Another nice videoclip from the 80’s. “I Want Your Sex” by George Michael. I’ve read that at the time this Asian lady was his actual girlfriend… Quite ironic now that we all know he is gay. Does anybody have more info on the model?

Kinda weird looking at this now, and realising how controversial this song was back in 1987. I remember some tv stations wouldn’t even play this video, while others played it only during late hours. Seems quite tame by today’s standards, but still very sexy.

“China Girl” is a track on David Bowie’s album Let’s Dance. Bowie originally co-wrote the song with Iggy Pop for the latter’s 1977 album The Idiot, and decided to re-record it for his 1983 album. An edit of the 1977 version was also released as a single. Under the auspices of Nile Rodgers, the song was given a much more commercial sheen than the sinister Iggy Pop version.This song is arguably about heroin addiction; “China white” is a street nickname for heroin, and based on the following lyrics in the song:

I could escape this feeling, with my China girl
I feel a wreck without my, little China girl
…
I’m a mess without my, little China girl
Wake up mornings, where’s my little China girl.

The song also concerns commercial imperialism, and as such continues the theme established in the video for “Let’s Dance”. It was again edited for single release, but attracted more attention for its striking video. David Mallet’s clip, shot in Australia, featured Jee Ling (actually it is Geeling Ng) as a Chinese Goddess, and also lying naked in the surf with Bowie (a visual reference to the film From Here to Eternity). The latter’s bared buttocks saw the video generate some lurid tabloid headlines, though the clip as a went on to win an MTV award. The UK single release reached #2 in the charts, and the US release #10.
Source: Wikipedia.org

Model Geeling Ng’s performance in David Bowie’s “China Girl” made her a lightning rod for controversy. Today, she’s positively suburban, living in New Zealand, raising orchids, running marathons, and managing a restaurant. Source: vh1.com

Trivia
In the Family Guy movie titled Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story David Bowie tells Asian Reporter Tricia Takanawa “Just you shut your mouth.”

China Girl

Words and music by David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

Oh oh oh ohoo little china girl

I could escape this feeling, with my china girl
I feel a wreck without my, little china girl
I hear her heart beating, loud as thunder
Saw the stars crashing

Im a mess without my, little china girl
Wake up mornings wheres my, little china girl
I hear hearts beating, loud as thunder
I saw they stars crashing down

I feel an tragic like an marlon brando
When I look at my china girl
I could pretend that nothing really meant too much
When I look at my china girl

I stumble into town just like a sacred cow
Visions of swastikas in my head
Plans for everyone
Its in the white of my eyes

My little china girl
You shouldnt mess with me
Ill ruin everything you are
Ill give you television
Ill give you eyes of blue
Ill give you men who want to rule the world

And when I get excited
My little china girl says
Oh baby just you shut your mouth
She says … sh
She says

And when I get excited
My little china girl says
Oh baby just you shut your mouth
And when I get excited
My little china girl says
Oh baby just you shut your mouth
She says … sh
She says

Oh oh oh ohoo little china girl