David Bowie Cover of the Week: “Be My Wife” by Joe Hampson (updated)

Bowie’s album Low is considered innovative for many reasons, one of which is the drumming. I don’t know much about drumming, and the explanation that follows is derivative rather than based on my own observations, but what I can tell is that the star of Joe Hampson’s cover of “Be My Wife,” from that album, is his drumming.

So, here’s my attempt to explain why the drumming on Low is considered innovative. I’m paraphrasing other sources here, so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong: The drumming stands out due to its then-unconventional use of rhythm and sound, particularly through Dennis Davis’ inventive technique. Collaborating with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti, Davis (or was it Visconti?) used the Eventide Harmonizer to alter the pitch and delay of the drums, which Visconti described as “f***ing with the fabric of time.” This gave the percussion a warped, mechanical feel, setting a new standard for experimental production, later influencing much of 80s music. On “Be My Wife,” the drumming is more straightforward than on other tracks, featuring a steady, driving beat with a slightly disjointed feel. While it doesn’t prominently use the Harmonizer like “Sound and Vision,” the rhythmic simplicity, combined with the repetitive guitar riff and Bowie’s detached vocal delivery, aligns with the album’s minimalist and experimental aesthetic, making even the more restrained tracks part of Low’s boundary-pushing sound.

OK—drummers and Low historians—does that sound right? Great. Now, whatever else Joe Hampson is doing in his cover, he’s brought the drumming to the forefront, with his vocals almost in the background. The result gives his performance an ethereal quality that—go with me here—moves it a notch closer to the overall minimalist, ambient feel of Low than—gasp—the original!

Before you decide to never read anything on this blog again, I AM NOT SAYING THIS COVER IS BETTER THAN BOWIE’S! All I’m saying is that Bowie’s “Be My Wife,” while excellent, is probably the track least like the rest of Low, and I think Hampson is attempting to make it more cohesive with the rest of the album.

I can’t find much information on Hampson himself. His YouTube page has plenty of songs but not much background (including no contact information). The name is fairly common, so I couldn’t determine if he’s any of the other Joe Hampsons I found outside of YouTube (it doesn’t help that he’s wearing sunglasses in a black-and-white video). But I like what he’s doing here.

I also appreciate that Joe gives us something to watch—the video shows him (I think it’s all him) playing every instrument and singing. The fact that he’s doing everything signals that the decision to emphasize the drumming and push the vocals back was intentional. And it works.

If anyone knows Joe Hampson or knows how to reach him, let him know he was selected for “Cover of the Week!”

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Update: 8/20/24: Someone was able to figure out contact info for Joe— I’m glad we were able to connect and I look forward to hearing more from him!