The song, which was written and recorded in Berlin,[1][5] features David Bowie on piano with the aid of a Roland drum machine.
[6][7] When Iggy Pop pronounced himself happy with the result, Bowie protested that they needed real drums to finish it off.
Pop largely wrote the lyrics on the spot "in ten minutes", Bowie suggesting that he write about "walking through the night like ghosts".
[7][12] Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy, Atticus Ross and Jeordie White later covered the song during a live radio session.
[13] The drum loop from "Nightclubbing" was used by Oasis in their song "Force of Nature", a track written for the soundtrack of Love, Honor and Obey, and recorded for their 2002 album Heathen Chemistry.