Prolific guitarist Adrian Belew has worked with some of the greatest musicians in the industry. He played with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads and others before joining King Crimson, where he was the guitarist and frontman until 2009. During this time, he also explored a successful solo career.
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Belew is so good—possessing a unique and fluid sound on guitar—that David Bowie and Frank Zappa once fought over him. Let’s introduce the players.
The year was 1978, and Belew was touring with Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. At that time, Bowie was looking for a new guitarist. The eventual tense meeting between Bowie and Zappa—with Belew sitting at the table between them like a child of divorce—was partially kicked off by Brian Eno.
When Zappa et al played a show in Germany, Eno was in the crowd. He was enamored with Belew’s playing, and called Bowie after the show to urge him to see Zappa’s guitarist.
“The next night we performed in Berlin,” Belew recalled on Facebook in 2023. “There was a part of the show where Frank took an extended guitar solo and most of the band members, including myself, left the stage for a few minutes. As I walked to the back of the stage I looked over at the monitor mixing board and saw David Bowie and Iggy Pop standing there.”
What To Do When Everybody Wants You: Frank Zappa and David Bowie Have a Tense Meeting About Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew recalled that he shook Bowie’s hand and thanked him for his music. He expressed that he was a big fan. Bowie asked, point blank, “Great, how would you like to be in my band?”
“Well, I’m kind of playing with that guy,” Belew replied, gesturing to Zappa. Bowie laughed and said, “Yes, I know, but when Frank’s tour ends my tour starts two weeks later. Shall we talk about it over dinner?”
Bowie and Belew met for dinner—which Belew explained involved some sneaking around and diversions like being in a spy movie. But when they arrived at the restaurant, Frank Zappa and the rest of the band were already there.
The awkwardness was palpable, the tension so thick you could slice it like a hard cheese. Bowie said, “Quite a guitar player you have here Frank,” but Zappa was not pleased in the slightest.
“And Frank said, ‘F–k you Captain Tom,’” Belew recalled, noting that Zappa had demoted Bowie from Major to Captain on purpose. “David persisted, ‘Oh come on now Frank, surely we can be gentleman about this?’ Frank said, ‘F–k you Captain Tom.’ By this point I was paralyzed. David said, ‘So you really have nothing to say?’ Frank said, ‘F–k you Captain Tom.’”
“I Thought That Went Rather Well!”
After that tense exchange, David Bowie, Adrian Belew, and Bowie’s assistant Coco Schwab got up and left the restaurant. Apparently no more was said, and Belew went on to work with Bowie on his album Lodger and on tour.
However, Belew said, as they left, “David said in his wonderfully British way, ‘I thought that went rather well!’”
Featured Images by Pete Still/Redferns; Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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