Panic in Detroit
"Panic in Detroit" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie for the album "Aladdin Sane" in 1973. Bowie based it on friend Iggy Pop's descriptions of revolutionaries he had known in Michigan and Pop's experiences during the 1967 Detroit riots. "Rolling Stone" magazine called the track "a paranoid descendant of the Motor City's earlier masterpiece, Martha and the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run"". Musically "Panic in Detroit" has been described as a "Salsa variation on the Bo Diddley beat", and features prominent conga drums and female backing vocals. The lyrics namecheck Che  Guevara and are also said to contain references to John Sinclair of the White Panther Party. In 2003, "Rolling Stone" magazine printed its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Mick Ronson was ranked at #64, and "Panic in Detroit" as his "essential recording". Live versions. Bowie played the song live on many of his tours: