Walk On The Wild Side
	Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson
	Released on November 1972
	US CHART POSITION #16 (charted Feb. 17, 1973 for 14 weeks) . . . UK CHART POSITION #10
	Find it at GEMM
74-0887 wo. picture sleeve [high resolution scan]

T his is actually the single edit version that takes out the verse about “giving head.” Apparently, that was deemed offensive, but calling the backing singers “colored girls” wasn’t. (Incidentally, I’m not offended by either.) Using this song to sell (I think it was) Chevrolets on television in the ‘80s and synching the saxophone solo to some “cool” street player in the middle of the advertisement (I’m pretty sure his jacket sleeves were rolled up and he had sunglasses on), now that’s offensive. Anyway, enough about the A side, since it’s never been more than a novelty to me. The real wild side is the B side: “Perfect Day.” It’s a pretty straightforward song, similar to Hunky Dory (actually, a lot of Transformer was) that magically crystallizes in the lines “You’re Going to Reap Just What You Sow.” In that moment, the song makes a complete 180-degree turn. Still gives me chills. Think no one noticed? Listen to Radiohead’s “Karma Police.”

TRACK LISTING

1. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE    (Lou Reed)    3:37
2. PERFECT DAY    (Lou Reed)    3:42
   
   7-inch single reissue
   
1. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
2. VICIOUS
   
   FRA 7-inch EP
   
1. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
2. SWEET JANE
3. VICIOUS
4. DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT WORK

CREDITS

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