David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter & actor. He constantly reinvented himself to stay current over nearly 5 decades. His first big hit was "Space Oddity" in 1969. He had a lot of great songs including "Ziggy Stardust", "Rebel Rebel", "Young Americans", "Changes", "Fame", "Golden Years", "Ashes To Ashes", "Under Pressure", Let's Dance", "Modern Love", "China Girl", "Heroes" etc.
David Bowie was a musical genius in my opinion. His music changed completely with every album he released. He was also a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, keyboards, saxophone and harmonica on his records. He was one of the all time greats. Sadly missed. Thank you for adding him to your reactions.
Absolutely correct. Hope you do more of his content soon, you won't be sorry. You might want to check out his song "Ashes To Ashes" It's the 'sequel' to "Space Oddity."
This was first released in 1969, David Bowie was a musical chameleon, he changed his styles so many times. His influence over other musicians cannot be overstated! RIP David Bowie💖
Don't be fooled by his appearance in a single video. This was in his Ziggy Stardust phase, but he was such an influential artist and performer and he is a rabbit hole well worth going down. He had very many looks over his career, even in the early days for sure. Check out Suffragette City for another one of his hits but it's just a total banger. Studio version for sure.
David stated in a live interview that he dressed according to the characters in his songs. I really love David’s uniqueness. In later years, he became a handsome man. Also, he married a beautiful lady that was a model. Thanks for your reaction.
This song came out the same month as the Apollo moon landing. "Ashes to Ashes", the followup song to "Space Oddity" is a must listen. It continues the story of Major Tom and is a great reveal as to the nature of the first song.
This wasn’t David Bowie’s regular look, it was his persona for the album, going by the name of Ziggy Stardust. As has been mentioned many times in the other comments, he regularly changed his look as the years passed and as projects were released.
R.i.p. David Bowie, you are gone now, but your music lives on. I am lucky enough to have seen you twice in concert. He was such a dedicated artist that when he knew he was dying, he recorded the Blackstar lp. The song Lazarus was his goobye to us fans. You can tell watching the video that he knew his time was short. He released it within the week of his death.
Pretty sure Bowie's a legend everywhere 😉 So many songs to suggest... Starman, Rebel Rebel, Changes, Fame, Ziggy Stardust, Let's Dance, Blue Jean, China Girl & Fashion
It was partly inspired by the movie 2001: A space odyssey, thus the similar title and then actually rushed to the market because of the Apollo 11 moon landing
And now you have been properly prepared to watch the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Love this song! Cheers to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield for performing the cover while in orbit around the Earth!!!
Hi Guys. The impact of this song was amazing. It came out in 1969, just weeks before Apollo 11 Moon Landing! Originally it was banned by the BBC of UK PLUS the US banned it. Public interest in Space travel and the Moon Landing was at its height. So a song that had a "sad" negative ending for the astraunaut was not appreciated by the US Govt. It was Student Radio and independent Radio stations that launched this onto the airways... and was Bowie's first International hit. Cheers.
David Bowie and Freddie Mercury collaborated on a song called "Under Pressure." They recorded their parts separately without telling each other what they were going to do and the result was pretty amazing. You might want to check that one out. o
With Christmas approaching, you need to check out David Bowie's song with Bing Crosby. It seemed an unlikely match-up but they do a medley called "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth" that is really good.
Greatest solo artist ever....not biased in anyway but his impact on music, fashion and social culture cannot be beaten...so far ahead of his time...and believe me his hair gets brighter ...he reinvents himself so many times over nearly 6 decades
Bowie is a chameleon. He probably reinvents his look and sound more times than any other artists, and most iterations of himself were successful. That’s why he stayed relevant over parts of 6 decades.
Such a classic. Bowie is simply one of a kind. Heroes is my favorite. Incredible live performer. And yes, he has 2 different colored eyes. His bio explains.
Bowie is the ultimate legend. Listening to songs from the 70's through headphones is a must. The songs were mixed for 2 channels, yep just like Pink Floyd. You can't get the same feel for a song through a wi-fi speaker or any channel speaker system that has only 1 bass channel. Bowie reinvented himself through his entire career. You cannot go wrong discovering this master of music
David Bowie was a rock and roll chameleon. From his glam rock Ziggy Stardust persona, blue-eyed Philly soul and the thin white Duke. He was at the forefront of it all.
GREAT reaction! Bear in mind, this video is from 1972...so well before 'music' videos were done with any consistency, concept or pretty archaic 'effects' (and whatever there was a mostly for the psychedelic crowd) - so sure, this vid isn't much to write home about (and this was actually a re-release for the US market). The song, however, was a veritable space trip. As for Bowie's 'look' - he took on numerous personas (actually changing his appearance based on that character). He is well worth the deep-dive! Cheers.
Went to this concert!!! The best!! I was so mesmerized by his props… he actually had a Space Ship come down from the ceiling!!! Love and miss you David 🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️🥰
The best way to describe David Bowie overall would be chameleon. His image, ability to portray various characters and his albums varying in styles is just incredible. Probably the closest to charismatic stage presence outside of Freddie Mercury, and thats saying something. As far as other songs to check out,Man Who Sold the World, Fame, Young Americans and Rebel Rebel are a few that come to mind.
Phyllis would be close to Phil. I literally cried when Bowie passed. I grew up listening to him and loving his music. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album is fantastic and in my top 5 all-time albums. Also Aladdin Sane and Jean genie are great. I was fortunate enough to see Bowie in the mid 80's. A friend was going with another couple who couldn't make it at the last minute and my buddy called me. Bowie's voice and what he can do with it always amazed me. Oh! The man who sold the world that nirvana covered is a excellent song as well.
Space was a big topic in rock during the late sixties/early seventies when they were sending men to the moon every six months or so. Elton John had Rocket Man, Black Sabbath had Iron Man, Bowie had several other songs during his Spiders from Mars persona. Space Truckin' by Deep Purple, ELO's Mission of the Sacred Heart. It was a rich topic for Rockers 😅
Thanks for your reaction. There is another version of space oddity that I would suggest, if you're interested: canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded it aboard the International Space Station with Bowie's permission. Maybe not as good musically speaking, but still amazing to hear him sing while floating in zero gravity. Hadfield was very happy that Bowie got to see it done this way before his death. Have a nice day.
David Bowie was definitely unique in his career and changed his look all throughout! His songs were unique also, he was definitely an amazing artist because of both of this! As others have said in the comments he has done some brilliant collaborations with some amazing artists that you wouldn’t think would work, but they worked very well!❤ Thanks for reacting guys!👍
The song is also notable for another influence that bled into its creation, that of pop heroes Bee Gees. It became the most complex song Bowie had written in his career at that point, shifting from the music hall-inspired sound of his debut to this type of poetic psychedelic folk that was inspired by the Gibb brothers. “Space Oddity was a Bee Gees type song,” Bowie’s collaborator John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson explained. “David knew it, and he said so at the time, the way he sang it, it’s a Bee Gees thing.” David Bowie was a very handsome man, with many changing styles, known as "the chamäleon"!
David Bowie’s appearance is a character he created called Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars was his character’s band. Bowie took theme albums to the next level.
Over the course of his extensive career Bowie incorporated many unique personas, from "Ziggy Stardust and Thin White Duke and many more. This was from his Glam Rock era. His catalog is eclectic and huge. Try his songs , Rebel Rebel and Young Americans
One of the all time great musicians. His constant reinventing of him and his style created some stunning music. So many great songs but try my personal favourite - "Heroes".
He was the man, a tour de force, I absolutely love him, he was best mates with Iggy Pop and Lou Read too, it's mind-blowing really, all so unique and deeply talented and inspirational musicians.
Being a WWII baby, I could be one of your older viewers. In my twenties I saw the iconic film 2001, A Space Odyssey in Cinerama and not so very long afterward heard this song that Bowie was inspired to write, almost certainly having experienced the movie too. I first heard Bowie when he released an embarassingly awful novelty song called The Laughing Gnome, so Space Oddity was a BIG step up in quality. After the break through of Space Oddity, Bowie created an alter ego called Ziggy Stardust and released the album Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, which showed off the talents that served him throughout his career. Bowie traded on his other worldly looks (a boyhood accident had left him with an enlarged pupil in one eye and irises of different colours) and was cast as an alien the the Sci Fi movie The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Glad you started with early Bowie, this song was originaly released in 1969 so I wouldn't be surprised if there were Beatles and psychodelic influences. The song was re-released in 1972 which is when the video was made. Bowie was disinterested in the song by then as he'd moved on and he said it showed in the video! Bowie became a leader of both music and fashion, his transformations during the 70's were incredible. I was a huge fan during this period. Welcome to your discovery of one of Rock's great icons.
Bowie was a genius, constantly reinventing and pushing the musical boundaries, if you ever move into movie reviews, you could watch his film The Man Who Fell To Earth
I was fortunate enough to see him live in 76 at the Springfield Civic Center and it was a great show. We were in the top row of seats with a good view of the stage and it was ironic that a few seats away in the same row were a couple of guys who were from the same town as us! What are the odds of that out of 10 thousand people in the crowd?
Astronaut Chris Hadfield did a video of this Bowie song when he took his guitar with him on his visit to the International Space Station. It has over 53 million views on RU-vid. It is a great rendition and the views from space out the windows are incredible.
I saw an interview with him many years later. He was asked if he wished he could have had today’s technology back then to change/improve the song. He said “no”; the song came out the way he wanted it to and he wouldn’t change a thing.
If you have ever scene a Gemini or Apollo space capsule in person, you really resonate with the line "Here I am floating in my Tin Can" Those things were incredibly small and claustrophobic feeling.
Bowie was pure genius. He set musical trends, fashion trends, and cultural trends. He was the trendsetter in phychedelic rock and new age rock and led the way in such musical genres as disco, new wave, and punk. He had a tremendous influence amongst his peers and on generations of artists that followed.
David Bowie loved Chris' version that he fought his label to put Chris' version back on RU-vid. Comforting tribute to David Jones (Bowie). Jones used Bowie as his stage name because of Davy Jones of the Monkees.
David Bowie's real name was David Jones. His birthday was on 8th January, the same as Elvis' birthday, which he was thrilled about as he was a big Elvis fan. He constantly reinvented himself and his music throughout his long career. So, if you decide to go down this amazing rabbit hole, you will see him in many of his different guises. Perhaps you should listen to 'Ashes To Ashes' next as, although it was released many years later, it is the sequel to 'Space Oddity'. Philomena could also be a female version of Phil 😊
LOVEEEEEE BOWIE!!!!! One of the most unique & influential artists of all time. He was such a chameleon & was able to adapt effortlessly to any time period. Wish I could have seen him before his passing but his music is timeless. So many artists have done tributes to him with one of my favorites being Lady Gaga which would be an awesome reaction. He's also very famous for Labyrinth where he played Jareth the Goblin King...RIP Ziggy aka Thin White Duke aka David Bowie
Great reaction, i’ve been a Bowie fan since I was in junior high school in the early 70s. I love how he sings his own harmony on this song, one on the right channel and then on the left channel. He was constantly changing personas and was a pioneer of the androgynous look taking hold at the time. It was definitely a conscious decision and I read an interview that the early outrageous looks was to stand out from others… basically a marketing move to get people interested and talking about him.
You can check out Bowie songs from different periods of his career and it's almost like a different artist. He was constantly innovative. Highly recommend Heroes, Rebel Rebel, Modern Love, Let's Dance, Under Pressure, Changes, Never Let Me Down.
Bowie had several links to Canada. Notably, Toronto video producer Floria Sigismondi produced most of his music videos. Two of Bowie's global concert tours began in Québec. Of his 40 million album sales worldwide, the album Blackstar topped the Canadian charts.
Bowie's catalog includes many songs, styles, sounds, and even appearances. Others have listed great tunes here for you to consider and they're all good options for your reactions. You will enjoy how he essentially creates a new version of himself for his songs and his performances and creates unique effects and attitudes for his songs. You'll probably never confuse any other artist's work because of his unique sounds and style. Good reaction!
The electronic notes are on a Stylophone, a small hand held keyboard device that was played by creating a circuit by touching the metal keyboard with a plastic coated, metal tipped stylus. The keyboard was marked in sections for various musical notes similar to a piano. Regarding his appearance, one of nicknames was the Thin White Duke.
This was released just before the Moon walk in june 1969. So all things about outer space was on everyone's mind as the radio stations played this song.
No one could be more suited to play the title role in Nicolas Roeg's "The Man Who Fell To Earth". With so many classic albums in so many genres over so many years David Bowie was unique.
This song is a little before my time but I was blessed to have an Aunt who introduced me to classic rock and a grandma who introduced me to Elvis at birth. 😊
David was the father of glam rock, actor, artist, songwriter/singer, well read very witty. He stared on Broadway in “The Elephant Man”, many movies is a favorite with my kids. He also had to different colored eyes 👀 due to being hit over a girl when he was younger. Suggest “Heroes”.
You mention The Beatles. Well, Bowie was close friends with John Lennon in the early 70s. They even went on holiday together to Japan. John Lennon actually co-wrote one of Bowies biggest hits, Fame, with David. He also played guitar and backing vocals on it. Lennon also played guitar and backing vocals on Bowie's cover of The Beatles song Across The Universe. Great reaction to a true musical legend. Stay safe 🤘 ✌️
Released 10 days before the moon landing and followed up by Ashes to Ashes eleven years later, this was groundbreaking in the music world. Hard to believe we had to listen to all our music in mono back then!
I am not a huge Bowie fan, but the respect for him as an artist is at the highest level. Bowie was way ahead of he's time and never did the same thing twice, always new music in a different direction. He set the pace for some many, and his look change just as much with each new music release also. I liked his earlier music more than the later, songs i would like to see you do would be Jean Genie, Rebel Rebel, Starman , just a few of my favs from him. Love your channel, love watching you dip your toes in the pond and see you both stretch your legs with lots of different types of music. Cheers from down under 😎✌
The song itself was from 1969 but the video is from around 1972-3, when he was in the character of Ziggy Stardust. That character depicted an androgynous rock star with redhair, make up and no eyebrows. He had many other characters and looks through the years, each one with a different musical style.
It's very prophetic that he chose that name for his last album. He knew he had terminal cancer and chose not to keep his health private, but to choose to name his posthumously-released album after a Biblical character who rose from the dead, was definitely intentional. Bowie was a genius with so many layers. We lost a legend when he died.
I agree it sounds like a Beatles song especially his voice sounds like Johns. Also remember this was during the space race aaand going to the moon making this song even more popular.
Bowie was a fan of Pink Floyd , he appeared on a charity single covering Arnold Layne, and also appeared on stage with David Gilmour covering Comfortably Numb .
The track was produced by Tony Visconti who came up with most of the feel of the track, his wife at the time was Mary Hopkin. She was on Apple Records so thats the Beatles conection. If you fancy something different try Song For Comus by Comus. This music was labeled Acid/Folk, again UK band recorded in 1971. A must listen with head phones. Keep up the good music listening.
That's not true. One pupil was permanently dilated because of a fight he had as a teenager with his pal George Underwood because he had his eyes on George's girlfriend. They remained friends though and George designed some of Bowies album covers.
You mentioned a Beatles sound to him. I recently read where he was good friends with John Lennon. John cowrote another popular song of David Fame. He also was part of the vocals in that song.
