''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (often shortened to ''Ziggy Stardust'') is the fifth studio album by English musician
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, released on 16June 1972 in the United Kingdom through
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
. It was co-produced by Bowie and
Ken Scott
Ken Scott (born 20 April 1947) is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff B ...
and features Bowie's backing band
the Spiders from Mars
The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie's backing band in the early 1970s, and initially consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums.
The group had its origins in Bowie's earlier ba ...
, comprising
Mick Ronson
Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...
,
Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with the Spiders from Mars, the backing band for David Bowie, a ...
and
Mick Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rel ...
. Most of the songs were written around the same time as Bowie's previous album ''
Hunky Dory
''Hunky Dory'' is the fourth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 17December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, '' The Man Who Sold the World'', Bowie took time off from recording and tourin ...
'' (1971). After that album was completed, recording for ''Ziggy Stardust'' commenced in November 1971 at
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry. ...
in London, with further sessions in early February 1972.
Described as a loose
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
and
rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
, ''Ziggy Stardust'' concerns Bowie's titular
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
Ziggy Stardust, a fictional
androgynous and
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending
apocalyptic disaster. In its story, Ziggy wins the hearts of fans but suffers a fall from grace after succumbing to his own ego. The character was inspired by numerous musicians, including singers
Vince Taylor
Vince Taylor (14 July 1939 – 28 August 1991), born Brian Maurice Holden, was an English rock and roll singer. As the lead singer of Vince Taylor and His Playboys, sometimes Vince Taylor and The Playboys, he was successful primarily in France ...
and
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
. Most of the album's concept was developed after the songs were recorded. The
glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
and
proto-punk musical styles were influenced by Pop,
the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
, and
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted in ...
of
T. Rex, while the lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music, political issues, drug use, sexual orientation and stardom. The album cover, photographed in monochrome and recoloured, was taken in London, outside the home of
furriers
Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...
"K. West".
Preceded by the single "
Starman
''StarMan'' is a 1996 fantasy novel by Australian writer Sara Douglass. It follows the second book in the series, '' Enchanter'', with Axis marching north with his army to confront a formidable enemy.
Background
''StarMan'' was first published ...
", ''Ziggy Stardust'' peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 75 in the United States. It initially received favourable reviews from music critics; some praised the musicality and concept while others were unable to comprehend it. Shortly after its release, Bowie performed "Starman" on Britain's ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' in early July 1972, which propelled him to stardom. The Ziggy character was retained for the subsequent
Ziggy Stardust Tour
The Ziggy Stardust Tour was a concert tour by David Bowie during 1972–73, to promote the studio albums ''Hunky Dory'', ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' and ''Aladdin Sane''. Bowie was accompanied by his backin ...
, leaving Bowie unable to differentiate between Ziggy and himself. Not wanting Ziggy to define him, Bowie created a new character for his next album ''
Aladdin Sane'' (1973), which Bowie described as "Ziggy goes to America". Performances from the tour were later released on a concert film
of the same name with an accompanying
live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
(1983) and ''
Live Santa Monica '72'' (2008).
Retrospectively, ''Ziggy Stardust'' is considered one of Bowie's best works and has appeared on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time. Bowie had ideas for a musical based on the album, although this project never came to fruition; ideas were later used for ''
Diamond Dogs
''Diamond Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 24 May 1974 through RCA Records. Bowie produced the album and recorded it in early 1974 at Olympic and Island Studios in London and Ludolph Studios i ...
'' (1974). ''Ziggy Stardust'' has been reissued several times and was remastered in 2012 for its 40th anniversary. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the
National Recording Registry
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservati ...
, being deemed "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
.
Background
Following his promotional tour of America in February 1971,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
returned to Haddon Hall in England and began writing songs, many of which were inspired by the diverse musical genres that were present in America.
He wrote over three dozen songs, many of which would appear on his fourth studio album ''
Hunky Dory
''Hunky Dory'' is the fourth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 17December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, '' The Man Who Sold the World'', Bowie took time off from recording and tourin ...
'' and ''Ziggy Stardust''; among these were "
Moonage Daydream" and "
Hang On to Yourself", which he recorded with his short-lived band
Arnold Corns
Arnold Corns was a band, formed by David Bowie in 1971, the name of which was inspired by the Pink Floyd song "Arnold Layne".
History
This was one of Bowie’s side projects and something of a dry run for '' Ziggy Stardust''. The band was form ...
in February 1971, and subsequently reworked for ''Ziggy Stardust''. Work officially began on ''Hunky Dory'' in June 1971 at
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry. ...
in London. The sessions featured the musicians who would later become known as
the Spiders from Mars
The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie's backing band in the early 1970s, and initially consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums.
The group had its origins in Bowie's earlier ba ...
– guitarist
Mick Ronson
Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...
, bassist
Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with the Spiders from Mars, the backing band for David Bowie, a ...
and drummer
Mick Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rel ...
.
Ken Scott
Ken Scott (born 20 April 1947) is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff B ...
, who previously worked as an engineer for Bowie's two previous albums and
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, was chosen as producer. The sessions also featured keyboardist
Rick Wakeman on piano who, after completing work on the album, declined Bowie's offer to join the Spiders to instead join the English
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band
Yes. According to Woodmansey, ''Hunky Dory'' and ''Ziggy Stardust'' were almost recorded back-to-back. However, the Spiders realised that most of the songs on ''Hunky Dory'' were not suitable live material, so they needed a follow-up that could be toured behind.
After Bowie's manager
Tony Defries terminated his contract with
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
, Defries presented the album to multiple labels in the US, including New York City's
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
. The head of the label, Dennis Katz, heard the tapes and saw the potential of the piano-based songs, signing Bowie to a three-album deal on 9September 1971; RCA became Bowie's label for the rest of the decade. ''Hunky Dory'' was released on 17December to very positive reviews from critics but sold poorly and failed to break the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, partly due to poor marketing from RCA; the label had heard from Scott that Bowie was going to be changing his image for his next record so they did not know how to promote it.
Recording and production
![The former Trident Studios building, St Anne's Court, Soho, London 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/The_former_Trident_Studios_building%2C_St_Anne%27s_Court%2C_Soho%2C_London_2018.jpg)
The first song to be properly recorded for ''Ziggy Stardust'' was the
Ron Davies cover "It Ain't Easy", on 9 July 1971. Originally slated for release on ''Hunky Dory'', the song was passed for inclusion on that album and subsequently placed on ''Ziggy Stardust''. With ''Hunky Dory'' being readied for release, the sessions for ''Ziggy Stardust'' officially began at Trident on 8November 1971, using the same personnel as ''Hunky Dory'' minus Wakeman. In 2012, Scott said that "95 percent of the vocals on the four albums I did with him as producer, they were first takes."
According to biographer
Nicholas Pegg, Bowie's "sense of purpose" during the sessions was "decisive and absolute"; he knew exactly what he wanted for each individual track. Since most of the tracks were recorded almost entirely live, Bowie recalled that at some points, he had to hum Ronson's solos to him. Due to Bowie's generally dismissive attitude during the sessions for ''
The Man Who Sold the World'' (1970), Ronson had to craft his solos individually and had very little guidance. However, Bowie had a much better attitude when recording ''Hunky Dory'' and ''Ziggy Stardust'', and gave Ronson guidance on what he was looking for. For the album, Ronson used an electric guitar plugged to a 100-watt
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost t ...
and a
wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal, or simply wah pedal, is a type of electric guitar effects pedal that alters the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a distinctive sound, mimicking the human voice saying the onomatopoeic name "wah-wah". The ped ...
;
Bowie played acoustic rhythm guitar.
On 8November 1971, the band recorded initial versions of "Star" (then titled "Rock 'n' Roll Star") and "Hang On to Yourself", both of which were deemed unsuccessful. Both songs were rerecorded three days later on 11November, along with "
Ziggy Stardust", "Looking For a Friend", "
Velvet Goldmine
''Velvet Goldmine'' is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. It is set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, and tells the story of fictional bisexual pop star ...
" and "
Sweet Head". The next day, the band recorded two takes of "Moonage Daydream", one take of "
Soul Love
"Soul Love" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on his 1972 album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' by RCA Records. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it features Bowie's backing band know ...
", two takes of "
Lady Stardust
"Lady Stardust" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie that appeared on the album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (1972). Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded it with his backing band the S ...
" and two takes of a new version of ''The Man Who Sold the World'' track "
The Supermen
"The Supermen" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie in 1970 and released as the closing track on the album '' The Man Who Sold the World''. It was one of a number of pieces on the album inspired by the works of literary figur ...
". Three days later on 15November, the band recorded "
Five Years" and unfinished versions of "It's Gonna Rain Again" and "
Shadow Man". Woodmansey described the recording process as very fast-paced, saying they would record the songs, listen to them back and if they didn't capture the sound they were looking for, they recorded them again. On this day, a running order was created, which included the
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
cover "
Around and Around
"Around and Around" is a 1958 rock song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry. It originally appeared under the name "Around & Around" as the B-side to the single " Johnny B. Goode".
Cover versions
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stone ...
" (titled "Round and Round"), the
Jacques Brel cover "
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
", a new recording of "
Holy Holy" and "Velvet Goldmine"; "It Ain't Easy" was absent from the list. According to Pegg, the album was to be titled ''Round and Round'' as late as 15December.
Following the 15November session, the group took a break for the holiday season. Reconvening on 4January 1972, the band underwent rehearsals for three days at Will Palin's Underhill Studios in
Blackheath Blackheath may refer to:
Places England
*Blackheath, London, England
** Blackheath railway station
**Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England
*Blackheath, Surrey, England
** Hundred of Blackh ...
, in preparation for the final recording sessions. After recording some of the new songs for radio presenter
Bob Harris's ''
Sounds of the 70s'' as the newly dubbed Spiders from Mars in January 1972, the band returned to Trident that month to begin work on "
Suffragette City
"Suffragette City" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally released in April 1972 as the B-side of the single " Starman" and subsequently appeared on his fifth studio album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust a ...
" and "
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released as the closing track on the album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' on 16 June 1972. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowi ...
". After receiving a complaint from RCA executive Dennis Katz that the album did not contain a single, Bowie wrote "
Starman
''StarMan'' is a 1996 fantasy novel by Australian writer Sara Douglass. It follows the second book in the series, '' Enchanter'', with Axis marching north with his army to confront a formidable enemy.
Background
''StarMan'' was first published ...
", which replaced "Round and Round" on the track listing at the last minute; according to biographer Kevin Cann, the replacement occurred on 2February. Two days later, the band recorded "Starman", "Suffragette City" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", bringing the sessions to a close.
Concept and themes
Overview
''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars'' is about a
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
alien rock superstar named
Ziggy Stardust.
It was not initially conceived as a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
; much of the story was written after the album was recorded. Tracks rewritten for the narrative included "Star" (originally titled "Rock 'n' Roll Star"), "Moonage Daydream", and "Hang On to Yourself". Some reviewers have categorised the record as a
rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
,
although Paul Trynka argues that it is less an opera and more a "collection of snapshots thrown together and later edited into a sequence that makes sense." The characters were
androgynous. Mick Woodmansey said the clothes they had worn had "femininity and sheer outrageousness", and that the characters' looks "definitely appealed to our rebellious artistic instincts". Nenad Georgievski of ''
All About Jazz
''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...
'' said the record was presented with "high-heeled boots, multicolored dresses, extravagant makeup and outrageous sexuality".
Bowie had already developed an androgynous appearance, which was approved by critics, but received mixed reactions from audiences.
The album's lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music in general, political issues, drug use, sexual orientation and stardom.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
described the lyrics as "fractured, paranoid" and "evocative of a decadent, decaying future".
Apart from the narrative, "Star" reflects Bowie's idealisations of becoming a star himself and shows his frustrations at not having fulfilled his potential. On the other hand, "It Ain't Easy" has nothing to do with the overarching narrative. The outtakes "Velvet Goldmine" and "Sweet Head" did fit the narrative, but both contained provocative lyrics, which likely contributed to their exclusions. Meanwhile, "Suffragette City" contains a false ending, followed by the phrase "wham bam, thank you, ma'am!"
Bowie uses American slang and pronunciations throughout, such as "news guy", "cop" and "TV" (instead of "newsreader", "policeman" and "telly", respectively). Richard Cromelin of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called Bowie's imagery and storytelling in the track some of his most "adventuresome" up to that point,
while James Parker of ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' called Bowie "one of the most potent lyricists in rock history".
Inspirations
![VinceTaylor1963Blokker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/VinceTaylor1963Blokker.jpg)
One of the main inspirations for Ziggy Stardust was English singer
Vince Taylor
Vince Taylor (14 July 1939 – 28 August 1991), born Brian Maurice Holden, was an English rock and roll singer. As the lead singer of Vince Taylor and His Playboys, sometimes Vince Taylor and The Playboys, he was successful primarily in France ...
, whom Bowie met after Taylor had a mental breakdown and believed himself to be a cross between a god and an alien.
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
, singer of the proto-punk band
the Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
,
provided another main inspiration. Bowie had recently become infatuated with the singer and took influence from him for his next record, both musically and lyrically. Other influences for the character included Bowie's earlier album ''The Man Who Sold the World'',
Lou Reed, singer and guitarist of
the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
,
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted in ...
, singer and guitarist of glam rock band
T. Rex,
and the cult musician
Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Norman Carl Odam (born September 5, 1947, in Lubbock, Texas), known professionally as the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, is an outsider performer who is considered one of the pioneers of the genre that came to be known as psychobilly in the 1960s.
...
. An alternative theory is that, during a tour, Bowie developed the concept of Ziggy as a melding of the persona of Iggy Pop with the music of Lou Reed, producing "the ultimate pop idol". Woodmansey also cited guitarist and singer
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
and the progressive rock band
King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
as influences.
Sources for the Ziggy Stardust name included the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, the song "
Stardust" by
Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...
, and Bowie's fascination with glitter. A girlfriend recalled Bowie "scrawling notes on a cocktail napkin about a crazy rock star named Iggy or Ziggy", and on his return to England he declared his intention to create a character "who looks like he's landed from Mars". In 1990, Bowie explained that the "Ziggy" part came from a tailor's shop called Ziggy's that he passed on a train. He liked it because it had "that Iggy
opconnotation but it was a tailor's shop, and I thought, Well, this whole thing is gonna be about clothes, so it was my own little joke calling him Ziggy. So Ziggy Stardust was a real compilation of things." He later asserted that Ziggy Stardust was born out of a desire to move away from the denim and hippies of the 1960s.
In 2015, Tanja Stark proposed that due to Bowie's well-known fascination with esoterica and his self-identification as '
Jungian
Analytical psychology ( de , Analytische Psychologie, sometimes translated as analytic psychology and referred to as Jungian analysis) is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, to describe research into his new "empirical science" ...
', the Ziggy character may be a
neologism
A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
influenced by
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
, Greek and Gnostic concepts of
Syzygy with their connotations of androgyny, the conjunction of male and female, and union of celestial bodies "hinting perhaps, at 'Syzygy' Stardust as futuristic alchemical theatre...foreshadow
ngthe double-headed mannequin of '
Where Are We Now?
"Where Are We Now?" is a song by English musician David Bowie. Recorded in secret between September and October 2011 at the Magic Shop in New York City, it was released by ISO and Columbia Records as the lead single of his 25th studio album '' ...
' (2013)".
Story
The album begins with "Five Years", in which a news broadcast reveals that the Earth only has five years left before it gets destroyed by an impending apocalyptic disaster.
The first two verses are from the point of view of a child, who hears this news for the first time and goes numb as it sinks in. By the third verse, the listener is addressed directly, while the character of Ziggy Stardust is introduced indirectly. Afterwards, the listener hears the point of view of numerous characters dealing with love before the impending disaster ("Soul Love"). Biographer
Marc Spitz
Marc Spitz (October 2, 1969 – February 4, 2017) was an American music journalist, author and playwright. Spitz's writings on rock and roll and popular culture appeared in ''Spin'' (where he was a Senior Writer) as well as ''The New York Times' ...
notes the sense of "pre-apocalypse frustration" in the track. Doggett notes that following the "panoramic vision" of "Five Years", "Soul Love" offers a more "optimistic" landscape, with
bongos
Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...
and acoustic guitar indicating "mellow fruitfulness." Ziggy directly introduces himself in "Moonage Daydream", where he proclaims himself "an alligator" (strong and remorseless), "a mama-papa" (non-gender specific), "the space invader" (alien and phallic), "a rock'n'rollin' bitch" and a "pink-monkey-bird" (gay slang for a recipient of anal sex).
"Starman" sees Ziggy bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman', told from the point of view of one of the youths who hears Ziggy. "Lady Stardust" presents an unfinished tale with what Doggett states as "no hint at a denouement beyond a vague air of melancholy". Ziggy is recalled by the audience using both 'he' and 'she' pronouns, showing a lack of gender distinction. Ziggy then looks at himself through a mirror, pondering what it would be like to make it "as a rock'n'roll star" and if it would all be "worthwhile" ("Star"). In "Hang On to Yourself", Ziggy is put in front of the crowd. The track emphasises the metaphor that rock music goes from sex to fulfilment and back to sex again; Ziggy plans to abandon the sexual climax for a chance at stardom, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
"Ziggy Stardust" is the central piece of the narrative, presenting a complete "birth-to-death chronology" of Ziggy. He is described as a "well-hung, snow white-tanned, left-hand guitar-playing man" who rises to fame with his backing band the Spiders from Mars. However, he lets his ego take control of him, effectively alienating his fans and losing his bandmates.
Unlike "Lady Stardust", "Ziggy Stardust" shows the character's rise and fall in a very human manner. O'Leary notes that the song's narrator is not definitive: it could be an audience member retrospectively discussing Ziggy, it could be one of the Spiders or even the "dissociated memories" of Ziggy himself. Following his fall from grace, Ziggy is described by Pegg as "a hollow figure caught in the headlights of braking cars as he stumbles across the road." Rather than dying in blood, Ziggy cries to the audience ("Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"), requesting they "give him their hands" because they are "wonderful," before perishing on stage.
Musical styles
![Iggy Pop in Toronto 1973](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Iggy_Pop_in_Toronto_1973.jpg)
The music on ''Ziggy Stardust'' has been retrospectively described as
glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
and
proto-punk.
Georgievski felt the record represents Bowie's interests in "theater, dance,
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
, ''
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
'',
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
and science fiction".
The
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
also notes the presence of
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
,
garage rock
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...
,
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
and
stadium rock
Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
.
Some of the tracks also feature elements of 1950s
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
pop ("Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Sweet Head"), pop and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
("Soul Love"),
heavy metal ("Moonage Daydream") and late-1970s
punk rock ("Hang On to Yourself"). Bowie himself compared the record's sound to the music of Iggy Pop. Author James Perone opinions that the music is "more focused" than Bowie's previous works, being full of melodic and harmonic hooks.
Following the departure of Rick Wakeman on piano, the songs on ''Ziggy Stardust'' are considerably less piano-led than the songs on ''Hunky Dory'' and are more guitar-led, primarily due to the influence of Ronson's guitar and string arrangements. Nevertheless, biographers have noted stylistic similarities to ''Hunky Dory'' in "Velvet Goldmine" and the string arrangement for "Starman". Along with guitar and strings, Ronson played piano on the album, and according to Pegg, his playing on tracks like "Five Years" and "Lady Stardust" foreshadow the skills he would showcase on Lou Reed's ''
Transformer
A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer' ...
'' (1972). Meanwhile, his electric guitar playing dominates tracks like "Moonage Daydream", "It Ain't Easy", "Ziggy Stardust", and "Suffragette City".
Additionally, Bowie's acoustic guitar playing is prominent on some tracks, notably "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". Perone argues that although listeners tend to pay closer attention to Ronson's electric, ''Ziggy Stardust'' is "one of the better albums" in Bowie's catalogue to highlight his rhythm guitar playing.
The songwriting includes a wide variety of influences, from singer
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
and poet
Lord Alfred Douglas ("Lady Stardust"),
Little Richard ("Suffragette City"),
"
Over the Rainbow" from the 1939 film ''
The Wizard of Oz'' ("Starman"), and the Velvet Underground ("Suffragette City" and "Velvet Goldmine").
As well as covering Chuck Berry's "Around and Around" during the sessions, Berry and
Eddie Cochran
Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desir ...
influence the straightforward rockers "Hang On to Yourself" and "Suffragette City".
As well as including faster-paced numbers ("Star"), the album also contains the minimalist tracks "Five Years" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". Both tracks are primarily led by Bowie's voice, building intensity throughout their runtimes. While "Five Years" contains what author David Buckley calls a "heartbeat-like" drum beat, "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" starts acoustic and builds to a lush arrangement, backed by an orchestra. Pegg describes "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" as Bowie's own "
A Day in the Life". The album also features some experimentation. "Soul Love" contains
bongos
Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...
, a hand-clap rhythm and a saxophone solo from Bowie, which Doggett calls "relaxing". "It Ain't Easy" features a
harpsichord contribution from Rick Wakeman and backing vocals from
Dana Gillespie
Dana Gillespie (born Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein Gillespie, 30 March 1949) is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over ...
, both of which were uncredited. Additionally, "Suffragette City" features one of Bowie's earliest uses of the
ARP synthesiser, which later became the backbone of his late-1970s
Berlin Trilogy
The Berlin Trilogy consists of three studio albums by English musician David Bowie: '' Low'', '' "Heroes"'' (both 1977) and '' Lodger'' (1979). The trilogy originated following Bowie's move from Los Angeles, California, to Europe to rid himsel ...
.
Artwork and packaging
The
album cover
An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...
photograph was taken by photographer Brian Ward in monochrome, and recoloured by illustrator Terry Pastor, a partner at the Main Artery design studio in
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
with Bowie's longtime friend
George Underwood; both had previously done the artwork and sleeve for ''Hunky Dory''. The typography, initially pressed onto the original image using Letraset, was airbrushed by Pastor red and yellow and inset with white stars. Pegg notes that unlike many of Bowie's album sleeves, which feature close-ups of Bowie in a studio, the ''Ziggy'' image has Bowie almost in the foreground. Pegg describes the shot as: "Bowie (or Ziggy)
tandsas a diminutive figure dwarfed by the shabby urban landscape, picked out in the light of a street lamp, framed by cardboard boxes and parked cars". Bowie is also holding a Gibson Les Paul guitar, which was owned by Arnold Corns guitarist Mark Pritchett and was the same guitar Pritchett used on the Corns' recordings of "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself". Similar to ''Hunky Dory''s cover, Bowie's jumpsuit and hair, which was still his natural brown at the time, were artificially retinted, which Pegg believes gives the impression that the "guitar-clutching visitor" is from another dimension or world.
![Ziggy Stardust plaque](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Ziggy_Stardust_plaque.jpg)
The photograph originated during a photoshoot on 13 January 1972 at Ward's Heddon Street studio in London, just off
Regent Street
Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton. It runs from Waterloo Place ...
. Suggesting they take photos outside before natural light was lost, the Spiders chose to stay inside while Bowie, who was ill with flu, went outside just as it started to rain. Not willing to go very far, he stood outside the home of
furriers
Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...
"K. West" at 23 Heddon Street. According to Cann, the "K" stands for Konn, the surname of the company's founder Henry Konn, and the "West" indicated it was on the west end of London. Soon after ''Ziggy Stardust'' became a massive success, the directors of K. West were displeased with their company's name appearing on a pop album. A solicitor for K. West wrote a letter to RCA saying: "Our clients are Furriers of high repute who deal with a clientele generally far removed from the pop music world. Our clients certainly have no wish to be associated with Mr. Bowie or this record as it might be assumed that there was some connection between our client's firm and Mr. Bowie, which is certainly not the case". However, tensions eased and the company soon became accustomed to tourists photographing themselves on the doorstep. K. West moved out of the Heddon Street location in 1991 and the sign was taken down; according to Pegg, the site remains a popular "place of pilgrimage" for Bowie fans. Bowie said of the sign, "It's such a shame that sign
as removed People read so much into it. They thought 'K. West' must be some sort of code for 'quest.' It took on all these sort of mystical overtones".
The rear cover of the original vinyl LP contained the instruction "To be played at maximum volume" (stylised in
all caps
In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in ...
). The cover was among the ten chosen by the
Royal Mail for a set of
"Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued in January 2010. In March 2012,
The Crown Estate
The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's priva ...
, which owns Regent Street and Heddon Street, installed a commemorative brown plaque at No. 23 in the same place as the "K. West" sign on the cover photo. The unveiling was attended by Woodmansey and Bolder, and was unveiled by
Gary Kemp
Gary James Kemp (born 16 October 1959) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the New Romantic band Spandau Ballet.
Kemp wrote the lyrics and music ...
.
The plaque was the first to be installed by The Crown Estate and is one of few plaques in the country devoted to fictional characters.
Release and promotion
Before Bowie changed his appearance to his Ziggy persona, he conducted an interview with journalist
Michael Watts
Michael J. Watts (born 1951 in England) is Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley. He retired in 2016. He is a leading critical intellectual figure of the academic left.
His first book, ''Silent Violence:F ...
of ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' where he came out as gay. Published on 22January 1972 with the headline "Oh You Pretty Thing", the announcement garnered publicity in both Britain and America, although according to Pegg the declaration wasn't as monumental as latter-day accounts perceive. Nevertheless, Bowie was adopted as a gay icon in both countries, with ''Gay News'' describing him as "probably the best rock musician in Britain" and "a potent spokesman" for "gay rock". Although Defries was reportedly "shocked" by the announcement, Scott believed Defries was behind it from the start, wanting to use it for publicity. According to Cann, the ambiguity surrounding
Bowie's sexuality drew press attention for his tour dates, the upcoming album and the subsequent "
John, I'm Only Dancing" non-album single.
RCA released the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
, "Starman", on 28April 1972, backed by "Suffragette City". The single sold steadily rather than spectacularly but earned many positive reviews. To promote the upcoming album, Bowie, the Spiders and keyboardist
Nicky Graham
Nicholas Lynedoch Graham is a musician, songwriter and music producer from the UK. He was born in Durban, South Africa, in January 1945, before his family returned to the UK in 1960.
His musical career began when joining UK band The End in 1965 ...
performed the song on the
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
children's music programme ''
Lift Off with Ayshea
''Lift Off with Ayshea'' is a British TV show, produced by Granada Television for the ITV network, and starring Ayshea Brough, which ran for 122 editions spanning eight series, between November 1969 and December 1974.
Preceded by the show ' ...
'' on 15June, which was presented by
Ayshea Brough. ''Ziggy Stardust'' was issued a day later in the UK on 16June,
with the catalogue number SF 8287. It sold 8,000 copies in Britain in its first week and entered the top 10 in its second week on the UK Albums Chart. The ''Lift Off'' performance was broadcast on 21June in a "post-school" time slot, where it was witnessed by thousands of British children. By 1July, "Starman" rose to number 41 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, earning Bowie an invitation to perform on the BBC television programme ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
''.
Bowie, the Spiders and Graham performed "Starman" on ''Top of the Pops'' on 5July 1972. Bowie appeared in a brightly coloured rainbow jumpsuit, "shocking" red hair and astronaut boots while the Spiders wore blue, pink, scarlet and gold velvet attire. During the performance, Bowie was relaxed and confident and wrapped his arm around Ronson's shoulder. Transmitted the following day,
the performance brought public attention to the album and helped solidify Bowie as a controversial pop icon. Buckley writes: "Many fans date their conversion to all things Bowie to this ''Top of the Pops'' appearance." The performance was a defining moment for many British children.
U2 singer
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...
said in 2010, "The first time I saw
owie
An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, ...
was singing 'Starman' on television. It was like a creature falling from the sky. Americans put a man on the moon. We had our own British guy from space – with an Irish mother." After the performance,
"Starman" charted at number 10 in the UK while peaking at number 65 in the US. In April 1974, impatient for a follow-up to "
Rebel Rebel
"Rebel Rebel" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released in the UK in February 1974 by RCA Records as the lead single from the album ''Diamond Dogs''. Written and produced by Bowie, the song is based around a distinctiv ...
", RCA belatedly released "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" as a single. Buckley calls this move a "dosh-catching exercise".
After dropping down the chart in late 1972, the album began climbing the chart again; by the end of 1972, the album had sold 95,968 units in Britain. It peaked at number five on the chart in February 1973.
In Canada, the album reached number 59 and was on the charts for 27 weeks.
In the US, the album peaked at number 75 on the
''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape chart in April 1973.
The album returned to the UK chart on 31 January 1981, peaking at number 73,
amid the
New Romantic
The New Romantic movement was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New ...
era that Bowie had helped inspire. After
Bowie's death in 2016, the album reached a new peak of 21 in the US ''Billboard'' 200. It has sold an estimated 7.5 million copies worldwide, making it Bowie's second-best-selling album.
Critical reception
Upon release, ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' received generally lukewarm reviews from music critics. James Johnson of ''
New Musical Express
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' (''NME'') said the album has "a bit more pessimism" than on previous releases and called the songs "fine".
[ In: ] Watts published in ''Melody Maker'' that, while ''Ziggy Stardust'' had "no well-defined story line", it had "odd songs and references to the business of being a pop star that overall add up to a strong sense of biographical drama."
[ In: ] In ''Rolling Stone'', writer Richard Cromelin thought the album was good, but he felt that it and its style might not be of lasting interest: "We should all say a brief prayer that his fortunes are not made to rise and fall with the fate of the 'drag-rock' syndrome."
Some reviewers gave overwhelming praise to the album. A writer for ''
Circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
'' magazine wrote that the album is "from start to finish... of dazzling intensity and mad design", and called it a "stunning work of genius".
With the album, Jack Lloyd of ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'' declared that "David Bowie is one of the most creative, compelling writers around today". The ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
''s Andrew Bailey agreed, praising the songwriting, performances, production and "operatic" music.
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the wor ...
positively compared ''Ziggy'' to
the Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
's ''
Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
'' (1969) in the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', describing the music as "exciting, literate and imaginative". Jon Tiven of ''
Phonograph Record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
'' praised the album, calling it "the ''
Aftermath
Aftermath may refer to:
Companies
* Aftermath (comics), an imprint of Devil's Due Publishing
* Aftermath Entertainment, an American record label founded by Dr. Dre
* Aftermath Media, an American multimedia company
* Aftermath Services, an America ...
'' of the Seventies", where there are no filler tracks. He further called Bowie "one of the most distinctive personalities in rock" and believed that should Bowie ever become a star "of the ''Ziggy Stardust'' magnitude", he deserves it. In ''
Creem
''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is a monthly American music magazine, based in Detroit, whose main print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential crit ...
'', Dave Marsh considered ''Ziggy Stardust'' Bowie's best record up to that point, stating "I can't see him stopping here for long". ''Creem'' would later place the album at the top of their end of year list. Meanwhile, Lillian Roxon of ''
New York Sunday News'' chose ''Ziggy Stardust'' over
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
' ''
Exile on Main St.'' as the best album of the year up to that point, even considering Bowie "the
Elvis
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
of the Seventies".
Nevertheless, the album did receive some negative reviews. A writer for ''
Sounds
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' magazine, who praised ''Hunky Dory'', opined: "It would be a pity if this album was the one to make it... much of it sounds the work of a competent plagiarist." Writing for ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', Richard Williams felt that the persona was just for show and Bowie "doesn't mean it". Although Nick Kent of ''
Oz'' magazine enjoyed the album as a whole, he felt the character of Ziggy Stardust didn't quite come together as well, stating that Bowie was "over-reaching himself". Doggett states that this was the general verdict for reviewers who had enjoyed the "dense, philosophical songs" of Bowie's previous releases, as they could not relate to the "mythology" of ''Ziggy Stardust''.
Tour
![David-Bowie Early](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/David-Bowie_Early.jpg)
In promotion of ''Ziggy Stardust'', Bowie began touring. The first part started in the UK and ran from 29January to 7September 1972. A show at the Toby Jug pub in
Tolworth
Tolworth is a suburban area in the Surbiton district, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. It is southwest of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Long Ditton, New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Hinchley Wood, ...
on 10February of the same year was hugely popular, catapulting him to stardom and creating, as described by Buckley, a "cult of Bowie". Bowie retained the Ziggy character for the tour. His love of acting led his total immersion in the characters he created for his music. After acting the same role over an extended period, it became impossible for him to separate Ziggy from his own offstage character. Bowie said that Ziggy "wouldn't leave me alone for years. That was when it all started to go sour ... My whole personality was affected. It became very dangerous. I really did have doubts about my sanity."
Upon his arrival to America in September 1972, he told ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' magazine that he began having trouble differentiating between himself and Ziggy. Fearing that Ziggy would define his career, Bowie quickly developed a new persona for his follow-up album, ''
Aladdin Sane'' (1973), which was mostly recorded from December 1972 to January 1973 between legs of the tour. Described by Bowie as "Ziggy goes to America", ''Aladdin Sane'' contained songs he wrote while travelling to and across America during the earlier part of the Ziggy tour. The character of Aladdin Sane was far less optimistic, rather engaging in aggressive sexual activities and heavy drugs. ''Aladdin Sane'' became Bowie's first number-one album in the UK.
The tour lasted eighteen months and passed through the US and Canada; it then continued to Japan, to promote ''Aladdin Sane''. The final date of the tour was 3July 1973, which was performed at the
Hammersmith Odeon
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ha ...
in London. At this show, Bowie made the sudden surprise announcement that the show would be "the last show that we'll ever do", later understood to mean that he was retiring his Ziggy Stardust persona. The performance was documented by filmmaker
D. A. Pennebaker
Donn Alan Pennebaker (; July 15, 1925 – August 1, 2019) was an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of direct cinema. Performing arts and politics were his primary subjects. In 2013, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci ...
in a documentary and
concert film
A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian.
Early history
The ...
, which premiered in 1979 and commercially released in 1983 as ''
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (often shortened to ''Ziggy Stardust'') is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 16June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-pr ...
'', with an accompanying soundtrack album titled ''
Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture''.
After being widely
bootlegged, a show performed in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, on 20October 1972 was officially issued in 2008 as ''
Live Santa Monica '72''.
Other projects
While recording ''Ziggy Stardust'', Bowie offered "Suffragette City" to the band
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums throughout the early 1970s but fai ...
, who were on the verge of breaking up, but they declined. So, Bowie wrote a new song for them, "
All the Young Dudes
"All the Young Dudes" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by the English rock band Mott the Hoople in 1972 by Columbia Records. Bowie produced the song, which he had given to ...
". With Bowie producing, the band recorded the track in May 1972. Bowie would also produce the band's
fifth album
''Fifth Album'' is the fourth studio album (her 5th overall release) by American singer and songwriter Judy Collins, released by Elektra Records in 1965. It peaked at No. 69 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Albums chart''.
The album featured a collecti ...
named after the song. Bowie would perform the song on the Ziggy Stardust Tour and record his own version during the ''Aladdin Sane'' sessions. The tour took a toll on Bowie's mental health; it marked the beginning of his longtime
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
addiction. During this time, he underwent other projects that contributed to growing exhaustion. In August, he co-produced Lou Reed's ''Transformer'' with Ronson in London in between tour commitments. Two months later, he mixed the Stooges' 1973 album ''
Raw Power
''Raw Power'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges (credited as Iggy and the Stooges), released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two ...
'' in Hollywood during the first US tour; Bowie had become friends with the band's frontman Iggy Pop.
In November 1973, Bowie conducted an interview with writer
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...
for ''Rolling Stone''. He spoke of a musical based on ''Ziggy Stardust'', saying: "Forty scenes are in it and it would be nice if the characters and actors learned the scenes and we all shuffled them around in a hat the afternoon of the performance and just performed it as the scenes come out." The musical, considered by Pegg a "retrograde step", fell through, but Bowie salvaged two songs for he had written for it—"Rebel Rebel" and "
Rock 'n' Roll with Me
"Rock 'n' Roll With Me" is a power ballad written by David Bowie and Warren Peace and recorded in January 1974 that first appeared on Bowie's ''Diamond Dogs'' album, supposedly to address the artist's complex relation with his fans. A version r ...
"—for his 1974 album ''
Diamond Dogs
''Diamond Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 24 May 1974 through RCA Records. Bowie produced the album and recorded it in early 1974 at Olympic and Island Studios in London and Ludolph Studios i ...
''.
Influence and legacy
''Ziggy Stardust'' is widely considered to be Bowie's breakthrough album.
Although Pegg believes ''Ziggy Stardust'' wasn't Bowie's greatest work, he states that it had the biggest cultural impact of all his records. Trynka states that besides the music itself, the album "works overall as a drama that demands suspension of disbelief", making each listener a member of Ziggy's audience. He believes that decades later, "it's a thrill to be a part of the action."
In retrospectives for ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' and ''
Record Collector
''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide.
History The early years
The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...
'', Barney Hoskyns and Mark Paytress, respectively, noted that unlike Bolan, who became a star a year before Bowie and influenced his glam persona of Ziggy Stardust, was unable to stay in a position of stardom in the long run due to a lack of adaptability. Bowie, on the other hand, made change a theme of his entire career, progressing through the 1970s with different musical genres, from the glam rock of ''Ziggy Stardust'' to
the Thin White Duke
The Thin White Duke was the persona and character of the English musician David Bowie during 1975 and 1976. He is primarily identified with Bowie's 1976 album ''Station to Station'' and is mentioned by name in the title track, although Bowie h ...
of ''
Station to Station
''Station to Station'' is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 23 January 1976 through RCA Records. Regarded as one of his most significant works, the album was the vehicle for Bowie's performance person ...
'' (1976).
Hoskyns argued that through the Ziggy persona, Bowie "took glam rock to places that
the Sweet
The Sweet (often shortened to just Sweet), are a British glam rock band that rose to prominence in the 1970s. Their best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer M ...
only had nightmares about".
''Ultimate Classic Rock''s Dave Swanson stated that as the public were adapting to glam, Bowie decided to move on, abandoning the persona within two years.
Writing on Bowie's influence on the glam rock genre as a whole, Joe Lynch of ''Billboard'' called both ''Ziggy Stardust'' and ''Aladdin Sane'' records that "ensured his long-term career and infamy". He argues that both albums "transcended" the genre, are "works of art", and are not just "glam classics", but "rock classics". In 2002, Chris Jones of
BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
argued that with the album, Bowie fashioned the template for the "truly modern pop star" that had yet to be matched.
Before their formation, the members of English
gothic rock band
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
watched Bowie's performance of "Starman" on ''Top of the Pops'', recalling that it was "a significant and profound turning point in their lives". The band thereafter idolised Bowie and subsequently covered "Ziggy Stardust" in 1982. In 2004, Brazilian singer
Seu Jorge
Jorge Mário da Silva, more commonly known by his stage name Seu Jorge (Seu, an abbreviation of "Senhor"; born June 8, 1970; ), is a Brazilian musical artist, songwriter, and actor. He is considered by many a renewer of Brazilian pop samba. Seu ...
contributed five cover versions of Bowie songs, three of them from ''Ziggy Stardust'', to the soundtrack for the film ''
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
''The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'' is a 2004 American adventure comedy-drama film written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach and directed by Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature-length film and was released in the United States on Decembe ...
''. Jorge would later rerecord the songs as a solo album called ''
The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
''The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions Featuring Seu Jorge'' is an album by Brazilian musician Seu Jorge. It is a collection of David Bowie songs (plus one original, "Team Zissou") Jorge recorded in Portuguese for the soundtrack to the film '' The ...
''. On the album's liner notes, Bowie wrote, "Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with." In 2016, Jorge toured performing his Portuguese covers of Bowie's songs in front of sailboat-shaped screens. Musician
Saul Williams named his 2007 album ''
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
''The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!'' is the third solo studio album by Saul Williams. It was released in 2007. It peaked at number 41 on the '' Billboard'' Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 89 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop A ...
'' after the album. In June 2017, an extinct species of wasp was named ''Archaeoteleia astropulvis'' after Ziggy Stardust ("''astropulvis''" is
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for "stardust").
Reappraisal
Retrospectively, ''Ziggy Stardust'' has received critical acclaim and is recognised as one of the most important rock albums.
When reviewing the 30th anniversary edition of ''Ziggy Stardust'' in 2002, Daryl Easlea of ''Record Collector'' called the album "a monumental piece of work", praising the backing band of the Spiders and noting its cultural impact. Jones noted the album's importance in rock music 30 years later and credits Scott and the Spiders as elements that elevated the album to the status it has received, finding it to be the "peak" of that group's creativity and achievements.
''Billboard'' wrote that the record serves as a reminder to record companies that "hopelessly idiosyncratic and excessively provocative" music can initially be disliked but later celebrated as "timeless".
Writing for ''
Slant Magazine'' in 2004, Barry Walsh found that aside from the "pop culture phenomenon" the album has become, the songs are among Bowie's finest and most memorable, and ultimately called the album "truly timeless".
Erlewine wrote for AllMusic: "Bowie succeeds not in spite of his pretensions but because of them, and ''Ziggy Stardust'' – familiar in structure, but alien in performance – is the first time his vision and execution met in such a grand, sweeping fashion."
Greg Kot
Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
, writing for ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', described the album as a "guitar-fueled song cycle", saying it "enacted the deaths of
Joplin, Morrison, Hendrix and the '60s and presaged the dread, decadence and eroticism of a new era."
Multiple reviewers have considered the album a masterpiece.
Reviewing its 40th anniversary, Jordan Blum of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' writes: "It's easy to appreciate how ''Ziggy Stardust'' was a revolutionary record in 1972, and it's still as vibrant, significant, and enjoyably today."
In a 2013 readers' poll for ''Rolling Stone'', ''Ziggy Stardust'' was voted Bowie's greatest album. The magazine argues that it "is the Bowie album that will be in history books". Reviewing in 2015,
Douglas Wolk
Douglas Wolk (born 1970) is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including ''The New York Times'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Nation'', ''The New Republi ...
of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' commented that while it has an incoherent concept overall, it still remains a great collection of tracks, "overflowing with huge riffs and huger personae".
A year later, Ian Fortnam wrote for ''
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
'' that "''Ziggy Stardust'' is David Bowie's crowning achievement. Obviously, contrarians will insist other albums have proven to carry greater cultural weight or defined his artistic legacy better, but revisit ''Ziggy'' today and its visceral and emotional impact remains undeniable. Especially when played, as advised, 'at maximum volume'... ''Ziggy'' reflected and shaped its time and its audience like no other album".
Rankings
''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' has frequently appeared on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time by multiple publications. In 1987, as part of their 20th anniversary, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number six on "The 100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years". In 1997, ''Ziggy Stardust'' was named the 20th greatest album of all time in a ''Music of the Millennium'' poll conducted in the UK. It was voted number 11 and 27 in the second and third editions of English writer
Colin Larkin
Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged".
Along wit ...
's book ''
All Time Top 1000 Albums
''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...
'', respectively. He stated in the second edition: "The blend of rock star persona and alien creature defining ''Ziggy Stardust'' was probably
owie'sfinest creation". In 2003, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it 35th on their list of the
500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It retained the same position on the updated 2012 list,
and was re-ranked 40th in 2020. In 2004, it was placed at number 81 in ''Pitchfork''s list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1970s, while ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' included it in a similar list of the 100 best rock albums from the 1970s in 2015, calling it "a masterstroke of genius myth-making". In 2006,
''Q'' magazine readers ranked it as the 41st best album ever, while ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine chose it as one of the 100 best albums of all time. In 2013, ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' ranked the album 23rd in their list of
the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...
, writing: Ziggy Stardust'... demands to be engaged with from start to finish".
The album was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book ''
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. In March 2017, the album was selected for preservation in the
National Recording Registry
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservati ...
by the United States
National Recording Preservation Board
The United States National Recording Preservation Board selects recorded sounds for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. The National Recording Registry was initiated to maintain and preserve "sound recordings that ...
, which designates it as a sound recording that has had significant cultural, historical, or aesthetic impact in American life.
Based on ''Ziggy Stardust''s appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website
Acclaimed Music lists it as 2nd most acclaimed album of 1972, the 6th most acclaimed album of the 1970s and the 19th most acclaimed album in history.
Reissues
''Ziggy Stardust'' was first released on CD in November 1984 by RCA.
Subsequently, Dr. Toby Mountain remastered the album at Northeastern Digital Recording,
Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps, though ...
, from the original master tapes for
Rykodisc
Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.
History
Claiming to be the first Compact Disc, CD-only independ ...
. The reissue was released on 6 June 1990, with five bonus tracks. This reissue charted for four weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 25.
The album was remastered again by
Peter Mew
Peter Mew is a retired British music audio engineer. He worked at Abbey Road Studios, where he was the senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey Road in 1965 as a tape operator and has since worked with many artists at the studio. Kevin Ayers of ...
and released on 28 September 1999 by Virgin.
On 16 July 2002, a two-disc version was released by EMI/Virgin. The first in a series of ''30th Anniversary 2CD Editions'', this release included a newly remastered version as its first CD. The second disc contained twelve tracks, most of which had been previously released on CD as bonus tracks on the 1990–1992 reissues. The new mix of "Moonage Daydream" was originally done for a 1998
Dunlop television commercial.
On 4 June 2012, a "40th Anniversary Edition" was released by EMI/Virgin. This edition was remastered by original Trident Studios' engineer
Ray Staff
Ray Staff is a British mastering engineer, best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists including Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Clash and Black Sabbath. Most recently he has mastered albums for Muse.
Biography and career
Joini ...
. The 2012 remaster was made available on CD and on a special, limited edition format of vinyl and DVD, featuring the new remaster on an LP, together with 2003 remixes of the album by Scott (
5.1 and stereo mixes) on
DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio (commonly abbreviated as DVD-A) is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio uses most of the storage on the disc for high-quality audio and is not intended to be a video delivery format.
The st ...
. The latter included bonus 2003 Scott mixes of "Moonage Daydream" (instrumental), "The Supermen", "Velvet Goldmine" and "Sweet Head".
The 2012 remaster of the album and the 2003 remix (stereo mix only) were both included in the
Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
''
Five Years (1969–1973)
''Five Years (1969–1973)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in September 2015. The period of Bowie's career from 1969 to 1973 is summarised over twelve discs and thirteen LPs. Exclusive to the box sets is ''R ...
'', released on 25 September 2015. The album, in its 2012 remastering, was also rereleased separately, in 2015–2016, in CD, vinyl, and digital formats, with Parlophone releasing the separate LP on 26 February 2016 on 180g vinyl. On 16 June 2017, Parlophone reissued the album as a limited edition LP pressed on gold vinyl.
Track listing
All tracks written by
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, except "It Ain't Easy", written by
Ron Davies.
Side one
# "
Five Years" – 4:42
# "
Soul Love
"Soul Love" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on his 1972 album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' by RCA Records. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it features Bowie's backing band know ...
" – 3:34
# "
Moonage Daydream" – 4:40
# "
Starman
''StarMan'' is a 1996 fantasy novel by Australian writer Sara Douglass. It follows the second book in the series, '' Enchanter'', with Axis marching north with his army to confront a formidable enemy.
Background
''StarMan'' was first published ...
" – 4:10
# "It Ain't Easy" – 2:58
Side two
# "
Lady Stardust
"Lady Stardust" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie that appeared on the album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (1972). Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded it with his backing band the S ...
" – 3:22
# "Star" – 2:47
# "
Hang On to Yourself" – 2:40
# "
Ziggy Stardust" – 3:13
# "
Suffragette City
"Suffragette City" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally released in April 1972 as the B-side of the single " Starman" and subsequently appeared on his fifth studio album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust a ...
" – 3:25
# "
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released as the closing track on the album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' on 16 June 1972. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowi ...
" – 2:58
Personnel
Adapted from liner notes of ''Ziggy Stardust'' and AllMusic.
*
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
– vocals, acoustic guitar, saxophone
*
Mick Ronson
Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...
– electric guitar, piano, backing vocals, string arrangements
*
Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with the Spiders from Mars, the backing band for David Bowie, a ...
– bass guitar
*
Woody Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rele ...
– drums
*
Rick Wakeman –
harpsichord ("It Ain't Easy") (uncredited)
*
Dana Gillespie
Dana Gillespie (born Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein Gillespie, 30 March 1949) is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over ...
– backing vocals
("It Ain't Easy") (uncredited)
Technical
*David Bowie – production
*
Ken Scott
Ken Scott (born 20 April 1947) is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff B ...
– production,
audio engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
ing,
mixing engineering
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Sales and certifications
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
*
Ziggy Stardust at 50–
BBC Sounds
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, The
1972 albums
Albums produced by David Bowie
Albums produced by Ken Scott
Albums recorded at Trident Studios
David Bowie albums
EMI Records albums
Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Parlophone albums
Protopunk albums
RCA Records albums
Rock operas
Rykodisc albums
Science fiction concept albums
United States National Recording Registry recordings
Virgin Records albums
United States National Recording Registry albums