Guitarchitecture is a term developed by Chuck Hammer in 1977, describing an approach to soundtrack composition, employing discrete textured guitar layers.
The core idea behind Guitarchitecture: "to expand the guitar's sonic vocabulary", is contextual and process based:
The Roland GR 500 Guitar/synthesizer allowed partial - "infinite sustain" through the use of a built in magnetic field sustainer.
This "sustainer" radically altered the temporal properties of guitar string response, extending its basic physical sonic capabilities.
As the instrument could now sustain single notes and chords almost "infinitely", the music that could now be conceived and rendered with a guitar were widely reconsidered.
The ideas and concepts surrounding Guitarchitecture were gaining strength while Chuck Hammer toured live with a GR 500 Guitar Synth with Lou Reed 1978–1980. During this time, Hammer began recording a series of experimental Guitar Synth multi tracks for RCA, Epic, and Atlantic Records. These early Guitarchitecture soundtracks were eventually sent to David Bowie in an effort to raise their profile. This eventually led to the recording of seminal guitar synth tracks for David Bowie's album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), released in September 1980 by RCA Records, which included four layered guitar synth tracks on "Ashes to Ashes".
Earthling is the 20th studio album by English recording artist David Bowie. It was originally released in February 1997 by Arista and Virgin. Co-produced by Bowie, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, it was recorded in 1996 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland and Looking Glass Studios in New York City following the conclusion of the Outside Tour. The album showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s. Commercially, the album performed better than its more experimental predecessor Outside. Bowie supported the album on the Earthling Tour in 1997. The album was reissued with bonus tracks in 2004.
"Space Oddity" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released as a 7-inch single on 11 July 1969 before appearing as the opening track of his second studio album, David Bowie. It became one of Bowie's signature songs and one of four of his songs to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Scary Monsters , also known simply as Scary Monsters, is the 14th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 12 September 1980 by RCA Records. Over the previous three years, Bowie had garnered massive artistic success with the "Berlin Trilogy", which consisted of Low, "Heroes" and Lodger (1977–1979). However, the trilogy had proven less successful commercially. By 1980, numerous artists Bowie had inspired with the trilogy were out-performing him commercially, leading him to desire a more commercial sound for his next record.
The SynthAxe is a fretted, guitar-like MIDI controller, created by Bill Aitken, Mike Dixon, and Tony Sedivy and manufactured in England in 1985. It is a musical instrument that uses electronic synthesizers to produce sound and is controlled through the use of an arm resembling the neck of a guitar in form and in use. Its name comes from the words synthesizer and axe, a slang term meaning guitar. The system was developed as a joint venture funded by Richard Branson's Virgin Group.
Low is the 11th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 by RCA Records. After years of drug addiction and personal instability living in Los Angeles, Bowie moved to France in 1976 with his friend Iggy Pop to sober up. There, the two recorded Pop's debut solo album The Idiot at the Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville. Co-written and produced by Bowie, the album featured a sound similar to what Bowie would explore on his next record. Upon its completion, Bowie began recording the first of three collaborations with producer Tony Visconti and musician Brian Eno, whom he met the same year, that became known as the Berlin Trilogy. Recording for Low took place from September to November 1976, with sessions beginning at the Château and ending at Hansa Studios in West Berlin, following Bowie and Pop's move there.
"Starman" is a song by English musician David Bowie. It was released in April 1972 by RCA Records as the lead single of his fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded the song on 4 February 1972 at Trident Studios in London with his backing band known as the Spiders from Mars – comprising guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey. The song was a late addition to the album, written as a direct response to RCA's Dennis Katz's request for a single; it replaced the Chuck Berry cover "Round and Round" on the album. The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman'. The chorus is inspired by "Over the Rainbow", sung by Judy Garland, while other influences include T. Rex and the Supremes.
The Buddha of Suburbia is a 1993 soundtrack album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie inspired by the four-part television serial of the same name originally shown on BBC2. Although classified as a 'soundtrack album', the title track is the only song that featured in the programme's actual soundtrack.
"'Heroes'" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno, produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, and recorded in July and August 1977 at Hansa Studio by the Wall. It was released on 23 September 1977 as the lead single from his 12th studio album of the same name, backed with the song "V-2 Schneider". A product of Bowie's "Berlin" period, the track was not a huge hit in the United Kingdom or the United States after its release, but it has since become one of his signature songs. In January 2016, following Bowie's death, the song reached a new peak of number 12 in the UK Singles Chart. "'Heroes'" has been cited as Bowie's second-most covered song after "Rebel Rebel".
Chuck Hammer is an American guitarist and soundtrack composer, known for textural guitar work with Lou Reed, David Bowie, and Guitarchitecture. As an artist, Hammer is best known for his Guitarchitecture recordings, though he is also widely regarded as a leading NYC based soundtrack composer, having scored approximately 300 documentary films. He is currently developing a series of improvisational textural guitar recordings.
"Scary Monsters " is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released as the title track of his 1980 album Scary Monsters . It was also issued as the third single from that album in January 1981. Coming as it did in the wake of two earlier singles from Scary Monsters, "Ashes to Ashes" in August 1980 and "Fashion" in October the same year, NME critics Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray labelled its release another instance "in the fine old tradition of milking albums for as much as they could possibly be worth". The song was subsequently performed on a number of Bowie tours.
"Up the Hill Backwards" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on his 1980 album Scary Monsters . It was also issued as the fourth and final single from the album in March 1981. This was the last new David Bowie single issued by RCA Records.
"Cat People " is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The title track of the 1982 erotic horror film Cat People, Bowie became involved with the track after director Paul Schrader reached out to him about collaborating. The song was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland in July 1981. Bowie wrote the lyrics, which reflected the film, while Italian producer Giorgio Moroder composed the music, which is built around only two chord changes.
"Station to Station" is a song by English musician David Bowie. It was released in January 1976 as the title track and opener of his tenth studio album Station to Station, as well as on a promotional 7-inch single in France the same month. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, it was written and recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles between September and November 1975. At over 10 minutes in length, it is Bowie's longest studio recording. Opening with a train-like noise, the song's first half is a slow march, built around an atonal guitar riff, while the second half takes the form of a prog-disco suite in a different key and tempo than the first. It has been characterised as art rock and is influenced by the German electronic bands Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream.
"Look Back in Anger" is a song written by English artists David Bowie and Brian Eno for the album Lodger (1979). It concerns "a tatty 'Angel of Death'", and features a guitar solo by Carlos Alomar.
"Teenage Wildlife" is a song written by David Bowie in 1980 for the album Scary Monsters . Running at almost seven minutes, the song was the longest track on Scary Monsters, and Bowie's longest composition since "Station to Station" (1976), although it was surpassed in length by later tracks such as 2003's "Bring Me the Disco King" and 2016's "Blackstar".
Rare is a compilation album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in December 1982. The artist's relations with the company were at a low – Bowie had recorded his last music for RCA Records with the Baal EP, and had been annoyed by the release of a five-year-old duet with Bing Crosby as a single without his consultation. Bowie informed RCA he was unhappy with the Rare compilation, and would sign with EMI Records for his next album. All tracks on Rare were being issued for the first time on LP and cassette.
Fame and Fashion is a compilation album by English musician David Bowie, issued in 1984 by RCA Records featuring songs recorded from 1969's David Bowie through 1980's Scary Monsters. It was released on LP, cassette, and CD formats. The subtitle "David Bowie's All-Time Greatest Hits" appears along with the title on LP and cassette labels, as well as on the CD face and inserts.
The Roland GR-500 was a guitar synthesizer. Manufactured by the Roland Corporation and FujiGen in 1977, it was one of the first guitar synthesizers.
The Roland GR-300 is a guitar synthesizer manufactured by Roland Corporation.
"Ashes to Ashes" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was the lead single from the 1980 album Scary Monsters and became Bowie's second UK No. 1 single. It is also known for its innovative video, directed by Bowie and David Mallet, which at the time was the most expensive music video ever made.
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