David Bowie Rejected Coldplay, Said Yes To Scarlett Johansson

David Bowie is, this year, marking 50 years in the music business. That tenure in the industry has seen him run the gamut of musical collaborations including a dance medley with Cher in 1975 and a gig as Scarlett Johansson’s backup vocalist in 2008. But apparently Bowie has standards — or at least told Chris Martin so when the Coldplay frontman proposed a collaboration.

“One time I sent him a song to ask him to sing on it. He called me and said, ‘It’s not one of your best.’ He’s got very high standards and I appreciate that. It inspires the rest of us to keep our standards high.”

Apparently Martin didn’t take Bowie’s criticism to heart since he made the comments as part of a Bowie tribute video at the BBC Music Awards last night. The reclusive rock icon was nominated for British Artist of the Year, but the award ultimately went to Ed Sheeran.

David Bowie released his first album of new music in 10 years in early 2013. More recently, he released a compilation called Nothing Has Changed that spans the entirety of his career and includes one new track. Bowie has actually released two new songs in recent months, “Sue (In a Season of Crime)” and ”Tis a Pity She’s a Whore.’

Chris Martin can take comfort in the fact that Bowie is also subject to criticism. As was recently reported by the Inquisitr, former Rolling Stones manager Loog Oldham dismissed Bowie’s new songs, saying “old people make old music.” That is quite different from a November review in Rolling Stone magazine which praised the releases.

“The musical and emotional torrents of ‘Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)’ swell and subside unpredictably as a chorus of flickering horns and skittering, be-bopping drums flit about Bowie’s quivering narrative about hope and hopelessness, love and infidelity, virginity and motherhood. It’s always captivating — and the outlandishly chaotic B-side, ”Tis a Pity She Was a Whore,’ is even more subversive.”

If Chris Martin wants to work with Bowie in the future, he might want to take some tips from Johansson. Apparently his gig on her album of Tom Waits covers was the result of a chance meeting at a party. Bowie sat next to Johansson and mentioned the name of her collaborator. Much later, the actor got word Bowie had stopped by during the album’s mixing to add some vocals.

[David Bowie Image: Jimmy King via the Mirror]