"Heroes"
The only Berlin album recorded entirely in Berlin, with Robert Fripp's guitar over the title song.
David Bowie, 1977
- Released
- 14 October 1977
- Recorded
- July to August 1977
- Studio
- Hansa Tonstudio, West Berlin
- Label
- RCA
- Producer
- David Bowie, Tony Visconti
- Length
- 40:19
Bowie wrote the lyrics at the microphone and sang most vocals in one or two takes. Fripp joined at Eno's suggestion and played lead guitar for about three days. Richard Buskin reported in Sound On Sound that the feedback lines were laid down about a week after the rhythm section and were triple-tracked. Eno left after about two and a half weeks, and Visconti has said 23 of the 24 tape tracks were used before the vocal. Final mixes were done at Mountain Studios in Montreux.
The album reached number three in the UK and number 35 in the US. Allan Jones of Melody Maker wrote that it and Low were among the most adventurous and challenging records yet given to the rock audience. The NME and Melody Maker both named it album of the year, and Record Mirror's Tim Lott called it a come-down from Low.
Track listing
- Beauty and the Beast3:32
- Joe the Lion3:05
- "Heroes"6:07
- Sons of the Silent Age3:15
- Blackout3:50
- V-2 Schneider3:10
- Sense of Doubt3:57
- Moss Garden5:03
- Neukoelln4:34
- The Secret Life of Arabia3:46
Personnel
- David Bowie vocals
- Brian Eno synthesizers
- Robert Fripp lead guitar
- Carlos Alomar guitar
- George Murray bass
- Dennis Davis drums
- Tony Visconti producer, backing vocals
- Antonia Maass backing vocals
- Colin Thurston engineer
More from David Bowie
Space Oddity (1969), Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), Diamond Dogs (1974), Young Americans (1975), Station to Station (1976), Low (1977), Lodger (1979), Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980), Let's Dance (1983), Heathen (2002), The Next Day (2013), Blackstar (2016)
Sources
- "Heroes" (album), Wikipedia
- Classic Tracks: David Bowie, Heroes, Sound On Sound (2004-10)
- Producer Tony Visconti breaks down the making of Heroes, Open Culture (2016-01)