HEROES

issue #01 Radrennbahn Weissensee a year later. The title of triumphant, words the song is a reference to the 1975 track “Hero” by and music. Producer Tony Visconti took credit for the German band Neu!, whom Bowie and Eno inspiring the image of the lovers kissing “by the admired. It was one of the early tracks recorded wall”, when he and backing vocalist Antonia Maass BOWIE during the sessions, but remained (Maaß) embraced in front of Bowie as he looked an instrumental until towards the out of the Hansa Studio window. Bowie’s habit in end of production. The quotation the period following the song’s release was to say marks in the title of the song, a that the protagonists were based on an anonymous “’Heroes’” is a song written deliberate affectation, were young couple but Visconti, who was married to by and in 1977. designed to impart an Mary Hopkin at the time, contends that Bowie was Produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, it ironic quality on the protecting him and his affair with Maass. Bowie was released both as a single and as the otherwise highly confirmed this in 2003. title track of the album “Heroes”. A product romantic, even The music, co-written by Bowie and Eno, has of Bowie’s “Berlin” period, and not a huge hit in been likened to a Wall of Sound production, an the UK or US at the time, the song has gone on undulating juggernaut of guitars, percussion and to become one of Bowie’s signature songs and is synthesizers. Eno has said that musically the well known today for its appearance in numerous piece always “sounded grand and heroic” and advertisements. It has been cited as Bowie’s second that he had “that very word – heroes – in my most covered song after “”. mind” even before Bowie wrote the lyrics. The basic backing track on the recording consists It was the lead track on ’s 2010 covers of a conventional of piano, bass album, Scratch My Back. Among other notable covers, guitar, rhythm guitar and drums. However the Wallflowers recorded a version of the song for the the remaining instrumental additions soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla. This version peaked are highly distinctive. These largely at number 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks consist of synthesizer parts by Eno chart in 1998, as well as number 27 on the Billboard using an EMS VCS3 to produce Hot 100 Airplay chart, and number 23 on the detuned low-frequency Billboard Top 40 Mainstream charts. In the UK, drones, with the beat the final sixteen acts from the seventh series of frequencies from the The X Factor released a cover version of the three oscillators song on 21 November 2010 which topped producing a the UK singles chart. juddering effect. Bowie’s performance of “’Heroes’” on June 6, 1987 at the German Reichstag in West Berlin was considered a catalyst to the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall, similar to that of Bruce Springsteen’s concert at Radrennbahn Weissensee a year later. The title of triumphant, words the song is a reference to the 1975 track “Hero” by and music. Producer Tony Visconti took credit for the German band Neu!, whom Bowie and Eno inspiring the image of the lovers kissing “by the admired. It was one of the early tracks recorded wall”, when he and backing vocalist Antonia Maass during the album sessions, but remained (Maaß) embraced in front of Bowie as he looked an instrumental until towards the out of the Hansa Studio window. Bowie’s habit in end of production. The quotation the period following the song’s release was to say marks in the title of the song, a that the protagonists were based on an anonymous deliberate affectation, were young couple but Visconti, who was married to designed to impart an Mary Hopkin at the time, contends that Bowie was ironic quality on the protecting him and his affair with Maass. Bowie otherwise highly confirmed this in 2003. romantic, even The music, co-written by Bowie and Eno, has been likened to a Wall of Sound production, an undulating juggernaut of guitars, percussion and synthesizers. Eno has said that musically the piece always “sounded grand and heroic” and that he had “that very word – heroes – in my mind” even before Bowie wrote the lyrics. 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. 

“’Heroes’” was released in a variety of languages and lengths (“a collector’s wet dream” in the words of NME editors and ). In contrast to the bewildering audio situation, the video (directed by Stanley Dorfman) 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 live Top of the Pops appearance since 1973, “’Heroes’” only reached number 24 in the UK charts, and failed to make the US Billboard Hot 100.

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