David Bowie’s Low was a sonic detour in a career full of many that shattered expectations. Released in January 1977, Low marked the beginning of his Berlin Trilogy and introduced a stark, experimental sound that baffled his record label but shaped post-punk, electronic, and ambient music for decades to come. But beyond its legendary status, Low has a history as fascinating as its music. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about one of Bowie’s boldest records.
1. It Was Almost Scrapped by RCA
David Bowie was coming off the commercial highs of Young Americans and Station to Station when he delivered Low to RCA Records—and the label was horrified. Gone were the slick soul influences and dramatic Thin White Duke theatrics; instead, Bowie turned in an avant-garde, fragmented album, drenched in synths, distorted drums, and eerie instrumentals. RCA delayed the album for three months, hoping Bowie would come to his senses. He didn’t. They even sent him a letter rejecting the album, which he proudly displayed on his wall. Bowie knew he was onto something groundbreaking, even if RCA didn’t.
2. The Album’s Title and Cover Art Contain a Hidden Joke
The cover of Low is a profile shot of Bowie from his 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth—but it’s not just a cool aesthetic choice. The image is actually a visual pun. The word “Low” refers to both the album’s introspective mood and the idea of having a “low profile”, something Bowie desperately craved after his cocaine-fueled years in Los Angeles. The joke was lost on most people until Bowie explained it in an interview, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
3. Brian Eno Didn’t Actually Produce It
Though Low is often called the first Bowie album “produced by Brian Eno”, that’s actually not true. Tony Visconti, Bowie’s longtime collaborator, was the real producer, while Eno served as more of an artistic catalyst. Bowie and Eno bonded over their love of Krautrock bands like Neu!, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream, and while Eno brought in his signature synth textures and “Oblique Strategies” creative techniques, the actual production decisions—like the iconic drum sound created with an Eventide H910 Harmonizer—were all Visconti’s doing.
4. The Drums Changed Rock Music Forever
Speaking of that drum sound—it’s one of Low’s most groundbreaking contributions to music. Using the Eventide H910 Harmonizer, Visconti processed Dennis Davis’s drums to create an otherworldly, mechanical echo effect that was unlike anything else at the time. When Bowie asked what the Harmonizer did, Visconti famously replied: “It fuckss with the fabric of time.” The sound became one of the most imitated in rock history, inspiring artists from Joy Division to Radiohead. Listen to tracks like “Breaking Glass” or “Sound and Vision”, and you’ll hear the birth of post-punk and alternative rock.
5. Half of the Album Was Originally Meant for a Movie Soundtrack
Side two of Low is filled with dark, ambient instrumentals like “Warszawa”, “Weeping Wall”, and “Subterraneans”—and they weren’t initially written for the album. These tracks originated as part of Bowie’s abandoned soundtrack for The Man Who Fell to Earth, the 1976 sci-fi film in which he starred. When director Nicolas Roeg decided to use other composers instead, Bowie pulled his work and reworked it into the brooding, cinematic second half of Low. He even later sent Roeg a copy of the album with a note saying, “This is what I wanted to do for the soundtrack.”
Bowie’s record label might have panicked, but Low turned out to be one of the most influential albums of all time. It paved the way for post-punk, ambient music, and electronica, inspiring everyone from Joy Division and Talking Heads to Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead. What was once considered career suicide became a new blueprint for reinvention. Bowie was always ahead of the curve—Low just proved how far.
