This thread is really onto something. Especially considering the fact that David Bowie is one of the most famous musicians of all-time, not to even mention how distinctive his voice is.
Ive posted this several times on this thread. You seem to have missed it. here it is again.
The fact is that the book's author and Movie's director has publicly stated that he never heard the song before in the early 90's himself, and it was why he chose it for the song.
His interview quote is below.
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The problem was when we got to the tunnel scene I just thought, We need something that’s not soft. We need something that’s driving, that’s epic in nature, and “Heroes” was a perfect fit. Alexandra Patsavas, our music supervisor—it was her idea. Because I told her, “I know I’ve got a tall order for you, and I’m sorry, but I need I need an epic song that I didn’t know in 1992.” And she came up with “Heroes.”
That’s the bone I wanted to pick, because I can’t believe the kids had never heard of “Heroes” until it came on the radio, and then still couldn't find the record or figure out for months who sang it. It’s one of David Bowie’s most famous songs!
[Laughs] You and John Malkovich and Jim Powers [both producers on the film] could all gang up on me and say, “We don’t believe it,” and I will put my hand on a Bible and say, “In the early 90s, David Bowie was ‘Let’s Dance’ to me. He was that guy.” The whole 70s Bowie, because I was more into grunge, I came late to him. Listen, if you say to me, “The kids not knowing ‘Heroes,’ it’s not realistic,” I will cop to it! Anyone who has a bone to pick, I can’t argue. But I swear to god, it was real!
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2012/10/qa-stephen-chbosky-perks-of-being-a-wallflower
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archer1812
10 years ago
Ive posted this several times on this thread. You seem to have missed it. here it is again.
The fact is that the book's author and Movie's director has publicly stated that he never heard the song before in the early 90's himself, and it was why he chose it for the song.
His interview quote is below.
Yeah, but that's irrelevant to the point being made. It doesn't matter whether or not Chobsky (the author)knew about this song. The point is that these particular kids that he was writing about didn't know it... According to his bio, Chbosky graduated high school in '88, same year as my brother. Now, anybody who went to high school in the 80's and were into this music scene like these kids were would've known about David Bowie and this song. How could they not know who Bowie was? I don't buy it. And by the time of the events of this movie (starting in fall of '93 at the earliest judging by some of the songs being played at parties) two Bowie compilation albums featuring this song had come out, one in the mid 80's the other early 90's.
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cookie1919-361-891757
10 years ago
My mom graduated from high school in '88 and by that time she knew the majority of David Bowie's songs from the '80s. She was a fan of his Let's Dance album when it first came out when she was in junior high.
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BobJenkinsPhD
10 years ago
I didn't miss it Rek. I saw your original post before I commented. My point still stands. I'm not questioning the thought process behind the scenes, I'm questioning how *THESE* movie characters had no idea who David Bowie was. Bravefish summed up what I was getting at pretty well. Bottom line: NOBODY sounds like Bowie. Plus, we're not dealing with dumb jocks. We're dealing with high school kids who allegedly love music. It shouldn't have been this huge mystery, especially a song that they hear over the radio of all places. It's not some obscure avant-garde experimental jazz song that they're looking for, it's DAVID *beep* BOWIE!
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