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"Sound and Vision" is a song by English musician
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. It was released in January 1977 by
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
on side one of his 11th studio album '' Low''. RCA later chose it as the first
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
from the album. Co-produced by Bowie and
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
, the song was recorded at the
Château d'Hérouville The Château d'Hérouville is a French 18th century château located in the village of Hérouville, in the Val d'Oise département of France, near Paris. The château was built in 1740 by "Gaudot", an architect of the school of Rome, from the re ...
in Hérouville, France, in September 1976, and completed at
Hansa Studios Hansa Tonstudio is a recording studio located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany. The studio, famous for its Meistersaal recording hall, is situated approximately 150 metres from the former Berlin Wall, giving rise to its former nickna ...
in
West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
in October and November. The song began as a simple
G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable compositi ...
chord progression that Bowie gave to the backing musicians, writing and recording his vocals afterward. It features backing vocals from
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
and Visconti's then-wife
Mary Hopkin Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti from her marriage to Tony Visconti, is a Welsh singer-songwriter best known for her 1968 UK number 1 single "Those Were the Days". She was one of the first artists ...
. Regarded by biographers as the closest to a "conventional pop song" on ''Low'', "Sound and Vision" is oddly structured. Beginning as an instrumental, elements are added throughout the song's runtime; Bowie's vocals do not appear for over a minute and a half. The song's lyrics are dark and introspective, reflecting Bowie's mental state after years of drug addiction, and provide a stark contrast to the music itself, which is more joyous and upbeat. Like other ''Low'' tracks, the song's drum sound was achieved through the use of Visconti's
Eventide H910 Harmonizer Eventide, Inc. (also known earlier as Eventide Clock Works Inc.) is an American audio, broadcast and communications company whose audio division manufactures digital audio processors, digital signal processor (DSP) software, and guitar effects. ...
. Released as a single on 11 February 1977, "Sound and Vision" was a commercial success, making number three on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, aided by its appearance in
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television commercials. It peaked at number 69 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, signalling Bowie's commercial downturn in the US until 1983. Music critics and biographers consider "Sound and Vision" one of Bowie's greatest songs. He performed it only once on his 1978 Isolar II world tour, but frequently on later tours.
Remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es of the song have been created in subsequent decades and it has appeared on several
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
s.


Writing and recording

Like its parent album '' Low'', "Sound and Vision" was co-produced by
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
, with contributions from multi-instrumentalist
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
. The backing tracks were recorded at the
Château d'Hérouville The Château d'Hérouville is a French 18th century château located in the village of Hérouville, in the Val d'Oise département of France, near Paris. The château was built in 1740 by "Gaudot", an architect of the school of Rome, from the re ...
in Hérouville, France, in September 1976, and Bowie's vocals and other
overdubs Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
were recorded at
Hansa Studios Hansa Tonstudio is a recording studio located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany. The studio, famous for its Meistersaal recording hall, is situated approximately 150 metres from the former Berlin Wall, giving rise to its former nickna ...
in
West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
in October and November. It was the first song Bowie wrote at the Château with Eno in mind. The recording process for the song, and the rest of the album, differed from Bowie's previous work. The backing tracks were recorded first, followed by overdubs, and the lyrics and vocals were written and recorded last. Used during the recording of
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
's ''
The Idiot ''The Idiot'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Идиот, Idiót) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–69. The title is an ...
'' earlier that year, Bowie heavily favoured this "three-phase" process, which he would use for the rest of his career. According to biographer Chris O'Leary, the song began as a simple descending-by-fifths G major progression that Bowie gave to the band, suggesting further
melodies A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
, a baseline and drum ideas. Drummer
Dennis Davis Dennis Davis (August 28, 1949 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, playing on ten albums - including seven successive studio albums - during the singer's classic mid- and late ...
thought it sounded "like a
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
tune", while bassist George Murray found it reminiscent of
Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...
. As with most of the tracks on the album, the band went with the basic idea and finished the backing track in a few takes. The song was largely completed without Eno, who arrived late in the sessions after all the backing tracks for side one were almost finished. The drums on "Sound and Vision" were treated through the use of an
Eventide H910 Harmonizer Eventide, Inc. (also known earlier as Eventide Clock Works Inc.) is an American audio, broadcast and communications company whose audio division manufactures digital audio processors, digital signal processor (DSP) software, and guitar effects. ...
, used at Visconti's insistence. The sound, described by biographer David Buckley as "revolutionary" and "stunning", is particularly evident on the album tracks " Speed of Life" and " Breaking Glass", as well as "Sound and Vision". Visconti's wife, singer
Mary Hopkin Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti from her marriage to Tony Visconti, is a Welsh singer-songwriter best known for her 1968 UK number 1 single "Those Were the Days". She was one of the first artists ...
, contributed the song's backing vocals; she was credited as Mary Visconti. Hopkin was visiting the Château with her children when Eno asked her to sing. She recorded her vocals before any lyrics or melody were written, recalling in 2011:


Composition

Like the majority of the tracks on the first side of ''Low'', "Sound and Vision" is classified as a "song fragment". Structurally, it starts as an instrumental, running for 46 seconds before backing vocals
croon Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
two descending notes. At 1:14, Eno and Hopkin sing their vocal line, which echoes the main guitar line, followed by a darker saxophone part played by Bowie. Bowie's vocals take a full one minute and 45 seconds to appear, which was done at Eno's insistence to "confound listener expectations". Different elements build throughout the song's runtime: the beginning only contains the rhythm section, which is followed by a mock-string section created using an ARP Solina synthesiser, then backing vocals, brass and finally Bowie's vocal. Described by Bowie as his "ultimate retreat song", the lyrics for "Sound and Vision" offer introspection, reflecting his mental state following a long period of drug addiction. The song's narrator sits in an empty room and draws the blinds. As he has the world shut away, he waits "for the gift of sound and vision". Bowie further commented: "It was just the idea of getting out of America, that depressing era I was going through.... It was wanting to be put in a little cold room with omnipotent blue on the walls and blinds on the windows." Wilcken calls "Sound and Vision" the centrepiece of side one. It continues the lyrical themes of "Breaking Glass" and "
What in the World "What in the World" is a song by David Bowie released on his 1977 album '' Low'', later making appearances as repertoire in the 1978 world tour as well as other major tours. "What in the World" showcases some of Bowie's Berlin-era songwriting a ...
", in that "after failing to connect with female others", the narrator focuses on the self and by "drifting into my solitude", sets the stage for the wordless introspection of side two. Biographer
Nicholas Pegg Nicholas Pegg is a British actor, writer and director. Educated at Nottingham High School and graduating with a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Exeter, Pegg subsequently trained at the Guildford School of Acting. Acti ...
and author
Peter Doggett Peter Doggett (born 30 June 1957) is an English music journalist, author and magazine editor. He began his career in music journalism in 1980, when he joined the London-based magazine ''Record Collector''. He subsequently served as the editor t ...
make comparisons to Bowie's 1971 song "
Quicksand Quicksand is a colloid A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...
". Doggett writes: "Like 'Quicksand', 'Sound and Vision' was Bowie's admission that his creative inspiration had disappeared: cunningly, he used a confession of artistic bankruptcy to spark his muse back to life." According to Visconti, there were originally more verses, but these were removed during the mixing stage. The lyrics provide a stark contrast to the music itself, which is more joyous. Author Thomas Jerome Seabrook writes that Bowie's "low, reflective ocal isat odds with the upbeat, almost parodic sensibilities of the music that surrounds it". The song is in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable compositi ...
. James Perone describes its
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
as "I (G major), ii (
A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...
), V (
D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...
), I (G major)". He notes that this progression evokes
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
with a
harmonic A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', the ...
quality. Almost every instrument playing on the song sounds processed. O'Leary compares the drums to the sound of a
radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always a ...
turning on; Seabrook finds it similar to a
whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
. The bass is distorted while the piano and mock-string section are engulfed with studio effects; Seabrook further believes the saxophone sounds as if it was treated by Visconti's Harmonizer. Throughout the song, a
sizzle cymbal A sizzle cymbal is a cymbal to which rivets, chains or other rattles have been added to modify the sound, attached either by means of holes bored in the cymbal or by means of an attachment known as a sizzler. These rattles have two main effects ...
appears on the third beat of almost every
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
and two guitars are panned to different channels, the main guitar line appearing in the left, and a "mock-
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
rhythm" appearing in the right. Bowie's biographers consider "Sound and Vision" the closest to a "conventional pop song" on ''Low''. Wilcken writes that the track's instrumentation and backing vocals combine to create a "sonic effect" that equals that of a "pop song with quotation marks, not quite sure whether it's a part of the genre or referencing it". Perone finds the song a "hybrid of
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
and pop", continuing musical and lyrical themes of Bowie's 1975 album ''
Young Americans ''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and ...
''. Michael Gallucci of ''
Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
'' describes a sense of "pop minimalism" on "Sound and Vision" and "
Be My Wife "Be My Wife" is a song by English musician David Bowie. It was the second single from '' Low'' (1977), released on 17 June 1977. Its presence in ''Low'' tones down the electronic feel of the rest of the album. The song also features a more c ...
" that showed Bowie entering a new phase of his career. He further considered the song the best example of its parent album's embracement of the old and new, calling it "a traditional
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
song at its core wrapped in
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
textures". In ''
ZigZag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...
'' magazine,
Kris Needs Kris Needs (born 3 July 1954) is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. He became editor of proto-punk and early punk rock ''ZigZag'' magazine in August 1977 at 23 and has since written biographies ...
described the song's beat as "bouncy, futuristic
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
". Doggett calls it a "consummate pop record, as tightly produced as any disco classic of the era".


Release

When Bowie presented his 11th studio album ''Low'' to
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, the label were shocked. The album was originally slated for release in November 1976, but RCA delayed it until January 1977, fearing poor commercial performance. Despite receiving no promotion from Bowie or his label, ''Low'' was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape chart. "Sound and Vision" was sequenced as the fourth track on side one, between "What in the World" and "
Always Crashing in the Same Car "Always Crashing in the Same Car" is a song by David Bowie from his album '' Low'' from 1977. The song's lyrics express the frustration of making the same mistake over and over. The narrator of the song recounts driving at high speed in circles ...
". At the time of release, Tim Lott of ''
Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' magazine felt that none of the tracks were "
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
material". Bud Scoppa of ''
Phonograph Record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
'' magazine considered "Sound and Vision" the "obvious" choice. RCA selected "Sound and Vision" as the first single from the album, releasing it on 11 February 1977, with the catalogue number PB 0905 and the instrumental "
A New Career in a New Town ''Low'' is the eleventh studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 through RCA Records. After years of drug addiction when living in Los Angeles, Bowie moved to France in 1976 with his friend Iggy Pop t ...
" as the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
. A 12" promotional single was also released in the US the same year, featuring a seven-minute remix of "Sound and Vision" segueing into Iggy Pop's "Sister Midnight". The single was used by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
for television trailers at the time. This provided considerable exposure, and helped the song peak at number three on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, becoming Bowie's highest-charting new single in the UK since " Sorrow" in 1973. The single's success in the UK confused RCA executives, and allowed Bowie to persuade them to release Iggy Pop's ''The Idiot'', which they did in March 1977. The song was also a top 10 hit in Belgium
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
, West Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand, and a top 20 hit in Austria and Belgium
Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
. It stalled at number 74 in Australia, number 87 on Canada's ''
RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' Singles chart and only peaked at number 69 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US, signalling Bowie's commercial downturn until " Let's Dance" in 1983. In 2021, the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) certified the song silver for sales and streams exceeding 200,000 units in the UK.


Critical reception

On release, Lott reviewed ''Low'' and described "Sound and Vision" as the centrepiece of the album. Calling it "metallic beauty", he praised Bowie's vocal performance, stating: "His singing, as always, is more mechanical than melodic, but in context, the perfect foil for the harsh guitar and sliding synthesiser." Doggett calls "Sound and Vision" "arguably one of the most important songs
owie An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, ...
had ever written," because the song allowed Bowie to reconnect with himself after a long period of drug addiction. Pegg regards it as "one of his most distinctive and brilliant recordings". ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' ranked it the 29th best song of the year in 1977. "Sound and Vision" has been ranked one of Bowie's best songs by several publications. Following Bowie's death in 2016, the writers at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' ranked "Sound and Vision" one of Bowie's 30 essential songs, noting that although ''Low'' garnered mixed reception on release, releasing "Sound and Vision" as the lead single was "genius" owing to the song's "clever bait-and-switch". The same year, in a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best, ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' placed "Sound and Vision" at number nine. In lists of Bowie's best songs by ''
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'', Smooth Radio and ''
Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'', the song was voted numbers 22, 10 and 15, respectively. In 2018, readers of ''NME'' voted "Sound and Vision" Bowie's 19th best song, while staff-writer Emily Barker voted it Bowie's second best song, behind "
Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
". Meanwhile, ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...
'' magazine ranked it number four in 2015, behind " Life on Mars?", "Heroes" and "
Starman ''StarMan'' is a 1996 fantasy novel by Australian writer Sara Douglass. It follows the second book in the series, '' Enchanter'', with Axis marching north with his army to confront a formidable enemy. Background ''StarMan'' was first published ...
". In 2020,
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called "Sound and Vision" Bowie's greatest song, finding it "both a fantastic pop song and an act of artistic daring" and a track that "transcends time"; he concluded that it was: "Completely original, nothing about its sound tethers it to the mid-70s. Its magic seems to sum Bowie up." A year later, writers of ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' voted it Bowie's 12th greatest song, writing: "A punch of a song at the start of ''Low'', it showed Bowie entering a new, dispassionate style which would divide his listeners but, with its liberal use of synthesisers, also cement his status as a trailblazer of the
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
." Based on the song's appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website
Acclaimed Music Acclaimed Music is a website created by Henrik Franzon, a statistician from Stockholm, Sweden in September 2001. Franzon has statistically aggregated hundreds of published lists that rank songs and albums into aggregated rankings by year, deca ...
lists "Sound and Vision" as the 20th most acclaimed song of 1977, the 174th most acclaimed song of the 1970s and the 797th most acclaimed song in history.


Live versions and subsequent releases

"Sound and Vision" was only performed once during the 1978 Isolar II world tour, at
Earl's Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...
in London, on 1 July 1978. According to Seabrook, this was because Bowie struggled to sing it, a problem he also had with " Golden Years". This performance was included on ''
Rarestonebowie ''Rarestonebowie'' is a compilation album by English musician David Bowie. This release was one in the series of mid-nineties releases by MainMan, Bowie's former management company during the seventies (other ones being ''Santa Monica '72'' and ...
'' (1995), a compilation compiled by Bowie's former music publisher MainMan, and decades later on the live album ''
Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78) ''Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78)'' is a live album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie recorded on the Isolar II Tour. It had a limited vinyl release on 21 April 2018 for Record Store Day. A more widely available CD edition foll ...
'' (2018). Bowie also performed the song during the Sound+Vision (1990), Heathen (2002), and A Reality (2003) tours, and was also performed on A&E's ''
Live by Request ''Live by Request'' is a television show on the A&E Network from 1996 to 2004. On it, notable artists hold concerts where the set list would be determined by viewer phone calls. The show was created based on an idea by Tony Bennett. Bennett star ...
'' on 15 June 2002. The song has since appeared on several compilations, including ''
The Best of Bowie ''The Best of Bowie'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 1980 by K-tel. The cover was based on the 12-inch single sleeve design of Bowie's "Fashion".Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). ''Bowie: An ...
'' (1980), ''
Changestwobowie ''Changestwobowie'' is a compilation album by English rock musician David Bowie, issued in November 1981 through RCA Records. It is a companion volume to the 1976 compilation '' Changesonebowie'', and its title and artwork follow the format of ...
'' (1981), '' Sound + Vision'' (1989) (the box set's namesake), ''
Changesbowie ''Changesbowie'' is a compilation album by English rock musician David Bowie, released by Rykodisc in the US and by EMI in the UK in 1990. The compilation was part of Rykodisc's remastered Bowie reissue series, replacing the deleted RCA Records ...
'' (EMI LP and cassette versions) (1990), '' The Singles Collection'' and '' Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993'' (both 1993), '' The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979'' (1998), '' Best of Bowie'' (2002), '' The Platinum Collection'' (2006), ''
Nothing Has Changed ''Nothing Has Changed'' (stylised as ''Nothing has changed.'') is a compilation album by English musician David Bowie. It was released on 18 November 2014 through Parlophone in the United Kingdom, and Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings in ...
'' (2014), and ''
Bowie Legacy ''Legacy (The Very Best of David Bowie)'' (also known as ''Legacy'') is a greatest hits album by English musician David Bowie, released on 11 November 2016 through Sony Music Entertainment in the US and Warner Music Group in the UK and several t ...
'' (2016). The song, along with the rest of its parent album, was remastered in 2017 for
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
's ''
A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) ''A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 29 September 2017. A follow-up to the compilations ''Five Years (1969–1973)'' and ''Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)'', the set c ...
''
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
. The 1991 reissue of ''Low'' featured a new remix of "Sound and Vision" by producer David Richards, Bowie's ''
Never Let Me Down ''Never Let Me Down'' is the 17th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 20 April 1987 through EMI America Records. After a series of miscellaneous projects, Bowie hoped to make his next record differently following his ...
'' collaborator. Pegg writes that it contains an "unpleasant honking saxophone" that he feels "disrupts the original's textured atmospherics". This remix and two additional remixes were released as a single in the US by
808 State 808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. They were formed by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. They released their debut album, '' New ...
; it was credited to "David Bowie vs 808 State" and were subsequently released as an EP download in 2010. Another stripped-down remix was created by Sonjay Prabhakar in 2013 for a
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
commercial. Titled "Sound and Vision 2013", it was solely included on a CD-R promo. An extended version of the remix was released later the same year. ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' placed "Sound and Vision 2013" at number 117 in a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best.


Cover versions and media appearances

Artists who have covered "Sound and Vision" include Scottish rock band
Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. F ...
, American indie rock band
the Sea and Cake The Sea and Cake is an American indie rock band with a jazz influence, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The group formed in the mid-1990s from members of The Coctails (Archer Prewitt), Shrimp Boat (Sam Prekop and Eric Claridge), an ...
, English singer-songwriter
Anna Calvi Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi (born 24 September 1980) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her accolades include three Mercury Prize nominations, one Brit Award nomination, and a European Border Breakers Award. She has been noted by ...
, and American singer-songwriter
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
, whose version included a 157-piece orchestra. Franz Ferdinand's
Alex Kapranos Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley (born 20 March 1972) is a Scottish musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and author. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. He has also been a part of the ...
recalled that the band were asked to cover a song from 1977 for
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
and chose "Sound and Vision" as it was his favourite song from that year, particularly due to the song's unique structure and unpredictability: "You feel like the song is playing for eternity in some other universe. It's like you caught a snippet of something that will always be playing." Bowie's original recording appeared in the 1993 television serial '' The Buddha of Suburbia'', and an excerpt appeared in the
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
musical '' Lazarus''. According to Pegg, instead of performing the song live in the musical, an excerpt from the original was used in order to "underscore a particularly dramatic moment". Hopkin's backing vocal was echoed in the British rock band
Doves Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
' 2002 single " There Goes the Fear".


Track listing

All tracks are written by
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. Original 7" single # "Sound and Vision" – 3:00 # "A New Career in a New Town" – 2:50 David Bowie vs 808 State (1991) # "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 David Bowie vs 808 State – "Sound and Vision" Remix EP (2010) # "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 * This 2010 release is a digital download only David Bowie – "Sound and Vision (2013)" # "Sound and Vision 2013" – 1:50 # "Sound and Vision (Remastered)" – 3:04


Personnel

According to biographer Chris O'Leary: *
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
 – lead and backing vocals,
baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...
,
chamberlin The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by the American inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. There are severa ...
and/or ARP Solina ("synthetic strings") *
Ricky Gardiner Ricky Gardiner (31 August 1948 – 13 May 2022) was a Scottish guitarist and composer. Biography Gardiner joined his first band, the Vostoks, at school in 1962. Next there were the Kingbees and the System, with whom he formed Beggars Oper ...
 – lead guitar *
Carlos Alomar Carlos Alomar (born 7 May 1951) is a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican guitarist. He is best known for his work with David Bowie from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, having played on more Bowie albums than any musician other than pianist Mike Garso ...
 – rhythm guitar * George Murray – bass *
Dennis Davis Dennis Davis (August 28, 1949 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, playing on ten albums - including seven successive studio albums - during the singer's classic mid- and late ...
 – drums *
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
 – piano, backing vocals * Mary Visconti – backing vocals * Roy Young – piano Production *David Bowie – producer *
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
 – producer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * {{Authority control 1977 singles David Bowie songs Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by Tony Visconti Song recordings produced by David Bowie RCA Records singles