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"Heroes" (David Bowie song)

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""Heroes" (song)" redirects here. For other songs of the same name, see Heroes.

""Heroes""
Song
B-side"V-2 Schneider"

""Heroes""[3] is a song written by David Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977. Produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, it was released both as a single and as the title track of the album "Heroes". A product of Bowie's "Berlin" period, and not a huge hit in the UK or US at the time, the song has gone on to become one of Bowie's signature songs and is well known today for its appearance in numerous advertisements. It has been cited as Bowie's second most covered song after "Rebel Rebel".[4]

It was the lead track on Peter Gabriel's 2010 covers album, Scratch My Back. Among other notable covers, the Wallflowers recorded a version of the song for the soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla. This version peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1998, as well as number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, and number 23 on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream charts.[5] In the UK, the final sixteen acts from the seventh series of The X Factor released a cover version of the song on 21 November 2010 which topped the UK singles chart.

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.[6][7][8]

Inspiration and recording

The title of the song is a reference to the 1975 track "Hero" by the German band Neu!,[9] whom Bowie and Eno admired. It was one of the early tracks recorded during the album sessions, but remained an instrumental until towards the end of production.[4] The quotation marks in the title of the song, a deliberate affectation, were designed to impart an ironic quality on the otherwise highly romantic, even triumphant, words and music.[10][11][12][13] Producer Tony Visconti took credit for inspiring the image of the lovers kissing "by the wall", when he and backing vocalist Antonia Maass (Maaß) embraced in front of Bowie as he looked out of the Hansa Studio window.[14] Bowie's habit in the period following the song's release was to say that the protagonists were based on an anonymous young couple but Visconti, who was married to Mary Hopkin at the time, contends that Bowie was protecting him and his affair with Maass. Bowie confirmed this in 2003.[4]

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.[14] 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.[4] 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 sitting at different positions in the room to alter the pitch of the feedback (pitched feedback). Tony Visconti rigged up a system, a creative misuse of gating that may be termed "multi-latch gating",[15] of three microphones to capture the vocal, with one microphone nine inches from Bowie, one 20 feet away and one 50 feet away. Only the first was opened for the quieter vocals at the start of the song, with the first and second opening on the louder passages, and all three on the loudest parts, creating progressively more reverb and ambience the louder the vocals became.[16] Each microphone is muted as the next one is triggered. "Bowie's performance thus grows in intensity precisely as ever more ambience infuses his delivery until, by the final verse, he has to shout just to be heard....The more Bowie shouts just to be heard, in fact, the further back in the mix Visconti's multi-latch system pushes his vocal tracks, creating a stark metaphor for the situation of Bowie's doomed lovers".[17]

Release and aftermath

""Heroes"" was released in a variety of languages and lengths ("a collector's wet dream" in the words of NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray[10]). In contrast to the bewildering audio situation, the video (directed by Stanley Dorfman)[18] 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,[14] ""Heroes"" only reached number 24 in the UK charts, and failed to make the US Billboard Hot 100.

In Italy, the song was certified gold by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry.[19]

Writing for NME on its release, Charlie Gillett slated the record saying: "Well he had a pretty good run for our money, for a guy who was no singer. But I think his time has been and gone, and this just sounds weary. Then again, maybe the ponderous heavy riff will be absorbed on the radio, and the monotonous feel may just be hypnotic enough to drag people into buying it. I hope not."[20]

Later assessments were more favourable. 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"" number 46 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was included in 2008's The Pitchfork Media 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present. John J. Miller of National Review rated ""Heroes"" number 21 on a list of "the 50 greatest conservative rock songs"[21] due to its anti-Soviet political context, despite its status as a gay anthem.[22][23] Uncut placed ""Heroes"" as number 1 in its 30 greatest Bowie songs in 2008.[24]

Moby has said that ""Heroes"" is one of his favourite songs ever written, calling it "inevitable" that his music would be influenced by the song,[25] and Dave Gahan, lead singer for Depeche Mode, was hired into the band when band founder Vince Clarke heard him singing ""Heroes"" at a jam session.[26]

Bowie has regularly performed the song in concert since its release. Two years after its release, the song was used in Chris Petit's film Radio On. The song has become a mainstay of advertising in recent years, gracing efforts by Microsoft, Kodak, CGU Insurance, HBO Olé (HBO Latin America) and various sporting promoters throughout the world. It was also used as the intro to the video game NHL 99, released in 1998. ""Heroes"" also appears as downloadable content in the music video game series Rock Band in a three-song pack along with other Bowie songs "Moonage Daydream" and "Queen Bitch". The Australian television mockumentary We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year (title outside Australia: The Nominees) took its title from ""Heroes"". A cover of the single was used as ITV's theme song for its coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

The song was played during the party scene in the 2001 film Antitrust. In 2009, the song was played over the closing credits of both the documentary The Cove, and What Goes Up, and also featured in that film, important to the plot's message.

In May 2010, the song was played over the extended closing credits of the final episode of Ashes to Ashes, in keeping with the various David Bowie allusions throughout that series (and its predecessor Life on Mars).

In 2012 the track was played as athletes from Great Britain entered the Olympic Stadium during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, and after medal ceremonies during the Olympics.[27] It was also used as the Great Britain Paralympic team entered the stadium during the opening ceremony on 29 August 2012. The same year, it was featured in the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower.[28] First heard on a pick-up truck radio by the main characters, the song is important to both "flying through the tunnel" scenes and played over the closing credits.

In 2013, the song was featured in the Daniel Radcliffe horror fantasy film, Horns.

In 2014, the song was featured in the premiere trailer for the Brazilian film Praia do Futuro.[29] The song was also played in "You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee", an episode of The Simpsons as Lisa is trying to figure out how to make Homer into a hero for a speech contest at school.

In the days following Bowie's death in January 2016, the song was streamed on Spotify more than any other Bowie song.[30] The German Foreign Office also paid tribute to Bowie for "helping to bring down the wall."[31]

Track listing

7": RCA / PB 11121 (US)

  1. ""Heroes"" (David Bowie, Brian Eno) – 3:38
  2. "V-2 Schneider" (Bowie) – 3:10

7": RCA / 20629 (Australia)

  1. ""Heroes"" (English version) (single edit) – 3:29
  2. ""Héros"" (French version) – 3:31
  3. ""Helden"" (German version) – 3:32
  4. "V-2 Schneider" – 3:10

12": RCA / JD-11151 (US)

  1. ""Heroes"" (album version) – 6:07
  2. ""Heroes"" (single edit) – 3:29
  • US promo

12": RCA / PC-9821 (GER)

  1. ""Heroes""/""Helden"" (English/German version) – 6:09
  2. ""Heroes""/""Héros"" (English/French version) – 6:09
  • Super Sound Single 33 rpm restamped to 45 rpm "Disco-Remix"

Production credits

Live versions

  • Prior to the single release of ""Heroes"", Bowie first performed the song on the final episode of friend Marc Bolan's Granada Television series Marc (filmed 7 September 1977, broadcast 20 September 1977 – after Bolan's funeral). This particular version has an alternate backing track that was recorded with Bolan playing lead guitar and the T.Rex line up of Dino Dines on keyboards, and the rhythm section of Herbie Flowers on bass and Tony Newman on drums.[32] Coincidentally, prior to joining T.Rex, Flowers and Newman were a part of Bowie's rhythm section on the Diamond Dogs album and its tour, documented on the live album David Live.
  • Bowie performed the song when he appeared on Bing Crosby's 1977 Christmas TV special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. In the performance, filmed on 11 September 1977, Bowie sang over a prerecorded backing track.
  • A concert performance recorded in the spring of 1978 was released on the live album Stage.
  • Bowie performed the song live on his 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour, as seen in the 1984 concert video, Serious Moonlight.
  • The rendition at Live Aid in 1985 has been described as "the best version of ""Heroes"" [Bowie] had ever sung".[33] This performance featured Thomas Dolby on keyboards.
  • Bowie performed the song live on his 1987 Glass Spider Tour, as seen in the 1988 concert video, Glass Spider.
  • The song was performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 by Bowie, Mick Ronson and John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian May – the surviving members of Queen.
  • An acoustic version of the song was played in 1996 at The Bridge School Benefit Concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, and later released on The Bridge School Benefit Concert album.
  • The song was performed by Bowie at The Concert for New York City on 20 October 2001.
  • Bowie performed the song live during his 2003 Reality Tour, and a performance from November of that year was released on the A Reality Tour DVD in 2004, and included on the A Reality Tour album, released in 2010.

Other releases

The X Factor 2010 finalists version

""Heroes""
Song

The final sixteen acts from the seventh series of The X Factor, including Matt Cardle, Rebecca Ferguson, Cher Lloyd and One Direction, released a cover version of the song on 21 November 2010 in aid of Help for Heroes.[34] All sixteen of the acts returned to The X Factor to perform the single live. The title of this version omitted the quotation marks.

Background

The finalists premiered the song live on 21 November 2010 on The X Factor; the single was available for digital download that day and a physical release followed the day after. The release of the song follows a similar occurrence in the previous two years. The series 5 finalists released a cover version of Mariah Carey's "Hero" in aid of Help for Heroes, and the series 6 finalists covered Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone".[35]

The song, said to have been recorded in the week beginning 18 October 2010, was released as a charity single in aid of Help for Heroes, a charity which supports injured servicemen and women.[36] The video for the single was filmed on 2 November 2010[37] at Three Mills Studios.[38] All sixteen finalists performed the song on 20 November's results show. It is the third year in a row that finalists have released a charity record.

Chart performance

The single shot to number one on the Irish Singles Chart on 25 November 2010, and charted at number one on the UK Singles Chart three days later. It was the third consecutive year in which The X Factor finalists' charity single had topped UK and Irish single charts.[39][40]

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[41] 1
Scotland (OCC)[42] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[43] 1

Chart succession

Preceded by UK Singles Chart number-one single
28 November 2010 – 12 December 2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Irish Singles Chart number-one single
26 November 2010 – 17 December 2010 		Succeeded by

Cover versions

  • In 1982, Spanish afterpunk band Parálisis permanente released it in Spanish in their album "el acto".
  • On 2 April 2014 Janelle Monáe released a cover of the song as part of a Pepsi global campaign "Now Is What You Make It".[44] It was sent to US hot adult contemporary radio on 2 June 2014.[45]
  • In 2012, Spanish band Amaral included the song in a performance of their song "Revolución" on tour promoting their album Hacia Lo Salvaje.[46]
  • Melanie Amaro and Josh Krajcik performed the song on stage together as a duet on the first season finale of The X Factor USA.
  • German singer Nena released a cover of the German version on her album Cover Me (2007).
  • Finnish cello rock band Apocalyptica recorded and released the German version of the song, "'Helden'", on their 2007 album Worlds Collide, with Till Lindemann of Rammstein on vocals.
  • ITV used a version recorded by Kasabian during the opening sequence of their 2006 FIFA World Cup coverage, the song was made available to download for free off the ITV Sport website.
  • American new wave band Blondie performed the song frequently in 1980,[47] and then played it again in 2010.[48] On 12 January 1980, it was recorded and then released officially as a single in Germany,[49] as well as a bonus track on the 2001 remaster of Eat To The Beat as well as the Blonde and Beyond compilation album.
  • TV On The Radio covered the song on the 2009 charity album War Child Presents Heroes. In keeping with the concept of the album, Bowie himself chose ""Heroes"", and chose TVOTR to cover the song. This version was used in the trailer for the fifth season of Game of Thrones.
  • A cover performed by Marc Bonilla and Font 48 was included in the final scene of the movie The Replacements (2000), starred by Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman.
  • In 2012, the song was used by Coca-Cola in Latin America for an advertising campaign called Héroes (in English: Heroes), featuring children and adults costumed as DC Comics superheroes, including Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Batgirl and Supergirl.
  • The Wallflowers recorded the version included in Roland Emmerich's Godzilla (1998).
  • The Peter Gabriel version is played at the end of the 2013 movie Lone Survivor as pictures of the fallen soldiers from that real-life mission are shown on the screen.
  • Lyrics from the song are used in the 2014 single "Heroes (We Could Be)" by Swedish DJ/producer Alesso and Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo.
  • The Flaming Lips have covered the song in concert occasionally.
  • Lyrics and melody from "Heroes" were used in the medley Elephant Love Medley in the movie Moulin Rouge!. This was a duet between Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman as they profess their love for one another through the lyrics of many popular love songs. (2001).
  • King Crimson played the song during 2000 and 2001 tours. Live version was released on Heavy ConstruKction (2000).
  • German band Letzte Instanz released a cover of the German version of the song on their acoustic album Das Weisse Lied. (2007)
  • Gregorian released a cover of the song on their album Masters of Chant Chapter V (2006)
  • German band City released a cover of the German version of the song on their collaborative album with two other bands Rock Legenden. (2014)
  • Adoro covered the German version of the song on their album Glück. (2010)

Notes

  1. ^ "David Bowie - Heroes". Discogs. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  2. ^ Buskin, Richard (October 2004). "Classic Tracks: Heroes". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 17 September 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ The scare quotes are part of the title.
  4. ^ a b c d Nicholas Pegg (2000). The Complete David Bowie: pp.90-92
  5. ^ Alternative Songs. Billboard.com. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  6. ^ Ford, Matt (11 January 2016). "Remembering David Bowie". The Atlantic. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  7. ^ Fisher, Max (11 January 2016). "David Bowie at the Berlin Wall: the incredible story of a concert and its role in history". Vox. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  8. ^ "The Berlin Wall – A multimedia history: David Bowie plays Berlin". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  9. ^ Mat Snow (2007). "Making Heroes", MOJO 60 Years of Bowie: p.69
  10. ^ a b Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: pp.90-92
  11. ^ Robert Matthew-Walker David Bowie, theatre of music 1985 p46 "The use of quotation marks possibly implies that the "Heroes" are not to be taken too seriously."
  12. ^ Chris Welch David Bowie: changes, 1970-1980 1999 p116 "The use of quotation marks around the title meant that Bowie felt there was something ironic about being a rock 'n' roll hero to his fans, while he kept his own emotional life as far distant and remote and private as possible."
  13. ^ NME interview in 1977 with Charles Shaar Murray. Retrieved from Bowie: Golden Years 20 February 2007.
  14. ^ a b c David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story: pp.323-326
  15. ^ Hodgson, Jay (2010). Understanding, p.88. ISBN 978-1-4411-5607-5.
  16. ^ Richard Buskin (October 2004). "Classic Tracks: Heroes", Sound on Sound. Retrieved 20 February 2007.
  17. ^ Hodgson (2010), p.89.
  18. ^ Gallo, Phil (12 November 2008). "Bowie Videos Play MoMA". Variety.com: The Set List. Reed Elsevier. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  19. ^ "Certificazione Singoli Digitali dalla settimana 1 del 2009 alla settimana 2 del 2014" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  20. ^ Gillett, Charlie (15 October 1977). "Singles reviews". NME: 12–13.
  21. ^ John J. Miller (26 May 2006). "Rockin' the Right", National Review Online. Retrieved 20 February 2007.
  22. ^ Eves, Natasha (December 2015). "I'm Not Perfect: the role of Grace Jones and David Bowie in aiding the dissemination of queer subjectivities" (PDF). Ephemeral Magazine. Goldsmiths, University of London. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  23. ^ McDonald, Patrick Range (16 June 2008). "Queer Town: The Gay Wedding in Beverly Hills". LA Weekly. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  24. ^ "David Bowie's 30 best songs". Uncut. March 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  25. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (31 May 2002), "Loving the Aliens", Entertainment Weekly, no. 656, pp. 26–34
  26. ^ Shaw, William (April 1993), "In The Mode", Details magazine: 90–95, 168
  27. ^ Sarah Lyall (27 July 2012). "A Five-Ring Opening Circus, Weirdly and Unabashedly British". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  28. ^ "Various – The Perks Of Being A Wallflower: Tracklist". Discogs. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  29. ^ "Berlin Film Review: 'Praia do Futuro'". Variety. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  30. ^ Quoctrung Bui, Josh Katz, Jasmine C. Lee (12 January 2016). "The David Bowie Song That Fans Are Listening to Most: 'Heroes'". The New York Times. The New York Times Company.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ GermanForeignOffice @GermanyDiplo (11 January 2016). "GermanForeignOffice on Twitter". German Foreign Office. Twitter. Good-bye, David Bowie. You are now among #Heroes. Thank you for helping to bring down the #wall. youtu.be/YYjBQKIOb-w #RIPDavidBowie
  32. ^ Campbell, Irving (2007). A Guide to the Outtakes of Marc Bolan (1 ed.). Wellington, New Zealand: Great Horse. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-473-12076-4.
  33. ^ David Buckley (1999). Op Cit: p.424
  34. ^ BBC Newsbeat
  35. ^ Routledge, Rebecca (25 October 2009). "'X Factor' stars record charity single". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  36. ^ "X Factor: finalists cover David Bowie for charity". Newsbeat. BBC. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  37. ^ Nissim, Mayer (3 November 2010). "Katie 'could be asked to leave X Factor'". Digital Spy. London. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  38. ^ "The making of 'Heroes'" (video). The X Factor. itv.com. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  39. ^ "Top 50 singles, week ending 25 November 2010". Chart-Track. GFK. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  40. ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles archive – 4th December 2010". The Official Charts Company. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  41. ^ "Chart Track: Week 47, 2010". Irish Singles Chart.
  42. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  43. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  44. ^ Janelle Monae Covers 'Heroes' In Pepsi's Global Futbol Campaign, Talks Her Love For David Bowie | Billboard
  45. ^ "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014.
  46. ^ Amaral – Revolución+Héroes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM8Rnz2mrvY
  47. ^ THE DEBORAH HARRY & BLONDIE SETLIST DATABASE – 12 January 1980
  48. ^ "Blondie Concert Setlist at House of Blues, Boston on September 12, 2010". setlist.fm. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  49. ^ Deborah-Harry [Dot] Com | Collections | Heroes [Single]

References

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