Dancing in the Street… and the Docklands: Screamin’ Scott on Bowie, Jagger, and the Coolest Hot Mess in Rock

Alright, I’ve seen a lot of wild stuff in rock and roll—trust me, I’m in a band called Chit, we live for wild—but nothing quite captures the beautifully chaotic spirit of the '80s like David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s 1985 version of “Dancing in the Street.” And now, this absolute fever dream of a collaboration is coming back—remastered and reissued on 12-inch white vinyl, just in time to make your turntable feel cooler than a Detroit summer block party.

Let’s start with the obvious: this song is Motown. Martha and the Vandellas made “Dancing in the Street” a soul classic in 1964. It was born right here in the Motor City, at Hitsville U.S.A. The song's groove? Pure Detroit. Its energy? That’s our spirit echoing across the decades. Bowie and Jagger didn’t just cover a song—they touched a nerve, connected London and Philly with the sound that started in our backyards.

And then there’s the video.

Oh man.

It’s the kind of thing you watch once and immediately think: “How did this happen... and can I watch it again?” According to Bowie, it started on a Thursday with a casual chat. By Saturday, they were in the studio from 7 to 11 p.m., then off to London’s Docklands to shoot the video overnight. That’s right—they cranked the whole thing out in just 10 hours.

Think about that: two of the biggest rock stars in the world, winging it like a couple of kids who just discovered their parents’ camcorder. And yet somehow, it works—because it’s them. Bowie and Jagger, camping it up, swapping moves, goofing off like best friends at a karaoke bar. Jagger later said, “It was hilarious to watch now… We enjoyed camping it up and trying to impersonate each other’s moves, making it up as we went along.” You can see the joy, the madness, the glorious lack of overthinking.

Now, before you go hunting it down online—yes, the video’s been upgraded in high-res from the original film negative. And yes, it’s still as bonkers as you remember.

Here’s the kicker: they originally planned to perform the song live at Live Aid in 1985—Bowie in London, Jagger in Philly. But technology wasn’t ready. The half-second satellite delay made it impossible to sync, so instead they recorded the song together at Westside Studios in London on June 29th and shot the infamous video at Spillers Millennium Mills, right there in the East End.

The new vinyl release is a limited-edition white 12-inch, dropping August 29—just two days after the track’s original release in 1985. This reissue brings together every mix of the song for the first time:

Side One:

Side Two:

Even better? 30% of retail sales go straight to The Band Aid Charitable Trust, thanks to Bowie’s estate, Jagger, and Parlophone Records. Rock and roll that gives back? I’ll crank that up to 11.

But wait—before you drop the needle, you’ve got to check out the weird corners of the internet where this video lives in alternate forms. There’s the Silent Music Video version—just squeaky shoes, awkward breathing, and two guys pretending to sing with zero audio behind them. It’s glorious cringe.

And of course… the LEGO version. Oh yeah. Tiny Bowie. Tiny Jagger. All the attitude, 100% plastic.

Bottom line: this wasn’t just two legends doing a cover song. It was a rock and roll event—spontaneous, joyful, and just plain fun. It's what happens when you stop worrying about being cool and just dance in the street.

And that’s why I love it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go watch the squeaky shoes version again with the guys from Chit. Loud.