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Heroes (song)

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""Heroes""
Image:Bowie HeroesSingle.jpg
Single by David Bowie
from the album "Heroes"
Released September 1977
Format 7" single
Recorded Hansa By The Wall Studio, Berlin May 1977
Genre Rock
Length 3:32
Label RCA Records
PB 1121
Producer(s) David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Chart positions
  • #24 (UK)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Be My Wife"
(1977) 		""Heroes""
(1977) 		"Beauty and the Beast"
(1978)

"Heroes" is a song written by David Bowie together with Brian Eno in 1977. It was recorded that year in Berlin, produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, and released both as a single and as the title track of the album "Heroes". Though not a huge hit at the time, the song has gone on to become one of Bowie’s signature tunes and is well-known today for its appearance in numerous advertisements.

The title of the song is a reference to the 1975 track "Hero" by the band Neu!, whom Bowie and Eno admired. The quote marks in the title, a deliberate affectation, impart an ironic quality on the otherwise highly romantic, even triumphant, words and music. A product of Bowie's fertile 'Berlin' period, life in the city was crystallized into the simple tale of two lovers who come together in the shadow of the 'Wall of Shame' (though here "the shame was on the other side"). Producer Tony Visconti took credit for inspiring the image of the lovers kissing "by the wall", when he and backing vocalist Antonia Maass did just that in front of Bowie as he looked out of the Hansa Studio window.<ref>David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story: pp.323-324</ref>

The music, co-written by Bowie and Eno, has – appropriately given its setting – been likened to a Wall of Sound production, an undulating juggernaut of guitars, percussion and synthesizers. The basic backing track on the recording consists of a conventional arrangement of piano, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and drums. However the remaining instrumental additions are highly distinctive. These largely consist of synthesizer parts by Eno using an EMS VCS3 to produce detuned low-frequency drones, with the beat-frequencies from the three oscillators producing a juddering effect. In addition, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp generated an unusual sustained sound by allowing his guitar to feed back, and standing at different positions in the room to alter the pitch of the feedback. Tony Visconti rigged up a system of three microphones to capture the epic vocal, with one microphone 9 inches from Bowie, one 20 feet away and one 50 feet away. Only the first was opened for the quieter opening vocals, with the first and second opening on the louder passages, and all three on the loudest parts, creating progressively more reverb and ambience on the louder parts.

"Heroes" was released in a variety of languages and lengths (see Other releases below). In contrast to the bewildering audio situation, the video clip (directed by Nick Ferguson) was a stark and simple affair, the singer captured performing the song in what appeared to be a single take with multiple cameras, swaying in front of a spotlight that created a monotone and near-silhouette effect. Despite a large promotional push, including Bowie’s first Top of the Pops appearance since 1972, "Heroes" only reached #24 in the UK charts, and failed to make the US Billboard Top 100.

In February 1999, Q Magazine listed "Heroes" as one of the 100 greatest singles of all time as voted by the readers. In March 2005, the same magazine placed it at number 56 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2004, Rolling Stone rated "Heroes" #46 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Bowie has regularly performed the song in concert since its release (see Live versions below).

To the consternation of many fans, the song has also become a mainstay of advertising in recent years, gracing efforts by Microsoft, Kodak, CGU Insurance, HBOOlé (HBO Latin America) and various sporting promoters throughout the world. It was used as the intro to the video game NHL 99, released in 1998.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Heroes" (Bowie, Eno) – 3:32
  2. "V-2 Schneider" (Bowie) – 3:10

[edit] Production credits

[edit] Live versions

  • A live version recorded on the Heroes tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum, April 28-29, 1978, was released on the live album Stage.
  • The version performed at Live Aid in 1985 is held in high regard by fans. This performance featured Thomas Dolby on keyboards.
  • It was performed to great acclaim at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 by the remaining members of Queen, Mick Ronson, and Bowie on vocals.
  • An acoustic version of the song was played at The Bridge Benefit Concert in 1996, and later released on The Bridge Benefit Concert album.

[edit] Other releases

The Australian cover for "Heroes"/"Héros"/"Helden"

  • The edited 7-inch single, running at 3:32 mins and backed with "V-2 Schneider", was released separately in English, French ("Héros") and German ("Helden"). All three of these cuts plus "V-2 Schneider" were released together as an Australian 4-track 7-inch.
  • The complete English version as it appeared on the album was released as a Spanish 12-inch single.
  • A version featuring the German single edit spliced into the second half of the full-length English track ("Heroes/Helden") appeared on the German pressing of the LP and is also available on Bowie’s soundtrack to the film Christiane F. and on the Rare album.
  • It appeared on the following compilations:
  • It was released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set.

[edit] Cover versions

[edit] Notes

<references/>

[edit] References

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