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HCTF
Many tributes have been released to the late, great David Bowie. Some well-meant, some really awful (*cough* Lady GaGa *cough*) some really touching (Rick Wakeman's piano only rendition of Life On Mars?, but the best one so far is Strung Out In Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute, six covers by Jherek Bischoff and Amanda Palmer, with the aid of some of their close friends. They stick close to the originals, while the lush strings arrangements are both soothing and infinitely sad. Highlight is the seamless coupling of Heroes in English and German. John Cameron Mitchell used an iPhone for his vocals - a bit of rough, but it fits the mood perfectly.
Strung Out In Heaven was recorded in a quick burst of creativity and grief. An art piece by fans of Bowie who responded in a way only real musicians can: by playing his music with all due respect, but also changing things up a bit. Getting in a string quartet was a smart move indeed. A note-for-note cover is boring as Hell. Boredom and Bowie never met, so why start now.
Amanda Palmer: vocals
Jherek Bischoff: double bass, arrangements, conducting
Serena McKinney: violin
Alyssa Park: violin
Ben Ullery: viola
Jacob Braun: cello
Anna Calvi: vocals, guitar (Blackstar)
John Cameron Mitchell: vocals (Heroes and Helden)
Strung Out In Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute is a self-released album. Buy it from her website. This entire project was financed by the supporters at patreon.com/amandapalmer. The minimum price here is $1 - $.54 of which will go to Bowie's publisher for the use of the songs. The remaining proceeds from the first month of sales (until March 5th) will go to the cancer research wing of Tufts Medical Center, in memory of David Bowie.
Tracks:- Blackstar (feat. Anna Calvi)
- Space Oddity (feat. Neil Gaiman)
- Ashes To Ashes
- Heroes (feat. John Cameron Mitchell)
- Helden (Single Version) (feat. John Cameron Mitchell)
- Jherek Bischoff - Life On Mars? (Instrumental)
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