Studio Album · No. 23
Heathen Songwriting Credits by David Bowie
Produced by Tony Visconti · Engineered by Tony Visconti
Holds writing credit on 9 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 9 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
David Bowie wrote nine of the twelve songs on Heathen and reunited with producer Tony Visconti, their first full studio album together since Scary Monsters in 1980. The remaining three tracks are covers: 'Cactus' by the Pixies, 'I've Been Waiting for You' by Neil Young, and 'I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship' by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Bowie and Visconti recorded much of the album at Allaire Studios in upstate New York, shaping a reflective tone across the originals.
David Bowie's Heathen, released June 11, 2002 on ISO / Columbia Records, marks his reunion with producer Tony Visconti after a gap of twenty-two years, a reunion widely hailed as one of the great artistic restorings in rock history. Bowie wrote nine of the twelve tracks himself, including the meditative 'Sunday,' 'Slow Burn,' and the extraordinary ballad 'Everyone Says Hi,' while the album also features covers of Neil Young's 'I've Been Waiting for You,' the Pixies' 'Cactus,' and Legendary Stardust Cowboy's 'I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spacecraft.' 'Everyone Says Hi' reached the UK top twenty and proved Bowie could still write melodically affecting commercial pop alongside his more experimental work. The album reached number five in the UK and number fourteen in the US, his strongest commercial showing in years. Heathen inaugurated the final great period of Bowie's career, the five records from 2002 to 2016 produced with Visconti represent some of his most critically revered mature work.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sunday
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 2 |
Cactus
|
Black Francis | Black Francis | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 3 |
Slip Away
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Slow Burn
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Afraid
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 6 |
I've Been Waiting for You
|
Neil Young | Neil Young | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 7 |
I Would Be Your Slave
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 8 |
I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship
|
Norman Carl Odam | Norman Carl Odam | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 9 |
5.15 The Angels Have Gone
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 10 |
Everyone Says 'Hi'
#20
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 11 |
A Better Future
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 12 |
Heathen (The Rays)
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Tony Visconti | David Bowie (Vocals) |