Iggy Pop: Lust For Life Single (1996)

A Trainspotting Punk Revival

Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life” 7-inch vinyl single, was released in the UK on November 11, 1996, on Virgin America Records (catalogue: VUS 116). Backed with “(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine,” this punk-funk classic, composed by Bewlay Brothers (David Bowie/Iggy Pop), was reissued after featuring on the Trainspotting soundtrack. Produced by Thom Wilson and Iggy Pop, the A-side’s manic energy and Bowie’s beats peaked at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart for 2 weeks. Issued as pink vinyl in a stickered picture sleeve with barcode 724389384574, plus a maxi-CD with live tracks from Féile Festival and Rock Pop Choice Benefit, and a cassette with both sides identical, it’s a vibrant revival of the 1977 original.

Single Overview

A-Side / Track 1: “Lust For Life” (5:12, David Bowie, Iggy Pop)

Written-By – David Bowie, Iggy Pop. Producer – Bewlay Bros.

B-Side / Additional Tracks (varies by format):

“(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” (4:04, James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Ronald Lenhoff) – Producer – Iggy Pop, Thom Wilson – Written-By – Bobby Byrd, James Brown, Ronald Lenhoff

“Lust For Life (Live)” (5:37, David Bowie, Iggy Pop) – Recorded at Féile Festival (Ireland), summer 1993

“I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live)” (4:57, D. Alexander, J. Osterberg, R. Asheton, S. Asheton) – Producer – Iggy Pop, Thom Wilson – Recorded at Rock Pop Choice Benefit Concert

Release Details:

Label: Virgin America Records (UK pressing, 45 RPM).

Formats:

Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single (VUS 116):

“Lust For Life” / “(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.” In a stickered picture sleeve. Pink vinyl. Barcode: 724389384574.

A: “Lust For Life” (5:12, David Bowie, Iggy Pop) – Written-By – David Bowie, Iggy Pop – Producer – Bewlay Bros.

B: “(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” (4:04, James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Ronald Lenhoff) – Producer – Iggy Pop, Thom Wilson – Written-By – Bobby Byrd, James Brown, Ronald Lenhoff

CD, Maxi-Single (VUSCD 116 / 7243 93844 2 0):

“Lust For Life” (5:12) – Producer – Bewlay Bros. – Written-By – David Bowie, Iggy Pop

“(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” (4:04) – Producer – Iggy Pop, Thom Wilson – Written-By – Bobby Byrd, James Brown, Ronald Lenhoff

“Lust For Life (Live)” (5:37) – Written-By – David Bowie, Iggy Pop – Recorded at Féile Festival (Ireland), summer 1993

“I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live)” (4:57) – Producer – Iggy Pop, Thom Wilson – Written-By – D. Alexander, J. Osterberg, R. Asheton, S. Asheton – Recorded at Rock Pop Choice Benefit Concert

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Virgin Records America, Inc. – Copyright © – Virgin Records America, Inc. – Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Thousand Mile, Inc. – Recorded At – Féile Festival – Glass Mastered At – EMI Swindon – ℗ & © 1996 Virgin Records America, Inc. – Except track 1 ℗ 1990 Thousand Mile, Inc. – Made in the UK.

Cassette, Single (VUSC 116 / 7243 8 93845 4 3):

“Lust For Life” (5:11)

“(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” (4:05) – Written-By – Bobby Byrd, James Brown, Ronald Lenhoff

Producer – Bewlay Brothers (track 1), Iggy Pop (track 2), Thom Wilson (track 2) – Side 2 Same As Side 1

Country Variations:

The single was a UK release with limited international distribution:

Lust For Life (CD, Single, Promo) Capitol Records DPRO-7087 6 11277 2 0

Production and Context

Produced by Thom Wilson and Iggy Pop (B-side/live); Bewlay Bros. (A-side). Recorded in 1996 for the Trainspotting soundtrack revival. The lineup: Iggy Pop (vocals), with session musicians. “Lust For Life” was the 1977 original reissued after its Trainspotting placement, while “Sex Machine” was a James Brown cover. Live tracks from Féile Festival (1993) and Rock Pop Choice Benefit. Released amid ‘90s Britpop, it followed Trainspotting’s success and competed with Blur and Oasis.

Singles Released and Chart Performance

“Lust For Life” was a standalone reissue single:

Chart Performance:

UK: No. 26 (Official Singles Chart), charting for 2 weeks.

UK Chart Data:

Entry Date: November 17, 1996.

Peak: No. 26 (November 17, 1996).

Weeks on Chart: 2 (Nov 17–24, 1996).

Chart Run: No. 26 (Nov 17), No. 47 (Nov 24).

Note: Iggy’s first UK Top 40 since 1986.

Legacy and Collectibility

“Lust For Life” is Iggy’s punk-funk staple, revived by Trainspotting, while “Sex Machine” and live cuts add raw energy. Original UK 7-inch pink vinyls fetch £5–£20 on eBay/Discogs (value £38 for mint copies), with maxi-CDs (£3–£10) and cassettes (£5–£15) rarer. Verify catalogue VUS 116.

Streams on Spotify via compilations preserve the analog mania. This reissue is a must-have for Iggy fans and ‘90s punk collectors.

Have you snagged this Iggy rarity in your collection? Does Lust For Life still burn? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube

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