David Bowie HATED This Song of His!

[@MusicMongoose]

Need to remind yourself of The Laughing Gnome...? 👉30 Days Free Amazon Music: amzn.to/3KJsD0U

[@professormause]

no thanks

[@eyeballmaster3509]

Another song he especially hated was “Too Dizzy” so much that to this day it has never been officially remastered and isn’t on any streaming platforms

[@Brucemcleod2345]

This song was a big hit in New Zealand and we loved it here. At the time It was quirky and made a change from all that rock led Zep stuff

[@marcosruiz1709]

Bowie is loved in New Zealand, his first concert there was for more than 40 thousand people in 1978, if I'm not mistaken, Bowie still holds the record for the highest attendance at a concert by an artist on his own tour, in 1983 he gathered about 100 thousand people at western springs stadium.

[@Brucemcleod2345]

@@marcosruiz1709 You are right, NZL had Bowie fever and most people had a Bowie album or 3 stashed somewhere. Laughing Gnome was the first song I heard and we thrashed it heaps at teen parties

[@greggadams1]

My 7 year old loves this song, introduced him to it couple weeks ago, I was a similar age when I first heard it 🇳🇿 🇳🇿 🇳🇿 now in my 40s

[@danieleyre8913]

The laughing gnome is awesome. _”I ought to report you to the gnome office”_

[@MusicMongoose]

Ha!

[@TooSkinnyKenny]

in my opinion the worst song Bowie was involved with was his stomach turning cover of "Dancing in the Street" and his cover of "Knock On Wood" is almost as bad.

[@joetanaka6446]

It's a good fun song on an outstanding album called "David Bowie" by David Bowie. It's from before he was known and if you like Bowie, you'll love it. It's like it's from a time capsule.

[@amandawagner1591]

I love The Laughing Gnome

[@NoemyTorrance]

3:20-3:23 " To produce the noise of Alvin Chipmunk-" I KNEW IT! I KNEW THAT VOICE BELONGED TO THAT CHIPMUNK! 🐿️

[@linjoy9627]

I've always loved The Laughing Gnome, when ever I feel down I listen to it and it certainly cheers me up.

[@raincloud7817]

I can't agree. The song sounds a bit like a song for children, what's wrong with it? I like it! Among so many good songs, something like that doesn't matter!

[@Pstephen]

The Laughing Gnome's ok. God Only Knows is terrible though, like a lot of his 80s stuff. Picking on The Laughing Gnome is just lazy.

[@linjoy9627]

The Laughing Gnome is an amazing song. I love it. Always have done.

[@pgh45rpms]

As much as Bowie detested the song, he probab;y thought "The Laughing Gnome" was not his best. Yet he didn't refuse the few quid it brought him in royalties. Bowie's success was during his RCA Victor days -- not at Deram -- and Decca wanted to cash in on Bowie's newfound fame.

[@nankypooh655]

I LIKE THE LAUGHING GNOME! It's one of my favorites. It shows his whimsical sense of humor.

[@Bellhelly]

I like The Laughing Gnome and I would be proud of it if I had wriotten it myself.

[@sirapos6550]

Lol

[@grahamheffer6535]

I loved it as a kid

[@chicklets4ever51]

There are plenty of Bowie songs I don't like, some of his biggest hits, in fact. But then there are other Bowie songs I like very much. His true genius was to make structure out of gesture, sheer surface. One of a kind, but a reflection of nearly all of the main trends of his time, some created by himself.

[@Brucemcleod2345]

I loved Laughing Gnome when it came out and actually struggled to listen to Bowie when he came out with Starman and Suffragette City.

[@ericlevy]

it's a good song. hardly worst ever.

[@garrold7123]

fun fact, bowie and the gnome reunited in "if you can see me" lol

[@andrewhall7704]

It was my single I bought as a 7 year old. The B side became a Bowie classic

[@NoemyTorrance]

" It steadfastly remained the flop it deserved to be" Those Critics have no sense of humor. To be honest, I don't think the song hits home to drugs and stuff like that. It could've been a childhood song! 😂❤

[@PartyDude_19]

Even as a defender and lover of David Bowie's early novelty and music hall works from this era, I don't even like the laughing gnome. It would've been a fine song if the gnome's voice wasn't sped up beyond belief. That gnome's voice is unbearably annoying. If you want a good novelty song by David Bowie, just listen to Uncle Arthur. It certainly is very funny though so I will give it that.

[@marcosruiz1709]

Something that few people know is that the BBC made a video for the song and it was shown on TOTP and other programs, there is no record of the video, only a photo.

[@dondevice8182]

The bassoon was the lead instrument in scary monsters & super creeps?

[@leelishman7137]

I remember as a 5 year old I loved this re-released song,the way David delivers the lyrics ,even then,it sounds like theres a hidden meaning in there..Only problem was in reminded me of the milk marketing board "Humphries", which gave me nightmares,in the advert they came from under the bed!😂

[@mattharcla]

He liked Syd Barret's ''The Gnome'' and ''Bike''. The fucking Floyd, man. So, he did a rip.

[@louisskulnik7390]

English Pastoral pop is what it is. Then Syd was influenced in turn and recorded Scream Thy Last Scream with the sped up vocals.

[@pcno2832]

I remember turning on the radio in 1973 and the DJ was amused to report that "Gnome" (which was mostly ignored in the USA), was a top 10 hit in the UK. It only got played a few times, but it left a permanent impression on me. Yes, the pun-based humor was a little cringey, but it was more than a little catchy and, coming from the Bowie we knew by then, worth as much in irony as in merit. I wouldn't call is a bad record, but it's probably the Bowie record with the most glaring contradictions, and given Bowie's other work, that's saying a lot.

[@GraveFireflys]

On it's re-release in the 70s I went down to virgins in Southampton and brought it ,I can still see the look of disgust on the hippies face as he sold this snotty little kid the single. ( best 40 p I've ever spent) Anyway I've since paid the price because I now look like a bloody lawn ornament. Too make matters worse, it's the only song I know all the words to , probably the real reason I play the drums rather than sing.😢

[@MusicMongoose]

Brilliant 🤣

[@bokmcdok]

This is legitimately my favourite Bowie song. Used to listen to it on repeat when I was a kid.

[@paulmclaine6413]

Bowie didn't have a worst song. Other artists had those.

[@linjoy9627]

i always loved the Laughing Gnome.

[@tonyetchells6051]

"The Laughing Gnome" is a million times better than the dreadful "Heroes" which for some reason everyone thinks is a masterpiece.

[@pcno2832]

I don't really mind "Heroes", but I'd say the same thing with respect to "Golden Years", which has always been my least favorite big Bowie hit.

[@DJKrissiB]

china girl

[@lilyleon1475]

Fake news! I came to find out the reason Bowie hated this tune, but got a load of waffle and unrelated garbage instead. Additionally, don't tell me to like and subscribe, when this only benefits you. Disliked!

[@SC1W]

It’s a brilliant track- genius! And I remember the NME campaign too as me and my mates were cracking up about it lol

[@99bigjim]

everyone makes bad songs, we just don't get to hear most of them

[@georgespottiswood4660]

........why Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd didn't jump on this and cover it leaves me befuddled.

[@louisskulnik7390]

Because they weren't a cover band 😊. (I mean, besides when they were The Screaming Abdabs."

[@michaelmerrett3675]

Yep, A great song.

[@404FinallyFound]

I actually love the laughing gnome. It’s like a drawing from a 5 year old. Objectively bad but it has a nice charm to it

[@adric137]

I think the Laughing Gnome is a great song , some Bowie songs from the 1980s onwards are much worse .

[@chrisrees7054]

Hey, i like it 😊😊🤨

[@ericcrawford9827]

You knew him first and you knew him well

[@scaffhgv1966]

It's a fun song and he got money from it

[@dondevice8182]

WTF was that ‘Hunky Dory’ image?

[@VitruviusXXV]

Sure, its not in the same class as classics like Heroes, Space oddity or Life on Mars , but its amusing and tuneful. Far superior to the tuneless, boring and empty noise that passes for music today.

[@b.bleinagel1082]

I absolutely love that song, would hen I have a bad time, I listen to the laughing of the gnome and David Bowie and need to smile again

[@sirapos6550]

English is not my mother language, so I want to ask if there's a difference between a gnome and a dwarf.

[@makelikeatree1696]

I think of gnomes as being smaller and somehow less human than dwarves, although except for size the description would be about the same.

[@sirapos6550]

@@makelikeatree1696 Oh, thanks, this sounds interesting. You mean,gnomes are like fairy-type beings ?

[@juanalvarado8480]

The worst by far its "Join The Gang" from his 67' debut

[@louisskulnik7390]

Weirdest cover of "The Tennessee Waltz" I have heard to date.😊

[@nasdkhan254]

Too dizzy was the crap bowie song

[@michaelholmes4374]

I bout this in i think 72 when he had become famous

[@jt2460]

It's closer to his best one!

[@gazwheeldon5952]

I love the laughing gnome.

[@FuturologyTheMusical]

He and Mick Jagger recorded the worst remake ever (Dancing in the street) And the video to it was awful.

[@sirapos6550]

Dancing, not Dancer.

[@FuturologyTheMusical]

@@sirapos6550 Yes, dancing. Never notice my type. Thanks. The track and video are the worst.

[@sirapos6550]

@@FuturologyTheMusical No problem Sir :) I agree with you about this version and the video,80s crap at its best !

[@fregleygreebeen]

This guy cracks me up! 😂🤣😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@chrisrees7054]

Hey, you've got to start somewhere!?

[@ThatGuyThanus]

Definitely ONE OF the worst..

[@reactivearmour5126]

I heard his song Dark Star or Black Star, whatever, on the radio once. It was the most tuneless rubbish I’d ever heard and I thought, “If this wasn’t a Bowie song, it would have never seen the light of day”.

[@MusicMongoose]

Did you ever hear the laughing gnome on the radio? 🤣

[@christopherhahn6728]

@@MusicMongoose LOL, can't say that I have. Probably a good thing, although there are a myriad of great songs that are never played on the radio.

[@jasa5416]

My man really dissed my favorite bowie track and album

[@reactivearmour5126]

No offense, old chap. Musical taste is purely subjective. I’ve just never been a Bowie fan. Glad you enjoy him though.

[@jasa5416]

@@reactivearmour5126 hahaha no offence taken