David Bowie called Iggy Pop a guinea pig. Pop called the album his “album of freedom.” One critic called it “a funky, robotic Hellhole.” Whoever was right, ‘The Idiot’ is one of the strangest, most influential debut solo albums ever made, and the story behind it is even wilder than the record itself.
Bowie Finished His Own Album First So Nobody Would Think He Stole From Iggy
‘The Idiot’ was completed by August 1976, but RCA didn’t release it until March 1977. Why the wait? Bowie wanted his own album, ‘Low,’ in stores first. The château’s former owner Laurent Thibault put it plainly: Bowie didn’t want people thinking he’d been inspired by Iggy’s record, even though, as Thibault noted, “it was all the same thing.” Bowie recorded ‘Low’ between September and October 1976, released it in January 1977, and only then did ‘The Idiot’ follow two months later.
The Drummer Thought He Was Playing on Demos
Michel Santangeli was hired to play drums at the Château d’Hérouville and was given minimal guidance. For two days, he played to what he assumed were rough demo tracks. He was wrong. Those first takes became part of the final mix. Bowie dismissed him at the end of the second day, leaving Santangeli convinced his playing had been rejected. He later expressed regret over the final drum sound, not knowing his work was already on the record.
“Nightclubbing” Was Built Around a Drum Machine Because Iggy Refused Real Drums
When Bowie finished the music for “Nightclubbing,” he insisted real drums were needed to complete it. Iggy Pop refused. Pop had written the lyrics on the spot in ten minutes, Bowie suggesting he write about “walking through the night like ghosts,” and he was done. He told Bowie the Roland drum machine “kicks ass, it’s better than a drummer.” The machine stayed. Nine Inch Nails later used a modified sample of that same Roland bass drum on their 1994 hit “Closer.”
“China Girl” Was Inspired by a Woman Who Didn’t Speak the Same Language as Iggy
During recording at the château, French actor and singer Jacques Higelin visited with his Vietnamese girlfriend Kuelan Nguyen. Pop had a brief affair with Nguyen despite the fact that the two did not share a common language, communicating only through gestures and expressions. Pop improvised the lyrics for “China Girl” while standing at the microphone, and the protagonist’s whispered “Shhh…” in the song was a direct quote from Nguyen after Pop confessed his feelings for her one night.
Ian Curtis Was Playing ‘The Idiot’ When He Died
Joy Division formed in the months between the releases of ‘Low’ and ‘The Idiot,’ and both records hit them hard. ‘The Idiot’ directly shaped the industrial soundscapes and relentless percussion of their debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ (1979). The connection runs deeper than influence though. When Joy Division singer Ian Curtis was found having died by suicide in May 1980, ‘The Idiot’ was still playing on the turntable.