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''Space Oddity'' is a 1969 album by rock musician David Bowie . Originally released by Philips in the UK as ''David Bowie'' and by Mercury in the U.S. as ''Man of Words/Man of Music'', it was reissued by RCA Records in 1972 under the title ''Space Oddity'', the name by which it is still commonly known. Regarding its mix of Folk , balladry and Prog Rock , '' NME '' editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have said, "Some of it belonged in '67 and some of it in '72, but in 1969 it all seemed vastly incongruous. Basically, ''David Bowie'' can be viewed in retrospect as all that Bowie had been and a little of what he would become, all jumbled up and fighting for control..." Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). ''Bowie: An Illustrated Record'': pp.28-29 Held to be "the first Bowie album proper",David Buckley (1999). ''Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story'': pp.36-79 and his first deemed worthy by record companies of regular reissue, ''Space Oddity'' featured a notable list of collaborators, including session players . Visconti thus produced all the songs on the album bar what would become, from its 1972 reissue onwards, the title track. Still considered one of Bowie's best-known songs, "Space Oddity" was a largely acoustic number augmented by the eerie tones of the composer's '' and introduced the character of Major Tom . Some commentators have also seen the song as a Metaphor for Heroin use, citing the opening countdown as analogous to the drug's passage down the needle prior to the euphoric 'hit', and noting Bowie's admission of a "silly flirtation with smack" in 1968. His 1980 hit " Ashes To Ashes " declared "We know Major Tom's a junkie". ", edgy Guitar sound and snarling vocal. " Letter To Hermione " was a farewell ballad to Bowie's former girlfriend, Hermione Farthingale, who was also the object of " An Occasional Dream ", a gentle folk tune reminiscent of the singer's 1967 Debut Album . " God Knows I'm Good ", Bowie's observational tale of a Shoplifter 's plight, also recalled his earlier style. "s who seemed ready to follow any charismatic leader. Another track cited as foreshadowing themes to which Bowie would return in 1970s, in this case the fracturing of personality, was " Janine ", which featured the words "But if you took an axe to me, you’d kill another man not me at all". The - an embryonic form of Ziggy Stardust's Spiders From Mars. Although the opening song had given Bowie a #5 hit in the UK earlier in the year, the remainder of the material bore little resemblance to it and the album was a commercial failure on its initial release, despite some decent reviews. However the November 1972 reissue, released in the wake of Bowie's breakthrough '' The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars '' and featuring a contemporary Ziggy photo on the cover, made #17 in the UK charts and #16 in the United States. TRACK LISTING All songs written by David Bowie. Side one # " Space Oddity " – 5:15 # " Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed " – 6:55 # " (Don't Sit Down) " – 0:39 # " Letter To Hermione " – 2:28 # " Cygnet Committee " – 9:33 Side two # " Janine " – 3:18 # " An Occasional Dream " – 2:51 # " Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud " – 4:45 # " God Knows I'm Good " – 3:13 # " Memory Of A Free Festival " – 7:05 "Don't Sit Down" was deleted from the album when it was rereleased in 1972 as ''Space Oddity''. CD RELEASES ''Space Oddity'' was first released on CD by RCA in 1984. In keeping with the 1972 RCA LP release, the track "Don't Sit Down" remained missing. The German (for the European market) and Japanese (for the United States market) masters were sourced from different tapes and are not identical for each region. In 1990, the album was rereleased by Rykodisc with an expanded track listing including a restored "Don't Sit Down" as well as " Conversation Piece " and the two-part re-recording of "Memory of a Free Festival" that had been released as a single in 1970. 1990 rerelease bonus tracks # "Conversation Piece" (1970 B-side of " The Prettiest Star ") – 3:05 # "Memory of a Free Festival Part 1" (1970 single version A-side) – 3:59 # "Memory of a Free Festival Part 2" (1970 single version B-side) – 3:31 The album was reissued again in 1999 by EMI , without bonus tracks but with 24-bit digitally remastered sound and retaining the original "Don't Sit Down". The Japanese mini LP replicates the cover of the original Philips LP. PERSONNEL
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