"Heroes"
Studio album by David Bowie
Released	October 14, 1977 Rykodisc Reissue August 27, 1991
Recorded	Hansa Studio by the Wall, West Berlin July-August 1977
Genre	Rock, Krautrock, Ambient
Length	40:36
Label	RCA Records
Producer	David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone link
David Bowie chronology
Low (1977) "Heroes" (1977) Stage (1978)

"Heroes" (the quotation marks are part of the title, for reasons of irony)^[1] is an album by David Bowie, released in 1977. The second installment of his 'Berlin Trilogy' with Brian Eno (the other releases being Low and Lodger) "Heroes" is similar in sound to Low but more robust. Of the three albums, it was the most befitting of the appellation "Berlin", being the only one wholly recorded there. The title track remains one of Bowie's best known, a classic story of two lovers who meet at the Berlin Wall. The album is considered one of his best by critics, notably for the contributions of guitarist Robert Fripp (who flew in from the U.S. to record his parts in one day).^[2] John Lennon was quoted as saying that when making Double Fantasy in 1980, his ambition was to "do something as good as "Heroes"."^[2][3] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (940x933, 104 KB) Summary Scanned Sept. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Rykodisc Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Die Hansa Tonstudio is a recording studio located on Köthener Strasse in Berlin, Germany. ... Boroughs of West Berlin West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... For other uses, see Tony Visconti (disambiguation). ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... This article is about the magazine. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Low is a 1977 album by David Bowie, widely regarded as one of his most influential releases. ... Stage is an underrated live album released in 1978 which opens with five consecutive songs from Ziggy Stardust, but most notably features material from Low and Heroes, Bowies most recent studio albums at the time. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... The so-called Berlin Trilogy is a series of David Bowie albums recorded in collaboration with Brian Eno. ... Brian Eno (pronounced ) (born Brian Peter George St. ... Low is a 1977 album by David Bowie, widely regarded as one of his most influential releases. ... Lodger is a 1979 album by David Bowie. ... Redirect page ... East German construction workers building the Berlin Wall, November 20, 1961. ... Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England) is a guitarist, record producer and a composer, perhaps best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of King Crimson. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Yoko Ono chronology Double Fantasy is the comeback album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in 1980 initially on the newly-formed Geffen Records, and now through EMI, the distributor of all of Lennons output (including his Beatles material). ...

Production and style

Recorded at Hansa Studios in what was then West Berlin, "Heroes" reflected the zeitgeist of the Cold War, symbolised by the divided city. Co-producer Tony Visconti considered it "one of my last great adventures in making albums. The studio was about 500 yards from the wall. Red Guards would look into our control-room window with powerful binoculars."^[4] Bowie again paid tribute to his Krautrock influences: the title is a nod to the track "Hero" on the album NEU! '75 by the German band Neu!,^[5] while "V-2 Schneider" is inspired by and named after Kraftwerk's Florian Schneider.^[6] This came about because earlier in 1977, Kraftwerk had name-checked Bowie on the title track of Trans-Europe Express. The cover photo was inspired by Erich Heckel's Roquairol, as was that of The Idiot, one of Bowie's collaborations with Iggy Pop that was released the same year.^[7] Hansa Records (Hansa, Hansa Musik Produktion or Hansa International) was a record label founded in the 1960s based in Berlin, Germany. ... Boroughs of West Berlin West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. ... This article is about the German word. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tony Visconti (disambiguation). ... Red Guards refer to socialist or communist militia formed to instigate, support, or defend communist revolutions. ... Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s. ... Neu! 75 is an album by Krautrock band Neu!. It was recorded and mixed at Conny Planks studio between December 1974 and January 1975. ... Neu! (the German word for new, pronounced noy) were a German band, probably the archetypal example of what the UK music press at the time dubbed Krautrock. ... V-2 Schneider is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. Live versions A live version recorded at Paradiso, Amsterdam in June 1997 was released as the B-side of the single Pallas Athena in August 1997. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group from Düsseldorf that has made key contributions to the development of improvisational rock and electronic music, most notably within the latter categorys sub-genres which later became known as synthpop, electro, techno, house and IDM. Early musical... Florian Schneider-Esleben (born April 7th, 1947, Germany) is one of the founding members of influential and pioneering electronic music band Kraftwerk. ... Trans-Europe Express is the English language version of a 1977 music album by German band Kraftwerk (see 1977 in music). ... Erich Heckel (July 31, 1883 - January 27, 1970) was a German painter and printmaker, and a founding member of the Die Brücke group (The Bridge) which existed 1905-1913. ... The Idiot is a 1977 album by Iggy Pop, his debut as a solo artist. ... James Newell Osterberg, Jr. ...

Though "Heroes" included a number of dark and atmospheric instrumentals such as "Sense of Doubt" and "Neuköln", as well as the sprawling confessional "Blackout", after the melancholy and inward-looking Low it was regarded as a highly passionate and positive artistic statement.^[4][6] This was evident not only through "Heroes" the song but in the rocking opener "Beauty and the Beast" (released as the second single in January 1978), the raucous "Joe the Lion" and the light-hearted closer "The Secret Life of Arabia". The lyrics for "Joe the Lion", written and recorded at the microphone "in less than an hour" according to Visconti, typified the improvisational nature of the recording.^[8] Sense of Doubt is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. 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. ... Neuköln is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. It was the last of three consecutive instrumentals on Side Two of the original vinyl album, following Sense of Doubt and Moss Garden. Neukölln (spelt with two ls) is a section of... Blackout is a song written by David Bowie in 1977 for his album Heroes. Live versions A live version recorded during the Heroes tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum, April 28-29, 1978, was released on the album Stage. ... ”Heroes” is a song written by David Bowie together with Brian Eno in 1977. ... ”Beauty and the Beast” was a single by David Bowie. ... Joe the Lion is a song written by David Bowie in 1977 from the album Heroes. It is a tribute to performance artist Chris Burden. ... The Secret Life of Arabia is a song written by David Bowie, Brian Eno and Carlos Alomar in 1977 for the album Heroes. It was the final track on the original vinyl album, following the instrumental Neuköln. Author David Buckley considers it a great song, but its position on...

Release and aftermath

"Heroes" was marketed by RCA with the catch phrase, "There’s Old Wave. There’s New Wave. And there's David Bowie..."^[6] It enjoyed a positive critical reception on release in late 1977,^[2] Melody Maker and NME both naming it 'Album of the Year'.^[3][9] It made #3 in the UK and stayed in the charts for 26 weeks, but was less successful in the U.S. where it peaked at #35. RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... Bold text New Wave in the late 1970s and early 1980s was inspired by the punk rock. ... Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was (until its closure) the worlds oldest weekly music newspaper. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ...

A number of the album's tracks were played live at Bowie's concerts the following year, captured on record as Stage (1978). Philip Glass adapted a classical suite, "Heroes" Symphony, based on this album, a companion to his earlier Low Symphony. The title track has been covered by numerous artists, whilst "The Secret Life of Arabia" was sung by Billy Mackenzie in 1982 on the British Electric Foundation LP Music of Quality and Distinction. Stage is an underrated live album released in 1978 which opens with five consecutive songs from Ziggy Stardust, but most notably features material from Low and Heroes, Bowies most recent studio albums at the time. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Heroes Symphony is a symphony (also known as Symphony No. ... Low Symphony is a symphony (also known as Symphony No. ... William MacArthur MacKenzie, known as Billy MacKenzie (27 March 1957 – January 22, 1997) was a Scottish singer, notable for his powerful voice and vast vocal range. ... B.E.F. (British Electric Foundation) are a band/ production company formed by former Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh who later became Heaven 17, with lead singer Glenn Gregory. ...

Track listing

All lyrics written by David Bowie; all music written by David Bowie except where noted. David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ...

1. "Beauty and the Beast" – 3:32
2. "Joe the Lion" – 3:05
3. ""Heroes"" (Bowie, Brian Eno) – 6:07
4. "Sons of the Silent Age" – 3:15
5. "Blackout" – 3:50
6. "V-2 Schneider" – 3:10
7. "Sense of Doubt" – 3:57
8. "Moss Garden" (Bowie, Eno) – 5:03
9. "Neuköln" (Bowie, Eno) – 4:34
10. "The Secret Life of Arabia" (Bowie, Eno, Carlos Alomar) – 3:46

”Beauty and the Beast” was a single by David Bowie. ... Joe the Lion is a song written by David Bowie in 1977 from the album Heroes. It is a tribute to performance artist Chris Burden. ... Heroes track listing Joe the Lion (2) Heroes (3) Sons of the Silent Age (4) Heroes is a song written by David Bowie together with Brian Eno in 1977. ... Brian Eno (pronounced ) (born Brian Peter George St. ... Sons of the Silent Age is a song written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. According to Brian Eno, it was the only song on the album composed prior to the recording sessions, all others being improvised in the Hansa by the Wall studio. ... Blackout is a song written by David Bowie in 1977 for his album Heroes. Live versions A live version recorded during the Heroes tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum, April 28-29, 1978, was released on the album Stage. ... V-2 Schneider is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. Live versions A live version recorded at Paradiso, Amsterdam in June 1997 was released as the B-side of the single Pallas Athena in August 1997. ... Sense of Doubt is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. 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. ... Moss Garden is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977 for the album Heroes. It features Bowie plucking a koto, a traditional Japanese string instrument. ... Neuköln is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album Heroes. It was the last of three consecutive instrumentals on Side Two of the original vinyl album, following Sense of Doubt and Moss Garden. Neukölln (spelt with two ls) is a section of... The Secret Life of Arabia is a song written by David Bowie, Brian Eno and Carlos Alomar in 1977 for the album Heroes. It was the final track on the original vinyl album, following the instrumental Neuköln. Author David Buckley considers it a great song, but its position on... Carlos Alomar is a guitarist who has played with David Bowie more than anyone else including the Serious Moonlight album and tour which featured Stevie Ray Vaughan as special guest for his Dallas, Texas show. ...

Reissues

The album has been rereleased twice to date on CD, the first being in 1991 by Rykodisc (containing two bonus tracks) and the second in 1999 by EMI (featuring 24-bit digitally remastered sound and no bonus tracks). CD may stand for: Compact Disc Canadian Forces Decoration Cash Dispenser (at least used in Japan) CD LPMud Driver Centrum-Demokraterne (Centre Democrats of Denmark) Certificate of Deposit ÄŒeské Dráhy (Czech Railways) Chad (NATO country code) Chalmers Datorförening (computer club of the Chalmers University of Technology) a 1960s... Rykodisc Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ...

1991 reissue bonus tracks

1. "Abdulmajid" (previously unreleased track recorded 1976-79) – 3:40
2. "Joe the Lion" (remixed version 1991) – 5:18

Abdulmajid is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie and Brian Eno during the Berlin period, but which remained unreleased until 1991. ...

Personnel

• David Bowie – vocals, keyboards, guitars, saxophone, koto, background vocals
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• Dennis Davis – percussion
• George Murray – electric bass
• Brian Eno – synthesizers, keyboards, guitar treatments
• Robert Fripp – lead guitar
• Tony Visconti – background vocals
• Antonia Maass – background vocals

David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Japanese 13-stringed koto The koto (箏 or 琴) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from Chinese zithers. ... Carlos Alomar is a guitarist who has played with David Bowie more than anyone else including the Serious Moonlight album and tour which featured Stevie Ray Vaughan as special guest for his Dallas, Texas show. ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... Dennis Davis is a studio musician who worked closely with David Bowie as a part of his regular ensemble, on a number of Bowies albums released in the 70s. ... “Percussion” redirects here. ... George Murray is a studio bass guitarist who worked closely with David Bowie as a part of his regular ensemble, on a number of Bowies albums released in the 1970s. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... Brian Eno (pronounced ) (born Brian Peter George St. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England) is a guitarist, record producer and a composer, perhaps best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of King Crimson. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... For other uses, see Tony Visconti (disambiguation). ...

Charts

Album

Single It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ...

Notes