Little Wonder (single):David Bowie

"Little Wonder" is a song and single by David Bowie, from the 1997 album Earthling. It was the album's biggest hit, reaching number 14 in UK and topping the charts in Japan.

Contents

 [hide] *1 Background

• 2 Track listings
  • 2.1 UK CD version 1
  • 2.2 UK CD version 2 (limited edition)
  • 2.3 US CD version
  • 2.4 European CD version 1
  • 2.5 European CD version 2
  • 2.6 European CD version 3
  • 2.7 Japanese CD version
  • 2.8 UK 12" version
  • 2.9 European 12" version
• 3 Production credits
• 4 Live versions
• 5 Cover versions
• 6 Other releases
• 7 Notes
• 8 External links

Background

Bowie uses the names of all Seven Dwarfs in the lyrics. The sampled spoken line "If it's good to ya, it's gotta be good for ya" during the instrumental break, comes from the spoken intro of a live Steely Dan song called "Bodhisattva" from the Citizen Steely Dan box. Two main interpretations to the lyrics are given by James E. Perone, who writes that the song may simply represent some characteristics of Bowie's own personality or, in another case, an alien observing aspects of the life on Earth.

Track listings

UK CD version 1

1. Little Wonder (edit) - 3:40
2. Little Wonder (Ambient Junior Mix) - 9:56
3. Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix) - 8:10
4. Little Wonder (4/4 Junior Mix) - 8:10
5. Little Wonder (Juniors Club Instrumental) - 8:14

UK CD version 2 (limited edition)

1. Little Wonder (edit) - 3:40
2. Telling Lies (Adam F Mix) - 3:58
3. Jump They Say (Leftfield 12" Vocal Mix) - 7:40
4. Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix) - 3:06

US CD version

1. Little Wonder (Album version) - 6:02
2. Little Wonder (Ambient Junior Mix) - 9:55
3. Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix) - 8:10
4. Little Wonder (Danny Saber Dance Mix) - 5:30

European CD version 1

1. Little Wonder (Album version) - 6:02
2. Little Wonder (Ambient Junior Mix) - 9:55
3. Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix) - 3:06
4. Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix) - 8:10
5. Little Wonder (4/4 Junior Mix) - 8:10

European CD version 2

1. Little Wonder (edit) - 3:40
2. Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix) - 8:10
3. Telling Lies (Adam F Mix) - 3:58

European CD version 3

1. Little Wonder (edit) - 3:40
2. Telling Lies (Adam F Mix) - 3:58

Japanese CD version

1. Little Wonder (edit) - 3:40
2. Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix) - 8:10
3. Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix) - 3:06
4. Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix) - 8:10
5. Little Wonder (4/4 Junior Mix) - 8:10

UK 12" version

1. Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix) - 8:10
2. Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix) - 5:30
3. Telling Lies (Adam F Mix) - 3:58

European 12" version

1. Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix) - 8:10
2. Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix) - 5:30

An additional 3 promo singles was also released.

Production credits

Producer

• David Bowie
• Mark Plati (co-producer)
• Reeves Gabrels (co-producer)

Musicians

• David Bowie: Vocals, Guitar, Samples, Keyboards
• Reeves Gabrels: Programming, Synthesizers, Real and sampled guitars, Vocals
• Mark Plati: Programming, Loops, Samples, Keyboards
• Gail Ann Dorsey: Bass, Vocals
• Zachary Alford: Drum loops, Acoustic drums, Electronic percussion
• Mike Garson: Keyboards, Piano

Live versions

• Bowie performed "Little Wonder" as the opening song at his 50th birthday celebration concert in New York City on 9 January 1997. This performance was included on the "Earthling in the City" CD.
• Bowie played the song live (along with Scary Monsters) on the 8 February 1997 episode of Saturday Night Live.
• Bowie played the song at the GQ Awards in New York City on 15 October 1997. This performance was later released on the live album LiveAndWell.com in 2000.
• A live version recorded at BBC Radio Theatre, London, on 27 June 2000 was released on the bonus disc accompanying the first releases of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000.

Cover versions

• Haitian Hate Gods - .2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie (2006)

Other releases

• The "Danny Saber remix" appeared on the soundtrack for the movies The Saint as well as the second soundtrack for the movie Hackers. This remix also appeared on the 4 track bonus disc that followed the live album LiveAndWell.com in 2000.
• A video edit was released on a Jukebox 7" release of the single "Dead Man Walking" in 1997.
• Three remixes, "Censored Video Edit", "Junior Vasquez Club Mix" and "Danny Saber Dance Mix", also appeared on the bonus disc of the Digibook Expanded Edition of Earthling from 2004.
• The single version is included on some editions of Best of Bowie, the 2002 compilation album.