Lady Stardust

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"Lady Stardust"
Song by David Bowie
from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Released16 June 1972 (1972-06-16)[1]
Recorded12 November 1971
StudioTrident, London
GenreGlam rock
Length3:21
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)David Bowie
Producer(s)

"Lady Stardust" is a song written by the 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 Spiders from Mars – comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. The song is generally interpreted as alluding to fellow glam rock icon Marc Bolan.[2][3] Indeed, some accounts have suggested that the original demo version had "A Song for Marc" as a working title.[4]

Composition and recording

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Bowie recorded "Lady Stardust" on 12 November 1971 at Trident Studios in London for inclusion on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.[5] Co-produced by Ken Scott, the lineup consisted of Bowie's backing band known as the Spiders from Mars—comprising guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey.[6] Also recorded on this day were "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream" and a re-recording of The Man Who Sold the World track "The Supermen".[7]

Live versions

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Personnel

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Personnel per Kevin Cann.[9]

Other releases

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  • The original demo version of the song, recorded on 4-track[10] in March 1971, was released in edited, mono form as a bonus track on the Rykodisc CD release of Ziggy Stardust in 1990.[11] This version of the demo also appeared on the Ziggy Stardust – 30th Anniversary Reissue bonus disc in 2002.[4] A stereo mix of the demo was sold as a picture disc single during the "David Bowie Is" exhibition in Japan in 2017 and was included in the 2024 box set Rock 'n' Roll Star![10]
  • The song appeared on the Russian compilation Starman in 1989.
  • A November 1996 recording of the song, which originally aired on a BBC radio broadcast in 1997, was released in 2020 on the album ChangesNowBowie.[12]
  • An early, alternative take of the song from the November 1971 recording session was released for the first time in 2024 in the box set Rock 'n' Roll Star![13]

References

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  1. ^ "Happy 43rd Birthday to Ziggy Stardust". Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  2. ^ Carr & Murray 1981, p. 48.
  3. ^ David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story: pp.146–7
  4. ^ a b Pegg 2016, p. 149.
  5. ^ Pegg 2016, p. 327.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  7. ^ Cann 2010, p. 231.
  8. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions 68–72 – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  9. ^ Cann 2010, p. 252.
  10. ^ a b Rock 'n' Roll Star! (Album liner notes). David Bowie. Worldwide: Parlophone. 2024. p. 4. DBRNRS 72.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Cann 2010, p. 207.
  12. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (25 April 2020). "ChangesNowBowie – David Bowie". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  13. ^ Rock 'n' Roll Star! (Album liner notes). David Bowie. Worldwide: Parlophone. 2024. p. 101. DBRNRS 72.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

Sources

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