Background
David Bowie is credited as the sole songwriter for Let’s Dance – but should he be?
When Bowie first played the song for Nile Rodgers, it was a rough acoustic demo – more folk than funk.
Rodgers, a producer and guitarist, transformed it. He restructured the chords, changed the groove, arranged the horn section, and brought in the musicians who gave it its signature sound.
Rodgers doesn’t have song credit on ‘Lets Dance’ and later said he didn’t mind.
But it raises an interesting question – If someone reshapes a song into a hit, should they get credit?
This is a classic example of how copyright and songwriting credits sometimes leave out the people who help turn a good song into a great one.
