Julian Shah-Tayler on Bowie’s Guest Appearance on “Province”
When I put together a list of ten songs featuring David Bowie as a guest (posted last week), I knew it wouldn’t be exhaustive. I received feedback from many who added their own favorites. Among those who weighed in was Julian Shah-Tayler, whose work has appeared on this blog multiple times. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him twice—once about Hunger City, his reimagining of Diamond Dogs, and again about Forget That I’m 50, the Aladdin Sane tribute album he produced (click on the album names to link to those interviews). Julian’s new album, Honne/Tatemae featuring Bowie alumni Mike Garson and Carmine Rojas, is out and I’ll be posting about in the near future.
Julian’s pick for an essential Bowie guest appearance was “Province” by TV on the Radio, a song I hadn’t included in my original list. His reasoning was compelling.
“Bowie’s great talent was chasing ideas and putting disparate people together to make something entirely new and special,” he told me. “He was a collector and a vampire of sorts. From Ronson to Eno and Fripp, everything he touched for a certain time in his career was gold. The Midas caress…”
TV on the Radio, the experimental Brooklyn-based band known for fusing art rock, electronic elements, and soul influences, had already been making waves by the time Bowie collaborated with them. Their 2006 album Return to Cookie Mountain, which features “Province,” was a breakthrough moment. It received critical acclaim for its layered production, dense harmonies, and fearless approach to genre-blending. Bowie’s involvement was a testament to his constant engagement with new music—he had already praised their earlier work, and when the band reached out, he agreed to contribute vocals.
Julian recalled his excitement upon hearing that Bowie had worked with the band. “I heard that he had done a song with TV on the Radio, who were a quirky group from New York. “Dreams” had had some impact. And of course, when I heard Bowie was contributing, I bought the Cookie Mountain album immediately.”
It wasn’t just about Bowie’s presence on the track, though. “Expecting his input to be minimal, I listened to “Province” and was entirely blown away,” Julian said. “It’s one of the highest points on an album filled with stellar songs, but not BECAUSE of Bowie—he… had chosen the exact right combination of avant-garde and melodicism to elevate the song with his vocal. Perfection. It is, to my mind, a worthy addition to Bowie’s canon as much as a high point in TV on the Radio’s oeuvre. And their career has so many high points.”
Bowie’s collaboration with TV on the Radio wasn’t just a one-off endorsement. As Julian pointed out, it reflected a pattern in Bowie’s career: a deep respect for those who had influenced him and an instinct for working with artists who were pushing boundaries. “His great grace was to give the respect back to the people who inspired him, such as Placebo, Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, Pixies, etc. It is of note that he refused to contribute to a Coldplay request for collaboration for the exact same reason he chose to produce and work with the ailing and drug-addled Lou Reed [and] Iggy Pop. Coldplay’s song wasn’t very good, whereas the Reed/Pop options were beyond exceptional, and he wished to assist his professed influences with his prodigious star power and save them from their impending obscurity as a reflection and in return for what he felt they gave him.”
As Julian put it, “Bowie was a respectful Kingmaker.”
That, more than anything, is what makes his guest appearances so fascinating. Bowie’s choices weren’t just about lending his voice to a track—they were statements of admiration and artistic alignment.