The Prettiest Star - Music
The Prettiest Star by David Bowie
David Bowie
Artist Biography For David Bowie
David Robert Jones 8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016 Known Professionally As David Bowie Was An English Singer-Songwriter And Actor. A Leading Figure In The Music Industry He Is Regarded As One Of The Most Influential Musicians Of The 20th Century. Bowie Was Acclaimed By Critics And Musicians Particularly For His Innovative Work During The 1970s. His Career Was Marked By Reinvention And Visual Presentation And His Music And Stagecraft Had A Significant Impact On Popular Music. Bowie Developed An Interest In Music From An Early Age. He Studied Art Music And Design Before Embarking On A Professional Career As A Musician In 1963. "Space Oddity" Released In 1969 Was His First Top-Five Entry On The UK Singles Chart. After A Period Of Experimentation He Re-Emerged In 1972 During The Glam Rock Era With His Flamboyant And Androgynous Alter Ego Ziggy Stardust. The Character Was Spearheaded By The Success Of Bowie's Single "Starman" And Album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars Which Won Him Widespread Popularity. In 1975 Bowie's Style Shifted Towards A Sound He Characterised As "plastic Soul" Initially Alienating Many Of His UK Fans But Garnering Him His First Major US Crossover Success With The Number-One Single "Fame" And The Album Young Americans. In 1976 Bowie Starred In The Cult Film The Man Who Fell To Earth And Released Station To Station. In 1977 He Again Changed Direction With The Electronic-Inflected Album Low The First Of Three Collaborations With Brian Eno That Came To Be Known As The "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" 1977 And Lodger 1979 Followed Each Album Reached The UK Top Five And Received Lasting Critical Praise. After Uneven Commercial Success In The Late 1970s Bowie Had Three Number-One Hits The 1980 Single "Ashes To Ashes" Its Album Scary Monsters And Super Creeps And "Under Pressure" A 1981 Collaboration With Queen . He Achieved Massive Commercial Success In The 1980s Starting With Let's Dance 1983 . Between 1988 And 1992 He Fronted The Hard Rock Band Tin Machine Before Resuming His Solo Career In 1993. Throughout The 1990s And 2000s Bowie Continued To Experiment With Musical Styles Including Industrial And Jungle. He Also Continued Acting His Roles Included Major Jack Celliers In Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence 1983 Jareth The Goblin King In Labyrinth 1986 Pontius Pilate In The Last Temptation Of Christ 1988 And Nikola Tesla In The Prestige 2006 Among Other Film And Television Appearances And Cameos. He Stopped Touring After 2004 And His Last Live Performance Was At A Charity Event In 2006. In 2013 Bowie Returned From A Decade-Long Recording Hiatus With The Next Day. He Remained Musically Active Until His Death From Liver Cancer At His Home In New York City. He Died Two Days After Both His 69th Birthday And The Release Of His Final Album Blackstar 2016 . During His Lifetime His Record Sales Estimated At Over 100 Million Records Worldwide Made Him One Of The Best-Selling Musicians Of All Time. In The UK He Was Awarded Ten Platinum Eleven Gold And Eight Silver Album Certifications And Released 11 Number-One Albums. In The US He Received Five Platinum And Nine Gold Certifications. He Was Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In 1996. Rolling Stone Ranked Him Among The Greatest Artists In History. As Of 2022 Bowie Was The Best-Selling Vinyl Artist Of The 21st Century. Full Wikipedia Article Https //en.Wikipedia.Org/wiki/David_Bowie Studio Albums
David Bowie 1967 David Bowie/Space Oddity 1969 The Man Who Sold The World 1970 Hunky Dory 1971 The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars 1972 Aladdin Sane 1973 Pin Ups 1973 Diamond Dogs 1974 Young Americans 1975 Station To Station 1976 Low 1977 "Heroes" 1977 Lodger 1979 Scary Monsters And Super Creeps 1980 Let's Dance 1983 Tonight 1984 Never Let Me Down 1987 Black Tie White Noise 1993 The Buddha Of Suburbia 1993 Outside 1995 Earthling 1997 Hours 1999 Heathen 2002 Reality 2003 The Next Day 2013 Blackstar 2016
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: The Prettiest Star
David-Bowie - Aladdin Sane
"The Prettiest Star" Is A Song By English Musician David Bowie Originally Released On 6 March 1970 Through Mercury Records As The Follow-Up Single To "Space Oddity". A Love Song For His Soon-To-Be Wife Angie It Was Recorded In January 1970 At Trident Studios In London And Featured Marc Bolan On Guitar Who Was Brought On By Producer Tony Visconti. Despite Praise From Music Journalists The Single Flopped And Failed To Chart. Years Later Bowie Rerecorded The Track For His 1973 Album Aladdin Sane. A More Glam Rock Influenced Take With Lyrics Matching Themes On The Album Mick Ronson Recreated Bolan's Guitar Part Almost Note-For-Note. The Remake Was More Well-Received. Original Version
David Bowie Wrote "The Prettiest Star" As A Love Song For Angie Barnett Reputedly Playing It Down The Telephone As Part Of His Proposal To Her On Christmas 1969. Following The Release Of His Second Studio Album David Bowie Space Oddity It Was The Only New Song He Wrote Over The Winter Of 1969. Discussing The Lyrics Commentators Noted The Line "you And I Will Rise Up All The Way" Anticipated The Couple's Fame During The Next Decade. Set In The Key Of F Major The Song Is In The Style Of The Greek Hasapiko Dance As A Tribute To Angie's Cypriot Ethnic Origin. Similar To Bowie's Other Compositions Of The Time It Was Musically Influenced By Songwriter Biff Rose's The Thorn In Mrs. Rose's Side 1968 Particularly The Track "Angel Tension" Which Contains A Similar Tempo Phrasing Chord Changes And Lyrics To "The Prettiest Star" Bowie's "staying Back In Your Memory" Compared To Rose's "going Back In Memory" . Author Paul Trynka Describes The Track As "languid Uncharacteristically Simple" And "an Almost Unique Addition To Bowie's Canon". Biographer Chris O'Leary Finds The Song "hummable Warm And Sweet" Although Felt "its Dragging Tempo Made Its Sentimentality Leaden". Recording For The Song Began At Trident Studios In London In Tandem With A New Version Of Bowie's Deram-Era Track "London Bye Ta-Ta" On 8 January 1970—Bowie's 23rd Birthday—and Completed On 13 And 15 January. It Was Produced By Tony Visconti Who Hired Drummer Godfrey McLean And Bassist Delisle Harper Of Gass A Funk Santana-Like Band For The Session He Had Produced Gass's Recent Single Although He Found Harper's Playing Inadequate And Overdubbed A Bass Part Himself. Visconti Also Brought Marc Bolan To Guest On Guitar Having Produced Bolan's Works With T. Rex Bowie And Bolan Would Spend The Next Few Years As Rivals During The Glam Rock Era. Bolan Rehearsed His Part Extensively Beforehand As He Wanted To Showcase His Newfound Electric Guitar Skills. The Recording Atmosphere Was Reportedly Fraught Bolan Being Jealous At The Success Of "Space Oddity". Bowie Recalled Of The Session "I Don't Think We Were Talking To Each Other That Day. I Can't Remember Why But I Remember A Strange Atmosphere In The Studio. We Were Never In The Same Room At The Same Time. You Could Cut The Atmosphere With A Knife." The Guitarist Was Accompanied By His Wife June Who Voiced Her Disapproval Saying "the Only Good Thing About This Record Is Marc's Guitar". The Couple Left The Studio Shortly After. After Its Recording Bowie Premiered "The Prettiest Star" Live At A BBC Radio Session On 5 February 1970. To The Displeasure Of His Manager Kenneth Pitt Bowie Chose The Song As His Next Single Pitt Favouring "London Bye Ta-Ta" It Ultimately Marked The End Of Pitt's Influence On The Artist. Bowie's Label Mercury Records Hoped The Song Would Demonstrate Bowie's Range As A Songwriter. Issued As The Follow-Up Single To "Space Oddity" In The United Kingdom Only On 6 March 1970 With "Conversation Piece" As The B-Side Its Release Coincided With The World Of David Bowie Compilation Which Collected Several Songs And Unreleased Material From Bowie's Time With Deram. The Single Received Praise From Music Journalists. The NME Hailed It As "a Thoroughly Charming And Wholly Fascinating Little Song ... The Self-Penned Lyric Is Enchanting If Somewhat Enigmatic – And The Melody Is Haunting And Hummable ... I Like It Immensely". Music Business Weekly Described It As "an Immediately Infectious Number And A Very Strong Follow-Up" Record Mirror Commended "a Melodic And Interesting Production" And Disc & Music Echo Found It "a Lovely Gentle Gossamer Piece ... The Most Compact Catchy Melody I've Ever Heard. A Hit Indeed." Despite Its Acclaim The Single Sold Fewer Than 800 Copies And Failed To Chart. Bowie Later Said "I Think A Lot Of People Were Expecting Another 'Space Oddity'."With The Assistance Of Space Oddity Photographer Vernon Dewhurst He Sent A Promotional Copy To French Singer Sacha Distel Whose Hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" Was High In The Charts In Hopes He Would Cover "The Prettiest Star" Although He Declined. Two Weeks After The Single's Release Bowie And Angie Married On 19 March 1970. When The Single Flopped Mercury Suggested He Rerecord The Space Oddity Track "Memory Of A Free Festival" For Release As His Next Single Although This Also Failed To Chart. By April He Began Recording His Next Studio Album The Hard Rock And Heavy Metal-Influenced The Man Who Sold The World 1970 . In Subsequent Decades AllMusic's Ned Raggett Opines That While "The Prettiest Star" Itself Does Not Stand As One Of Bowie's Best Compositions The Recording Itself Is Notable As The Only Properly Recorded And Released Collaboration Between Bowie And Bolan. The Original Mono Single Was Included In The Sound Vision Box Set In 1989 And On Re Call 1 Part Of The Five Years 1969–1973 Compilation In 2015. A Previously Unreleased 1987 Stereo Mix By Tris Penna Appeared On The Best Of David Bowie 1969/1974 In 1997 The 2003 Reissue Of Sound Vision And The 2009 Expanded Edition Of Space Oddity. Apart From Bowie Compilations The Original Recording Of "The Prettiest Star" Was Included On The 2002 Career-Spanning Bolan Box Set 20th Century Superstar The 2007 Compilation The Record Producers Tony Visconti And The Soundtrack Of The 2005 Film Kinky Boots. Aladdin Sane Version
Bowie Recorded A More Glam-Influenced Version Of "The Prettiest Star" During The Sessions For His 1973 Album Aladdin Sane. Sources List The Recording Date And Location As Either In December 1972 At RCA Studios In New York City Or January 1973 At Trident In London. Co-Produced By Bowie And Ken Scott The Remake Featured Contributions From His Backing Band The Spiders From Mars—guitarist Mick Ronson Bassist Trevor Bolder And Drummer Woody Woodmansey—as Well As Mike Garson On Piano David Sanborn On Tenor Saxophone And Warren Peace On Backing Vocals And Handclaps. On The Album Released On 13 April 1973 The Remake Appeared As The Second Track On Side Two Of The Original LP Sequenced Between "Time" And Bowie's Version Of The Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend The Night Together". The More Widely-Known Remake Boasts Elements Of British Music Hall And 1950s Doo-Wop Backing Vocals And Ronson Recreates Bolan's Original Guitar Part Almost Note-For-Note. O'Leary Opines That Ronson Gave The Remake "more Grit" Than The Original Further Saying That "if The First 'Prettiest Star' Was A Valentine Its Remake Was A Rowdy Engagement Party". Guitarist Marco Pirroni Said Of Ronson's Part In 1999 As "the Best Guitar Sound Ever ... He Has Got This Brilliant Overdriven Mad Guitar Sound. I'm Still Trying To Get That Sound Today." It Is Unclear Why Bowie Rerecorded It For Aladdin Sane Although The Track's Lyrical References To Screen Starlets And "the Movies In The Past" All Fit The Nostalgic Hollywood Themes Found Throughout The Rest Of The Album. Biographer David Buckley Finds The Remake Superior To The Original.
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Biography - David Bowie
David Robert Jones 8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016 Known Professionally As David Bowie Was An English Singer-Songwriter And Actor. A Leading Figure In The Music Industry He Is Regarded As One Of The Most Influential Musicians Of The 20th Century. Bowie Was Acclaimed By Critics And Musicians Particularly For His Innovative Work During The 1970s. His Career Was Marked By Reinvention And Visual Presentation And His Music And Stagecraft Had A Significant Impact On Popular Music. Bowie Developed An Interest In Music From An Early Age. He Studied Art Music And Design Before Embarking On A Professional Career As A Musician In 1963. "Space Oddity" Released In 1969 Was His First Top-Five Entry On The UK Singles Chart. After A Period Of Experimentation He Re-Emerged In 1972 During The Glam Rock Era With His Flamboyant And Androgynous Alter Ego Ziggy Stardust. The Character Was Spearheaded By The Success Of Bowie's Single "Starman" And Album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars Which Won Him Widespread Popularity. In 1975 Bowie's Style Shifted Towards A Sound He Characterised As "plastic Soul" Initially Alienating Many Of His UK Fans But Garnering Him His First Major US Crossover Success With The Number-One Single "Fame" And The Album Young Americans. In 1976 Bowie Starred In The Cult Film The Man Who Fell To Earth And Released Station To Station. In 1977 He Again Changed Direction With The Electronic-Inflected Album Low The First Of Three Collaborations With Brian Eno That Came To Be Known As The "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" 1977 And Lodger 1979 Followed Each Album Reached The UK Top Five And Received Lasting Critical Praise. After Uneven Commercial Success In The Late 1970s Bowie Had Three Number-One Hits The 1980 Single "Ashes To Ashes" Its Album Scary Monsters And Super Creeps And "Under Pressure" A 1981 Collaboration With Queen . He Achieved Massive Commercial Success In The 1980s Starting With Let's Dance 1983 . Between 1988 And 1992 He Fronted The Hard Rock Band Tin Machine Before Resuming His Solo Career In 1993. Throughout The 1990s And 2000s Bowie Continued To Experiment With Musical Styles Including Industrial And Jungle. He Also Continued Acting His Roles Included Major Jack Celliers In Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence 1983 Jareth The Goblin King In Labyrinth 1986 Pontius Pilate In The Last Temptation Of Christ 1988 And Nikola Tesla In The Prestige 2006 Among Other Film And Television Appearances And Cameos. He Stopped Touring After 2004 And His Last Live Performance Was At A Charity Event In 2006. In 2013 Bowie Returned From A Decade-Long Recording Hiatus With The Next Day. He Remained Musically Active Until His Death From Liver Cancer At His Home In New York City. He Died Two Days After Both His 69th Birthday And The Release Of His Final Album Blackstar 2016 . During His Lifetime His Record Sales Estimated At Over 100 Million Records Worldwide Made Him One Of The Best-Selling Musicians Of All Time. In The UK He Was Awarded Ten Platinum Eleven Gold And Eight Silver Album Certifications And Released 11 Number-One Albums. In The US He Received Five Platinum And Nine Gold Certifications. He Was Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In 1996. Rolling Stone Ranked Him Among The Greatest Artists In History. As Of 2022 Bowie Was The Best-Selling Vinyl Artist Of The 21st Century. Full Wikipedia Article Https //en.Wikipedia.Org/wiki/David_Bowie Studio Albums
David Bowie 1967 David Bowie/Space Oddity 1969 The Man Who Sold The World 1970 Hunky Dory 1971 The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars 1972 Aladdin Sane 1973 Pin Ups 1973 Diamond Dogs 1974 Young Americans 1975 Station To Station 1976 Low 1977 "Heroes" 1977 Lodger 1979 Scary Monsters And Super Creeps 1980 Let's Dance 1983 Tonight 1984 Never Let Me Down 1987 Black Tie White Noise 1993 The Buddha Of Suburbia 1993 Outside 1995 Earthling 1997 Hours 1999 Heathen 2002 Reality 2003 The Next Day 2013 Blackstar 2016 read less
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David Bowie 1967 David Bowie/Space Oddity 1969 The Man Who Sold The World 1970 Hunky Dory 1971 The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars 1972 Aladdin Sane 1973 Pin Ups 1973 Diamond Dogs 1974 Young Americans 1975 Station To Station 1976 Low 1977 "Heroes" 1977 Lodger 1979 Scary Monsters And Super Creeps 1980 Let's Dance 1983 Tonight 1984 Never Let Me Down 1987 Black Tie White Noise 1993 The Buddha Of Suburbia 1993 Outside 1995 Earthling 1997 Hours 1999 Heathen 2002 Reality 2003 The Next Day 2013 Blackstar 2016 read less
16 Similar Artists To David Bowie - Frogtoon Music
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"The Prettiest Star" is a song by English musician David Bowie, originally released on 6 March 1970 through Mercury Records as the follow-up single to "Space Oddity". A love song for his soon-to-be wife Angie, it was recorded in January 1970 at Trident Studios in London and featured Marc Bolan on guitar, who was brought on by producer Tony Visconti. Despite praise from music journalists, the single flopped and failed to chart. Years later, Bowie rerecorded the track for his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. A more glam rock influenced take with lyrics matching themes on the album, Mick Ronson recreated Bolan's guitar part almost note-for-note. The remake was more well-received.
Original version
David Bowie wrote "The Prettiest Star" as a love song for Angie Barnett, reputedly playing it down the telephone as part of his proposal to her on Christmas 1969. Following the release of his second studio album David Bowie (Space Oddity), it was the only new song he wrote over the winter of 1969. Discussing the lyrics, commentators noted the line "you and I will rise up all the way" anticipated the couple's fame during the next decade. Set in the key of F major, the song is in the style of the Greek hasapiko dance as a tribute to Angie's Cypriot ethnic origin. Similar to Bowie's other compositions of the time, it was musically influenced by songwriter Biff Rose's The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side (1968), particularly the track "Angel Tension", which contains a similar tempo, phrasing, chord changes and lyrics to "The Prettiest Star" (Bowie's "staying back in your memory" compared to Rose's "going back in memory"). Author Paul Trynka describes the track as "languid, uncharacteristically simple" and "an almost unique (addition) to Bowie's canon". Biographer Chris O'Leary finds the song "hummable, warm and sweet", although felt "its dragging tempo made its sentimentality leaden".
Recording for the song began at Trident Studios in London, in tandem with a new version of Bowie's Deram-era track "London Bye Ta-Ta", on 8 January 1970—Bowie's 23rd birthday—and completed on 13 and 15 January. It was produced by Tony Visconti, who hired drummer Godfrey McLean and bassist Delisle Harper of Gass, a funk Santana-like band, for the session; he had produced Gass's recent single, although he found Harper's playing inadequate and overdubbed a bass part himself. Visconti also brought Marc Bolan to guest on guitar, having produced Bolan's works with T. Rex; Bowie and Bolan would spend the next few years as rivals during the glam rock era. Bolan rehearsed his part extensively beforehand, as he wanted to showcase his newfound electric guitar skills. The recording atmosphere was reportedly fraught, Bolan being jealous at the success of "Space Oddity". Bowie recalled of the session: "I don't think we were talking to each other that day. I can't remember why, but I remember a strange atmosphere in the studio. We were never in the same room at the same time. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife." The guitarist was accompanied by his wife June, who voiced her disapproval, saying "the only good thing about this record is Marc's guitar". The couple left the studio shortly after.
After its recording, Bowie premiered "The Prettiest Star" live at a BBC radio session on 5 February 1970. To the displeasure of his manager Kenneth Pitt, Bowie chose the song as his next single, Pitt favouring "London Bye Ta-Ta"; it ultimately marked the end of Pitt's influence on the artist. Bowie's label, Mercury Records, hoped the song would demonstrate Bowie's range as a songwriter. Issued as the follow-up single to "Space Oddity" in the United Kingdom only on 6 March 1970, with "Conversation Piece" as the B-side, its release coincided with The World of David Bowie compilation, which collected several songs and unreleased material from Bowie's time with Deram. The single received praise from music journalists. The NME hailed it as "a thoroughly charming and wholly fascinating little song ... the self-penned lyric is enchanting, if somewhat enigmatic – and the melody is haunting and hummable ... I like it immensely". Music Business Weekly described it as "an immediately infectious number and a very strong follow-up", Record Mirror commended "a melodic and interesting production", and Disc & Music Echo found it "a lovely, gentle, gossamer piece ... the most compact, catchy melody I've ever heard. A hit indeed."
Despite its acclaim, the single sold fewer than 800 copies and failed to chart. Bowie later said, "I think a lot of people were expecting another 'Space Oddity'."With the assistance of Space Oddity photographer Vernon Dewhurst, he sent a promotional copy to French singer Sacha Distel, whose hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" was high in the charts, in hopes he would cover "The Prettiest Star", although he declined. Two weeks after the single's release, Bowie and Angie married on 19 March 1970. When the single flopped, Mercury suggested he rerecord the Space Oddity track "Memory of a Free Festival" for release as his next single, although this also failed to chart. By April, he began recording his next studio album, the hard rock and heavy metal-influenced The Man Who Sold the World (1970).
In subsequent decades, AllMusic's Ned Raggett opines that while "The Prettiest Star" itself does not stand as one of Bowie's best compositions, the recording itself is notable as the only properly recorded and released collaboration between Bowie and Bolan. The original mono single was included in the Sound + Vision box set in 1989 and on Re:Call 1, part of the Five Years (1969–1973) compilation, in 2015. A previously unreleased 1987 stereo mix by Tris Penna appeared on The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974 in 1997, the 2003 reissue of Sound + Vision, and the 2009 expanded edition of Space Oddity. Apart from Bowie compilations, the original recording of "The Prettiest Star" was included on the 2002 career-spanning Bolan box set 20th Century Superstar, the 2007 compilation The Record Producers: Tony Visconti and the soundtrack of the 2005 film Kinky Boots.
Aladdin Sane version
Bowie recorded a more glam-influenced version of "The Prettiest Star" during the sessions for his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. Sources list the recording date and location as either in December 1972 at RCA Studios in New York City or January 1973 at Trident in London. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, the remake featured contributions from his backing band the Spiders from Mars—guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Woody Woodmansey—as well as Mike Garson on piano, David Sanborn on tenor saxophone and Warren Peace on backing vocals and handclaps. On the album, released on 13 April 1973, the remake appeared as the second track on side two of the original LP, sequenced between "Time" and Bowie's version of the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together".
The more widely-known remake boasts elements of British music hall and 1950s doo-wop backing vocals, and Ronson recreates Bolan's original guitar part almost note-for-note. O'Leary opines that Ronson gave the remake "more grit" than the original, further saying that "if the first 'Prettiest Star' was a valentine, its remake was a rowdy engagement party". Guitarist Marco Pirroni said of Ronson's part in 1999 as "the best guitar sound ever ... (he) has got this brilliant, overdriven, mad guitar sound. I'm still trying to get that sound today." It is unclear why Bowie rerecorded it for Aladdin Sane, although the track's lyrical references to screen starlets and "the movies in the past" all fit the nostalgic Hollywood themes found throughout the rest of the album. Biographer David Buckley finds the remake superior to the original. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
David Bowie Launched To Stardom In Early July 1972 Through The Release Of His Fifth Studio Album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars And His Performance Of "Starman" On BBC's Top Of The Pops. He Promoted The Record Through The Ziggy Stardust Tour In The United Kingdom And The United States Writing New Songs On The Road That Would Appear On His Next Album. Aladdin Sane Was The First Album Bowie Wrote And Released From A Position Of Stardom. Writing New Material On The US Leg Of The Tour In Late 1972 Many Of The Tracks Were Influenced By America And His Perceptions Of The Country. Biographer Christopher Sandford Believes The Album Showed That Bowie "was Simultaneously Appalled And Fixated By America". The Tour Combined With Other Side Projects During The Period Such As Co-Producing Lou Reed's Transformer And Mixing The Stooges' Raw Power Took A Toll On Bowie's Mental Health Further Influencing His Writing. Due To Being On The Road Bowie Was Unsure Of The New Album's Direction Believing He Had Wanted To Say About Ziggy Stardust But Knew He Would "end Up Doing...'Ziggy Part 2'". He Stated "There Was A Point In '73 Where I Knew It Was All Over. I Didn't Want To Be Trapped In This Ziggy Character All My Life. And I Guess What I Was Doing On Aladdin Sane I Was Trying To Move Into The Next Area – But Using A Rather Pale Imitation Of Ziggy As A Secondary Device. In My Mind It Was Ziggy Goes To Washington Ziggy Under The Influence Of America." Rather Than Continue The Ziggy Stardust Character Directly Bowie Decided To Create A New Persona Aladdin Sane Who Reflected The Theme Of "Ziggy Goes To America" And According To Bowie Was Less Defined And "clear Cut" Than Ziggy And "pretty Ephemeral". According To Biographer David Buckley The Character Was A "schizoid Amalgamation" That Was Reflected In The Music. Title And Artwork
The Title Is A Pun On "A Lad Insane" Which At One Point Was Expected To Be The Title. When Writing The Album During The Tour It Was Under The Working Title Love Aladdin Vein Which Bowie Said At The Time Felt Right But Decided To Change It Partly Due To Its Drug Connotations. The Cover Artwork Features A Shirtless Bowie With Red Hair And A Red-And-Blue Lightning Bolt Splitting His Face In Two While A Teardrop Runs Down His Collarbone. It Was Shot In January 1973 By Brian Duffy In His North London Studio. In An Effort To Ensure RCA Promoted The Album Extensively Defries Was Determined To Make The Cover As Costly As Possible. He Insisted On An Unprecedented Seven-Colour System Rather Than The Usual Four. The Image Was The Most Expensive Cover Art Ever Made At The Time. The Make-Up Designer Was Artist Pierre Laroche Who Remained Bowie's Make-Up Artist For The Remainder Of The 1973 Tour And The Pin Ups Cover Shoot. Cann Writes That Duffy And Laroche Copied The Lightning Bolt From A National Panasonic Rice-Cooker In The Studio. The Make-Up Was Completed With A "deathly Purple Wash" Which Cann Believes Together With Bowie's Closed Eyes Evoke A "death Mask". The Final Photo Was Selected From A Group Featuring Bowie Looking Directly At The Camera. These Photos Later Became A Signature Image Of The V&A's David Bowie Is Exhibition. The Shoot Was The Only Time Bowie Wore The Design On His Face But It Was Later Used For Hanging Backdrops At Live Performances. Duffy Believed That Bowie's Inspiration For The "flash" Design Came From A Ring Once Worn By Elvis Presley It Featured The Letters TCB An Acronym For Taking Care Of Business With A Lightning Flash. Pegg Believes The Cover Has A Deeper Meaning Representing The "split Down The Middle" Personality Of The Aladdin Sane Character And Reflecting Bowie's Split Feelings Regarding The US Tour And His Newfound Stardom. The Teardrop On His Chest Was Duffy's Idea Bowie Said The Photographer "just Popped It In There. I Thought It Was Rather Sweet." It Was Airbrushed By Philip Castle Who Also Helped Create The Silvery Effect On Bowie's Body On The Sleeve. Regarded As One Of The Most Iconic Images Of Bowie It Was Called "the Mona Lisa Of Album Covers" By The Guardian's Mick McCann And One Of The 50 Greatest Album Covers Of All Time By Billboard In 2022. Pegg Calls It "perhaps The Most Celebrated Image Of Bowie's Long Career". Upon Release The Cover Was Polarising. According To Cann Some Were Offended And Bewildered At Bowie's Appearance While Others Found It Daring. Henry Edwards Of The New York Times Initially Described The Image As "the Most Cunning Representation To Date Of This Angel‐faced 25‐year‐old English Composer‐performer As A Disembodied Spirit Of The Space Age". In Retrospect Cann Argues That A Cover Like Aladdin Sane's Can Be A Risky Move For Artists Whose Success Is Relatively Recent. Reissues
Aladdin Sane Has Been Reissued Several Times. Although The Original 1973 Vinyl Release Featured A Gatefold Cover Some Later LP Versions Such As RCA's 1980 US Reissue Presented The Album In A Standard Non-Gatefold Sleeve. The Album Was First Released On CD In 1984 By RCA. In 1990 Dr. Toby Mountain At Northeastern Digital Southborough Massachusetts Remastered Aladdin Sane From The Original Master Tapes For Rykodisc Released With No Bonus Tracks. It Was Again Remastered In 1999 By Peter Mew At Abbey Road Studios For EMI And Virgin Records And Once More Released With No Bonus Tracks. In 2003 A Two-Disc Version Was Released By EMI/Virgin. The Second In A Series Of 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition Sets Along With Ziggy Stardust And Diamond Dogs This Release Includes A Remastered Version Of The Album On The First Disc. The Second Disc Contains Ten Tracks A Few Of Which Had Been Previously Released On The 1989 Collection Sound Vision. A 40th Anniversary Edition Remastered By Ray Staff At London's AIR Studios Was Released In CD And Digital Download Formats In April 2013. This 2013 Remaster Of The Album Was Included In The 2015 Box Set Five Years 1969–1973 And Rereleased Separately In 2015–2016 In CD Vinyl And Digital Formats. A 12" Limited Edition Of The 2013 Remaster Pressed In Silver Vinyl Was Released In 2018 To Mark The 45th Anniversary Of The Album. To Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary The Album Will Be Reissued On 14 April 2023 In Vinyl Picture Disc And Half-Speed-Mastered Versions.
Published: 04 Apr 2023, 21:23
Aladdin Sane Is The Sixth Studio Album By The English Musician David Bowie Released On 13 April 1973 Through RCA Records. The Follow-Up To His Breakthrough The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars It Was The First Album He Wrote And Released From A Position Of Stardom. It Was Co-Produced By Bowie And Ken Scott And Features Contributions From Bowie's Backing Band The Spiders From Mars — Mick Ronson Trevor Bolder And Mick Woodmansey — With Pianist Mike Garson Two Saxophonists And Three Backing Vocalists. Recorded In London And New York City Between Legs Of The Ziggy Stardust Tour The Record Was Bowie's Final Album With The Full Spiders Lineup. Most Of The Tracks Were Written On The Road In The US And Are Greatly Influenced By America And Bowie's Perceptions Of The Country. Due To The American Influence And The Fast-Paced Songwriting The Record Features A Tougher Heavier Glam Rock Sound Than Its Predecessor. The Lyrics Reflect The Pros Of Bowie's Newfound Stardom And The Cons Of Touring And Contain Images Of Urban Decay Drugs Sex Violence And Death. Some Of The Songs Are Influenced By The Rolling Stones A Cover Of Their Song "Let's Spend The Night Together" Is Included. Bowie Described The Album's Title Character A Pun On "A Lad Insane" As "Ziggy Stardust Goes To America". The Cover Artwork Shot By Brian Duffy And Featuring A Lightning Bolt Across Bowie's Face Was The Most Expensive Cover Ever Made At The Time And Is Regarded As One Of His Most Iconic Images. Accompanied By The UK Top Five Singles "The Jean Genie" And "Drive-In Saturday" Aladdin Sane Was Bowie's Most Commercially Successful Record Up To That Point Topping The UK Albums Chart And Garnering Immense Popularity For The Artist There. It Also Received Positive Reviews From Music Critics Although Many Found It Inferior To Its Predecessor. The Popularity Continued Throughout The Latter Half Of The Ziggy Stardust Tour Which Featured Various Setlist And Stage Production Changes. In Later Decades Aladdin Sane Has Appeared On Several Best-Of Lists And Is Viewed As One Of His Essential Releases. It Has Been Reissued Several Times And Was Remastered In 2013 For Its 40th Anniversary Which Was Included On The 2015 Box Set Five Years 1969–1973 . Background And WritingDavid Bowie Launched To Stardom In Early July 1972 Through The Release Of His Fifth Studio Album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars And His Performance Of "Starman" On BBC's Top Of The Pops. He Promoted The Record Through The Ziggy Stardust Tour In The United Kingdom And The United States Writing New Songs On The Road That Would Appear On His Next Album. Aladdin Sane Was The First Album Bowie Wrote And Released From A Position Of Stardom. Writing New Material On The US Leg Of The Tour In Late 1972 Many Of The Tracks Were Influenced By America And His Perceptions Of The Country. Biographer Christopher Sandford Believes The Album Showed That Bowie "was Simultaneously Appalled And Fixated By America". The Tour Combined With Other Side Projects During The Period Such As Co-Producing Lou Reed's Transformer And Mixing The Stooges' Raw Power Took A Toll On Bowie's Mental Health Further Influencing His Writing. Due To Being On The Road Bowie Was Unsure Of The New Album's Direction Believing He Had Wanted To Say About Ziggy Stardust But Knew He Would "end Up Doing...'Ziggy Part 2'". He Stated "There Was A Point In '73 Where I Knew It Was All Over. I Didn't Want To Be Trapped In This Ziggy Character All My Life. And I Guess What I Was Doing On Aladdin Sane I Was Trying To Move Into The Next Area – But Using A Rather Pale Imitation Of Ziggy As A Secondary Device. In My Mind It Was Ziggy Goes To Washington Ziggy Under The Influence Of America." Rather Than Continue The Ziggy Stardust Character Directly Bowie Decided To Create A New Persona Aladdin Sane Who Reflected The Theme Of "Ziggy Goes To America" And According To Bowie Was Less Defined And "clear Cut" Than Ziggy And "pretty Ephemeral". According To Biographer David Buckley The Character Was A "schizoid Amalgamation" That Was Reflected In The Music. Title And Artwork
The Title Is A Pun On "A Lad Insane" Which At One Point Was Expected To Be The Title. When Writing The Album During The Tour It Was Under The Working Title Love Aladdin Vein Which Bowie Said At The Time Felt Right But Decided To Change It Partly Due To Its Drug Connotations. The Cover Artwork Features A Shirtless Bowie With Red Hair And A Red-And-Blue Lightning Bolt Splitting His Face In Two While A Teardrop Runs Down His Collarbone. It Was Shot In January 1973 By Brian Duffy In His North London Studio. In An Effort To Ensure RCA Promoted The Album Extensively Defries Was Determined To Make The Cover As Costly As Possible. He Insisted On An Unprecedented Seven-Colour System Rather Than The Usual Four. The Image Was The Most Expensive Cover Art Ever Made At The Time. The Make-Up Designer Was Artist Pierre Laroche Who Remained Bowie's Make-Up Artist For The Remainder Of The 1973 Tour And The Pin Ups Cover Shoot. Cann Writes That Duffy And Laroche Copied The Lightning Bolt From A National Panasonic Rice-Cooker In The Studio. The Make-Up Was Completed With A "deathly Purple Wash" Which Cann Believes Together With Bowie's Closed Eyes Evoke A "death Mask". The Final Photo Was Selected From A Group Featuring Bowie Looking Directly At The Camera. These Photos Later Became A Signature Image Of The V&A's David Bowie Is Exhibition. The Shoot Was The Only Time Bowie Wore The Design On His Face But It Was Later Used For Hanging Backdrops At Live Performances. Duffy Believed That Bowie's Inspiration For The "flash" Design Came From A Ring Once Worn By Elvis Presley It Featured The Letters TCB An Acronym For Taking Care Of Business With A Lightning Flash. Pegg Believes The Cover Has A Deeper Meaning Representing The "split Down The Middle" Personality Of The Aladdin Sane Character And Reflecting Bowie's Split Feelings Regarding The US Tour And His Newfound Stardom. The Teardrop On His Chest Was Duffy's Idea Bowie Said The Photographer "just Popped It In There. I Thought It Was Rather Sweet." It Was Airbrushed By Philip Castle Who Also Helped Create The Silvery Effect On Bowie's Body On The Sleeve. Regarded As One Of The Most Iconic Images Of Bowie It Was Called "the Mona Lisa Of Album Covers" By The Guardian's Mick McCann And One Of The 50 Greatest Album Covers Of All Time By Billboard In 2022. Pegg Calls It "perhaps The Most Celebrated Image Of Bowie's Long Career". Upon Release The Cover Was Polarising. According To Cann Some Were Offended And Bewildered At Bowie's Appearance While Others Found It Daring. Henry Edwards Of The New York Times Initially Described The Image As "the Most Cunning Representation To Date Of This Angel‐faced 25‐year‐old English Composer‐performer As A Disembodied Spirit Of The Space Age". In Retrospect Cann Argues That A Cover Like Aladdin Sane's Can Be A Risky Move For Artists Whose Success Is Relatively Recent. Reissues
Aladdin Sane Has Been Reissued Several Times. Although The Original 1973 Vinyl Release Featured A Gatefold Cover Some Later LP Versions Such As RCA's 1980 US Reissue Presented The Album In A Standard Non-Gatefold Sleeve. The Album Was First Released On CD In 1984 By RCA. In 1990 Dr. Toby Mountain At Northeastern Digital Southborough Massachusetts Remastered Aladdin Sane From The Original Master Tapes For Rykodisc Released With No Bonus Tracks. It Was Again Remastered In 1999 By Peter Mew At Abbey Road Studios For EMI And Virgin Records And Once More Released With No Bonus Tracks. In 2003 A Two-Disc Version Was Released By EMI/Virgin. The Second In A Series Of 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition Sets Along With Ziggy Stardust And Diamond Dogs This Release Includes A Remastered Version Of The Album On The First Disc. The Second Disc Contains Ten Tracks A Few Of Which Had Been Previously Released On The 1989 Collection Sound Vision. A 40th Anniversary Edition Remastered By Ray Staff At London's AIR Studios Was Released In CD And Digital Download Formats In April 2013. This 2013 Remaster Of The Album Was Included In The 2015 Box Set Five Years 1969–1973 And Rereleased Separately In 2015–2016 In CD Vinyl And Digital Formats. A 12" Limited Edition Of The 2013 Remaster Pressed In Silver Vinyl Was Released In 2018 To Mark The 45th Anniversary Of The Album. To Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary The Album Will Be Reissued On 14 April 2023 In Vinyl Picture Disc And Half-Speed-Mastered Versions.