Brian May has claimed Hot Space influenced Michael Jackson's Thriller, which is probably unlikely except in a very vague sense that funk and rock might be merged to create a new sound (e.g. Beat It). I wonder though if Hot Space might have influenced Bowie's Let's Dance LP? In a limited way maybe. The cool, crisp funk/disco and new wave sound. The merge of that style with shit hot guitar solos, provided for Bowie by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The idea of getting into the studio, recording quickly, then getting out again (the "hot space" concept mirrored by Bowie taking only 17 days to record Lets Dance). And someone stealing the words put out the fire ("Cat People") from someone else (Okay, it's a well worn phrase or variation on a phrase that could just be a coincidence.)
Anyway, I'm sure this is all nonsense but feel free to blarge in with the usual QZ fare.
I think it's just a coincidence of timing really. It was Bowie's first on EMI (a move suggested to him by Queen) so was required to be commercial and he was delving back to his R&B roots. Bowie's 'thing' was combining black R&B rhythm section to white rock leads and was well established by then. Nile Rodgers obviously had a huge hand in the sound. I can't imagine Bowie thought HS would be the template - although perhaps it was Deacon's playing harking back to that sound that got him thinking along those lines. Interesting to note that Let's Dance was reissued in the 90s with Under Pressure added as the last track so perhaps it wasn't that different :)
Wouldn't surprise me. Bowie was washed up in 82 and had always latched onto other artists who were exploring new things. Witnessing a rock band doing funky dance stoof could well have pushed him in that direction.
It would be easy to agree, and I do to some extent, but Pink Floyd, Kiss, The Rolling Stones and Rick James amongst other all combined rock and disco/funk to varying degrees
But Bowie did come closer to the sound Queen went for then any of the artists
Of course Lets Dance and Thriller were hugely successful whereas Hot Space sank like the Titanic. It's an average album but could have received more credit (in the UK at least) if they chose the right first single to release from the album. Body Language is possibly the worst 3 minutes of music in their entire catalogue. Yet somehow, it was successful in the USA. Back Chat might've been a more creditable choice as the first single. It is genuinely funky and has a killer guitar solo. Body Language is just sleazy. Unlike, say, Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Body Language has little musicality to recommend it. So the band lost its rock fans and the transient disco audience moved on to the next thing and left Queen behind.