“Do you remember a guy that's been, In such an early song”
Though not officially sanctioned, Tris Penna and Sue Clark’s latest Bowie-related production for BBC Radio 2 airs at 21:00 this evening, and is well worth a mention here.
We’re sure you remember their award-winning Exploring Life On Mars? documentary, presented by Martin Kemp and originally broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on January 9th, 2017. The programme won the BBC’s Radio & Music Awards BEST MUSIC PRODUCTION gong last year.
Tonight’s look at the evolution of Space Oddity and the continuing saga of Major Tom is surely destined for similar accolades.
Listen here: https://smarturl.it/OneGiantStepBBCR2
Keep reading for the full blurb.
#BowieOneGiantStep #SpaceOddity50 #BowieAtTheBBC #ExploringLifeOnMars
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One Giant Step – David Bowie’s Space Oddity
BBC Radio 2
Tx: Saturday 13th July 2019 at 9 pm
Presenter: Tris Penna
July is the fiftieth anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s first hit single 'Space Oddity' in 1969 and One Giant Step examines in detail arguably Bowie’s most famous song - one which was to have a vital, brooding presence throughout his career.
We look at why on the back of 9 flop singles and many attempts at fame - Space Oddity was written, and examine the influences that led to this career igniting song, with new interviews with his then duet partner John Hutchinson and good friend Dana Gillespie.
We hear the earliest known full demo of Space Oddity - performed as a duo with Hutch, but with differing lyrics and arrangements. We have unheard archive interview of Bowie’s manager at the time, Ken Pitt, discussing the unaired TV special 'Love You Till Tuesday' for which the song was written, and we hear a previously unheard studio outtake of the TV recording of the song from February 1969.
We learn about his multi-media trio Feathers - which became Bowie and Hutch, one of the origins for the song (having been conceived as a duet) - plus other significant influences such as Stanley Kubrick’s movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.
We learn how Bowie admits that 'Gee I am Major Tom' and how the invention of the Major Tom character would be the very first of many character creations in his career. We reveal what Tony Visconti thought of the song and why he gave it to Gus Dudgeon to produce. Bassist Herbie Flowers who played on the track tells us about the original recording session. We also hear from Philips Records executive Olav Wyper on how he helped make the record - against all odds - a hit.
We discover how David Bowie’s first UK number one single was a re-issue of Space Oddity in 1975 and hear the 1979 bleak Lennonesque remake. We hear from video director David Mallet - who made the startling video for Space Oddity 1979 which presaged the award winning video for Ashes To Ashes - the song of course prominently features 'Major Tom' who is by now a junky.
We have exclusive archive of Bowie talking about Ashes to Ashes and the continuing story of Major Tom. In a brand new interview Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant tells us how they came to remix ‘Hallo Spaceboy’ - and how it was his idea to 'cut up' the original Space Oddity lyrics and sing them with Bowie on the hit.
We also hear audio of the very last time Bowie performed the song in 2002 in Denmark. Space Oddity has by now become such a part of popular culture that it was no surprise when astronaut Chris Hadfield performed Space Oddity live from the Space Station. And in an exclusive interview superstar film director Johan Renck tells us about the creative process of working with Bowie on the Blackstar video - the video that sees Major Tom finally laid to rest, made only months before Bowie’s untimely death.
The programme is presented by Tris Penna, who as a record executive and producer knew and worked with David Bowie. Produced by Tris Penna and Sue Clark Productions for BBC Radio 2.
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