The BOWIE & BOWIE Ltd. Blog: “Space Oddity” Issue

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The BOWIE & BOWIE Ltd. Blog: “Space Oddity” Issue

by sandraphflowers

This blog offers yet another way of enjoying the music of the incomparable David Bowie. Each post features Bowie performing two versions of the same song. Not a unique concept, of course. But what I’m especially interested in with these pairs are things I might have missed previously—a treasure hunt of sorts, which I invite you to join. The idea here is not to critique or evaluate, but simply to experience anew “the gift of sound and vision” bestowed on and shared by an unforgettable artist.

As for this blog’s name, it’s true that David Bowie is a limited (one-of-a-kind) edition. However, in this instance, “Ltd” stands for “Love That Dude.” Knowing that David Bowie News readers do indeed love that dude, I hope you’ll like The Bowie & Bowie Blog, check out my Loving the Bowie Voice(s) playlists, and follow me on Twitter @sandraphflowers for Bowie and other interesting content. Enjoy!

Year and age: 1969, age 22

Summary: Assisted by Ground Control, Major Tom prepares to lift-off for outer space. The launch is successful, so the gleeful Ground Control dares Major Tom to leave his capsule. Major Tom complies but soon finds himself untethered from his ship, helplessly whirling around in space. Fortunately, two space maidens come to his rescue and tend to his needs. Unfortunately, though, he never returns. When we last see Ground Control, he looks horrified and distraught, as would anyone under the circumstances, at being unable to contact Major Tom.

Year and age: 1979, age 32

Performance: Kenny Everett New Year Show 1979 at Thames Television (not the Extended Version)

Summary: Ten years later, we find Ground Control playing guitars and singing the same song as when we last saw him. He seems to be in a mental institution where instead of the space maidens who keep Major Tom company, he lives under the supervision of nurses with video cameras. Our view switches back and forth between Ground Control singing, stressing out in a padded room, or fantasizing himself as Major Tom confidently steering his space ship across the universe. In his Major Tom mode, Ground Control enjoys peace of mind, despite the total chaos that surrounds him.

Something I Noticed This Time That I’ve Missed Before

Bowie frequently said one of his intentions in videos was to make a video and its song of equal weight. Yet even when he succeeds in making the products of equal weight in their respective genres, the two may appear to tell entirely different stories. Such is almost the case with these two versions of “Space Oddity.”

I say “almost” because even though the 1979 version makes much greater use of surrealism than the 1969 version does, it’s still clear that the later version is a continuation of the earlier one. Still, I’m left wondering how Ground Control ended up so messed up in 1979 compared to the joyful little guy we met at the beginning of the 1969 version.

No question that the trauma of Major Tom’s disappearance would leave a lifelong emotional scar. But in watching the 1969 version this time, I noticed a few seconds (25:09-25:12) when Ground Control looked as though he felt guilty. After all, he was the one who told Major Tom to “leave the capsule.”

Or maybe what I’m taking for guilt is actually fear. Either one could very well last into the indefinite future. What do you think?