Actors - Baal

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	Actors - Baal

Baal was a four-track EP by David Bowie, comprising recordings of songs written for Bertold Brecht’s play Baal. It is sometimes referred to as David Bowie in Bertold Brecht’s Baal, as credited on the sleeve.

In August 1981, Bowie had began rehearsals to appear in the BBC version of Baal. The lyrics to the songs were translated by Dominic Muldowney. In September 1981, Bowie and Tony Visconti returned to the Hansa studios in Berlin to re-record the five songs Baal performed in the play.

“Baal’s Hymn” is a combination of the vignettes spread throughout the play, and establishes Baal’s amoral character. “Remembering Marie A” concerns Baal’s reminiscences of a past conquest, where he can remember a cloud drifting overhead, but not the face of the girl he was with. “Ballad of the Adventurers” is Baal’s aggressive lament to the death of his mother. “The Drowned Girl” relates the suicide of one of Baal’s conquests – a video clip for this song was shot by David Mallet at the same time as the one for “Wild is the Wind”. “The Dirty Song” is a short number, with Baal humiliating his lover Sophie.

His performance as Baal was transmitted on February 2, 1982, and RCA issued the EP to coincide with this. Both the play and EP were well received, with the latter reaching #29 in the UK chart, commendable considering the unconventional tracks.

It would mark Bowie’s final new release on RCA.

Track listing

# "Baal’s Hymn" (Brecht) – 4:02 # "Remembering Marie A" (Brecht) – 2:04 # "Ballad of the Adventurers" (Brecht) – 1:54 # "The Drowned Girl" (Brecht) – 1:54 # "The Dirty Song" (Brecht) – 0:37

Production credits

Producers:
* Tony Visconti
* David Bowie

Musicians:
* David Bowie
: Vocals, Guitar
* Tony Visconti: Bass

Other instruments are played by uncredited sessions players.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Baal (EP) ]

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