Monday, August 12, 2019

Celebrating Starman: The 50th Anniversary of David Bowie`s Space Oddity


Five days before the United States launched Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the moon, David Bowie released one of the most popular songs of his career, Space Oddity. It depicts an astronaut named Major Tom and his ascent into space. The song was inspired by Stanley Kubrick`s film 2001: A Space Odyssey,  which was released in April of 1968. Bowie`s fascination with space, which would later manifest in his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, coincided with the space fever that overtook the 1960s.

Space Oddity was banned by the BBC during the launch of Apollo 11. While the world was brimming with excitement about the mission, David Bowie was singing with a more subdued tone. The BBC thought a song about the loneliness an astronaut may feel was not appropriate. They banned the song on radio stations, however it was still played in the background during the Apollo 11 TV coverage. When the astronauts returned home safely the ban was lifted and Space Oddity shot to #5 on the UK charts.

Bowie revisited Major Tom in his 1980 single Ashes to Ashes. Major Tom, Bowie explained, has decayed and he`s "out there somewhere and we`ll leave him be." In 1983, Peter Schilling wrote Major Tom (coming home) which features the astronaut Bowie created. Although Major Tom was laid to rest in Ashes to Ashes, Bowie later mentions him in his 1995 song Hallo Spaceboy and in the music video for Blackstar, in which we see the visor of a space suit being lifted to reveal a bejeweled skull that may or may not be Major Tom. This may have been Bowie saying a final goodbye to the iconic character and perhaps a reflection of his own mortality. On January 10th, 2016, two days after the release of the Blackstar album, David Bowie died of liver cancer at the age of 69.

Upcoming Event
In conjunction with our Summer Reading theme "A Universe of Stories", on Tuesday, August 13th, our main branch will be showing the documentary Discovering David Bowie from 5:30-7pm in the Saxe Room. Watch music critics discuss Bowie`s career and share your own thoughts after the show. Patrons will receive a list of Bowie`s 100 favorite books.

Books
David Bowie never released an autobiography, however there are many biographies written about him. Check them out here. Any e-books and e-audio books can be read using our Libby app. You can also stop by our display on the third floor.


                 Did you know?
  • David Bowie loved to read. His son, Duncan Jones, described him as a "beast of a reader." There is a David Bowie Book Club, called "The Bowie Book Club" founded in 2016 after his death.
  • In 2013, Bowie posted a list of his 100 favorite books. Take a look here.
  • In 1986, Bowie did an endorsement (left) for the American Library Association (ALA). 


  • Resource:
    Dowling, Stephen. (2019). How David Bowie was banned during the moon landing. Retrieved from https: //www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190716-how-david-bowie-was-banned-during-the-moon-landing

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