“It can all but break your heart in pieces”
Originally issued as a single on March 6 1970, The Prettiest Star is forty three today.
Released as a follow-up single to Space Oddity (after London Bye Ta Ta had been considered and decided against), The Prettiest Star featured Marc Bolan on a nervous lead guitar solo and was produced by Tony Visconti.
Despite a clutch of great reviews, the single was largely ignored. However, the song was resurrected in 1973, when it was re-recorded and given a bit of extra shine by The Spiders From Mars for the Aladdin Sane album.
This later version featured Mick Ronson's delicious, note-for-note, recreation of Bolan‘s original guitar part, but with that untouchable Ronson sound.
Listen to the original 1970 recording here and the Aladdin Sane reworking here.
Both versions of this beautifully tender song have their appeal and it's lovely to hear the fragile 23-year-old Bowie blossom into the confident superstar of 1973.
Pictured here is the Italian picture sleeve courtesy of the insanely addictive bowie-singles.com.