The Song David Bowie Admitted To Stealing From The Rolling Stones in 1972

There are few rock & roll friendships that are more endearing than David Bowie and Mick Jagger. The two enigmatic frontmen had a complicated relationship. It ranged from optimistic partnerships to deeply competitive rivals. They respected each other and their respective talents, but not enough to not butt heads every once in a while.

Their competitiveness has been the point of conversation for decades. Even after Bowie’s death, the conversation ensues. Jagger recently spoke about Bowie’s affinity for rivaling The Stones frontman, to the point that he admitted stealing a bit of the rocker’s own musicality.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1969, David Bowie Released the Breakout Hit That Soundtracked the Moon Landing and Was Later Covered by an Astronaut]

The David Bowie Song That Sounded A Lot Like The Stones

Bowie used many sounds throughout his career. His evolution was ongoing as he would turn from glam rock to disco to sullen, artful songwriting. There is no one Bowie sound. But thanks to a recent conversation with Jagger, we know where he got the inspiration for one of the Aladdin Sane cuts, “The Jean Genie”.

“Yeah, we were competitive,” Jagger said of Bowie in a recent interview. “David was so competitive, much more competitive. I was made competitive by David. I mean, had to be.”

Jagger went on by giving an example of how Bowie rivaled The Stones, saying he admitted to “paying homage” to his friend on occasion.

“When he was doing like ‘Jean Genie’, he was very Stones-y, you know,” Jagger continued. “That was a very Stones-y period. So he would come over and play me ‘Jean Genie’, [saying,] ‘I’ve got it, you want to listen?’ Yeah, of course. I said, ‘God, you’ve nicked all my things.’ ‘Yeah, I know, man. I know. It’s like a homage to you.’”

Listening to “The Jean Genie”, you can see where they were coming from. Bowie utilizes grungy, gritty guitar work that is not unlike Keith Richards’. There is a bluesy element to it that screams The Stones. Not to mention, his vocal delivery and storytelling take a page out of Jagger’s book.

Whether it is seen as stealing or an homage, it’s fun to see our favorite classic rockers sharing sounds and ideas. Bowie and Jagger’s decades-long partnership/rivalry is something fans of the genre will always be curious about. This latest crumb from their time as collaborators only further sparks that interest.

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