Fame: The intro guitar riff was a collaboration between David Bowie and guess who?
John Lennon! I can hear John’s influence on the tight phrasing of those opening bars.
Listen to the first part, the most recognizable part, and you may see what I mean.
I never knew Lennon was a part of that song! Crazy...
according to wikipedia — Carlos Alomar wrote the stupid obnoxious guitar riff :-)
“There, Carlos Alomar had developed a guitar riff for Bowie’s cover of “Footstompin’” by the Flairs, which Bowie thought was “a waste” to give to a cover. Lennon, who was in the studio with them, sang “aim” over the riff, which Bowie turned into “Fame” and he thereafter wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song.”