Moonage Daydream
Encyclopedia
"Moonage Daydream" is a song written by David Bowie
in 1971
and first released as a single under the name Arnold Corns
. A rerecorded version was released in 1972
on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
.
In the song, the alien messiah is revealed/created, and his destiny to save the world from the disaster in "Five Years
" is also hinted at, as well his fate as the quintessential "soul lover". In terms of the plot, this is one of the most important songs as it describes the creation of Ziggy from a combination of religion, romance, sexual freedom, rebellion, and passion; he metamorphoses into the archetypal rock star.
Moonage Daydream: The Life and Times of Ziggy Stardust is the title of a book written by David Bowie
, published in 2002 by Genesis Publications
, named after this song. The book documented the years 1972-73 and was fully illustrated with the photography of Mick Rock
. David and Mick met in 1972 and formed a working relationship and lasting friendship. Subsequently, Mick Rock
was allowed to become the only photographer authorised to record the 2-year career of Ziggy Stardust.
version of "Moonage Daydream" was released by B&C on single in the UK in April 1971. "Hang on to Yourself
" was the B-side.
The official band line-up, fronted by dress designer Freddi Buretti, was a total fabrication; Buretti was at the session but his contributions were simply lost alongside Bowie's.
This version was also released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc
rerelease of The Man Who Sold the World
album (1990) with an alternate lyrics (Come on strong girl, and lay your heavy trip on me, the church of mad love is such a holy place to be...). It also appeared on the Ziggy Stardust
- 30th Anniversary Reissue bonus disc in 2002.
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
in 1971
1971 in music
-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...
and first released as a single under the name Arnold Corns
Arnold Corns
Arnold Corns was a band formed by David Bowie in 1971. The name was inspired by the Pink Floyd song "Arnold Layne".This was one of Bowie’s side projects and something of a dry run for Ziggy Stardust. The band was formed in Dulwich College and Bowie agreed to write for them...
. A rerecorded version was released in 1972
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
.
In the song, the alien messiah is revealed/created, and his destiny to save the world from the disaster in "Five Years
Five Years
"Five Years" is a song written by David Bowie and released in 1972. It was the opening track on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars....
" is also hinted at, as well his fate as the quintessential "soul lover". In terms of the plot, this is one of the most important songs as it describes the creation of Ziggy from a combination of religion, romance, sexual freedom, rebellion, and passion; he metamorphoses into the archetypal rock star.
Moonage Daydream: The Life and Times of Ziggy Stardust is the title of a book written by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, published in 2002 by Genesis Publications
Genesis Publications
Genesis Publications Limited is a British publishing company founded in 1974 by Brian Roylance, a former student of the London College of Printing. His aim was to create a company in the traditions of the private press, true to the arts of printing and book binding...
, named after this song. The book documented the years 1972-73 and was fully illustrated with the photography of Mick Rock
Mick Rock
Mick Rock is a British photographer best known for his iconic shots of rock and roll legends such as Queen, David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Joan Jett, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Crossfade, Thin Lizzy, Motley Crue, and Blondie...
. David and Mick met in 1972 and formed a working relationship and lasting friendship. Subsequently, Mick Rock
Mick Rock
Mick Rock is a British photographer best known for his iconic shots of rock and roll legends such as Queen, David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Joan Jett, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Crossfade, Thin Lizzy, Motley Crue, and Blondie...
was allowed to become the only photographer authorised to record the 2-year career of Ziggy Stardust.
Arnold Corns version
The Arnold CornsArnold Corns
Arnold Corns was a band formed by David Bowie in 1971. The name was inspired by the Pink Floyd song "Arnold Layne".This was one of Bowie’s side projects and something of a dry run for Ziggy Stardust. The band was formed in Dulwich College and Bowie agreed to write for them...
version of "Moonage Daydream" was released by B&C on single in the UK in April 1971. "Hang on to Yourself
Hang on to Yourself
"Hang On to Yourself" is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 and released as a single under the name Arnold Corns. A re-recorded version was released on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars...
" was the B-side.
Production credits
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
:- David Bowie
- MusicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s:- David Bowie: Vocals
- Freddi Buretti: Vocals
- Mark Carr Pritchard: Guitar
- Mick RonsonMick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
: GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Trevor BolderTrevor BolderTrevor Bolder is an English rock bassist, 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 one-time backing band for David Bowie, although he has played alongside a variety of musicians since the...
: Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mick "Woody" WoodmanseyMick WoodmanseyMick 'Woody' Woodmansey is an English rock drummer from Driffield, Yorkshire, best known for his work with David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars...
: DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s
The official band line-up, fronted by dress designer Freddi Buretti, was a total fabrication; Buretti was at the session but his contributions were simply lost alongside Bowie's.
This version was also released as a bonus track on the Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
rerelease of The Man Who Sold the World
The Man Who Sold the World
The Man Who Sold the World is the third studio album by David Bowie. It was originally released on Mercury Records in November 1970 in the United States and in April 1971 in the UK. The album was Bowie's first with the nucleus of what would become the "Spiders from Mars", the backing band made...
album (1990) with an alternate lyrics (Come on strong girl, and lay your heavy trip on me, the church of mad love is such a holy place to be...). It also appeared on the Ziggy Stardust
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
- 30th Anniversary Reissue bonus disc in 2002.
Live versions
- A live version recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 20 October 1972 was released on Santa Monica '72Santa Monica '72Santa Monica '72 is a live album by David Bowie, recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 20 October 1972 during the Ziggy Stardust tour. Taken from an FM radio broadcast, it was available only as a bootleg for more than 20 years; according to author David Buckley, possessing a copy was the...
. - The version played at the famous concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, July 3, 1973 was released on Ziggy Stardust - The Motion PictureZiggy Stardust - The Motion PictureZiggy Stardust: The Motion Picture is a live album by David Bowie, corresponding to the film of the same name. The music was recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on , although the album was not issued by RCA Records until 1983...
. - A recording from the 1974 tour was released on David LiveDavid LiveDavid Live is David Bowie’s first official live album, originally released by RCA Records in 1974. Recorded on the initial leg of Bowie’s US tour supporting Diamond Dogs in July of that year , it has been cited as one of the best live...
. Another live recording from the 1974 tour was released on the rare live album A Portrait in Flesh. - On the Outside tour in 1995 Bowie once again played "Moonage Daydream" and a new live version was released on the "Hallo SpaceboyHallo Spaceboy"Hallo Spaceboy" is a song by David Bowie from his 1995 album Outside, and was issued as a single in 1996. Bowie and Brian Eno co-wrote the song...
" single in 1996. This version was also released on the bonus disc that followed some versions of Outside - Version 2
Other releases
- It was released as the B-Side of the rerelease of the single "Space Oddity" in December 1972.
- It also appeared on the compilations The Best of David Bowie (Japan 1974), Starman (Russia 1989) and the Sound and Vision box set (1989).
- A new mix of the song appeared on the Ziggy StardustThe Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from MarsThe Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
- 30th Anniversary Reissue bonus disc.
Appearances in popular culture
- Featured as one of the 20 songs in Rock Band: Track Pack 1
- Appears as downloadable content in the music video gameMusic video gameA music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock Band in a 3-song pack, along with covers of other David Bowie songs "Heroes" and "Queen BitchQueen Bitch"Queen Bitch" is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 for the album Hunky Dory. Bowie was a great Velvet Underground fan and wrote the song in tribute to the band and Lou Reed...
". - Appeared in the movie School of RockSchool of RockSchool of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
. - Canadian Idol runner-up Mitch Macdonald sang this song.
- A riff similar to the introductory guitar riff was incorporated into punk pop band Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's 2005 hit single, "Jesus of SuburbiaJesus of Suburbia"Jesus of Suburbia" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the fifth and final single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The studio version of the song, a five movement piece, runs just over 9 minutes and was considered to be unfriendly for radio, so it was cut down to...
".
Artists/Bands A-E
- Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
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- Track on the Album This Never Ending Now - CienfuegosCienfuegosCienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
- Cienfuegos - Dennis DunawayDennis DunawayDennis Dunaway was the bass guitarist for The Spiders , The Earwigs , Alice Cooper group from 1969–1974.He co-wrote such hits as "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out"....
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Artists/Bands F-L
- Fingersauce- Single (2006)
- Eyfo Hayeled - Live Recording
- J. Hell - Crash Course for the Ravers - A Tribute to the Songs of David Bowie (1996)
- Wendy Ip - Spiders from Venus: Indie Women Artists and Female-Fronted Bands Cover David Bowie (2003)
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- Sass JordanSass JordanSarah "Sass" Jordan is a Canadian, Juno Award winning, rock singer/songwriter who grew up in Montreal.- Biography :...
- Live Recording - The Killers- Live Recording (Sept. 30, 2005, Jones Beach)
- LA Guns - Rips the Covers Off (2004)
- Low Vs. Diamond - The Saturday Sessions (2007)
Artists/Bands M-R
- Ann MagnusonAnn MagnusonAnn Magnuson is an American actress, performance artist, and nightclub performer who first gained prominence in the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan...
- Single - Mars Needs WomenMars Needs WomenMars Needs Women is an American International Pictures made for TV science fiction film filmed in 1966 and released in 1967 which features Tommy Kirk, Yvonne Craig, and Byron Lord. it was shot during a two week period in Houston and Dallas, Texas...
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- Loving the Alien: Danny Michel Sings the Songs of David Bowie (2004) - Timothy Moldrey - The Dark Side Of David Bowie: A Tribute To David Bowie (1997)
- Of MontrealOf MontrealOf Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
- Live many times, including at LollapaloozaLollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
2009 with Janelle MonáeJanelle MonáeJanelle Monáe is an American R&B/soul musician signed to Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records.Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP, Metropolis: Suite I ...
. - Portugal. The ManPortugal. The ManPortugal. The Man is an American psychedelic rock band based in Portland, Oregon, but originally from Wasilla, Alaska. The group released their first two albums with Fearless Records. They also released material on their own imprint Approaching AIRballoons through indie label Equal Vision Records...
- Live Recording 2009/2010 - Racer X - Second Heat and Vol. 2 - Live Extreme (1986)
- Mick RonsonMick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
- Live Recording - Patti RothbergPatti RothbergPatti Rothberg is a New York-based singer, songwriter, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and painter/artist.Born in New York City Rothberg grew up in Scarsdale, NY, playing piano from the age of 3 and writing songs by the age of 15, joining a high school Rod Stewart cover band.Rothberg...
- Track on the Album Candelabra Cadabra (2001)
Artists/Bands S-T
- Mike ScottMike Scott (musician)Michael 'Mike' Scott is the founding member, lead singer and chief songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning...
- King Electric CD Single - Sexy SadieSexy Sadie (band)Sexy Sadie was a Spanish pop rock group from the island of Majorca. They sang in English. They released five full albums, plus one album of cover songs, one of rare tracks, and one of remixes....
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- Unreleased recording for an aborted tribute album in 1993/1994 - The Spiders from MarsThe Spiders from MarsThe Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie 's backing band in the early 1970s, and consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums....
- The Mick Ronson Memorial Concert (2001). Joe ElliottJoe ElliottJoseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
(vocals, acoustic guitar), Phil CollenPhil CollenPhilip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
(guitar), Bill NelsonBill NelsonClarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
(guitar), Trevor BolderTrevor BolderTrevor Bolder is an English rock bassist, 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 one-time backing band for David Bowie, although he has played alongside a variety of musicians since the...
(bass), Woody Woodmansey, (drums), Billy RankinBilly Rankin (guitarist)Billy Rankin is a Scottish guitarist and rock musician active in the 1980s and 1990s. Best known for his work with Nazareth , he also had a successful solo career, including a US hit single "Baby Come Back".-Biography:Classically trained, he played cello at school and attained his A level in...
(guitar), and Phil LanzonPhil LanzonPhil Lanzon is the keyboardist for British progressive rock group Uriah Heep since 1986.Lanzon has worked with diverse performers of distinction in the rock and roll community...
(keyboards) - Matthew SweetMatthew SweetSidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
- Live Recording - Techno Cowboy - The Ziggy Stardust Omnichord Album (2009)
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- Single - TerrorvisionTerrorvisionTerrorvision are an English rock band. They were formed in 1987 in Keighley, and initially disbanded in 2001...
- Long Live Tibet (various artists) (1997)
Artists/Bands W-Z
- Warrior SoulWarrior SoulWarrior Soul is an American hard rock band formed by lead singer Kory Clarke, guitarist Cliff St. Croix , later replaced by John Ricco, later replaced by Alex, a Scotsman living in New York City , and guitarist Chris Moffett. Then Peter Jay Tsudis...
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- Live Recording (Nov. 27, 1998) - Rozz WilliamsRozz WilliamsRozz Williams was an American vocalist and musician of several varieties, most famous for fronting the band Christian Death, then later Shadow Project with musician Eva O, though his main project throughout his career was the industrial, Premature Ejaculation...
- Live Recording - Zen GuerrillaZen GuerrillaZen Guerrilla were a rock band originally from Newark, Delaware and currently from San Francisco, California. Musically, the band evolved over their career. Their early sound was characterized by psychedelic elements, such as delayed guitars and noise washes. Their unique sound gained a growing...
- Trance States In Tongues (1999)