Absolute Beginners - Full Length Version

This song is about love that is still in embryonic state. It was written for the 1986 film, Absolute Beginners. Bowie was in the movie, which is a musical based on a book by Colin MacInnes. The book is set in London in the late '50s and deal with the youth culture that would eventually become the Mod movement. The musical starred Patsy Kensit and was directed by Julien Temple, who had previously directed The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle - a mockumentary starring The Sex Pistols. Temple also directed this song's official video, which paid homage to the old British advertisements for Strand cigarettes.

The soundtrack version of this song runs 8:02, while the single version runs around 5:38. The various versions are available on the Best of Bowie anthology.

The session musicians employed to play on this song were told they would be recording for an artist called "Mr. X." Only when they arrived at Abbey Road Studios in London did they find out this was Bowie.