Early recording sessions for "Heathen" were by Bowie on guitars and keyboards, Visconti on bass, and Matt Chamberlain on drums. The trio recorded about forty songs, ranging from brief sketches to nearly-complete compositions. Additional recording sessions took place at several studios, and featured performances from newcomers and previous Bowie collaborators. Bowie regulars Carlos Alomar (guitar) and Sterling Campbell (drums) returned, as did The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who played the solo on "Slow Burn" and had earlier played guitar on "Because You're Young" from "Scary Monsters". Newcomers included Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess, pianist Kristeen Young, and prolific bassist Tony Levin of King Crimson. The song "I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship" contains the lowest note Bowie has ever sung on an album (G1).