10 Cover Versions That Are Absolute Masterpieces

In 1975 David Bowie was in the midst of his Thin White Duke persona. Fueled by a diet of cocaine, milk, and green peppers, he set about recording his next album in Los Angeles. With his growing fascination in the occult and the Jewish mystical system, the Kabbalah, the resulting Station To Station gave a tantalizing insight into his confused state of mind. Yet, the one track that stands out in contrast to the rest of the album is his version of Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington’s Wild Is The Wind.

Recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1957 it was later covered by Nina Simone and released in 1966. It is Simone’s version that inspired Bowie. He had met her in 1975 and decided to record the song as a homage to the American singer.

Basing the song around a sparse arrangement of guitar, drums and bass, Bowie imitates many of Simone’s mannerisms letting the song build up slowly. His vocals are somewhat detached yet at the same time extremely emotional showcasing Bowie’s extraordinary skill of acting a persona in a song.

In later years it would become a highlight of his live tours with the audience often joining in to sing the line "Don’t you know your life itself" with him.