist, and his long-time manager, Colonel Tom.

“Apparently, Elvis heard the demos because we were both on RCA, and Colonel Tom thought I should write some Elvis songs,” Bowie recalled. “There was talk between our offices that I should be introduced to Elvis and maybe start working with him in a production-writer capacity. But it never came to pass. I would have loved working with him. God, I would have adored it.”

Following Colonel Tom’s potential invitation, David Bowie set out to write a song fit for the King of Rock and Roll. He came up with “Golden Years,” but for whatever reason, Presley’s team rejected the track. “He did send me a note once,” Bowie added. “[That said], ‘All the best, and have a great tour.’ I still have that one.” Bowie later recorded the track for his own album, and two years later, Presley passed away at his Memphis estate, Graceland.

Other Potential Origin Stories

Music historians and fellow pop culture figures alike have debated the definitive origins of David Bowie’s “Golden Years” for some time. While some reports claim Bowie had written the song for Elvis Presley, other women in the rockstar’s life claimed he wrote it for them.

For example, Bowie’s first wife, Angie Bowie, said she knew he had written “Golden Years” about her because he had “[sung] it over the phone for me just the way, all those years before, he’d sung me “The Prettiest Star.” It had a similar effect. I bought it” (via Bowie: Loving the Alien). Bowie’s girlfriend, Ava Cherry, also believed she was the inspiration behind the enduring track.

In Buckley’s biography, guitarist Carlos Alomar recalled when Bowie first sat down at the piano to write the contested track. Buckley wrote: “Bowie was following around with some chords on the piano, trying to recreate a glitzy ‘On Broadway’ vibe: ‘David goes to the piano and plays, “They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway…come de dum ma baby…” That’s kind of the vibe he wanted. I said, ‘How about this?’ I play the opening guitar riff, and he says, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, like that, do that, do that.’”

The track just barely broke into the US Billboard Top Ten, reaching slightly higher positions in the UK at No. 8 and the Netherlands at No. 6. Nevertheless, “Golden Years” is one of Bowie’s most career-defining tracks, whether or not he had originally written it for Elvis.

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