Too Dizzy

Written by: David Bowie, Erdal Kızılçay
Recorded: September-November 1986
Producers: David Bowie, David Richards

Released: 20 April 1987

Available on:
Never Let Me Down

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals, keyboards
Carlos Alomar, Peter Frampton: guitar
Erdal Kızılçay: keyboards, synthesizer, bass guitar, drums
Philippe Saisse: piano
Errol ‘Crusher’ Bennett: percussion
Stan Harrison: alto saxophone
Steve Elson: baritone saxophone
Lenny Pickett: tenor saxophone
Robin Clark, Loni Groves, Diva Gray, Gordon Grodie: backing vocals

‘Too Dizzy’ was the penultimate song on David Bowie’s 1987 album Never Let Me Down. It has been removed from all reissues since 1995.

The song was one of the first written by Bowie and Erdal Kızılçay, a key collaborator since 1983’s Let’s Dance. Bowie downplayed ‘Too Dizzy’ in an interview to promote the album, saying it was written as a test of their compatibility.

That’s jealousy, isn’t it. A real jealous song. It’s a throwaway! I always thought it was better for Huey Lewis [laughs]! I was unsettled with that song, but it’s on the album anyway. It’s one of the first songs that Erdal Kızılçay and I wrote together, a sort of try-out to see how we sparred together as writers. I thought a real Fifties subject matter was either love or jealousy, so I thought I’d stick with jealousy because it’s a lot more interesting [laughs].

Despite Bowie’s misgivings, the undeniably lightweight ‘Too Dizzy’ was briefly considered as the fourth single from Never Let Me Down. A promo single was circulated in the US before the idea was abandoned.

He knew that I was living in the French part of Switzerland and I had a little studio, just eight tracks. Over dinner he was telling me, ‘You’re really great, you can play nearly everything.’ He started coming to my place twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursdays, working in my studio. We started to co-compose; we did the film track ‘When The Wind Blows’ and ‘Girls’ and ‘Too Dizzy’ for the album Never Let Me Down.

‘Too Dizzy’ was released as the penultimate song on Never Let Me Down in 1987, but was removed for the 1995 reissue by Virgin Records.

A 2007 re-release in Japan included ‘Too Dizzy’ in the track listing, although it did not actually feature on the compact disc.

It has been missing from all subsequent reissues at Bowie’s behest, and was purposefully overlooked for Never Let Me Down (2018), the re-recording of the album released in the box set Loving The Alien (1983-1988).

I really hope that maybe I could still do the rest of the songs – the bonus tracks and singles from that period – at some point, because there were some cool tracks. I mean, ‘Too Dizzy’, that’s not gonna happen. But ‘Julie’, ‘Girls’? Those might happen. I really hope so.

The absence of ‘Too Dizzy’ was explained in the book that accompanied the box set:

The original album featured the song ‘Too Dizzy’, however David subsequently decided that the track should not appear on any future releases of the album and therefore, in continuing to adhere to his wishes, it does not feature in this set.

That was just sort of a mess. We sat down at the piano and worked it out together in one session. I tend to work like that with Erdal, whereas with Carlos [Alomar] I tend to hand something over. It’s usually rhythmic with Carlos. He’ll bring in changes incorporating a rhythm other than I would have used.

Lyrics

There’s too much talking for a night drive
Too much mist in front of my eyes
I’m not trying to lose control
But you’re just pushin’, pushin’, pushin’ for a fight

You look trapped, turn the radio on
Too much smoke, air conditioning gone
But I’m helpless in love with you
But you’re just looking, looking, looking for a break

Is it love or is it what?
Who’s this guy I’m gonna blow away, hey
What kind of love is he giving you?
I’m a dizzy’s, what I’m trying to say

I said, too dizzy you can’t have a lover
I’m too dizzy, it’s me or no other
I’m a bad loser, I’m a shakin’ in anger
I’m a too dizzy, you can’t have no lover

You can go on dreaming every night
But I’m not letting you out of my sight
I’m a ten times the man than any guy around
But you’re just itchin’, twitchin’, itchin’ for a break

There’s too much talking for a night drive
And too much mist in front of my eyes
But I’m helpless in love with you
But you’re just looking, looking, looking for a break

Is it love or is it what?
Who’s this guy I’m gonna blow away
What kind of love is he giving you?
I’m a dizzy’s, what I’m trying to say

I said, too dizzy you can’t have a lover
I’m too dizzy, it’s me or no other
I’m a bad loser, I’m a shakin’ in anger
I said I’m a too dizzy, you can’t have no lover

I said too dizzy, don’t come any harder
I said I’m too dizzy, don’t come any closer
I said I’m too dizzy
I said too dizzy, too dizzy, too dizzy

Too dizzy, you can’t have no lover
Too dizzy, I’m too dizzy
I’m too dizzy