V-2 Schneider
"V-2 Schneider" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by David Bowie | ||||
from the album "Heroes" | ||||
A-side | "'Heroes'" | |||
Released | 23 September 1977 (1977-09-23) | |||
Recorded | July–August 1977 | |||
Studio | Hansa Studio by the Wall (West Berlin) | |||
Genre |
| |||
Length | 3:10 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Bowie | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
|
"V-2 Schneider" is a largely instrumental song written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album "Heroes", and released as the B-side of "'Heroes'". The song was not played on the subsequent Isolar II Tour and its first live rendition occurred in 1997, 20 years after it was recorded.[1] Mojo magazine listed it as Bowie's 95th best track in 2015.[2]
Background
It was a tribute to Florian Schneider,[3] co-founder of the band Kraftwerk, whom Bowie acknowledged as a significant influence at the time.[4] The title also referenced the V-2 rocket, the first ballistic missile, which had been developed for the German Army during World War II, and whose design (and engineers) played a key role in the American space program.[5]
The only words sung are those in the title, initially distorted by phasing.[1] Musically, the track is unusual for the off-beat saxophone work by Bowie, who kicked off his part on the wrong note,[6] but continued regardless.[7]
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, under the name Tao Jones Index.[8] This version also appeared on the bonus disc for the Digibook Expanded Edition of Earthling.
Other releases
- It appeared on the compilation Chameleon (Australia and New Zealand 1979).
- It was featured in the film Christiane F. and its soundtrack.
- It was released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set.
- It was included on the Bowie instrumental album All Saints.
Cover versions
- Philip Glass – "Heroes" Symphony (1996)
- Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps – 2000 repertoire
- Shearwater – as part of a live performance of the entire Berlin Trilogy for WNYC (2018)[9]
References
- ^ a b Nicholas Pegg (2000). Op Cit: p.228
- ^ "David Bowie – The 100 Greatest Songs". Mojo. No. 255. February 2015. p. 54.
- ^ Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p.92
- ^ Nicholas Pegg (2000). The Complete David Bowie: p.302
- ^ O'Leary 2019, chap. 2 sfnm error: no target: CITEREFO'Leary2019 (help); Doggett 2012, p. 336 sfnm error: no target: CITEREFDoggett2012 (help).
- ^ Buckley 2005, p. 280. sfn error: no target: CITEREFBuckley2005 (help)
- ^ David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story: p.324
- ^ "Pallas Athena" at Teenage Wildlife. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ Dorris, Jesse (23 October 2018). "A Surprising Tribute to David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, Played in a Manhattan Mall". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- v
- t
- e
- "Liza Jane"
- "I Pity the Fool"
- "You've Got a Habit of Leaving"
- "Baby Loves That Way"
- "Can't Help Thinking About Me"
- "Do Anything You Say"
- "I Dig Everything"
- "Rubber Band"
- "The London Boys"
- "The Laughing Gnome"
- "Love You till Tuesday"
- "Space Oddity"
- "The Prettiest Star"
- "Memory of a Free Festival"
- "Holy Holy"
- "Moonage Daydream"
- "Hang On to Yourself"
- "Changes"
- "Starman"
- "John, I'm Only Dancing"
- "The Jean Genie"
- "Drive-In Saturday"
- "Time"
- "Life on Mars"
- "Let's Spend the Night Together"
- "Sorrow"
- "Rebel Rebel"
- "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"
- "Diamond Dogs"
- "1984"
- "Knock on Wood"
- "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"
- "Young Americans"
- "Fame"
- "Golden Years"
- "Station to Station" (French promo)
- "TVC 15"
- "Suffragette City"
- "Stay"
- "Sound and Vision"
- "Be My Wife"
- "'Heroes'"
- "Beauty and the Beast"
- "Breaking Glass"
- "Boys Keep Swinging"
- "D.J."
- "Yassassin"
- "Look Back in Anger"
- "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"
- "Alabama Song"
- "Crystal Japan"
- "Ashes to Ashes"
- "Fashion"
- "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)"
- "Up the Hill Backwards"
- "Under Pressure"
- "Wild Is the Wind"
- "The Drowned Girl"
- "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
- "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy"
- "Let's Dance"
- "China Girl"
- "Modern Love"
- "Without You"
- "White Light/White Heat"
- "Blue Jean"
- "Tonight"
- "This Is Not America"
- "Loving the Alien"
- "Dancing in the Street"
- "Absolute Beginners"
- "Underground"
- "When the Wind Blows"
- "Magic Dance"
- "Day-In Day-Out"
- "Time Will Crawl"
- "Never Let Me Down"
- "Under the God"
- "Heaven's in Here"
- "Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)"
- "Prisoner of Love"
- "Fame '90"
- "You Belong in Rock n' Roll"
- "Baby Universal"
- "One Shot"
- "Real Cool World"
- "Jump They Say"
- "Black Tie White Noise"
- "Miracle Goodnight"
- "The Buddha of Suburbia"
- "Ziggy Stardust"
- "The Hearts Filthy Lesson"
- "Strangers When We Meet" / "The Man Who Sold the World (live)"
- "Hallo Spaceboy"
- "Telling Lies"
- "Little Wonder"
- "Dead Man Walking"
- "Seven Years in Tibet"
- "Pallas Athena"
- "I'm Afraid of Americans"
- "I Can't Read"
- "Without You I'm Nothing"
- "Thursday's Child"
- "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell"
- "Survive"
- "Seven"
- "Slow Burn"
- "Everyone Says 'Hi'"
- "I've Been Waiting for You"
- "Shadow Man"
- "New Killer Star"
- "Just for One Day (Heroes)"
- "Rebel Never Gets Old"
- "Golden Years David Bowie vs KCRW"
- "Where Are We Now?"
- "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)"
- "The Next Day"
- "Valentine's Day"
- "Love Is Lost"
- "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore"
- "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)"
- "Blackstar"
- "Lazarus"
- "I Can't Give Everything Away"
- "Silly Boy Blue"
- "Let Me Sleep Beside You"
- "Karma Man"
- "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed"
- "Cygnet Committee"
- "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud"
- "The Width of a Circle"
- "All the Madmen"
- "Black Country Rock"
- "After All"
- "She Shook Me Cold"
- "The Man Who Sold the World"
- "The Supermen"
- "Oh! You Pretty Things"
- "Kooks"
- "Quicksand"
- "Andy Warhol"
- "Song for Bob Dylan"
- "Queen Bitch"
- "The Bewlay Brothers"
- "Bombers"
- "Five Years"
- "Soul Love"
- "Lady Stardust"
- "Velvet Goldmine"
- "Sweet Head"
- "Amsterdam"
- "Round and Round"
- "Watch That Man"
- "Aladdin Sane"
- "Panic in Detroit"
- "Cracked Actor"
- "Lady Grinning Soul"
- "All the Young Dudes"
- "Future Legend"
- "Sweet Thing"
- "Big Brother"
- "Can You Hear Me?"
- "Right"
- "Fascination"
- "Word on a Wing"
- "Speed of Life"
- "What in the World"
- "Always Crashing in the Same Car"
- "Warszawa"
- "Art Decade"
- "Weeping Wall"
- "Subterraneans"
- "Joe the Lion"
- "Sons of the Silent Age"
- "Blackout"
- "V-2 Schneider"
- "Sense of Doubt"
- "Neuköln"
- "Fantastic Voyage"
- "It's No Game"
- "Teenage Wildlife"
- "Scream Like a Baby"
- "As the World Falls Down"
- "Girls"
- "Nite Flights"
- "I'm Deranged"
- "Nature Boy"
- "Cactus"
- "Pablo Picasso"
- "The Loneliest Guy"
- "Try Some, Buy Some"
- "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon"
- "Bring Me the Disco King"
- "Girl Loves Me"
- "Dollar Days"