Talk:Space Oddity/Archive 1

Archive 1

Two versions ?

Clearly there is an original version, which is very different from the most commonly-played album one. They are different in instrumentation and possibly personnel, and have been produced at two different dates (it is not just the case of a re-issue). I think the article mixes the two up; I do not hear any mellotron in the first, but an organ. The album one clearly has a mellotron in it, so that is the one Wakeman played in. You can hear the original in youtube, where there is also the first video for it and make your own conclusions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67kmFzSh_o.) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.78.28.109 (talk) 10:34, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Agreed. The http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie_(1969_album) album article on Wikipedia clearly refers to Rick Wakeman and Bowie's use of Stylophone. I hear neither Mellotron nor Stylophone on the single. Also notable, the Wikipedia article for the album also describes the track as a mostly "acoustic number". sugarfish (talk) 22:31, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

Delay between release and charting: BBC policy to blame?

Article's unsourced assertion that Space Oddity was used by BBC in television coverage of the moon landing is at odds with this Bowie interview and this summary of a BBC World Service documentary. Both say that the BBC refused to play Space Oddity until the real life astronauts were safely back from the moon, citing this as the reason it did not chart until September 1969. Onkelringelhuth 16:14, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

The song was not played during the lunar landings, not by the BBC anyway. That story seems to be a myth that has spread in the internet age. It was used for the first time a few months later during the coverage of the launch of some other space mission. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.15.29.9 (talk) 23:05, 12 February 2011 (UTC)

Hallucinogens? Hardly!

The song is clearly about heroin use, not hallucinogens. This is not only evident in the nature of the lyrics, but is corroborated by the Ashes to Ashes lyric "We know major toms a junkie/Strung out in heavens high". Just thought I'd state that here before I change the article, in case anyone disagrees. GBMorris 01:06, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

Ashes to Ashes was released 11 years after this, you can't use it's lyrics to interpret this song as Bowie could have himself be reinterpreting his own character at that point. Unless you have a direct quote from Bowie about his intent while writing Space Oddity, it's just speculation, which falls under original research and is to be avoided on Wiki. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.190.34.219 (talk) 02:23, 3 May 2009 (UTC)

NPOV

This page reeks of bias. I like the song too, but jeez! Anyone care to help me tone it down a little? Nervousbreakdance 05:27, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Uh... last time I looked it wasn't incredibly biased, just unsourced and poorly organised. Anyway, having largely written the related Space Oddity album and "Ashes to Ashes" articles, this is one of the next on my list for 'treatment' - hopefully in the next week or two (but I've said that before)! Cheers, Ian Rose 08:20, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

I suppose its an exaggeration to say it "reeks of" bias, but it is far too subjective. Thanks a bunch! Nervousbreakdance 03:23, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

References in Pop Culture

Friends (Sitcom)

the SitCom Friends is mentioned under references, but only once - not twice as it should be, since the song has been partially performed twice in that particular show.

The incident, which isn't mentioned, features Chandler (Matthew Perry) singing part of the song on a private video recording, which he made by himself. It is played in front of the rest of the friends by mistake, when Joey attempts to film a scene for a tv show, whcih he was supposed to be in, but got cut out from. He makes this scene because his grandma is visiting for the sole purpose of watching Joeys scene, so he doesn't want to let her down. When he plays the tape and his scene is over, it scrambles and ends in the beginning of Chandlers private performance. I think it is just as much worth mentioning as the other episode of friends, but i don't think it's my call, so i leave it to the regulars in here to decide :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.243.124.202 (talk • contribs) 21:51, 14 March 2006

2001: A Space Odyssey

Knowing the song not too well, should the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) be referenced as having a somewhat similar narrative: astronauts losing contact to ground control, an astronaut going on a long subjective 'trip' in his vehicle, a drug-trip-interpreted sequence, getting lost in outer space? But then, since 2001 was released first, are there any sources about Bowie's inspiration? 85.176.38.163 (talk) 23:44, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

The article in the Listener [[1]] cites the film as the songs inspiration ( the songs title is also a bit of a hint in that direction!) - I wonder if the initially very poor reception given to the Kubrick film may also have caused the single to be put aside by BBC DJs as perhaps a bit too arty for its own good? The success of the Apollo landing can only have helped both works reach a wider audience rather than the BBCs policy being somehow responsible for delaying the singles charting. If I remember correctly, much of the BBC coverage used the 2001 theme tune Also sprach Zarathustra (Richard Strauss). Space Oddity would have been very lightweight for any UK TV coverage of such a serious event at the time. Mighty Antar (talk) 00:38, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Bowie SpaceOdditySingle.jpg

Image:Bowie SpaceOdditySingle.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 04:08, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Done. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 06:15, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

narrative / content

The narrative/content section of the article appears highly speculative and frankly cliché in it's interpretation. Content for this section should probably come from (1) an accredited academic source, (2) a legitimate musical-journalism source, or (3) from Mr. Bowie himself. Otherwise shouldn't the section be removed altogether, and the interpretation of the song left to the listener? Song lyrics are generally poetic by nature and thereby are usually intentionally ambiguous or cryptic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.65.74.68 (talk) 20:48, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

No mention of Bowie's later song Ashes to Ashes? Why?

In Ashes to Ashes Bowie revisits his character of Major Tom, and reinterprets him. It should be mentioned. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.190.34.219 (talk) 04:10, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

merge

Please note : There is a discussion at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Songs/coverversions with the purpose of trying to establish a standard rule for merge/separate different versions of the same song. Please make known your opinions on the matter. --Richhoncho (talk) 19:17, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Why is Ground Control to Major Tom redirected?

There isn't even anything about the song, but it's redirected anyways! It doesn't even has a song number on the album! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.166.212.221 (talk) 04:53, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, because of the sheer famousness of the song, many people will hear or at least know a bit of it without ever actually knowing the song's name. Its not uncommon for people to mistake the song's name to be Ground Control to Major Tom rather than Space Oddity. The line is also very popular, I suppose. Harry Blue5 (talk) 13:05, 2 October 2010 (UTC)

Major Tom (Coming Home) a sequel?

I would have to say, listening to the Peter Schilling song, that it is not a sequel, but a retelling. It's the same story, just told a different way. Should it really state on the page that it's a sequel to Space Oddity? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.247.217.243 (talk) 10:19, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

C-class article for a now-iconic song

Like Jimi Hendrix, Bowie has become more classic every year-- and by "Bowie," we now mean the Bowie of Space Oddity. A whole section to it is missing. It came out at the peak of the hippie era, and (like almost everything else) was universally understood as a metaphor for the drug experience at the time. Citations won't be hard to find. Reading this article was the first time in my life I heard anyone claim it was actually about the space program! But let's not reduce it to literature. What about the music and the amazing orchestration of it? Doesn't that deserve more analysis?Profhum (talk) 17:00, 6 August 2013 (UTC)

Song not owned by Bowie?

According to the Ottawa Citizen, Bowie says the song is not owned by him: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/apology-to-david-bowie I couldn't immediately find who owns it, but I thought somebody more familiar with the industry (or Bowie's career) might be able to figure out who. (And add this interesting fact to the article.) -- William Pietri (talk) 19:56, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

Not sure than "owned" is the correct term. But a few years ago he traded in all his future royalties for a guaranteed pension. Certainly doesn't belong on this article and I am not sure that it belongs on Bowie's page either. --Richhoncho (talk) 20:07, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

Another version of the song?

I was a little shocked to discover that a version of Space Oddity that was included in the 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty wasn't included. Sure, it had Bowie on it, but also featured comedienne/actress Kristen Wiig on what was considered "Space Oddity (Mitty Mix)" on the album's soundtrack.

References:

AmazonMP3: Space Oddity (Mitty Mix) [feat. Kristen Wiig]

AmazonMP3: The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture)