Sound and Vision

Infobox Single
Name = Sound and Vision


Caption =
Artist = David Bowie
from Album = Low
A-side =
B-side = ”A New Career in a New Town”
Released = 11 February 1977
Format = 7" single
Recorded = Château d'Hérouville Studios, Pontoise, France, September 1976
Genre = Rock/Electronic
Length = 3:00
Label = RCA
PB 0905
Writer =
Producer = David Bowie, Tony Visconti
Certification =
Chart position = * #3 (UK)
* #69 (US)
Last single = "Stay"
1976
This single = "Sound and Vision"
1977
Next single = "Be My Wife"
1977
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Low
Type = studio
prev_track = "What in the World"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Sound and Vision"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Always Crashing in the Same Car"
next_no = 5

"Sound and Vision" is a song and single by David Bowie.

The song is notable for juxtaposing an uplifting, triumphant country guitar and synthesizer-led instrumental track with Bowie’s withdrawn lyrics. These were drawn from the cocaine-fueled paranoia the singer had lived in while residing in Los Angeles.

In keeping with the minimalist approach of "Low", Visconti and Bowie originally recorded the track as an instrumental, bar the backing vocal (performed by Visconti’s wife, Mary Hopkin). Bowie then recorded his vocal after the rest of the band had left the studio, before trimming verses off the lyric, and leaving a relatively lengthy instrumental intro on the finished song.

Selected as a first single from the album, “Sound and Vision” was used by the BBC on trailers at the time. This provided considerable exposure, much needed as Bowie opted to do nothing to promote the single himself, and helped the song to #3. In the US, “Sound and Vision” was less of a hit. At the time in America, the general record-buying public saw Bowie as a disco artist, with the song too much of a departure from his recent singles, and “Sound and Vision” stalled at #69.

The track was initially performed live only once, at Bowie’s concert at Earl’s Court on July 1, 1978. However, in 1990, for Bowie’s Sound + Vision Tour, it was a regular number – as well as obviously giving name to Bowie’s greatest hits tour. The name had also been used for Rykodisc boxed set anthology in 1989.

In 1991 808 State released an EP of remixes of “Sound and Vision” in America, credited to David Bowie vs. 808 State.

Track listing

# "Sound and Vision" (Bowie) – 3:00
# "A New Career in a New Town" (Bowie) – 2:50

Production credits

* Producers:
** David Bowie and Tony Visconti

* Musicians:
** David Bowie: Vocals, Saxophone, Synthesizer
** Carlos Alomar: Guitar
** Ricky Gardiner: Guitar
** George Murray: Bass
** Dennis Davis: Percussion
** Brian Eno: Synthesizer, Backing Vocals
** Mary Visconti: Backing vocals
** Roy Young: Piano

808 State remix release

# "Sound + Vision (808 Gift mix)" - 3:58
# "Sound + Vision (808 'lectric Blue remix instrumental)" - 4:08
# "Sound + Vision (David Richards remix 1991)" - 4:40
# "Sound + Vision (Original version)" - 3:03

Live versions

* A live version, recorded at Earl’s Court, London on July 1 1978, was released on "RarestOneBowie".

Other releases

* It appeared on the following compilations:
** "Best of Bowie" (1980)
** "ChangesTwoBowie" (1981)
** "Sound and Vision" box set (1989)
** "" (1993)
** "The Singles Collection" (1993)
** "The Best of 1974/1979" (1998)
* It was released as a picture discs in the RCA "Life Time" picture disc set and the "Fashions Picture Disc Set".
* A remixed version was released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc rerelease of "Low" in 1991. This is the same remix as "David Richards remix 1991" on the David Bowie vs. 808 State single release.

Cover versions

* Bad Soup - "Ashes to Ashes: A Tribute to David Bowie"
* Look of Love - "Love Bubble" (1993)
* The Good, the Bad and the Bassline - Single
* Quasi - "Crash Course for the Ravers - A Tribute to the Songs of David Bowie" (1996)
* The Sea and Cake - "One Bedroom" (2003)
* Red Hot Chili Peppers - Numerous Live Concerts (including Live At Madison Square Garden)
* Press - ".2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie" (2006)
* Franz Ferdinand (backing vocals by Girls Aloud) - "Radio 1. Established 1967" (2007)
* Matthew Dear on "Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered."

References

Pegg, Nicholas, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5