![]() The song is set to a full arrangement, which was recorded on earth by producer Joe Corcoran and piano arranger Emm Gryner, but the vocals and guitar were recorded in space. Looking for more? Discover the story behind David Bowie’s debut album.Hadfield is ending his five month mission aboard the International Space Station and chose to cover the classic Bowie song as his final goodbye. In May 2013, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, commander of Expedition 35 to the International Space Station, recorded a version in space that went viral – dedicated to the “genius of David Bowie.” This masterpiece has continued to influence society into the 21st Century.Ĭover versions have been recorded by artists as diverse as Sheryl Crow, Def Leppard, Tangerine Dream, and William Shatner. “Space Oddity,” the atmospheric tale of an abandoned astronaut orbiting Earth, remains one of the most quirky and poignant songs of the late 60s. I have often put myself in situations where I am isolated so I can write about that,” said Bowie. “Thematically, I have always dealt with alienation and isolation. He would later revisit his Major Tom character in the songs “Ashes To Ashes” and “Hallo Spaceboy,” and the music video for “★.” “Of course, I was overjoyed that they did.” “I have always dealt with alienation and isolation”īowie said that most people presumed the song was written about the space landing, without knowing the original inspiration of Kubrick’s film. “I’m sure they really weren’t listening to the lyric at all,” said Bowie later. The BBC played “Space Oddity” during their coverage of the Apollo 11 landing. The song was released on July 11th, just over a week before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped foot on the Moon. “It was clear from this first ‘public’ outing of the song that David Bowie had composed something extraordinary,” said Pitt.īowie subsequently demoed further versions of the song in an attempt to secure a record deal, which led ultimately to the hit version that was recorded on June 20, 1969, made with Elton John’s producer Gus Dudgeon. A DVD of the film was released in 2005.Ĭlick to load video “It was clear that he had composed something extraordinary”ĭespite the disappointment over the film’s non-release, Pitt was convinced that the 22-year-old Bowie had created a truly special song about a fictional astronaut. This version of “Space Oddity” is owned by Decca Records, after Pitt sold the rights to Love You Till Tuesday to PolyGram that year. In the end, the film was shelved and was only eventually publicly released as a video in 1984. Thomson, who wanted to make the scenes considerably more risqué. As Bowie was rehearsing the final scene, where the astronaut is caressed by two space seductresses – played by Samantha Bond and the production assistant Suzanne Mercer – Pitt clashed with director Malcolm J. During the recording session, the guitarist sang the “ground control” sections while Bowie sang as Major Tom.Īll did not go smoothly that day, however. It is a duet song, ‘Ground control to Major Tom,’” Hutchinson later told, in an interview to promote his biography Hutch And Bowie. “David wrote ‘Space Oddity’ for the two of us to sing. ![]() Bowie had picked him out at an audition a couple of years before. The promotional film was an attempt by Pitt to bring Bowie to a wider audience.īowie was playing alongside Yorkshire-born guitarist John “Hutch” Hutchinson, who had been touring with Bowie as part of a duo called Feathers. The film had been suggested by Günther Schneider, producer of German TV show 4-3-2-1 Musik Für Junge Leute. In February 1969, Bowie went to Morgan Sound Studios on Willesden High Road to record a 28-minute film called Love You Till Tuesday, the title of a song Bowie had recorded for Decca in 1967. It got the song flowing.” “David wrote ‘Space Oddity’ for the two of us to sing” “I was out of my gourd anyway, I was very stoned when I went to see it, several times, and it was really a revelation to me. “I found amazing,” Bowie told Performing Songwriter magazine in 2003. Bowie began writing “Space Oddity” six months after seeing the movie, which came out in UK cinemas in May 1968. David Bowman, who was played by Keir Dullea in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Bowie’s iconic character Major Tom was based on director Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Space travel dominated popular culture in the late 60s, ahead of the first mission to land on the Moon. ![]() Click to load video “I was out of my gourd… it got the song flowing”
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