David Bowie is one of the most revered artists in rock history. So if you’re an acclaimed young-ish art-rock band (Arcade Fire) mixing your heavily anticipated fourth album in a New York studio, Bowie’s the exact kinda guy you want around.
Unless he’s there to nab your music. In a new interview with NME, Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry claims Bowie dropped by to check out the band’s progress when he was arrested by their disco-voodoo single “Reflektor.”
“It was just after The Next Day had come out,” Parry says. “He basically just came by the studio in New York while we were mixing, just to have a listen to the stuff we were doing. He offered to lend us his services because he really liked the song. In fact, he basically threatened us – he was like, ‘If you don’t hurry up and mix this song, I might just steal it from you!’ So we thought, ‘Well why don’t we go one better, why don’t you sing on our version?’ Thankfully he obliged, and we were really happy about that.”
It’s safe to say The Thin White Duke was just yanking their chain — but then again, when Ziggy Stardust threatens to nab your music (even in a joking manner), you’d better take him seriously.
Check out “Reflektor” (with its now-infamous Bowie cameo) below:
