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"Space Oddity"
Cover of the 1969 Dutch and Italian single
Single by David Bowie
from the album David Bowie
B-side"Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud"
Released11 July 1969 (1969-07-11)
Recorded20 June 1969
StudioTrident, London
Genre
Length
  • 5:15 (album version)
  • 4:33 (UK single edit)
  • 3:26 (US single edit)
Label
  • Philips (1969 UK release)
  • Mercury (1969 US release)
  • RCA (1972 US reissue & 1975 UK reissue)
SongwriterDavid Bowie
ProducerGus Dudgeon
David Bowie singles chronology
"Love You till Tuesday"
(1967) 		"Space Oddity"
(1969) 		"The Prettiest Star"
(1970)
Music video
"Space Oddity" on YouTube

"Space Oddity" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips and Mercury Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album, David Bowie. Produced by Gus Dudgeon and recorded at Trident Studios in London, it is a tale about a fictional astronaut named Major Tom; its title and subject matter were partly inspired by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Bowie's feelings of alienation at that point in his career. Its sound departed from the music hall of his debut album to psychedelic folk inspired by the Bee Gees; it was one of the most musically complex compositions he had written up to that point.

The song was rush-released as a single to capitalise on the Apollo 11 Moon landing. It received critical praise and was used by the BBC as background music during its coverage of the event. It initially sold poorly but soon reached number five in the UK, becoming Bowie's first and only chart hit for another three years. Reissues by RCA Records became Bowie's first US hit in 1972, and his first UK number-one in 1975. He re-recorded an acoustic version in 1979. Several promotional videos were produced for the song, including a 1972 one filmed by Mick Rock. It was a mainstay during Bowie's concerts until 1990, after which it was played sporadically until 2002. Bowie revisited the Major Tom character in later singles, notably the sequel song "Ashes to Ashes" (1980).

A range of artists have covered "Space Oddity" and others have released songs that reference Major Tom. A 2013 cover by the astronaut Chris Hadfield gained widespread attention; its music video was the first filmed in space. The song has appeared in numerous films and television series, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). In 2019, Tony Visconti remixed Bowie's original recording to mark its 50th anniversary, with a new music video directed by Tim Pope. In later decades, "Space Oddity" is considered one of Bowie's finest recordings and remains one of his most popular songs. It has appeared in numerous "best-of" lists, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Background and writing

[edit]

Following a string of unsuccessful singles, David Bowie released his music hall-influenced self-titled debut studio album through Deram Records in 1967. The album was a commercial failure and did little to gain Bowie notice, leading to his departure from Deram in May 1968 and becoming his last release for two years.[1][2][3] After its commercial failure, Bowie's new manager Kenneth Pitt authorised the production of a promotional film in an attempt to introduce Bowie to a larger audience. The film, Love You till Tuesday, went unreleased until 1984; it marked the end of Pitt's mentorship of Bowie.[4][5]

The publicity image of a spaceman at work is of an automaton rather than a human being ... and my Major Tom is nothing if not a human being. It came from a feeling of sadness about this aspect of the space thing, it has been dehumanized, so I wrote a song-farce about it, to try and relate science and human emotion. I suppose it's an antidote to space fever, really.[6]

—David Bowie discussing the writing of "Space Oddity", 1969

By the end of 1968, Bowie had begun to feel alienation from his career. Knowing Love You till Tuesday did not have a guaranteed audience and would not feature any new material, Pitt asked Bowie to write something new to "demonstrate David's remarkable inventiveness".[7][8] Bowie wrote "Space Oddity", a tale about a fictional astronaut named Major Tom.[6] Its title and subject matter were influenced by Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey,[9][10] which premiered in May 1968.[8] Bowie said, "I went stoned out of my mind to see the movie and it really freaked me out, especially the trip passage".[11] Other events in Bowie's life influenced the writing of "Space Oddity", including seeing the Apollo 8 Earthrise photograph in January 1969[12] and his break-up with the dancer Hermione Farthingale the following month.[6] He later said, "It was Hermione who got me writing for and on a specific person".[13] The biographer Marc Spitz stated Bowie's feelings of loneliness and heartache following the break-up inspired "Space Oddity".[13]

One of the first people to hear "Space Oddity" was Calvin Mark Lee, the head of A&R at Mercury Records in London.[5] Lee considered the song "otherworldly" and knew it was Bowie's ticket to be signed by the label.[14] The head of Mercury, Lou Reizner, was unimpressed with Bowie's output and was unwilling to sign him.[5][15] Eager to sign Bowie, Lee, without Reizner's knowledge, financed a demo session for "Space Oddity". Lee later told Spitz: "We had to do it all behind Lou's back. But it was such a good record."[16]

Composition

[edit]

Lyrics

[edit]

"Space Oddity" tells the story of an astronaut named Major Tom, the first of Bowie's famous characters.[17] Major Tom is informed by Ground Control that a malfunction has occurred in his spacecraft; but the astronaut does not get the message.[17] He remains in space "sitting in a tin can, far above the world",[18] preparing for his lonely death.[10] In 1969, Bowie compared Major Tom's fate to the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey, saying: "At the end of the song Major Tom is completely emotionless and expresses no view at all about where he's at. He's fragmenting ... at the end of the song his mind is completely blown – he's everything then."[6] The authors David Buckley and Peter Doggett comment on the unusual vocabulary in the lyrics, such as "Ground Control" rather than "Mission Control", "space ship" rather than "rocket", "engines on" rather than "ignition", and the "unmilitary combination" of rank and first name for the character.[19][20]

Bowie's biographers have provided different interpretations of the lyrics. According to Doggett, the lyrics authentically reflect Bowie's mind and thoughts at the time. He writes that Bowie shone a light on the way advertisers and the media seek to own a stake in a lonely man in space while he himself is exiled from Earth.[20] Chris O'Leary said the song is a "moonshot-year prophecy" that humans are not fit for space evolution and the sky is the limit.[8] Similarly, James E. Perone views Major Tom acting as a "literal character" and a "metaphor" for individuals who are unaware of, or do not make an effort to learn, what the world is.[17] In 2004, the American feminist critic Camille Paglia identified the lyrics as representing the counterculture of the 1960s, stating, "As his psychedelic astronaut, Major Tom, floats helplessly into outer space, we sense that the '60s counterculture has transmuted into a hopelessness about political reform ('Planet Earth is blue / And there's nothing I can do')".[19]

Music

[edit]

"Space Oddity" has been characterised as a psychedelic folk[21] and folk rock[22] ballad.[23] It represented Bowie's new interest in acoustic music since joining the experimental trio Feathers.[7][24] Nicholas Pegg and Doggett compare the song's style, structure, lyrics and arrangement to those of the Bee Gees' 1967 single "New York Mining Disaster 1941", which has similar minor chords and chorus. Hutchinson later stated: "'Space Oddity' was a Bee Gees type song. David knew it, and he said so at the time ... the way he sang it, it's a Bee Gees thing."[7][24]

"Space Oddity" is one of the most complex songs Bowie had written up to that point. He storyboarded each section, all leading into the next until completion.[8] According to O'Leary, in a little over five minutes, the song includes "a faded-in intro, a 12-bar solo verse, a 'liftoff' sequence, a duet verse, a bridge, a two-bar acoustic guitar break, a six-bar guitar solo, a third verse, another bridge, break and solo, and a 'Day in the Life'-style outro to the fade".[8] Bowie stated in 2002 he was "keen on ... writing in such a way that it would lead me into leading some kind of rock musical".[8]

Although primarily in the key of C major,[25] the song has a variety of chord changes and resonances that aid in telling the story. The intro has a pairing of F major7/E and E minor, while the first verse alternates between C major and E minor. The guitar harmonises E and B while on Stylophone, Bowie "drones" C and B.[8] A D major chord plays on the line "God's love be with you" during the pre-liftoff countdown sequence. In the second verse, an E7 chord on the line "really made the grade" counteracts the overall key of C major. O'Leary said this change "brightens" the song.[8] The bridge's "planet Earth is blue" has a standard folk-style descending progression; (B♭ major 9th/A minor add9/G major add9/F). According to O'Leary, the B♭ major9 chord "ratifies Major Tom's choice (or doom) to stay out in space". The acoustic-guitar break has a C–F–G–A–A note sequence with the two A notes emphasised.[8]

Recording

[edit]

Initial demos and first studio version

[edit]

One of the first demos of "Space Oddity", recorded in January 1969, differs greatly from the album version, including unused vocal harmonies and different lyrics. Rather than the softly spoken "lift-off", an American-accented "blast-off!" is present. "I'm floating in a most peculiar way" is replaced with "Can I please get back inside now, if I may?"[24] The demo also includes the later-revised lines:[24]

And I think my spaceship knows what I must do
And I think my life on Earth is nearly through
Ground Control to Major Tom,
you're off your course, direction's wrong.

The demo's instrumentation uses only acoustic guitar and Stylophone, which were played by John Christopher 'Hutch' Hutchinson and Bowie, respectively.[8] Bowie had used the Stylophone, a recently released electronic instrument that was mainly marketed to children, to compose the song's melody.[7] Both Bowie and Hutchinson sang vocals.

Bowie and Hutchinson recorded further acoustic demos of "Space Oddity",[24] including a performance of the song on a promotional demo tape recorded for Mercury executives in March[26] or April[8][5] 1969.

The first full studio version of "Space Oddity", which was for Love You till Tuesday, was recorded on 2 February 1969 at Morgan Studios, London. At this point, the lyrics were finalised. The session was produced by Jonathan Weston; Bowie and Hutchinson were joined by Colin Wood on Hammond organ, Mellotron and flute; Dave Clague on bass and Tat Meager on drums.[27] As in the early demos, Bowie and Hutchinson shared lead vocals, with Bowie voicing Major Tom's dialogue and Hutchinson singing Ground Control's lines. Bowie also played an ocarina solo. Pegg calls this version significantly inferior to the David Bowie recording.[24][8]

Album version

[edit]

In those days a gimmick was a big deal and people who had gimmicks were taken more seriously than those who hadn't. Bowie's was that he'd written a song about being in space at a time when the first US moonshot was about to take place. I listened to the demo and thought it was incredible. I couldn't believe that Tony didn't want to do it.[28]

—Gus Dudgeon

In June 1969, Pitt negotiated a one-album deal, with options for a further one or two albums, with Mercury Records and its UK subsidiary Philips.[29] Mercury executives had heard one of the "Space Oddity" demos earlier in 1969. After Beatles' producer George Martin turned down the project,[30] Pitt hired Tony Visconti, who produced Bowie's later Deram sessions. "Space Oddity" had been selected as the lead single in advance.[31] Visconti, however, saw it as a "novelty record" and "a gimmick to cash in on the moonshot". He declined to produce the song, passing production responsibility to Bowie's former engineer Gus Dudgeon; Visconti produced the rest of the album.[31][32] On hearing Bowie's demo, Dudgeon said it was "unbelievable"; he and Bowie planned "every detail" of the recording.[33]

Work on the album version of "Space Oddity" and its B-side, "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud", began at Trident Studios in London on 20 June 1969.[31] Mercury insisted the single was released the following month, ahead of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.[34] The guitarist Mick Wayne of the British band Junior's Eyes and the keyboardist Rick Wakeman were brought on at Visconti's suggestion, while the composer Paul Buckmaster was hired to arrange the orchestra,[33] which consisted of eight violins, two violas, two cellos, two arco basses, two flutes and an organ.[35] Buckmaster advised Bowie to focus on creating the overall sound rather than the narrative.[35] Dudgeon hired the bassist Herbie Flowers and the drummer Terry Cox of the folk band Pentangle,[36] while Bowie played acoustic guitar and Stylophone.[8][31][35] Bowie later said he added the Stylophone at Marc Bolan's suggestion; "[Bolan] said, you like this kind of stuff, do something with it. And I put it on 'Space Oddity', so it served me well."[37] Bowie fell ill with conjunctivitis and overdubs were completed a few days later.[34]

Dudgeon outlined a plan for the Stylophone and Mellotron parts by scribbling notes on paper, later telling the biographer Paul Trynka: "When we hit that studio we knew exactly what we wanted – no other sound would do."[33][36] At one point, Wayne thought he had finished his guitar take early so he began retuning one of the strings. Dudgeon liked the warped effect of the retuning and asked Wayne to repeat it on the next take.[33] Wakeman recorded his part in two takes after hearing the demo once;[35] he later said; "it was one of half a dozen occasions where it made the hair stand up on your neck and you know you're involved in something special. 'Space Oddity' was the first time it ever happened to me". Cox also felt a sense of excitement after the session finished.[33]

The session cost £500.[28] Dudgeon was paid £100 for his work on the two songs;[38] in June 2002, he instigated a lawsuit against Bowie claiming he did not receive the agreed two per cent of royalties for "Space Oddity". Dudgeon intended to sue for a settlement of £1 million; the suit, however, was halted after Dudgeon's death in a car accident the following month.[24] Dudgeon had told Buckley he felt "Space Oddity" was among the finest work of Bowie's career.[39]

Mixing

[edit]

"Space Oddity" was mixed in both mono and stereo formats,[40] a rarity for radio singles at the time.[28] Wakeman later said it was Bowie's idea to mix it in both formats: "To the best of my knowledge nobody released stereo singles at that time, and they pointed that out to David ... and I can remember David saying, 'That's why this one will be stereo!' And he just stood his ground ... he wasn't being awkward, but he had a vision of how things should be."[41] The biographer Kevin Cann said stereo copies were given to the media and radio stations while mono copies were given to retailers.[40] According to Pegg, the stereo single was sold only in specific territories, including Italy and the Netherlands; the mono single appeared in both Britain and America.[41]

Release and promotion

[edit]
A UK single
"Space Oddity" 1969 UK single

"Space Oddity" was released as a 7-inch (18 cm) single on 11 July 1969, with "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" as the B-side, by Philips in the UK and Mercury in the US.[42][43] In some territories, the single's sleeve included a photograph of Bowie playing an acoustic guitar, a rarity for singles at the time.[41] The label rush-released the single to capitalise on the Apollo 11 Moon mission,[41][44] which was launched five days later.[10] According to Bowie: "It was picked up by British television and used as the background music for the landing itself in Britain ... Though I'm sure they really weren't listening to the lyric at all; it wasn't a pleasant thing to juxtapose against a moon landing. Of course, I was overjoyed that they did."[28] Upon realising the dark lyrics, the BBC ceased playing it until the Apollo 11 crew safely returned home.[44][45]

Shortly after its release, "Space Oddity" received some glowing reviews. Penny Valentine of Disc and Music Echo predicted the record was "going to knock back everyone senseless",[46] and named "Space Oddity" the magazine's record of the year.[47] In Melody Maker, Chris Welch wrote: "This Bee Geeian piece of music and poetry is beautifully written, sung and performed. Strangely, it could be a hit and escalate Bowie to the top."[40] Record World said it's "a blastoff set to music, and it's haunting and eerie and right on the dot."[48] Despite the positive reviews and Pitt's attempts at chart rigging, the single initially failed to sell.[49] In September 1969, it debuted at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart.[49] Mercury's publicist Ron Oberman wrote a letter to American journalists describing "Space Oddity" as "one of the greatest recordings I've ever heard. If this already controversial single gets the airplay, it's going to be a huge hit".[44] In the US, it peaked at 124 on the Billboard Hot 100.[44] Pitt attributed its poor performance to Oberman's use of the word "controversial" in his statement, which caused it to be banned by US radio stations.[50]

The single's chart placement in the UK earned Bowie a number of television appearances in the latter half of 1969, starting with a performance on Dutch television show Doebidoe on 25 August 1969 (broadcast on 30 August). For his first appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops on 2 October,[51] Bowie was filmed in a separate studio so his image could be interspersed with NASA space footage. He played Stylophone and guitar over backing tracks prepared by Dudgeon, who was in charge of synchronising the BBC Orchestra to the backing track. Dudgeon said in 1991 that it was a "nightmare", having only been given enough time for only two takes, the second of which had a tighter orchestra but sloppy cohesion between the space footage and Bowie.[52] The performance, broadcast on 9 October, helped "Space Oddity" reach a new chart placement of number five by early November.[51] Bowie gave additional performances on Germany's 4-3-2-1 Musik Für Junge Leute on 22 October (broadcast on 22 November) and Switzerland's Hits A-Go-Go on 3 November.[51] Bowie was named 1969's Best Newcomer in a readers' poll for Music Now![47] On 10 May 1970, Bowie performed "Space Oddity" at the Ivor Novello Awards, where he was awarded with Most Original Song.[53][54]

"Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola" cover

Philips released David Bowie in the UK on 14 November 1969, with "Space Oddity" as the opening track.[55] According to the biographer Christopher Sandford, despite the commercial success of "Space Oddity", the remainder of the album bears little resemblance to it, resulting in its commercial failure on its initial release,[56] selling just over 5,000 copies by March 1970.[47] In mid-December 1969, Philips requested a new version of "Space Oddity" with Italian lyrics after learning that one had already been recorded in Italy. Pitt thought the idea was "ridiculous" and said, "it was explained to us that 'Space Oddity' could not be translated into Italian in a way that the Italians could understand".[50][57] The Italian version was recorded on 20 December at Morgan Studios with the accent coach and producer Claudio Fabi producing and lyrics translated by the Italian lyricist Mogol. This version, titled "Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola" (transl. "Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl"),[49] was released as a single in Italy in 1970 and failed to chart.[50][57][58]

Bowie did not have another hit after "Space Oddity" until the release of "Starman" in 1972.[44] In his book The Complete David Bowie, Pegg opines that "Space Oddity" was destined to be remembered only as a novelty hit, as the year 1969 was full of similar tunes, from the Scaffold's "Lily the Pink" to Rolf Harris's "Two Little Boys". Additionally, numerous space-themed songs had already charted by 1969, including Zager and Evans's "In the Year 2525", which was a UK number one in the three weeks immediately before "Space Oddity"'s entry into the top 40. Pegg argues that only later did Bowie's song "transcend" the novelty hit to be regarded as a "genuine classic".[51]

Rereleases

[edit]

["Space Oddity" was] a very good song that possibly I wrote a bit too early because I hadn't anything else substantial [to follow it] at the time.[51]

—David Bowie, 1983

Following the commercial breakthrough of Bowie's fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972, Bowie's then-label RCA Records undertook a reissue campaign for his Mercury albums that included repackaging David Bowie with the title Space Oddity.[59] To promote this release, RCA rereleased "Space Oddity" as a single, with "The Man Who Sold the World" as the B-side, on 13 December 1972 in North America only.[60][12] The single reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Bowie's first hit single in the country.[51] In Canada, it reached number 16 and was his third single on the charts there.[61] Record World said of the reissued single that "this disc is a winner from liftoff to fade".[62] RCA again reissued the song in the UK on 26 September 1975 as a maxi single with two B-sides:[8] 1971's "Changes" and the then-unreleased 1972 outtake "Velvet Goldmine".[63] The UK reissue became Bowie's first number-one single in the country in November.[51]

In September 1979,[8] Bowie re-recorded "Space Oddity" for the ITV New Year special Will Kenny Everett Ever Make It to 1980? Show. The idea came from the show's director, David Mallet. Bowie recalled:

I agreed as long as I could do it again without all its trappings and do it strictly with three instruments. Having played it with just an acoustic guitar on stage early on, I was always surprised at how powerful it was just as a song, without all the strings and synthesisers. I really wanted to do it as a three-piece song.[8][64]

Visconti produced this new version, which solely featured acoustic guitar, bass, drums and piano.[64] The new recording has a number of differences from the original; the liftoff sequence was replaced with 12 seconds of silence and a snare drum fade-out ends the song. O'Leary said while the original "Space Oddity" ends "unresolved", the 1979 version leaves empty space.[8] This version was issued on 15 February 1980 as the B-side of the single "Alabama Song",[65] which Visconti later said was "never meant" to occur.[8][64] The 1979 recording was released in a remixed form in 1992 on the Rykodisc reissue of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps),[64][65] and in 2017 on Re:Call 3, part of the compilation A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982).[66]

In July 2009, EMI issued the digital-only extended play (EP) "Space Oddity 40th Anniversary EP" to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original single. The EP includes the original UK and US mono single edits, the 1979 re-recording and eight stem tracks that isolate the lead vocal, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, string, bass and drums, flute and cellos, Mellotron and Stylophone. These stem tracks are accompanied with a mobile app that allows users to create their own remixes. Pegg said the EP "provid[es] a fascinating insight into the component sounds of a classic recording".[67] In 2015, the original UK mono single edit was included on Re:Call 1, as part of the box set Five Years (1969–1973).[68][69] The song's 50th anniversary was marked on 12 July 2019 by the release of digital and vinyl singles of a new remix of the song by Tony Visconti. The vinyl version was issued in a box set that also includes the original UK mono single edit.[70][71]

[edit]

Several demo versions of "Space Oddity" have been commercially released.[44] Two early demos, including a fragment that may be the first-recorded demo of the song, were released for the first time in April 2019 on the box set Spying Through a Keyhole.[72] Another early demo appeared on the 2009 two-CD special edition of David Bowie[73] and was debuted on vinyl in May 2019 in the box set Clareville Grove Demos.[74] An edited version of the March/April 1969 demo originally appeared as the opening track on the 1989 box set Sound + Vision.[75] The unedited recording was released in June 2019 on the album The 'Mercury' Demos.[76] All the abovementioned demos and another previously unreleased one were compiled for the 5-CD box set Conversation Piece, which was released in November 2019.[77][78] The February 1969 studio recording became commercially available in 1984 on a VHS release of the film Love You till Tuesday and its accompanying soundtrack album.[58] A shorter edit appeared on the 1997 compilation album The Deram Anthology 1966–1968[79] and an alternative take was released for the first time on Conversation Piece.[80]

Live versions

[edit]

"Space Oddity" remained a concert staple and a live favourite throughout Bowie's career.[81] Bowie played the song for BBC Radio 1's Johnny Walker Lunchtime Show on 22 May 1972 but the recording was not broadcast;[82] it was eventually released on the compilations BBC Sessions 1969–1972 (Sampler) (1996) and Bowie at the Beeb (2000).[82][83] For the session, Bowie inserted "I'm just a rocket man!" between verses;[51] Elton John had recently released "Rocket Man", a song also about an astronaut and also produced by Gus Dudgeon.[84]

A live rendition of "Space Oddity", recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 20 October 1972 during the Ziggy Stardust Tour, was first released on the bootleg Santa Monica '72 (1994) before becoming officially available in 2008 on Live Santa Monica '72.[85] Another performance, recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 3 July 1973,[86] was released on Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture (1983).[87] During the 1974 Diamond Dogs Tour, Bowie sang "Space Oddity" while being raised and lowered above the stage by a cherry picker crane and used a radio microphone that was disguised as a telephone.[88] A July 1974 performance of the song was released on the 2005 reissue of David Live while a September performance from the same tour was released in 2017 on Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74).[89][90]

A concert performance that was recorded on 12 September 1983 was included on the live album Serious Moonlight (Live '83), released as part of the 2018 box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) and separately the following year.[91] The same performance appears on the concert video Serious Moonlight (1984).[92] Bowie effectively retired the song from live performances during his 1990 Sound+Vision Tour, after which he sang it on a few occasions, most notably closing his 50th birthday party concert in January 1997 with a solo performance on acoustic guitar; this version was released on a limited edition CD-ROM that was issued with Variety magazine in March 1999.[93] He then performed it at the Tibet House US benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in February 2002; this new version includes an orchestra conducted by Visconti, with string arrangements played by Scorchio and Kronos Quartet. Bowie's final performance of "Space Oddity" was at Denmark's Horsens Festival during the 2002 Heathen Tour.[67]

Music videos

[edit]

Multiple music videos for "Space Oddity" exist. The first, for the Love You till Tuesday version of the song, was filmed at Clarence Studios from 6–7 February 1969. In it, Bowie plays both the tee-shirt-wearing Ground Control character and Major Tom, who wears a silver suit, a blue visor and a breast plate.[94] RCA used this clip to promote the September 1975 UK single reissue.[51]

A red-haired man with a guitar against a red backdrop
Bowie in the 1972 music video for the song. His performance reflected his disinterest in the video.

To promote the December 1972 US reissue, a new promotional video was created at RCA's New York studios by the photographer Mick Rock. In this video, Bowie mimes to the song with a guitar.[60] Bowie later said:

I really hadn't much clue why we were doing this, as I had moved on in my mind from the song, but I suppose the record company were re-releasing it again or something like that. Anyway, I know I was disinterested in the proceedings and it shows in my performance. Mick's video is good, though.[51]

Another video, for the 1979 version, debuted in the UK in December 1979 on the Will Kenny Everett Ever Make It to 1980? Show,[8] and in the US on Dick Clark's Salute to the Seventies.[95] A fourth video, directed by Tim Pope, was created for the 2019 remix of the song to promote the box set Conversation Piece. It combines footage from Bowie's 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden with backdrop footage the choreographer Édouard Lock filmed for the 1990 Sound+Vision Tour.[96] The video premiered at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and at Times Square in New York City on 20 July, and uploaded to YouTube hours later.[44][97]

Legacy

[edit]

Major Tom

[edit]

Bowie continued the story of the Major Tom character in the single "Ashes to Ashes", from Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980).[98][99] In the song, Major Tom is described as a "junkie" who is "strung out in heaven's high, hitting an all time low"[100] but Ground Control still believes he is doing as well as he was ten years prior. The song has been interpreted as Bowie's confrontation of his past; after years of drug addiction in the 1970s, he used those struggles as a metaphor for Major Tom becoming a drug addict.[101] The song's music video reuses visual elements from the December 1979 television performance of "Space Oddity".[81][102]

Major Tom was revisited again in the 1996 Pet Shop Boys remix of the single "Hallo Spaceboy", from Outside (1995).[103] The idea for the song came from Pet Shop Boys member Neil Tennant, who informed Bowie he would be adding "Space Oddity"-related lines to the remix. Although Bowie was hesitant at first, he accepted. The lines in the remix read: "Ground to Major, bye-bye Tom / Dead the circuit, countdown's wrong".[104]

Major Tom may have influenced the music video for Bowie's 2015 single "Blackstar", the title track from his final album Blackstar (2016).[105] The video, a surreal, ten-minute short film directed by Johan Renck, depicts a woman with a tail (Elisa Lasowski),[106] who discovers a dead astronaut and takes his jewel-encrusted skull to an ancient, otherworldly town. While the astronaut's bones float towards a solar eclipse, a circle of women perform a ritual with the skull in the town's centre.[107] Renck initially refused to confirm or deny that the astronaut in the video is Major Tom but later said on a BBC documentary it was "100% Major Tom" to him.[108]

Retrospective acclaim

[edit]

"Space Oddity" remains one of Bowie's most-popular songs[17][58] and has frequently been listed by publications as one of his greatest.[109] In 2015, Mojo magazine rated it Bowie's 23rd-best track in a list of his 100 greatest songs.[110] Following Bowie's death in 2016, Rolling Stone named "Space Oddity" one of the 30 most-essential songs of his catalogue.[111] A year later, the staff of Consequence of Sound voted it Bowie's tenth-best track.[112] In 2017, NME readers voted "Space Oddity" Bowie's seventh-best[113] while the publication's staff placed it at number 18 in a list of Bowie's 40 best songs.[114]

The Guardian's Alexis Petridis voted "Space Oddity" number 25 in his list of Bowie's 50 greatest songs, writing: "Bowie perfectly inhabits its mood of blank-eyed, space-age alienation".[115] In 2020, Tom Eames of Smooth Radio listed "Space Oddity" as Bowie's fifth-greatest song.[116] Ultimate Classic Rock listed it as Bowie's greatest song in 2016. Spencer Kaufman wrote: "The song was revolutionary for its time, musically and lyrically, and helped introduce the masses to one of the most dynamic and creative music acts we will ever know."[117] In a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best, the publication placed "Space Oddity" at number four.[118]

"Space Oddity" has appeared on numerous best-of lists. In a 2000 list compiling the 100 greatest rock songs, VH1 placed "Space Oddity" at number 60.[119] In 2012, Consequence of Sound included it in their list of the 100 greatest top songs of all time, ranking it number 43.[120] In lists ranking the greatest songs of the 1960s, NME ranked "Space Oddity" at number 20,[121] Pitchfork at number 48,[122] Paste at number three[123] and Treble at number two.[124] In 2021, Rolling Stone placed "Space Oddity" at number 189 in their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The magazine stated that as Bowie's first hit, it "offer[ed] just a glimpse of the ever-evolving star he would become".[125] Several publications, including Mojo (39),[126] NME (67),[127] and Sounds (41),[128] have also listed "Space Oddity" as one of the greatest singles of all time. Channel 4 and The Guardian similarly ranked it the 27th-greatest British number-one single in 1997[129] while NME ranked it number 26 in their 2012 list of the greatest number-one singles in history.[130]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included "Space Oddity" in their list of "The 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".[131][132] The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.[133]

Track listing

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All songs written by David Bowie.

Personnel

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Charts and certifications

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Cover versions and appearances in media

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"Space Oddity" has been covered by numerous artists, including Rick Wakeman and Terry Cox's band Pentangle; both men were performers on the original recording.[81] One of Bowie's favourite versions was a recording by the Langley Schools Music Project, a 60-voice choir of Canadian children, recorded in the late 1970s and reissued on CD in 2002. Bowie said: "The backing arrangement is astounding. Coupled with the earnest if lugubrious vocal performance, you have a piece of art that I couldn't have conceived of, even with half of Colombia's finest export products in me."[81] In 1977, David Matthews covered the song, which was later sampled by MF DOOM for his 2004 song "Rapp Snitch Knishes".[173] Other artists have written songs that reference or develop the story of "Space Oddity";[81] these include Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (1983),[58][44] Def Leppard's "Rocket" (1987), and Panic on the Titanic's "Major Tom" (1993).[81] In 1984, the English singer-songwriter Jonathan King released a mashup of "Space Oddity" together with Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" titled "Space Oddity / Major Tom (Coming Home)", which reached number 77 on the UK Singles Chart in May.[174]

"Space Oddity" has been heard and referenced in numerous films and television series, including the American sitcom Friends, the British series EastEnders and Shooting Stars, and the films Mr. Deeds (2002), The Mother (2003) and C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005).[81] The original single version is heard on the soundtrack of the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and a 2015 episode of the American drama series Mad Men. It was also featured in a 2011 Renault Clio commercial and played on the radio of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster during its launch aboard the Falcon Heavy's maiden flight in February 2018.[81][175]

A headshot of a man with gray hair and glasses
"Space Oddity" appears in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, directed by Ben Stiller (pictured at a premiere of the film on the left).

"Space Oddity" plays a pivotal role in the 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in which Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is frequently referred to as "Major Tom" for daydreaming while at work.[176] The song is featured in a scene in which Mitty decides to leap onto a helicopter after imagining his coworker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) singing the song. For the scene, Wiig's vocal was mixed into Bowie's original track.[81] Stiller said about the importance of "Space Oddity" in the scene:

I felt like the way it fits into the story, we got to this point and this scene which was sort of how the fantasy and reality come together for Walter, and that was what that came out of. That song, and what he mentioned in his head, and what he imagines and what he does, it all just seemed to come together over that song.[177]

"Space Oddity" was played throughout the opening montage for the 2017 film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, which showed humans making contact with extraterrestrial life. The director Luc Besson timed the sequences of the scene to the song's guitar chords, which took many hours, and the bass riff was used to signify humanity's first contact with aliens. The opening sequence had originally been storyboarded with the intention of 'Space Oddity' being played in the background, with Besson saying "It's almost a music video; I matched the song to the image." Besson previously worked with Bowie on Arthur and the Invisibles (2006), and the singer agreed to allow Besson to use "Space Oddity" in Valerian, although Bowie died before the film was released.[178]

Chris Hadfield version

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An older man playing an acoustic guitar
Hadfield performing "Space Oddity" at the 2016 Starmus Festival.

In May 2013, the Canadian astronaut and artist Chris Hadfield, commander of Expedition 35 to the International Space Station (ISS), recorded a video of "Space Oddity" while stationed on the ISS that went viral and generated media coverage.[179] It was the first music video to be recorded in space.[180] In the video, filmed towards the end of Hadfield's time on the ISS, Hadfield sang and played guitar while floating around the space station. On Earth, Joe Corcoran produced and mixed the backing track with a piano arrangement by the multi-instrumentalist Emm Gryner, who worked with Bowie during his 1999–2000 concert tours. Gryner said she was "so proud to be a part of it".[67]

The lyrics were somewhat altered; rather than losing communication with Ground Control and being lost in space as a result, Major Tom receives his orders to land and does so safely, reflecting Hadfield's imminent return from his final mission to the ISS. The song also mentions the Soyuz spacecraft that Hadfield travelled in. Hadfield announced the video on his Twitter account: "With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here's Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World."[181] Bowie's social media team responded to the video, tweeting back to Hadfield, "Hallo Spaceboy ...",[181] and later called the cover "possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created".[182]

Hadfield's performance was the subject of a piece by Glenn Fleishman in The Economist on 22 May 2013 analyzing the legal implications of publicly performing a copyrighted work of music while in Earth orbit.[183] "Space Oddity" is the only song of Bowie's for which he did not own the copyright; his publisher granted Hadfield a one-year licence to the song.[184] When the one-year licence expired on 13 May 2014, the official video was taken offline[185] despite Bowie's explicit wishes for the publisher to grant Hadfield a licence at no charge to record the song and produce the video.[184] Following negotiations, the video was restored to YouTube on 2 November 2014 with a two-year licence agreement.[186] Pegg calls Hadfield's video is "Breathtakingly beautiful and extraordinarily moving, [and] offers a rare opportunity to deploy that overused adjective 'awesome' with complete justification".[67]

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Space Oddity

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"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by English , released as the opening track and from his second studio album, David Bowie (also retrospectively known as Space Oddity), on 11 July 1969 by in the . The track narrates the fictional story of , an who launches into space on a mission, experiences technical failure, and ultimately drifts away from , losing contact with ground control, with lyrics that evoke themes of isolation and existential wonder. Bowie composed "Space Oddity" in 1968, drawing inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he viewed while under the influence of , an experience he later described as sparking the song's creative flow. The song was initially recorded on 2 February 1969 during sessions for Bowie's promotional film Love You Till Tuesday, featuring him on vocals and 12-string guitar alongside guitarist John Hutchinson, but this version remained unreleased until 1984; the hit single version was re-recorded on 20 June 1969 at in , produced by and incorporating instruments such as Rick Wakeman's , Herbie Flowers' bass, and Bowie's distinctive solo. Its release was strategically timed to coincide with the on 20 July 1969, though the initially hesitated to broadcast it during live coverage due to fears it might be seen as tasteless amid the real-space excitement. Upon release, "Space Oddity" marked Bowie's breakthrough hit, peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1969 after the aired it during their broadcasts, though it stalled at number 124 in the that year; a 1972 reissue reached number 15 on the , and a 1975 re-release amid Bowie's rising fame topped the charts at number 1. The song's enduring legacy includes its role in defining Bowie's early space-themed persona, sequels in tracks like "Ashes to Ashes" (1980) that revisited , and high-profile covers, notably Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's zero-gravity rendition aboard the in 2013, which garnered millions of views and symbolized the song's timeless connection to .

Background

Writing process

In late 1968, David Bowie conceived the initial idea for "Space Oddity" while collaborating with guitarist John Hutchinson on a planned musical titled The Looking Glass Murders, a project inspired by mime artist Lindsay Kemp's troupe and featuring surreal, dreamlike narratives. The song emerged as a standalone piece amid their songwriting efforts, with Bowie sketching early lyrics and chord progressions during this period of creative experimentation. Bowie developed the melody and structure during intimate writing sessions in his South Kensington apartment at 22 Clareville Grove, where he lived with dancer Hermione Farthingale. Armed with a 12-string , he worked out the song's haunting, folk-inflected opening and verse patterns, often recording rough solo takes on a basic tape machine to capture its evolving form. These sessions, spanning December 1968 to mid-January 1969, involved Hutchinson joining for demos, with the pair alternating vocals—Hutchinson as "Ground Control" and Bowie as ""—to refine the narrative dialogue. The composition drew deeply from Bowie's personal circumstances, incorporating themes of isolation and that mirrored his professional frustrations after four years without a major record deal and the recent end of his relationship with , which left him grappling with . These elements infused the song with a sense of existential drift, transforming a topical theme—loosely tied to the impending mission—into a poignant reflection of inner turmoil. The first full-band demo of "Space Oddity" was recorded on 2 1969 at in , , for Bowie's promotional film Love You Till Tuesday, featuring Bowie on vocals and guitar, Hutchinson on and bass, and additional musicians on drums and keyboards. This version, produced by Jonathan Weston, marked the song's transition from home sketches to a more polished arrangement, preserving its acoustic core while adding subtle orchestral touches.

Inspirations and context

David Bowie drew primary inspiration for "Space Oddity" from Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he viewed multiple times upon its release and found profoundly influential. Bowie specifically related to the film's portrayal of isolation in the vastness of space, which helped spark the song's narrative of an astronaut adrift. Bowie's longstanding fascination with space exploration further shaped the song's creation and release, aligning it with a pivotal moment in human history. As a self-described space enthusiast, he timed the single's launch for July 11, 1969, just five days before the Apollo 11 mission's liftoff on July 16, capitalizing on global anticipation for the first . This connection amplified the track's cultural resonance, though the initially withheld airplay during the mission due to its melancholic tone contrasting the event's optimism. The song emerged during a challenging phase in Bowie's early career, marked by commercial disappointments and professional transitions. Following his self-titled debut in 1967 on , which achieved minimal success, Bowie navigated label instability, including a brief stint with Decca and subsequent signing to for the "Space Oddity" single. Amid these shifts and prior flops like the novelty track "The Laughing Gnome," the song represented a bid for breakthrough. Musically, it reflected influences from folk artists such as , evident in its narrative storytelling, alongside the harmonic complexities reminiscent of the ' style.

Composition

Lyrics

The lyrics of "Space Oddity" unfold as a and between Ground Control and the , tracing his journey from pre-launch preparations to ultimate detachment in the void of space. The narrative begins with the routine countdown—"Ground Control to Major Tom / Take your protein pills and put your helmet on"—escalating through liftoff and orbital maneuvers, where Major Tom reports, "This is Major Tom to Ground Control / I'm stepping through the door / And I'm floating in a most peculiar way." As the mission progresses, communication falters; Major Tom's final transmission reveals his awe at the cosmos—"And the stars look very different today"—before he cuts ties: "Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows," signaling a deliberate severance from . The arc culminates in his solitary drift, encapsulated in the iconic : "Here am I floating 'round my tin can / Far above the / Planet is blue / And there's nothing I can do," portraying not mere mechanical failure but a profound, voluntary alienation. Central to the song's wording are phrases that evoke both technological precision and human vulnerability, such as the repetitive radio calls "Ground Control to ," which mimic mission protocols while underscoring the growing distance between the and his handlers. These lines, delivered in a call-and-response format originally conceived as a , heighten the tension of isolation, transforming a sci-fi into an intimate psychological portrait. The "tin can" for the diminishes the vessel to a fragile, confining shell, amplifying Major Tom's existential remove from humanity. Thematically, the lyrics explore existential isolation as Major Tom embraces the unknown, reflecting Bowie's intent to humanize the dehumanizing spectacle of amid the 1960s . Bowie described the song as "an antidote to space fever," aiming to "relate and human emotion" in a era when technology seemed to eclipse personal connection. This detachment symbolizes broader alienation, with 's abandonment of Ground Control mirroring the psychological drift Bowie experienced in his personal life, including a that inspired the capsule as a for . The narrative critiques technology's isolating effects, as the astronaut's transcendence—gazing at a "" Earth—leads to irreversible severance from , emphasizing personal liberation at the cost of communal bonds. The evolved from initial drafts written in early 1969, when Bowie composed the song as a with friend John Hutchinson during preparations for a , focusing on a straightforward space adventure . Multiple demos followed, refining the structure to shift emphasis toward Major Tom's internal psychological journey rather than purely physical exploration, culminating in the final version recorded in June 1969. This progression highlighted the astronaut's emotional detachment, aligning the wording more closely with themes of and human frailty over technical triumph.

Musical structure

"Space Oddity" follows a verse-chorus form augmented by pre-chorus build-ups and instrumental sections, culminating in an extended outro. The song spans approximately 5:15 in duration, featuring a narrative progression that mirrors its storyline through repeating verses and choruses interspersed with bridges and solos. The track is in 4/4 time, contributing to its deliberate pace and sense of propulsion through rhythmic variations and dynamic builds. This rhythmic foundation supports the song's dramatic tension, with swaying elements evoking detachment and driving sections adding momentum. Instrumentation centers on an opening acoustic 12-string guitar riff, establishing a folk-rock foundation, while David Bowie's stylophone provides the eerie, electronic solo that defines the "liftoff" sequence. Supporting elements include Herbie Flowers on bass, Terry Cox on drums, flutes for melodic accents, and a string section arranged by Paul Buckmaster, with Rick Wakeman contributing mellotron swells. Electric guitar adds textural layers in the solos and outro. Harmonically, the song begins in C major, using diatonic progressions like C-E-F-Fm in the verses to create a straightforward yet poignant base, before modulating through relative minors such as in the choruses for emotional depth. These shifts, incorporating around 15 distinct chords including extensions like Fmaj7 and Em7, build tension without resolving fully, reflecting the theme of isolation. The composition draws from traditions, influenced by the ' lush arrangements, while echoing vestiges of whimsy in its theatrical dynamics, though it largely departs from Bowie's earlier style. The maintains a deliberate pace around 70 BPM, starting intimately with sparse guitar and before gradually building through added layers of percussion and strings. Dynamics feature quiet verses that swell into orchestral choruses, peaking in the instrumental "liftoff" with cascading strings and guitar, then fading in the outro for a sense of infinite drift. This gradual intensification underscores the song's exploratory arc.

Recording and production

Early demos

The earliest known demos of "Space Oddity" were recorded in late 1968 and early 1969 at David Bowie's home in Clareville Grove, , featuring Bowie on vocals and alongside collaborator John Hutchinson on and harmonizing vocals. These sparse versions introduced the song's core structure, with Bowie handling the spoken and occasional background noises, such as a child's cries, adding an intimate, unpolished feel. One such recording from around January 1969 captures the duo's folk-influenced take, emphasizing lyrical introspection over production flair. A more developed early version was recorded on 2 February 1969 at in for Bowie's promotional film Love You Till Tuesday, featuring Bowie on vocals and 12-string guitar with John Hutchinson on guitar; this studio demo remained unreleased until 1984. In spring 1969, Bowie and Hutchinson produced the 'Mercury' Demos in Bowie's flat using a reel-to-reel tape machine, capturing live one-take performances of several tracks, including "Space Oddity," specifically to audition for record labels. This session highlighted early use of the —a compact electronic instrument played with a —for the song's distinctive beeping signals, played by Bowie, while maintaining a basic setup of acoustic guitars without additional band members. The demos' raw quality, clocking in at about four minutes, contrasted sharply with the final version's elaborate arrangement, omitting orchestral strings, swells, and a full for a more straightforward, atmospheric sound. Some iterations also included variant , such as altered Ground Control responses and references to "far above the " instead of "the ." These prototypes proved instrumental in pitching the material, impressing executives and securing Bowie's deal with in the UK (and its US affiliate Mercury), which funded the song's professional development.

Studio sessions

The principal recording session for "Space Oddity" occurred on 20 June 1969 at in , , under the production of . This single-day effort built upon earlier demo versions, capturing the track's core elements with a focus on orchestral texture and innovative instrumentation to evoke a sense of cosmic isolation. The session ran from 7 p.m. into the early morning hours, reflecting the urgency driven by a constrained budget of £493 and 17 shillings, which covered musician fees, studio time, and arrangements. Key personnel included on lead vocals, 12-string , and ; Mick Wayne on ; on bass guitar; and on drums. contributed for ethereal swells, while handled cello and the string arrangements, directing a section of violinists, violists, cellists, double bassists, and flautists to add dramatic depth. The riff, a buzzing electronic motif central to the song's otherworldly tone, was played by Bowie following a suggestion from to incorporate the inexpensive stylus synthesizer. Creative decisions emphasized live tracking to achieve a cohesive, immersive sound, though challenges arose with tuning the strings and against the electronic elements.

Mixing and technical details

The mixing of "Space Oddity" was conducted at London's under the supervision of producer , who had recently worked on Elton John's debut album there. Dudgeon and Bowie meticulously planned the arrangement in advance, mapping out instrumentation and structure on paper to ensure efficiency; this preparation enabled the entire session, including mixing, to wrap in approximately three hours using an AG-440 8-track recorder. Dudgeon's approach maximized the song's spatial and , creating an expansive field that enhanced its cosmic narrative through careful separation of elements like vocals and instruments. Technical effects included applied to simulate radio transmissions from , with the mix fading out gradually to convey a sense of endless drift. The resulting mix emphasized panning of Bowie's vocals to evoke disorientation in the void. For the single release, the track was edited down to 3:26—trimming sections like the extended instrumental outro—from the full album version's length of 5:15. In 2019, to mark the song's 50th anniversary, longtime collaborator remixed "Space Oddity" from the original multitrack tapes, updating the for modern playback while restoring elements such as the previously omitted track "Conversation Piece" to the album sequence. This version offers clearer separation and balanced dynamics, drawing on Visconti's intimate knowledge of Bowie's early sound.

Release

Initial single release

"Space Oddity" was first issued as a 7-inch single on 11 July 1969, released by Philips Records in the United Kingdom (catalogue BF 1801) and Mercury Records in the United States (catalogue 72949). The B-side featured an acoustic version of "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud," arranged with cello by Paul Buckmaster. The single's packaging varied by market, with some international editions, such as those in France and Germany, including picture sleeves, though the UK pressing used a generic Philips company sleeve. The track served as the title song for Bowie's second studio album, David Bowie (retrospectively known as Space Oddity), which Philips issued in the UK and Mercury in the US on 14 November 1969. Initial promotion for the single was limited, as the BBC declined to play it on radio during the Apollo 11 mission due to concerns that its narrative of an astronaut's isolation and implied suicide might be seen as tasteless amid the real-life space event. This cautionary approach from broadcasters contributed to subdued marketing efforts at launch.

Promotion and commercial performance

The release of "Space Oddity" was timed to capitalize on the global excitement surrounding NASA's Apollo 11 mission, with the single issued by on 11 July 1969—just five days before the spacecraft's launch. The initially refused to play the song on radio, deeming its story of a doomed too morbid and potentially distressing amid the real-life risks of the , though the broadcaster lifted the ban shortly after the successful touchdown on 20 July. Despite the radio restriction, "Space Oddity" featured prominently as during the BBC's television broadcasts of the events, providing early exposure to a wide . Bowie's live performance of the track on the BBC's on 2 October 1969 further boosted its visibility, coinciding with its rising popularity. In the UK, the single debuted at number 48 on the Official Charts on 6 September 1969 and climbed to a peak of number 5 on 1 November 1969, marking Bowie's first top-five hit. Across the Atlantic, it struggled to gain traction, bubbling under the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching only number 124 in December 1969. The song's modest initial reception stemmed from the BBC ban's impact on airplay, Philips Records' limited promotional push amid perceptions of it as a space-race gimmick, and stiff competition from dominant singles like The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising."

Reissues and remixes

Following the initial 1969 release, "Space Oddity" saw significant reissues that capitalized on 's rising popularity. In 1972, reissued Bowie's second album, originally titled David Bowie, under the new name Space Oddity to highlight the title track, with updated artwork featuring a black-and-white image of Bowie in a starry background. This version peaked at number 17 on the . The single experienced further success with reissues in the early 1970s amid Bowie's breakthrough fame from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and . A 1973 RCA reissue of the single reached number 15 on the US , marking Bowie's first significant hit in the United States. In 1975, RCA re-released "Space Oddity" in the UK as a maxi-single EP including the original A-side, "Changes," and "," which propelled it to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks, Bowie's first chart-topping single there. To commemorate the song's 50th anniversary in 2019, released a limited-edition double 7-inch vinyl featuring brand-new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes of "Space Oddity" produced by longtime collaborator , alongside the original mono single version and B-side. This release was accompanied by a new official for the 2019 mix, directed by Janus Blume using restored 1969 footage of Bowie performing the song. Beyond dedicated reissues, "Space Oddity" has appeared on numerous compilations, such as the 1980 K-Tel budget collection , which included the 1969 mono single version as its opening track. In the streaming era, the song has achieved substantial digital milestones, with its primary version surpassing 450 million streams on as of November 2025.

Performances and visuals

Live performances

David Bowie's first live performance of "Space Oddity" took place at the Beckenham Free Festival on 16 August 1969, where he delivered an acoustic rendition backed by local musicians as part of his emerging Arts Lab scene in . The song became a staple in his early sets, often performed in intimate venues with minimal instrumentation to emphasize its narrative storytelling. During the (1972–1973), Bowie incorporated theatrical elements into "Space Oddity," transforming it into a dramatic opener with elaborate costumes, makeup, and stage choreography that aligned with his alien persona, enhancing the song's space-themed isolation. The performances featured band, adding rock intensity to the track's folk-rock origins. On the in 1983, "Space Oddity" was presented in a polished full-band , with a large ensemble including horns and keyboards that amplified its anthemic quality for stadium audiences, as heard in the concert recording from that year. This version marked a return to the song after a period of reduced appearances, reflecting Bowie's pop-oriented phase post-"Let's Dance." In the 1996–1997 Earthling Tour, Bowie infused "Space Oddity" with electronic twists, incorporating rhythms and synthesizers influenced by 1990s , performed alongside his industrial-leaning band at venues like the . The song appeared rarely in later tours; during the 2003–2004 , it was limited to three encores amid a focus on newer material and select hits. Over his career, live renditions of "Space Oddity" evolved with shortened intros to quicken pacing for larger crowds and added visuals such as space imagery projections, particularly in the and shows, to heighten the cosmic atmosphere without altering the core structure.

Music videos

The first promotional video for "Space Oddity" was created in 1969 as part of David Bowie's short film Love You Till Tuesday, directed by Malcolm J. Thomson. In this simple black-and-white clip, Bowie mimes the song in a studio, donning a white space helmet while projections of stars and planets create a rudimentary cosmic atmosphere behind him. In 1972, to coincide with the song's re-release amid Bowie's rising fame, photographer and filmmaker Mick Rock directed a new promotional video. Shot in black-and-white in New York, it features Bowie in full Ziggy Stardust regalia—red hair, glittery makeup, and a striped top—lip-syncing the track against a stark black backdrop, emphasizing his emerging persona through close-up shots and dramatic poses. For the song's 50th anniversary in 2019, director assembled a video using archival footage of Bowie performing "Space Oddity" at his 1997 50th birthday concert at , intercut with abstract dance sequences choreographed by Édouard Lock of the troupe . Accompanying Tony Visconti's remix of the original recording, the visuals evoke Major Tom's isolation through fluid, ethereal movements and Bowie's live red-haired rendition, blending narrative introspection with stylized abstraction.

Reception

Critical response

Upon its release in July 1969, "Space Oddity" received mixed critical reception, with some reviewers praising its innovative storytelling and atmospheric production while others dismissed it as a gimmicky novelty tied to the . Melody Maker's Chris Welch lauded it as "a very good song" that showcased Bowie's talent as a songwriter, highlighting its evocative narrative of isolation in space. However, producer , who initially declined to produce the track, later recalled viewing it as a "novelty record" that risked overshadowing Bowie's deeper artistic potential. Academic analysis has echoed this ambivalence, noting the song's meta-pop elements—resonant tones and harmonic shifts referencing cultural touchstones like —but critiquing its timely space-race hook as somewhat opportunistic. Following Bowie's rise to fame in the mid-1970s, particularly after the 1972 reissue of his debut album retitled Space Oddity, the song gained widespread acclaim as a pivotal breakthrough in his career, marking his transition from eclectic folk influences to more ambitious, persona-driven rock. Critics began to recognize it as an early exemplar of Bowie's ability to blend with narrative depth, setting the stage for his evolution. In its 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, ranked "Space Oddity" at number 187, praising its ethereal quality inspired by Stanley Kubrick's film and its role in establishing Bowie's futuristic persona. Modern critiques have further solidified its artistic legacy, emphasizing its thematic prescience and influence on glam rock's theatricality. The song's induction into the in 2018 underscored its enduring impact as a culturally significant recording that captured late-1960s disillusionment amid space-age optimism. 's 2009 retrospective review of the 40th anniversary edition highlighted how "Space Oddity" introduced Bowie's "sci-fi folkie" affectation, bridging idealism with the alienation that would define his 1970s personas, from Ziggy Stardust onward. Similarly, NME's 2016 reflection on Bowie's early years positioned the track as a foundational moment in his development, evolving from a standalone hit into a cornerstone of his chameleonic artistry.

Chart success and certifications

"Space Oddity" achieved its initial commercial success upon release as a single in 1969, peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart and spending 14 weeks in the Top 75. The song was re-released in 1973 in the United States, where it reached number 15 on the , marking David Bowie's first entry on that chart. A further reissue in 1975 propelled it to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks, from November 2 to November 16. Following Bowie's death in 2016, "Space Oddity" re-entered the at number 42 and peaked at number 21 on the Digital Song Sales chart that year. It has been certified 3× Platinum in the by the BPI for 1,800,000 units in sales and streaming equivalents as of 2021. There is no for the single in the United States. In the streaming era, the song has amassed over 453 million streams on as of November 2025.

Legacy

Cultural impact

"Space Oddity" has profoundly shaped , particularly in its intersection with and musical innovation. Released in the shadow of the mission, the song was broadcast by the during its coverage of the , though only after the astronauts' safe return due to initial concerns over its melancholic narrative. This timing amplified its resonance with the era's fervor, positioning it as an unofficial anthem for humanity's cosmic ambitions and influencing subsequent space-themed works in , , and that explore isolation and wonder. In music, "Space Oddity" marked a pivotal shift for Bowie, laying the groundwork for his adoption of theatrical personas in glam and by introducing motifs that would define albums like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and . Its elements and narrative style helped pioneer art rock's blend of storytelling and experimentation, while the song's enduring appeal extended to hip-hop, where producers like sampled a cover of it for tracks such as "Rapp Snitch Knishes" on the 2004 Mm.. Food, bridging rock's cosmic imagery with rap's rhythmic innovation. The track's cultural stature was formally recognized in 2004 when it was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped ," underscoring its role in evolving rock's sonic and thematic boundaries. More recently, "Space Oddity" featured prominently in the Symphony Orchestra's Blackstar Symphony performances in early 2025, which reimagined Bowie's oeuvre for orchestral settings, drawing crowds to celebrate his legacy. Similarly, the V&A's Centre, opened in September 2025 at the East Storehouse in , highlights artifacts tied to the song, including the used in its recording, as part of displays tracing Bowie's artistic evolution and public fascination with his space-inspired creations.

Major Tom character

Major Tom is a fictional character created by , first introduced in his 1969 song "Space Oddity." In the track, Major Tom launches into space on a solo mission, becoming detached from his spacecraft and drifting aimlessly among the stars, with his fate left deliberately ambiguous as communication with ground control ceases. This portrayal draws on 1960s anxieties, presenting Tom not as a triumphant hero but as a vulnerable figure isolated in the cosmos, inspired partly by Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and literary works like Robert A. Heinlein's Starman Jones. Bowie revisited the character in subsequent songs, expanding his narrative arc. In "Ashes to Ashes" from 1980, reappears as a "junkie" who has returned to but is now "strung out in heaven's high, hitting an all-time low," begging to "come down right now." Bowie interpreted this as an autobiographical reckoning with his own 1970s drug addiction and the decayed of his earlier career, effectively laying the character—and that era—to rest. The story continues subtly in "" from the 1995 album Outside, where the original industrial track evokes space themes without naming Tom; however, the Pet Shop Boys remix explicitly references him with like "Ground to Major, bye bye Tom / Dead the circuit, countdown’s wrong," depicting him as a stranded cosmonaut in perpetual isolation. Interpretations of often center on themes of cosmic , personal , and the loss of youthful . In "Space Oddity," his detachment symbolizes existential isolation and the fragility of human ambition amid the unknown, contrasting NASA's optimistic narratives. The "Ashes to Ashes" portrayal ties him to Bowie's struggles with , representing a fallen icon grappling with regret and disconnection from reality. Broader readings frame Tom as an emblem of lost youth, adrift from societal expectations and personal moorings, a recurring motif in Bowie's oeuvre that blends psychological depth with . Beyond Bowie's work, has influenced literature, inspiring characters that echo his themes of solitary space travel and existential drift. For instance, David Barnett's 2016 novel Calling Major Tom features a directly named after and modeled on Bowie's , exploring isolation during a solo amid personal crises. The character's has permeated sci-fi tropes, appearing in parodies and narratives that riff on lost explorers in the void, contributing to a cultural legacy of introspective spacefarers.

Covers and media appearances

"Space Oddity" has been covered by numerous artists, with several notable interpretations highlighting its enduring appeal. In 2013, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded a version aboard the International Space Station, accompanied by bandmate Ed McDonald on guitar; the video, the first music video filmed in space, amassed over 20 million views on YouTube within its first year of release. Peter Murphy, frontman of Bauhaus, performed a live cover, captured on the 2024 album Peter Live - Volume One – Covers, featuring a brooding, gothic rendition from his July 30, 2010, performance in Evora, Portugal, true to his post-punk style. More recently, in October 2025, Chilean band Carlos Ross y Los Desordenados released a Latin rock-infused cover, reinterpreting the song with energetic rhythms and Spanish-inflected vocals for a fresh, regional twist. The song has also featured prominently in media, often evoking themes of isolation and exploration tied to the character. It appears in the 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, where a featuring underscores a poignant montage of the protagonist's daydreams and real-world journey. In 2025, artist Todd Alcott adapted "Space Oddity" as a 1950s-style sci-fi cover in his series reimagining songs as pulp fiction, complete with retro artwork depicting 's cosmic drift. Tribute performances continue to keep the song alive on stage. David Brighton's Space Oddity show, a multimedia David Bowie tribute, has been touring extensively in 2025, including dates in California and New York, with Brighton embodying the Starman era through elaborate costumes and faithful renditions.

Credits

Track listing

"Space Oddity" was initially released as a 7-inch vinyl single in 1969 by Philips Records in the UK (BF 1801) and Mercury Records in the US, featuring the title track on the A-side and an acoustic version of "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" on the B-side. The UK A-side edit runs for 4:33, while the US A-side edit is 3:26; the B-side is timed at 4:50. The song's album version appears as the opening track on David Bowie's second studio album, David Bowie (also known as Space Oddity in later reissues), released in November 1969 by Philips, with a full length of 5:15. A reissue of the single in 1975 by RCA Records paired "Space Oddity" (using the album version at 5:15) on the A-side with "Changes" from the 1971 album Hunky Dory on the B-side (duration 3:33). In 2019, Parlophone released a 50th anniversary box set containing the original 1969 mono single edit of "Space Oddity" (4:33) and "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" (4:50), alongside new stereo mixes and Tony Visconti's 2019 remixes of both tracks in single-edit form. Digitally, the standard 1969 album version of "Space Oddity" (5:15) is available on streaming platforms such as Spotify, with the 2019 remix (4:33) included as a bonus track on reissue editions of the album.

1969 Single Track Listing

SideTitleDuration
ASpace Oddity (UK edit)4:33
BWild Eyed Boy from Freecloud4:50

Album Version (1969)

  1. "Space Oddity" – 5:15

Personnel

David Bowie provided the lead vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, and Stylophone for the original 1969 recording of "Space Oddity". Herbie Flowers played bass guitar, while Barry Morgan handled the drums. Paul Buckmaster contributed cello and served as arranger alongside Bowie. Rick Wakeman performed on Mellotron, which provided keyboard elements including flute-like tones. The strings were arranged by Paul Buckmaster. The production team included as producer and as recording and mixing engineer. For the 2019 remix of the track, handled the mixing.
RolePersonnel
Vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar,
Bass guitar
DrumsBarry Morgan
Cello, arranger (strings)
Mellotron (keyboards, flute tones)
Producer
Engineer (recording, mixing)
2019 remix mixer

References

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