Ziggy Stardust (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ziggy Stardust" is a song written by David Bowie
in 1972
for the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
. The name Stardust was inspired by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. The song is ranked #277 on Rolling Stone
s list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
".
band Bauhaus
recorded a version of "Ziggy Stardust" as their eighth single. The single was released in October 1982 through Beggars Banquet Records
and reached number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart
.
The B-side is a Brian Eno
cover. It was released in 7" and 12" format on the Beggar's Banquet label. The 12" additional live track "I'm Waiting for the Man
" is a Velvet Underground
cover.
12"
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 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,...
for 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...
. The name Stardust was inspired by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. The song is ranked #277 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
".
Live versions
- Bowie recorded the song for the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio program "Sounds of the 70s: Bob HarrisBob Harris (radio)Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
" January 1, 1972. This was broadcast February 7, 1972. May 16, 1972 Bowie again played the song at "Sounds of the 70s: John PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
", and this was broadcast May 23, 1972. Both of these versions were released on the Bowie at the BeebBowie at the BeebBowie at the Beeb is a compilation album by David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three CD set, the third, bonus CD being a recording on at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre...
album in 2000. - 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...
. This version also appeared on the Japanese release of RarestOneBowieRarestOneBowieRarestOneBowie is a David Bowie compilation. This semi-legal release was one in the series of mid-nineties releases by MainMan, Bowie's former management company during the seventies...
. - The version played at the famous concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, July 3, 1973 was released on Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture.
- A recording from the 1978 Heroes tour recorded at the Philadelphia SpectrumWachovia SpectrumThe Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, April 28–29. 1978, was released on Stage. This live version was released as the B-side of the live single "Breaking GlassBreaking Glass (song)"Breaking Glass" is a song by the English singer/songwriter David Bowie. It was co-written by Bowie, bassist George Murray and drummer Dennis Davis. Originally a track on Bowie's 1977 album Low; a reworked version was a regular on the singer's 1978 tour and a live version was used as the lead track...
" in 1978.
In popular culture
- Cover version with an added guitar solo is featured in Guitar Hero.
- It is featured in The Heartbreak KidThe Heartbreak Kid (2007 film)The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. Starring Ben Stiller and Malin Åkerman, The Heartbreak Kid is a remake of the italian film Luna di miele in tre and a version of the 1972 film of the same name. Also starring are Michelle Monaghan, Jerry...
. - It is featured in The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an American comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Wes Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature length film, released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004...
. - It is DLC in Rock Band 3.
Bauhaus
The British gothic rockGothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
recorded a version of "Ziggy Stardust" as their eighth single. The single was released in October 1982 through Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
and reached number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The B-side is a Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
cover. It was released in 7" and 12" format on the Beggar's Banquet label. The 12" additional live track "I'm Waiting for the Man
I'm Waiting for the Man
"I'm Waiting for the Man" is a song by the American rock band The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed. It was first released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico....
" is a Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
cover.
Track listings
7"- "Ziggy Stardust"
- "Third Uncle"
12"
- "Ziggy Stardust"
- "Party of the First Part"
- "Third Uncle"
- "Waiting for the Man" (live)
Other covers
- AFIAFI (band)AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
- (Ziggy Stardust Acoustic) "AOL Sessions Under Cover" and a couple of live versions including a performance for Live EarthLive Earth-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
. - Andrew Jackson JihadAndrew Jackson JihadAndrew Jackson Jihad is an American folk punk band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2004.-History:Andrew Jackson Jihad was formed after its original drummer, Justin James White, approached Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty, who had just left Rodan and The Sub-Standards...
- (Ziggy Stardust Acoustic) "Operation Stackola". - BalzacBalzac (band)Balzac is a Japanese punk band formed in 1992 in Osaka. The band was founded by singer and songwriter Hirosuke Nishiyama, who has remained the only constant member of the band since its creation...
- (Ziggy Stardust) Deep Blue: Chaos from Darkism IIDeep Blue: Chaos from Darkism IIDeep Blue: Chaos from Darkism II is an album by the band Balzac. One of the songs, XXXxxx, is originally from their 2005 album Dark-Ism, and the track D.A.R.K. is a re-mix of a song of the same name. It also features a cover of David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust".The record has six different pieces of... - BloodstoneBloodstone (band)Bloodstone is a former American R&B, soul, and funk group, most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. The band charted thirteen songs between 1973 and 1984.-Biography:...
- Valley of the Machines - Camp FreddyCamp FreddyCamp Freddy is a group of established musicians who play rock and roll covers at various shows around America. The band is composed of core members Dave Navarro , Billy Morrison , Matt Sorum , Donovan Leitch, Jr. and Chris Chaney...
- Live acoustic on Camp Freddy Radio - Daisyhead & The MooncricketsDaisyhead & The MooncricketsDaisyhead & The Mooncrickets was a project of Dax Riggs between 1995 and 1997 that never took off. Only two Daisyhead recordings are known to exist.-Legacy:...
- Daisyhead and the Mooncrickets (1997)Daisyhead and the Mooncrickets (album)Daisyhead & The Mooncrickets is the second recording is a self-titled 14-track recording from 1997, where most of the songs are cut off before they end. A few covers are included, David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" being among them. Half of the song titles are unknown... - Def LeppardDef LeppardDef Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
– Single (1996) - Exploding Boy - New Generation
- Fox – Single
- Glabis - Live: At Luciano's
- Grade (band)Grade (band)Grade was a Canadian hardcore/emo group. Grade's first release was the Grade/Believe split which was released in 1994 on a small Canadian label - Workshop Records. And Such Is Progress followed in 1997 and Separate the Magnets was released in 1998, earning them critical praise and high profile...
- Victory Style 5 - Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
- Keyboardist Dizzy ReedDizzy ReedDizzy Reed is a contemporary rock musician, and occasional actor. He is best known for his tenure as the keyboardist & pianist for the rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he has played, toured and recorded since 1990...
plays an instrumental version of the song prior to "Street of Dreams" on the Chinese Democracy TourChinese Democracy TourThe Chinese Democracy Tour is a current worldwide concert tour by hard rock band Guns N' Roses to promote the group's long-delayed album Chinese Democracy....
. - Hootie and the Blowfish - Live Recording and on the album Blow Fish Blow (1995).
- Seu JorgeSeu JorgeSeu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...
recorded a PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
version for the film The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an American comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Wes Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature length film, released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004...
. (2004) - Max Lorentz & Friends - Live Recording
- Murdoc Niccals, bassist of Gorillaz, sung this song during a radio session. It is available on YouTube.
- The Moog CookbookThe Moog CookbookThe Moog Cookbook is the name of an electronica band made up of Brian Kehew and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. as a parody/tribute to the novelty "Moog records" of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The duo performs exclusively on analog synthesizers, especially Moog synthesizers...
- Ye Olde Space Bande (1997) - Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
- Live Recording - Nuit d'Óctobre - 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...
- Have covered this throughout their live shows. Most noted in their 2009 Hollywood BowlHollywood BowlThe Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
performance. - The Pozers - Cover This (1998)
- ShamrockShamrock (band)Shamrock is a Filipino alternative/pop rock band originating from Manila, Philippines.-Background:All the songs in the album are composed by Sam Santos except for "In My Head" by Marc Tupaz, "Waiting For Summer" by S. Santos/D. Deri, "Radio Girl" by Paco Arespacochaga/Pancho Gonzales and Naaalala...
- Live Recording - Techno Cowboy - The Ziggy Stardust Omnichord Album (2009)
- Thursday Night Collective - Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie (2007)
- Toad The Wet SprocketToad the Wet SprocketToad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock band formed in 1986. The band consists of singer/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss. The band enjoyed chart success in the 1990s with the singles "Walk on the Ocean," "All I Want,"...
- Live Recording: Scranton, PA 4/5/95 - White Buffalo - Essential Interpretations (1997)
- Data Bank A – Single
- Redd KrossRedd KrossRedd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
- Teen Babes From Monsanto (1984) - Vice SquadVice SquadVice Squad is a punk band formed in 1978 in Bristol, England. The band formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. Songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage was a founding member and is currently with the band, although there was a period of time when the band had a different...
- The BBC Sessions (1998) - The Gourds - Starman: Rare and Exclusive Versions of 18 Classic David Bowie Songs, CD premium from the March 2003 issue of Uncut magazine; this version also appears on BowieMania: Mania, une collection obsessionelle de Beatrice Ardisson (2007)
- 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); the Spiders here consisting of 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), Bill NelsonBill Nelson (musician)Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
(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)