Breaking down David Bowie's 'Heroes' - Tony Visconti & Erin Tonkon
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- This film is an extended version of BBC Four programme Music Moguls: Masters of Pop (Episode 2: Melody Makers).
www.bbc.co.uk/...
www.bbc.co.uk/...
Check out also Tony Visconti co-producing Bowie's Warszawa, doing a lot of co-production (probably more than people think): • David Bowie, Brian Eno...
![Tracing My Dad • Vol. 10 • Tony Visconti discusses Dennis Davis and David Bowie • Part 3 [ 77/78 ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DqqhA4v7SUg/mqdefault.jpg)
![Tracing My Dad • Vol. 10 • Tony Visconti discusses Dennis Davis and David Bowie • Part 3 [ 77/78 ]](/img/tr.png)
Nice job Erin.
Erin Tonkon?
I feel sad for Erin. He points. She stops.
@@samxday Don't feel 'sad' ... that's what assistants do!! Any assistant in a studio!
@@samxday Sometimes she waits a little bit
@@samxday a simpleton comment, effortless
Erin is the unsung hero of this video.
I came here to write this
Unless the song is about her. Which it most likely is.
Erin!
@@jfkesq and she is purdy too.
Erin was a hero. Just for one day.
That man needs to get himself a play button on his console.
He’s got one. It’s called Erin.
More Erin!
More than his job's worth
and put a piece of gaffa tape under it with ERIN written on it
It’s space bar per default weather you are using Pro Tools or Logic ... virtually the largest key on the board ... should be manageable.
I’m 55. I’ve heard a lot of music. Rock, classical, country, soul, funk. Nothing tops this. All time favorite song. The time these men spent on this song are some of the greatest hours spent by anyone on this earth.
Well said, I completely agree. 👍
You look 68
@@joeldavidssonparodies670 what'd ya say big nose?
What the first guy said. Am also 55.
@@rogerpattube But he looks 20 years older than you
For me, Heroes is the ultimate triumph in popular music. It cripples me every time
It's a soaring tune alright.
It's hugely significant bc usually when artists of any genre have their weird, experimental phase, what is produced is nowhere near two albums considered near perfect and one of the greatest songs of all time.
I bought it when I was 14 later I was in Iggy Pop , Blondie , Techno
and so on , but there is something dominant
in his record , in his voice .....but maybee
Bang Bang is better
than Heroes ? I don't
know !
EVERY time...
Touche
Fripp Eno and Bowie are all absolute legends. To have them collaborating like this is remarkable.
Imagine being a fly on the wall for those sessions. Holy shit
@@ncapone87 There is nothing more to life than an experience like that. End of.
My favorite three Bowie albums are the trilogy they did.
And Visconti too, tbh
the song without them is average - as subsequent live versions prove
You can see the joy and happiness at the 9:50 mark when all of the backing tracks are played together. You can see the satisfaction on his face. You can kind of see him transported back 40+ years to the first time he heard that sound. It is like he is visiting an old friend that he had not seen (heard) in years. The innocence of hearing something for the first time is something I miss....
He was just thinking of the money.
Music is the ultimate form of transportation, and he just got transported back in time. Lovely moment.
@danhuff8446 Such things may yet occur.
The ways we have -- I mean all of us, producers and musicians and other pros, but also enthusiastic listeners and tech nerds and just all kinds of everybody -- if we want to play, record, or transfer digital audio, it's now much, much easier than even a few years ago. I have to believe there are still things, especially as to music, by which we'll be happily surprised. Not, I mean, because they're novel, but because they're old and previously-familiar, and not lost after all.
I never realised there was so much in this song...
But you wondered...how?
Don't you wonder sometimes...
I could always make out some simple synthesizers, sure. But Fripp's wild guitars, the gated echo, the mellotron, the clanking tape reel, the sneaked kiss by the wall?! Soooooo much!!
@@provocaseoh no...not me
Tony I sent you a demo tape back in 89 any news ?
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have some bad news...
@@Gynecologist lol.
Hang in there!!
Should be any day now.
9:52 when he smiles at the genius of the complete overlay, a man who knows he caught lightning in a bottle.
I like how they're both so into the tune that they started bopping their heads to the beat in the few seconds after that. Erin starts first, then Tony does the same but without noticing her doing it.
Erin you're a star.
Erin Tonkon.
Tony Visconti did a lot of co-production, probably more than people think.
Well, Visconti was, in fact, in the co-producer of the album (w/Bowie).
If Visconti got the respect he deserves, the song would have more cowbell
And he kissed, as though nothing could fall.
I was gong to say that! Gotta ziggy?
Visconti's, absolute legend, when I was younger always read the info on my favourite artists, bolan, Bowie,lizzy etc I soon realised one big denominator the name of Mr visconti's kept appearing I then began to appreciate the big impact the producers had in any recording. Mr visconti's the man, thank you sir!!👏👏👏👏
You can really hear the influence of Neu, Roedelius, Möebius and all the other German pioneers.
Eno is mostly an instinctual musician, and IMO his briefcase synth contribution is the real glue that makes this song work and sound unique right from the very beginning,,,, the mic gates with DB's singing then sends it right over the top
That EMS aks sythi briefcase just did it for this classic🎶🎹🎛️🎚️
Behringer will be making a cheap vcs3 clone and Erica made an expensive Synthi one
I've always thought this song was the ultimate "wall of sound". Now I know it is a very complex wall haha!
This album came out 44 years ago today. Still and forever a masterpiece.
Tony was immortalized for his bass playing on The man Who Sold The World!
The man plays some helluva bass!
I could listen to Eno’s Heroes synth drones on loop for hours
Same. I would pay for those tracks alone.
Time dilation
Oh yes! Great music to go to sleep to. and I mean that as a compliment.
I consider it a Brian Eno song with a David Bowie vocal.
Thank you, Erin.
Love how they clearly PLAYED in the studio. “Hey, let’s try this.”
Goddammit, Erin!
lmfao
Tough Job.
🤣
Kiiiiinda wondering if Erin played "The Gimp" in Pulp Fiction at this point...
I just spit my drink.
Wish with all my heart I could hear that entire Eno synth track in high fidelity. Same with the Fripp tracks. Sounds so good. What a song.
Yes lot going on with this tune.
For real. Gorgeous.
Honestly I wish recording studios would release these digital files with 8-16 track masters so we can hear each isolated instrument. Sort of like the quad days. I would pay a lot of money for some of my favorite songs.
Based on the sample of it that he played, I am guessing portions of that track went into Neukoln
These stories are just fuckin awesome.
I always found this song so magical, now I get why.... There's so much life in it.
Noise, chaos, industrial sounds, you'll hear it later in Skinny Puppy and NiN. :)
that look he gives at 9:51 says so much! love it
What a masterpiece. I will never listen to this song the same again.
We *could* be heroes, Erin *is*
That Brian Eno briefcase synth sound was extraordinary.
And Robert Fripp... My god.
Thanks for uploading this.
That could be ems synthi
@@TheMazo02 I am positive that it was indeed the EMS Synthi AKS. Brian used this extensively at this period in time
In 1979 I bought “David Live”. Somewhere in the credit notes it said “David Bowie - Chamberlain”.
I tried to find out then what this meant and couldn’t!
42 years later I find out. Thank you 🙏🏻
He played the Chamberlain on Stage album 1978 not David Live 1974.
Note that the instrument is spelled "Chamberlin" 😎👍 If you search for “David Bowie - Chamberlin” you'll get better results.
Culture Wikia: [14] Producer Tony Visconti took credit for inspiring the image of the lover's 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.[15] 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.[1]
ruclips.net/video/VudyGkGWDlc/видео.html
@Procommenter - Antonia Maaß? That's also *my* surname! 😀 How cool to hear about this! Thank you for sharing that info! 😀
@@danielborgogni6716 Thank you for including this link... makes sense out of the name of the song combined with the imagery of a couple having an affair.. they were heroes.. for awhile.. lovely
Yet ANOTHER tasty piece of trivia in the making of HEROES! Thank you!
One of my favorite songs, and to stumble upon this is very cool. Nice Job Erin....
Let the girl talk!!
holy heck,those isolated David vocals at 14.38 are haunting,like i felt voyeuristic ,like maybe i shouldn't be hearing this.wow....and his vocal quality on that one track....amazing. truly amazing.Thanks for this Tony
"and off in the corner, Eno was playing with his... um.... well.."
No better description of him
"Knob"? Is that what we were all thinking? lol Just add "s" and it's accurate.
Probably with his silly gloves
He was probably playing an EMS VCS3 synthesizer as used with Roxy Music
@@cakodemone Probably the only synth I can think of that came in a suitcase at the time. Floyd used one on many songs also.
For crying out loud, Erin!
Just a second of appreciation for Erin
David's quite impatient in the studio ... ERIN
You can see his emotion talking about it, a few tears in the eyes.
It reminds me of George Martin when he is listening to John’ Lennon’s s isolated vocals on “A Day in the Life”, he really looks so moved hearing John again. It gets me teary eyed thinking about it.
Lay on a couch and talk to somebody.
I hear this song today and still get goose bumps
I can almost see an SNL skit with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig playing these two. “ERIN PLEASE, cut it out. HIT IT! Christ Erin.”
She should be thankful.
Definitely but Fred Arminsen needs to play Visconti. He even looks like him!
i think erin is sophisticated enough to respect the room she is in and the master tape she’s playing
This is absolutely beyond epic.
Wow how interesting so many different instruments used.
I’ve always knew this song was complex but not to that extent. It was also nice to really hear David’s voice minus the instrumentals how strong it is. IMHO he had the best full range, and instantly recognizable voice in the industry so I love to hear him ‘unplugged’ in a sense.
Thx so much for this I thoroughly enjoyed!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌👐
Great way to put it. I don’t know if that’s a known term, but full range is a great term.
I think another thing really amazing about his artistry as a singer is that he could alter his timbre to imply a higher tone while he was singing in a lower, underlyingly low register.
He was also insanely good at modulating the intensity of breath. The greatest example I know of this is the “Oh You Pretty Things” performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test. He starts with this less breathily voiced timbre when he sings the solo parts, and when the band kicks in, he amps the volume and fullness in a way that’s just…
I dunno, it’s just the height of artistry to me.
I feel like sampling all the Erin lines and setting them to music.
Probably my favorite song ever written.
"That's how we did it!" I love the fact that David is basically screaming all the loud parts, mostly out of tune sometimes reaching the right note sometimes not. On the record it sounds great because of the performance. If he'd done ten takes or 20 these days to comp it that would have destroyed the performance. I need to learn from this! If I get ONE missed note in a line I redo it from force of habit. I know I've lost great performances (for me) doing this and still not been happy with the result. I will swear after hearing this I will change my method.
Maybe it's the video compression, but the parts of Bowie screaming sounds like the mics were over-modulating and giving a harshness to the singing. I didn't like it. However, you're right, once it's in the full mix it's fine.
Fuck all that perfection!
(said the perfectionist 😅 ...)
If you're bothered by a bad note but don't wanna waste a good performance, I highly recommend using some pitch correction software (i.e. something like Melodyne, NOT autotune). That way you get to make small tweaks without losing the intensity/feel of a good performance. Of course you could also just leave them in, but I know the struggle of forcing oneself to do so!
@@lennardvaarten7791 YES Absolutely !!! Melodyne is AMAZING its algorythms are so pure you can adjust 1 note inside a Melody You can even convert a wav or aiff to midi and save it Lets ssys you wanna double your melody with strings like a Quartet or even Symphonic orchestra you can! & its not the Awful autorune that they put on every record they make
@@drakedebalmont5345 yeah it's great! I even use it on lead guitar parts.
Got goosebumps listening to all the layers of the song being built up. Ended up with tears in my eyes with the isolated track of Bowie singing. My absolute favourite Bowie song.
I love the way Mick Ronson played this on his Tele at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert (not long before his passing) RIP Mick
Just saw a documentary about Mick, never knew him and liked Bowie but he could have given Mick some money his last year.
In my view its the best live rendition of the song.
MICK RONSON will always be my favorite guitar player. I never knew that he was a classically trained musician and gifted arranger. He did a lot of uncredited work, like producing Walk on the Wild Side and convincing John Mellencamp to fish Jack and Diane out of the trash 🗑 can and Mick made it a hit. I loved watching the Freddie Mercury tribute. He used an Ebow on HEROES. I went out and bought one, now where did I put that thing!?
Those Fripp parts are so emotive. They get me every time I hear this tune.
One of the first who used an e-bow i believe.
Interesting...
High art.
@@pete5534 e bow is very cool indeed.
@@madisntit6547 You mean he did not use an e-bow? Well, the track(s) we hear here, were 100% played with an e-bow, i have an e-bow, it sounds like that. And the e-bow was invented in the 1st half of the 70s or mid 70s.....
@@madisntit6547 I actually don't know anything about Fripp, i was going to say, if it's not an e-bow, it probably is the measured feedback thing....i never tried it with a guitar, only with my kalimba on which i have a contact mic and then going through the amp and effects....when it works...it is pure magic, every tiny movement produces a different frequency and you can literally feel the entire room filling up with one standing freq after the next....it is amazing...but i only accomplished it on 2 concerts so far.....well, i have not tried it very often, but i know it is not something i can force, at least that is how it felt to me.
The thing about the built-in sustain, is that from back then or what he does now? As i said, i don't know much/nothing about him. But this Fender Sustainer must be amazing, i would love to try that, but i don't like Stratocasters....haven't looked into it enough to know if you can build it in other guitars too. Another thing i have my eyes on, or my ears for that matter, hehe, is the Gizmotron....but with that, you have to dedicate one guitar to it, because taking it off and back on all the time is probably not good for the longevity of the fragile thing. Do you know that thing? Not a lot of info about it around, they also lost a lot of distribution, so now the only place to get it pretty much is directly from them....and i am in Austria and they are in the States, and that makes the whole thing kind of unaffordable.
Anyway, thank you for the detailed replies and info!
Mr. Visconti is an iconic producer. His work has been enjoyed by millions, and influenced as many. This is (not so) simply an incredible recording! Bowie and friends created something marvelous!
Nothing else sounds like 'Heroes' - one of the best pop songs ever.
Well, at least a pop song. Nothing special or ambitious.
@@anonymusum you probably think ELP were ambitious and not pompous at all
@@romo2674 Ridiculous - you show nothing else than a Pavlov´s dog reflex. You hear ELP and you immediately think of pomp. OK - for non-musicians like you that may be understandable. Still, do somehing for your musical education instead of listening to some poor pop music.
@@anonymusum ''for non-musicians like you'' really made my day
@@romo2674 It could have made your month or year, that doesn´t change the fact that you have no clue about music, or let´s say about ambitious music.
Didn't think I could love this song anymore then I saw this.
Bowie was genius in maximizing the poential of a song especialy when working w Tony Visconti. Heroes is really a mopy ballad turned into a powerful rock anthem
Finally the best video on the whole of RUclips is back!:D
Vocals without auto tune, full of nuances, beautifully imperfect, the way music should be.
Tony's career is absolutely amazing...check out his CV minus Bowie and its staggeringly incredible...Trex Bolan,Stranglers,Boomtown Rats,Deram records,The Alarm etc
I'm glad you mentioned that, I was just thinking how amazing he is!
Mozza!
Les Rita Mitsouko's The No Compreendo...
it's like watching how magic happens
Yes, I have a home studio and produce my own music, so vids like this are of great interest to me.
EXACTLY!
That is exactly what happens when great songs are given birth :-) MAGIC
Erin is amazing in this. She knows what Tony wants instantaneously!
And she can often been seen bopping along to the track - absorbing and living it.
Lol. The men who created it are amazing.
Such a great sound engineer with a sense of simple artistry. The anecdotes and insight into this song are fantastic. The kiss by the wall story worth the price of admission! I always thought it was 3 genius artists who created this. To my surprise I've now discovered it was actually 4. Hats off to you Tony!
Not sound engineer --- producer. I've seen some very successful producers who couldn't read music, play an instrument or sing. Mr Visconti was a producer who did all of these things.
@@joelbrittain6379 "Producers" who can't even play an instrument shouldn't be called producers...
Tony is an amazing talent and a wonderful communicator
Why has this not got ten million likes?
This is a re-upload. There used to be a version of this on youtube that got removed
Incredible story of a track coming to life. Loved Bowie so much. Visconti, Eno, Fripp all brilliant. Got to meet Bowie twice briefly in the 80s in NYC, once when I played Hurrah, and again at a Rock Against Racism meeting. Probably even more meaningful was when I got to sing several Bowie songs with our cover band in Scarsdale, with the amazing Dennis Davis sitting in on drums! Sweet memories!
Wow, you're so lucky to have met Mr. Bowie, and working with Dennis Davis must have been an absolute treat! His drumming is so creative and original.
@@KlausBahnhof thank you! They were among my most exciting musical memories!
Wow
Wow! I'd love to know more about the performance with Dennis. When was it? And do you have any video / photo / audio?
@@NachoVideo don't I wish! It was Tramps Disco in Scarsdale, NY, ca. 1975-6. My band Harper was going over like a lead balloon, because by this time, we'd gone more rock cover than disco. Dennis had just come from Manhattan where he was recording with/for Bowie. Looking very dapper, he approached our road manager/soundmen and said "Tell the boys that David Bowie's drummer is here." Brian relayed that to us, and a bit skeptically, we invited him up. I was lead singer at that point, and our Bowie 'specialist.' As he adjusted Kenny's drum kit, I (stupidly) asked, "Do you know Young Americans?" to which he replied, "Uh-huh." "Well, you start it." To which he said, "I know." And he went right into that incredible drum intro. He was the kind of player, even to seasoned pro musicians, that you took a step back from and thought "Wow!" Just as tight as a machine, a consummate player! We would have then done Golden Years, Fame, and Suffragette City together, at least, and it was wonderful! I only wish we'd had time to chat. I've read that he was very funny too and we would have had a great time talking with him. Alas, it was one of those magic moments that I've been able to treasure.
I love Tony’s accent. I could hear him talk all day.
The knowledge behind a great track like this is what makes it inmortal. You can tell Erin can mix and knows what he's talking about in details like the synth "brass" 07:34 and the tambourine 09:00 to help the song not being too repetitive and keep it moving towards the end. Thank you
they both start banging their heads when “cowbell” and tambourine play together. bowie knows what he’s doing!
Well done Erin!
This is so freaking cool! People dont understand they were pioneers of sound, between the voice gates and the primitive electronics and tape loops they worked with! Like Apollo 13 ! Amazing! ohh.... I want an Erin !!
Thanks for this. I always thought Eno sang on the backing vocals but it was Mr. Visconti.
So thrilled to watch this. I recently found out Robert had stopped music for a while but then joined Peter Gabriel in a tour and then joined Bowie on this. When I heard this when it first came out, I knew right away it was Fripp. He has a unique sound and way of playing. So glad Robert is active at least at home with his wife. Cheers!!
I've heard several live versions of "Heroes", and I've always thought that while David sang the live versions admirably, the end product was never half as good as the studio version. Watching this, it's no wonder! David, Tony, Fripp, Eno, and the rest of the band combined in the studio to create something magical, that could not be repeated or bettered without, say, an entire orchestra behind them.
One generation's "cheesiness" is the next generation's nostalgia.
Amazing! After 40+ years this song still sends chills. I feel like I'm floating through the universe every time I listen to it.
Easily my favourite Bowie song (even though it seems strange to pick a favourite from his many many amazing pieces). Love hearing how this was built up. Thank you for sharing. I could listen to just that backing track for hours, and still not have enough. Genius.
What a rare and wonderful treat! - thank you !!
Im an aspiring producer and this is just inspiring. Genius.
The guitar is so obviously Frippy... Those are wonderful 3 or 4 Bowie albums. They had a wonderful clarity and depth. They'll always be a "set". This is a great upload. ...teaching the 21st century kids something about invention bucking convention. Bowie's humongous voice is for the ages. The backing vocals remind me of some Eno albums from around that time too. The gated mics are a brilliant effect. Regards.
One of the greatest songs ever. This is a song that can reduce me to tears and I don't know why........it just really hits me in my tracks
The temptation to have another go at mixing a legendary track like that must be very strong indeed.
Although I had mixed feelings about Bowie in the early-70s, I've come to treasure the song "Heroes" more and more as I get older. It is truly one of the finest pieces of music recorded during the great popular music era.
Now that i know what the kiss by the wall means, i can die in peace
Oh please, don't leave yet... 😲🙃 ( The place became famous afterwards ).
The story lives up to my imagination of the story.
🤣🤣🤣
When we perform this live the crowd loves it... it’s a great song, survives our level of musicianship because of our heart and the heart in the words, and melody, and the riffs in the bass and guitars, plus we have some cools synth patches we created
Thanks Erin
The sound of the song is astounding... I can't think of any songs that sound remotely like this... never tire of listening to it
it’s those heavy dissonant melodies mixed with that driving beat. it’s truly a masterpiece song. possibly the greatest sounding record of all time. goosebumps no matter how many times you hear it.
Love the song and production! All those little atmospheric touches glue the track together. I use that idea on some of my music using a droning atmosphere synth mixed low.
Brilliant insight into a brilliant song.
For sure.
Tony Visconti: (David Bowie) He's a good percussionist.
I think I remember seeing part of this clip, back in 2007 on danish television (DR2) where they had a David Bowie themed saturday night program, in honor of Bowie turning 60. I always wanted to rewatch it. So cool to stumble upon it again. Any Danish people here who remember this?
Genius! Something about the way he screeches on this and also on It’s No Game Pt 1.
the bass and drums on this track are so solid, absolutely brilliant track, such a fantastic vocal performance as well. bowie a true genius
That tape flange sounds better there than a cowbell would have.
Amazing to see and hear how a piece of our Life’s sound track was put together. 😎
How cool, when u realise what goes into a brilliant classic track like heroes it’s cathartic, still wouldn’t be anything without the late, great Mr David Bowie ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I will always listen to this song in a new way from now on...
Cool enthusiasm. Great explanation
Yes a like his passion for music, it really shines through.
Oh this is how he looks and sounds! What a producer!
much thanks to those gents. this song immediately sent me. at 17 it changed how I listened, felt
If a song can change how you feel, it has done it's job.
OMG what a treat to hear the break down of one my favorite songs ever. I always knew it was complex and primitive, I knew the cowbell wasn't one... thought it was a trash can lid... (full disclosure I am a Tubist among other things)... the rawness of the tricks fit very well with the brilliant film the track was for... aka "The Children of Bahnhof Zoo". ... look forward to seeing him again performing on the other side.
Fascinating. Bravo. Tremendous amount of passion in the song. Love it. And that’s how you make recording magic 🪄
I listen to this often. It is one of the most painterly songs I’ve ever heard. Pure sound poetry.
Apart from history videos, this one is probably one of the most interesting videos I ever watched on RUclips. I need to re-watch it later, there are many tricks to learn if you like to produce music.
absolutely love this sort of break down - !
That song is otherworldly in a beautiful way. Like an orchestra of the future.
This was truly wonderful to hear Tony Visconti so eloquently describe the process of making a magical song. Makes me laugh when he says, "I've been immortalised in a David Bowie song" like that lyrical mention was something he's really proud of - Yes, never mind his critical role on the production of so many fantastic songs that he seems to be massively almost forgetting.
What a great video!
Thank you for this incredible dissection of a masterpiece!