Space Oddity (song)

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This article is about the song. For the album which includes this song, see David Bowie (1969 album).
"Space Oddity"
Single by David Bowie
from the album David Bowie (aka Space Oddity)
Released July 1969 (Original release)
1973 (US Reissue)
1975 (UK Reissue)
Format Vinyl record
Recorded Trident Studios, 20 June 1969 (1969-06-20)
Genre Psychedelic folk, space rock
Length 5:15
Label Philips (UK)
Mercury (U.S.)
RCA
Writer(s) David Bowie
Producer Gus Dudgeon
David Bowie singles chronology
"Love You Till Tuesday"
(1967)		 "Space Oddity"
(1969)		 "Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola"
(1969)


Music sample
"Space Oddity"
David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) track listing

Side 1

  1. "Space Oddity"
  2. "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed"
  3. "Don't Sit Down"
  4. "Letter to Hermione"
  5. "Cygnet Committee"

Side 2

  1. "Janine"
  2. "An Occasional Dream"
  3. "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud"
  4. "God Knows I'm Good"
  5. "Memory of a Free Festival"

"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a music single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; its title alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, released the previous year. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the failed British space programme.[1] The song appears on the album David Bowie (also known as Space Oddity). The BBC featured the song in its television coverage of the Apollo 11 launch and lunar landing, which took place in the days following the release of the song.

The song was awarded the 1969 Ivor Novello Award, together with Peter Sarstedt's "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?". "Space Oddity" became so well known that Bowie's second album, originally released as David Bowie in the UK (like his first album), was renamed after the track for its 1972 reissue by RCA Records, and has since become known by this name.

Bowie would later revisit his Major Tom character in the songs "Ashes to Ashes" and "Hallo Spaceboy". German singer Peter Schilling's 1983 hit "Major Tom (Coming Home)" is written as a sequel to the song.

The song uses the full major system.[2]

Contents

[edit] Recording and release

Following Bowie's split from record label Deram, his manager Kenneth Pitt negotiated a one-album deal (with options for a further one or two albums) with Mercury Records, and their UK subsidiary Philips in 1969. Next he tried to find a producer. George Martin turned the project down,[citation needed] while Tony Visconti liked the album demo-tracks, but considered the planned lead-off single, "Space Oddity", a gimmick track,[citation needed] and delegated its production to Gus Dudgeon. An early version of the song had appeared in Bowie's promotional film Love You Till Tuesday.

Following recording of a fresh version, the single was rush-released on 11 June 1969 to coincide with the Apollo 11 moon landing.[citation needed] It was promoted via advertisements for the Stylophone, played by Bowie on the record. Although they initially refused to give the song airplay, the BBC played it during their coverage of the Apollo 11 launch and lunar landing. This exposure finally gave Bowie a hit, reaching #5 in the chart. In the U.S, it stalled at 124.

Mogol wrote Italian lyrics, and Bowie recorded a new vocal, releasing the single "Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola" ("Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl") in Italy, reportedly to take attention away from covers by the Italian bands Equipe 84 and The Computers.

Upon its re-release as a single in 1973, the song reached #15 on the Billboard Chart and became Bowie's first hit single in America; in neighbouring Canada, it reached #16.[3] This was then used to support RCA's 1975 UK reissue, which gave Bowie his first #1 single in November.

A stripped-down version, originally performed on Kenny Everett's New Year's Eve Show was issued in February 1980 as the B-side of "Alabama Song".

The B-side, "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud", first appeared on CD on 1989's Sound + Vision.

On 20 July 2009, the single was reissued as a digital EP that features four previously-released versions of the song as well as stems allowing fans a chance to remix the song. It coincides with the 40th anniversary of the song and the Apollo 11 moon landing.

U2 has played the song, and used it as an opening, during their worldwide 2009/2010/2011 U2 360° Tour.[4]

"Space Oddity" was featured as one of the on-disc songs in the videogame Rock Band 3.

"Space Oddity" was also featured in the psychological thriller videogame, "Alan Wake" as the credits song.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by David Bowie.

1969 UK original
  1. "Space Oddity" – 4:33
  2. "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" – 3:52
1969 US original
  1. "Space Oddity" - 3:26
  2. "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" - 3:20
1973 US Reissue
  1. "Space Oddity" - 5:05
  2. "The Man Who Sold the World" - 3:53
1975 UK reissue
  1. "Space Oddity" – 5:15
  2. "Changes" – 3:33
  3. "Velvet Goldmine" – 3:10
2009 reissue (Digital EP)
  1. "Space Oddity" (Original UK mono single edit)
  2. "Space Oddity" (US mono single edit)
  3. "Space Oddity" (US stereo single edit)
  4. "Space Oddity" (1979 re-record)
  5. "Space Oddity" (Bass and Drums)
  6. "Space Oddity" (Strings)
  7. "Space Oddity" (Acoustic guitar)
  8. "Space Oddity" (Mellotron)
  9. "Space Oddity" (Backing vocal, flute and cellos)
  10. "Space Oddity" (Stylophone and guitar)
  11. "Space Oddity" (Lead vocal)
  12. "Space Oddity" (Main backing vocal including countdown)

[edit] Music video

In December 1972, Mick Rock shot a music video of Bowie performing the song during the sessions for Aladdin Sane, which was used to promote the January 1973 U.S. reissue on RCA.

[edit] Alternative covers

  • Bowiespace2.jpg

  • Italian version

  • 1975 Reissue

[edit] Personnel

Credits apply to 1969 original release:

Musical
Technical
  • Gus Dudgeon – record producer

[edit] Other versions

Alternate studio versions
  • (1980) on Alabama Song - An unplugged re-recording of the song.
  • (1989) on the Sound + Vision box set - The original demo recording of the song, as a duet.
Live versions
Remix versions
  • (2009) David Bowie vs The Go! Team - Space Storm, a mashup of "Space Oddity" and The Go! Team's instrumental track "The Ice Storm" as produced by French mash-up artist, ToToM.
Cover versions

[edit] References

  1. ^ David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story: pp.49–50
  2. ^ Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p.92. ISBN 9780300092394.
  3. ^ Library and Archives Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4836&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=rkfvvqhpd6r06taff65b0tais1
  4. ^ "Bono talks about U2's 360 Degree Tour in exclusive interview". Atu2.com. 2009-09-17. http://www.atu2.com/news/bono-talks-about-u2s-360-degree-tour-in-exclusive-interview.html. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
"I Only Have Eyes For You" by Art Garfunkel		 UK number-one single
8 November 1975 for two weeks		 Succeeded by
"D.I.V.O.R.C.E." by Billy Connolly

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Oddity_(song)&oldid=479200368"
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