Wall’swatchtowers. EastGermanborderguards
hadnochoicebut topreview the latest capitalist
rockbefore ithit general release.
Schmiedhas interviewed several hundred
people forhisBowie tours, andanecdotes
come thickand fast aswehead intoOsteria
CarusounderneathHansaStudios,where
Bowieanddozensof other rock starsate, drank
andpartied. “Whenhe stopped ina record
shop tobuyKraftwerkorTangerineDream,”
saysSchmied, “WestBerlinerswoulddive in
demanding topurchase the same.”
And,while the singerwasundoubtably
havingan impact on thecity, itwas rubbing
offonhim too, not least in theway the synth-
harddrugsandmilk. Bowie laterdescribed
it asoneof “theworstperiodsof life, lotsof
emotional and spiritual trouble…so Idecided
to split”. So that summerhe joined legendary
rockproducersBrianEnoandTonyVisconti to
recordwhatwouldbecomehis seminal Berlin
Trilogyof albumsand simply stayedon.Thathe
chose to reside inacitymoreconcernedwith
tensof thousandsof occupying troops thana
visiting rock star is telling.
With theanniversaryof theWall’s fall being
celebrated in thecity rightnow, I’mhere tofind
out a littlemoreabout the influenceBerlinhad
onBowieandwhat impacthismusichadon
this city in its lastdivideddays.
Fewpeopleknowmoreabouthis time
here thanThiloSchmied.ABowieaficionado,
Schmiedhasbeen running tours
(musictours-
berlin.com)
that follow in the tracksof the
rock star fornineyears, andwe’recurrentlyon
one,walking ’round the famedHansaStudios.
Rock legends fromDepecheMode to theManic
StreetPreachers–and fromBoneyM toDavid
Hasselhoff– recordedhitshere, andyoucan still
picturehow theno-man’s land surrounding the
studio, just 150m from theEast/West frontier,
suited themusician’spensivemood. Bowie
couldcomposehismusical thoughts inpeaceas
hewanderedalongside theWall.
Thealbums
Low
and
Heroes
were recorded
inHansa’sglitzymain recording room.
Remixingwasdone in theadjoiningStudio2.
Here, the sounddesksandampsoverlooked the
CLOCKWISEFROMABOVE
thepianoBowieplayed
inHansa’sStudio2; the
HansaStudios;
CheckpointCharlie,
1976; theWall andTV
Tower fromWestBerlin
1977; Bowieat theHansa
StudioswithKing
CrimsonguitaristRobert
Frippandproducer/
songwriterBrianEno
during the recordingof
thealbum
Heroes
in 1977
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