20 June: Space Oddity

On this date in 1969 David Bowie recorded Space Oddity at Trident Studios London. 10 facts about the song.

1. Given that the release date was 11 July 1969, days before the first Moon landing, it’s easy to assume the song was inspired by Apollo 11, but it was actually inspired by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which David Bowie had watched multiple times. This isn’t to say that the record company didn’t rush through the release in order to cash in on the space theme.

2. The BBC jumped on the bandwagon, choosing to play the song during the mission and even over some of the footage of the landing itself. While Bowie was naturally chuffed that they chose to use his song, it was clear to him they hadn’t really listened to the lyrics beforehand. Bowie commented: "Obviously, some BBC official said, 'Oh, right then, that space song, Major Tom, blah blah blah, that’ll be great. 'Um, but he gets stranded in space, sir.' Nobody had the heart to tell the producer that." Though presumably someone did, or the producer did listen carefully at some point, and then the song was banned by the BBC until the astronauts had returned safely to Earth.

3. The B side was Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud.

4. Space Oddity isn’t the only song to feature Major Tom. Bowie’s 1980 single Ashes to Ashes also features him: "We know Major Tom's a junkie/Strung out in heaven's high/Hitting an all-time low." Major Tom gets another mention in Hallo Spaceboy from the 1995 album Outside and also in Bowie’s final album, Blackstar.

5. Major Tom does not, however, appear at all in the Italian version of the song, also recorded in 1969. Instead of directly translating the English words, the Italian songwriter Mogul was hired to write new lyrics. He re-worked it as a love song called Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola (Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl) with no mention of Major Tom at all.

6. In 1983, German electro musician Peter Schilling released a sequel song called Major Tom (I'm Coming Home), which actually did better in the charts than the original 1969 release of Space Oddity. In 2003, K.I.A. released another sequel called Mrs. Major Tom, telling the story from the point of view of Major Tom's wife.

7. Must admit, I always assumed the lyric "And the papers want to know whose shirt you wear," referred to whether he shopped for clothes at Moss Bros or Marks and Spencer, but one source I looked at claimed it was nothing to do with office wear but is English slang for “Which Football team do you support?”

8. In 2013 a cover of Space Oddity became the first music video to be filmed in space. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded it on the International Space Station. He sang and played Guitar while other performers provided musical accompaniment from Earth. He changed the lyrics, not only to include a reference to something Soyuz as a nod to the International part, but also leaving out the bit where Major Tom gets stranded in space.

9. In 1969, Space Oddity was awarded the Ivor Novello Award alongside Peter Sarstedt's Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?

10. It has been used in numerous films and TV shows, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in which Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is frequently referred to as "Major Tom" for daydreaming while at work; Friends (The One After Vegas); Mad Men and EastEnders.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/