Last night (October 8), Florence Welch, of the band Florence + The Machine, hosted a one hour documentary exploring the fascinating tale behind David Bowie’s iconic LP, ‘Heroes’.
The programme marks the 40th anniversary of the ten track record, which is generally considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time.
Welch uses archive material from Bowie himself, alongside interviews with the record’s producer Tony Visconti and Iggy Pop, to explore the making of the record, part of the ‘Berlin trio’, written when the musician lived in the city.
Speaking of his drug addiction prior to the move, Bowie says in one of the archive interviews, “it just became too much, and I came close, several times, to overdosing. It was like being in a car, where the steering had got out of control and you’re going towards the edge of the cliff, and whatever you did with the wheel, it was inevitable that you are going to go over the edge… I just had to get out of that situation, so I ended up in Berlin.”
The documentary explores the influence of the city, Bowie’s personal life, and the German techno soundscape of the period on ‘Heroes’.
Listen to the documentary on iPlayer catchup for the next 29 days.