David Bowie :: BBC Baal Play Review (1982)

Baal
Review & Images

TV Play
R E V I E W

All images © BBC.

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Cast

First Transmitted: 2 February 1982, BBC (UK)

David Bowie ... Baal
Robert Austin ... Mech
Jonathan Kent ... Eckart
Russell Wootton ... Piller
Julian Wadham ... Johannes
Juliet Hammond ... Emilie
Wally Thomas ... 1st cab driver
Roy Evans ... 2nd cab driver
Michael Miller ... Horgauer
Sylvia Brayshay ... Louise
Tracey Childs ... Johanna
Paola Dionisotti ... Porter's wife
Zoë Wanamaker ... Sophie
Polly James ... Soubrette

Baal Texts

7" Gatefold Slv. Inner Notes

Dusty and scabby after years on the road, this pair of asocial artists come back to the town and to the pub where Baal first sang. Business is flourishing there, but the ex-student and Baal's two discarded women have gone a long way downhill and lost whatever sensitivity and fastidiousness they once had. As Baal again sings - strongly as ever.

Eckart starts necking the more sodden of the two women, till in a fit of jealously Baal kills him.

The story ends with the hunted murderer disappearing into the forests and collapsing woth pneumonia in a woodcutters'camp. There he dies on his feet, still reaching for the sky.

Baal and Hammond

The play and the 5 songs from the play Bowie later recorded in Hansa Studios, Berlin with Tony Viscounti were both crtically well received. The public in the UK enjoyed what was never the most commercial of Bowie's releases with the EP getting into the Top 30.

Juliet Hammond featured and she was famous then on the back of her Secret Army fame. She seems to have retired from TV in the late 80s as it is very difficult to find news on her.

Baal EP Track listing

"Baal’s Hymn" (Brecht/Muldowney) – 4:02

"Remembering Marie A" (Traditional, adapted by Brecht/Muldowney) – 2:07

"Ballad of the Adventurers" (Brecht/Muldowney) – 2:01

"The Drowned Girl" (Brecht/Weill) – 2:26

"The Dirty Song" (Brecht/Muldowney) – 0:38

Bowie Baal Pages: amazon.co.uk (uk) | amazon.com (us)

Baal Petition

Feb. 2016: I read recently that the BBC no longer have a copy of Baal (1982) and, as such, no visual evidence exists of this, one of Bowie's finest performances on TV or Film. This I find extraordinary and really can't believe it until I remembered that the BBC had 'lost' or erased a lot of shows from the 1970s onwards and that alot retrieved was because Bob Monkhouse had privately videotaped alot of shows and plays seemingly for posterity.

For now, I've found someone has uploaded this onto YouTube. It appears they have videotaped it around the time it was on and have uploaded it. Thanks to whoever it is it means there is proof that the play actually took place and, though the quality is poor, it's better than nothing.

No doubt the BBC will be along at some point to have it taken down but they should really try to get this on DVD, repeated or released officially in some form, sooner rather than later. If they haven't got a copy they can work with then reach out and find someone who does. It shouldn't be too difficult. It's such an important work not only in Bowie's career but also as an English speaking intrepretation of Brecht's work.

So I've decided to set up a petition to ask the BBC to do something, anything, with Baal. Just e-mail me or send a blank e-mail here (ihuppert5@aol.com) and I'll pass all the names onto the BBC. Your e-mail addy and name will only be used for this - I won't pass it onto any third parties or use it as any kind of mailing list or contact you. Rather, if I get any info or joy from the BBC I'll put it here. Obviously, the more names I can get the more, I hope, the BBC will see that there is a market big enough to make a release worthwhile.

Paul Page

Baal

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