On July 11th, 1969, David Bowie released “Space Oddity” as a 7-inch single from his upcoming self-titled second studio album. Released just five days before the launch of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission (which successfully completed the first manned moon landing), the song’s story about fictional astronaut Major Tom instantly captured the attention of the masses.
“Oddity” went on to become Bowie’s first top-5 U.K. hit, and earned him an Ivor Novello Award, one of the most prestigious recognitions a songwriter can receive. The song was so popular that several later reissues of the album were renamed Space Oddity, and the allure and grandeur of outer space eventually became a central aspect of Bowie’s ever-changing sound and aesthetic.
David Bowie – “Space Oddity” (Official Video)
Major Tom resurfaced several times in Bowie’s later work, including “Ashes to Ashes” (Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), 1980), “Hallo Spaceboy” (Outside, 1995), and the music video for “Blackstar” (the eerily prophetic title song from the album he released just days before his death in early 2016). In 2013, “Space Oddity” saw a surge in popularity when real Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield released a video of him performing the song in zero gravity aboard the International Space Station–the first music video shot in outer space.
Chris Hadfield – “Space Oddity” (David Bowie)
[Video: Rare Earth]
When Bowie succumbed to cancer at the age of 69 in January 2016, there was an outpouring of love and appreciation for the artist from all over the music community, with countless artists performing tributes to the icon. To pay their respects, Phish got creative with “Space Oddity”, arranging a spot-on a cappella barbershop quartet version of the classic tune, complete with Trey Anastasio singing the guitar solos. Check out Phish’s rendition of the song from July 8th, 2016 Mansfield, MA’s Xfinity Center. The band would later stage a full-fledged tribute to the Star Man with a full album recreation of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars for Halloween 2016.
The stars look very different today without Bowie on this earth, but with one-of-a-kind songs like this, his legacy will live on for generations to come.
[Originally published 7/11/16]