Mick Jagger Regretted One Thing About His Friendship with David Bowie

At times, being one’s peer in the music industry might foster a sense of contempt. It’s a fickle business, trying to stay afloat with fame. But, then again, there are times when that same struggle brings people together, creating friends out of competitors. Mick Jagger and David Bowie fell into the latter category.

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The Rolling Stones frontman and Bowie were very chummy during the early days of their career. They eventually collaborated on “Dancing In The Street”–a lively anthem about togetherness and the power of music. Despite their public friendship, it eventually fizzled out. By the time Bowie passed away in 2016, he and Jagger hadn’t spoken in quite some time. The fact that their friendship was never revived is a sore spot for Jagger.

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Mick Jagger Regretted One Thing About His Friendship with David Bowie

Calling out around the world
Are you ready for a brand-new beat
Summer’s here and the time is right
For dancing in the street

All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
They’ll be swinging, swaying, records playing
Dancing in the street

According to Jagger, he knew very little about Bowie’s life after they lost touch–particularly the state of his health. He had no idea that Bowie was struggling with cancer in the way that he was. Because of that, his death was a shock to Jagger.

“I know David stopped touring around 2004 after having some health problems,” Jagger once said. “After that, he kind of vanished, both from my life and the stage, so to speak, until he came back with an album that was a very interesting piece.”

“It’s really sad when somebody leaves and you haven’t spoken to them for a long while,” he continued. “You wish you’d done this; you wish you’d done that. But that’s what happens. Strange things happen in life.”

Jagger went on to talk about how Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, urged him to reach back out. Unfortunately, Bowie passed before Jagger got around to it. It remains a major regret of Jagger’s.

In the same conversation, Jagger looked back at “Dancing In The Street.” He, like all of us, wondered why that was the only collaboration the pair worked up, despite being so close.

“We enjoyed camping it up,” Jagger added. “The video is hilarious to watch. It was the only time we really collaborated on anything, which is really stupid when you think about it.”

Revisit “Dancing In The Street,” below.

All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
They’ll be swinging, swaying, records playing
Dancing in the street, oh

It doesn’t matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere, around the world

(Photo by David Fenton/Getty Images)