Remember When Mick Jagger and David Bowie Teamed up for One Unforgettable Duet in 1985?

Mick Jagger is best known as the lead singer of The Rolling Stones. But Jagger also had a solo career, releasing several albums and multiple singles. 

On his own, Jagger didn’t do many duets. But he did have a hit single in 1985 with “Dancing In The Street”, a song he sang with David Bowie. “Dancing In The Street” is a cover of a song originally released by Martha and the Vandellas. It was written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter.

“Dancing In The Street” is a feel-good, uptempo tune, which is likely why the song went all the way to No. 1. It says, “They’re dancing in Chicago (dancing in the street) / Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street) / In New York City (dancing in the street) / All we need is music, sweet music / There’ll be music everywhere / There’ll be swinging, swaying, and records playing / Dancing in the street.”

Why Mick Jagger and David Bowie Recorded “Dancing In The Street” Together

Jagger and Bowie were both enjoying their own successful career when they teamed up for “Dancing In The Street”. Still, they didn’t do the song for their own accomplishment. Instead, Jagger and Bowie recorded “Dancing In The Street” to benefit Live Aid.

The idea for the cover of “Dancing In The Streets” came when the two singers wanted to do a duet across continents, to raise money for Live Aid. Unsure of what song to do, the singers went to a club to unwind, where they started to try to outdo each other with their dances. The result of that impromptu dance-off led Jagger and Bowie to decide to do “Dancing In The Streets”.

“We banged it out in just two takes,” Jagger later recalls. “It was an interesting exercise in how you can do something without worrying too much.”

The video of “Dancing In The Street” was aired during the 1985 Live Aid concert. The two originally intended to sing the song together via satellite. Sadly, a four-second delay kept them from being able to both sing it from their separate geographical locations.

“Dancing In The Street” is likely one of the most covered rock songs in history. Among the many artists who have recorded a version of “Dancing In The Street” are The Mamas and the Papas, Grateful Dead, and Van Halen, among others. Interestingly, this was Jagger’s first No. 1 as a solo artist.

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

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