David Bowie (1969 album)

***David Bowie***, also known as ***Man of Words/Man of Music*** and ***Space Oddity***, is the second album by David Bowie.

## Tracklist

1. Space Oddity
2. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed
3. Don't Sit Down\*\*\*
4. Letter to Hermione
5. Cygnet Committee
6. Janine
7. An Occasional Dream
8. Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud
9. God Knows I'm Good
10. Memory of a Free Festival

Rykodisc Bonus Tracks

1. Conversation Piece (Single B-side of "The Prettiest Star")
2. Memory of a Free Festival Part 1 (Single version A-side)
3. Memory of a Free Festival Part 2 (1970 single version B-side)

\*\*\* *Don't Sit Down was originally included as a hidden track at the end of the song Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed, but is included as a separate track in the 1990 Rykodisc and the 1999 EMI/Virgin editions of the album. All other variants of the album keep the song as a hidden track.*

## Personnel

**Musical Personnel**

* David Bowie (vocals, acoustic guitar, Stylophone on "Space Oddity", chord organ on "Memories Of A Free Festival", kalimba)
* Tim Renwick (electric guitar)
* Keith Christmas (acoustic guitar)
* Mick Wayne (guitar)
* Rick Wakeman (Mellotron, electric harpsichord)
* Tony Visconti (bass guitar, flute, recorder)
* Herbie Flowers (bass guitar)
* Terry Cox (drums)
* Benny Marshall and friends (harmonica, backing vocals on "Memories Of A Free Festival")
* Paul Buckmaster (cello)

**Technical Personnel**

* Tony Visconti (co-producer)
* Gus Dudgeon (co-producer)

## Album Covers

Standard Cover ArtworkStandard Back Cover Artwork1969 US Mercury Cover Artwork1972 RCA Reissue Cover Artwork2019 Mix Cover Artwork2019 Mix Back Cover Artwork
## Official Releases

**Initial Releases**

* *David Bowie*, UK Stereo LP: The album is released under the title David Bowie on the 14 of November, 1969 by the Phillips record label. This marks the first official release of the album.
* Man of Words/Man of Music, US Stereo LP: Later on in 1969, the album is released in the US under the name Man of Words/Man of Music on the Mercury record label. This record contained an alternate cover that only ever appeared on this edition of the album. This rebranding was due to a lack of common knowledge of the name 'David Bowie' in the US.

**Rereleases**

* Space Oddity, US Stereo LP: Due to the popularity of the song Space Oddity, the record is rebranded once more and released under the name of the hit song in 1972 by RCA. The cover of the album is also changed to a new photo, which remains the cover until the 1999 rerelease by EMI/Virgin when it is reverted back to it's original state. This re-release hits #17 on the Billboard charts, marking the first time the album ever charted.
* Space Oddity, US 7" Open Reel Tape: Along with the previous 1972 RCA rebranding, a 7" open reel tape variant is released.

* Space Oddity, 1984 CD (Internationally Released): In 1984, RCA releases the first-ever official CD variant of the album. This, along with all future releases, would be released under the name *Space Oddity*.
* Space Oddity, 1990 Rykodisc (Internationally Released) CD: The company Rykodisc releases the first-ever remaster of the album in 1990. This remaster is the first variant of the album to include Don't Sit Down, a track previously hidden at the very end of Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed, as it's own track (right between Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed and Letter to Hermione), and three bonus tracks: Conversation Piece, a 1970 single B-side of The Prettiest Star that was cut from the original album due to vinyl time constraints, and Memory of a Free Festival Parts One and Two, which extend the original song into a longer two-part variant.
* Space Oddity, 1999 EMI/Virgin CD (Internationally Released): In 1999, the company EMI/Virgin becomes the second company to release a remaster of the album. While the remaster does not include any bonus tracks, it is the first variant to be remastered digitally. The album does still contain Don't Sit Down as it's own track.

* Space Oddity, 2009 EMI/Virgin 2CD 40th Anniversary Release (Internationally Released): In 2009, EMI/Virgin releases a brand new digital remaster of the original album. In addition to Don't Sit Down being returned to its initial place as a hidden track, an entire 15-track bonus CD featuring a compilation of unreleased demos, stereo versions, previously released B-sides, and BBC session tracks was released. The tracks of the bonus disc are listed below:
	1. Space Oddity (Demo version) *not to be confused with the demo released on Sound + Vision in 2003*
	2. An Occasional Dream (Demo version)
	3. Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (B-side of "Space Oddity", 1969) *previously released on Sound + Vision*
	4. Brian Matthew interviews David / Let Me Sleep Beside You (BBC Radio session D.L.T. (Dave Lee Travis Show), 1969) *previously released on Bowie at the Beeb, 2000*
	5. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed (BBC Radio session D.L.T. Show, 1969)
	6. Janine (BBC Radio session D.L.T. Show, 1969) *previously released on Bowie at the Beeb in 2000*
	7. London Bye Ta–Ta (Stereo version) *previously released on Sound + Vision*
	8. The Prettiest Star (Stereo version) *previously released on The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974 in 1997*
	9. Conversation Piece (Stereo version)
	10. Memory of a Free Festival (Part 1) (Single A-side) *previously released on the Rykodisc reissue of Space Oddity in 1990*
	11. Memory of a Free Festival (Part 2) (Single B-side) *previously released on Rykodisc reissue of Space Oddity*
	12. Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud (Alternate album mix)
	13. Memory of a Free Festival (Alternate album mix)
	14. London Bye Ta–Ta (Alternate stereo mix)
	15. Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola (Bowie (music), Mogol (lyrics)) (Full-length stereo version)

* Space Oddity, 2009 EMI/Virgin 2CD 40th Anniversary Release (Internationally Released): In 2009, EMI/Virgin releases a brand new digital remaster of the original album. In addition to Don't Sit Down being returned to its initial place as a hidden track, an entire 15-track bonus CD featuring a compilation of unreleased demos, stereo versions, previously released B-sides, and BBC session tracks was released. The tracks of the bonus disc are listed below:
* Space Oddity, 2015 Parlaphone CD and LP Remaster (Internationally Released): In 2015, Parlophone releases the *Five Years* box set, which would become the first in a set of now four period-based box sets. Contained within this boxset, among many other albums' remasters, is the most recent digital remaster of the original album. The CD and LP versions were sold not only in the box set but as separate units.
* Space Oddity, 2019 Mix by Tony Visconti: In 2019 Parlaphone in a partnership with Bowie veteran Tony Visconti and producer of the initial album releases a brand new mix of the album, in which he re-records the majority of the instruments while leaving Bowie's vocals. The mix also added Conversation Piece to the tracklisting where it was supposed to be before being cut back in 1969 due to vinyl time constraints. This mix is currently available on CD and as an LP (with randomly assorted standard black, special edition silver, and special edition gold vinyl) and is the most recent variant of the album. The mix was also included in the Conversation Piece box set.

## References

^ [1] "*David Bowie* (1969 album)" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [2] "David Bowie discography" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [3] "Philips Records" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [4] "Mercury Records" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [5] "RCA Records" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [6] "Rykodisc" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [7] "Virgin EMI Records" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [8] "Tim Renwick" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [9] "Keith Christmas" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [10] "Junior's Eyes" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [11] "Rick Wakeman" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [12] "Tony Visconti" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [13] "Herbie Flowers" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [14] "Terry Cox" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020

^ [15] "Paul Buckmaster" Wikipedia. Accessed 27 January 2020