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Coming up with a short, informative narrative about "Space Oddity," David Bowie's "Great Song of the '70s," is difficult at best.
There is SO MUCH background and trivia involved, it's hard to choose the best, most interesting tidbits. I've chosen a few things that caught my attention, but believe me, there's a whole bunch more.
David wrote the song after seeing the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" several times (mostly while stoned), replacing "Odyssey" with "Oddity," although neither word appears in the lyrics.
It was originally written for solo guitar, but producer Gus Dudgeon (also known for his work with Elton John) turned it into an epic.
For some reason, its release was timed to roughly coincide with America's 1969 Moon landing, and over in England, the BBC chose to use the song prominently during its coverage. David thought it was ridiculous and potentially tragic--since the song's protagonist, Major Tom, ends up being lost in space. David theorized that whoever was in charge at the BBC cleared the song without ever listening to it.
When the song was initially released in '69, it reached #5 in the UK, most likely due to the moon landing exposure, but here in the US, it charted at the bottom of Billboard's "Bubbling Under" Chart. In other words, it stiffed at #124 on the Hot 100.
In 1972, however, after David had achieved some modest success in the US (with the song "Changes"), "Space Oddity" was re-released, and it became a hit, reaching #15 on the Hot 100.
In 1975, It was re-released in the UK, and went straight to #1.
TRIVIA: the lyric, "The papers want to know whose shirt you wear," was a nod to British reporters who always wanted to know what soccer team a famous person supported (by wearing the team's jersey--similar to a sports fan in the US.)
The most unique cover version of the song was recorded by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield while in residence on the International Space Station.
Using a guitar that is kept on the station, Chris recorded the basic track, which was then transmitted to Earth, where producer Emm Gryner, who was once a member of David's band, put the rest of the song together
Chris also sent some incredible footage from the station that was used in a video that is simply amazing.
David called the finished product: "quite possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created." (Check the link below!)
By the way, Chris conveniently left out the part about drifting away into space.
One final note of interest: When David passed away in 2016, the song re-appeared on charts all over the world--including the US, where it reached #4 on the Alternative Music Chart."
""Space Oddity" by David Bowie: a "Great Song of the '70s," and beyond--possibly to infinity!
Chris Hadfield: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo
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