DESCRIPTION:
David Bowie - Subterraneans - Excerpt - 1977

Subterraneans is the concluding track from David Bowie's 1977 album "Low". The album is a masterpiece, and Subterraneans is an deeply moving piece of music suggesting grief, separation, loneliness and longing.

The footage used here is from Nic Roeg's 1976 movie, The Man Who Fell To Earth, starring David Bowie and Candy Clarke.

Most of "Low" was recorded in France, in the latter part of 1976, with Tony Visconti, Brian Eno, and The D.A.M. Trio, and others. However, Subterraneans hails from an earlier time. It was recorded, for the most part in December 1975, in L.A., intended as part of the soundtrack of The Man Who Fell To Earth. The track was finished, a year later during the "Low" sessions, with overdubs by Brian Eno. I assume that the vocal is from the '75 sessions, as I haven't read anything to the contrary.

From Wiki:

After the Station to Station sessions ended in November 1975 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, David Bowie recorded "Subterraneans" within those studios in December 1975. The song later received overdubs by Brian Eno.

The sleeve notes of Low credit "Peter and Paul with additional ARP synthesizer and piano." The "Peter and Paul" mentioned are Peter Robinson, who played Fender Rhodes, and Paul Buckmaster (the composer of the string arrangements for the Rolling Stones' "Moonlight Mile (song)") who played the ARP Odyssey. Peter Robinson and Paul Buckmaster worked with Bowie at Cherokee Studios in late 1975 on the aborted movie soundtrack to the Man Who Fell to Earth.

"Subterraneans" was ultimately the most heavily edited song on Low, with David Bowie's saxophone, as well as multilayered synthesizers and reversed instrument sounds from Brian Eno, floating underneath a moaned vocal which is wordless until around the final ninety seconds. The soundscapes contain a cinematic quality which evokes the feel of Miles Davis' landmark album In a Silent Way.

I first saw The Man Who Fell To Earth at the cinema, when I was about 14 years old. Vanessa, my Bowie girlfriend and I somehow managed to convince the person in the box office to allow us entry, tho' it was an "X" rated film. I think it's fair to say that seeing it blew our young minds.

I'm grateful to Mr. Bob Wilson, who sent me a beautiful message last year, and by pure Bowie serendipity, was suggesting a Subteraneans video made with The Man Who Fell To Earth footage, when just a couple of days prior, I had already begun the very thing. Bob told me that in his student film-making days in the early 80's, he gave himself the project of making a Subteraneans video, with The Man Who Fell To Earth footage, on old VHS machines. Bob finished his video, and he said he was very satisfied with it. So he and I discussed the project to and fro, and I got some good ideas from him. Unfortunately, thirty years later, Bob cannot find the tape of his Subteraneans video. Tho' of course I never actually saw Bob's Subteraneans, I feel like I'm kinda recreating his project.

Hope you dig it!

Do me an' yerself a favor - watch it in the Highest Def available with the sound UP LOUD!

If anyone has any other footage, or ideas for another video project, of material from Bowie's classic period, do please get in touch: nachomarcho@gmail.com

Putting this video together was another huge labour of love, made with love and with respect for the source.

I don't own the rights, and I'm not making any money out of this etc. Just a fan making videos for other fans.

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