One Giant Step - David Bowie’s Space Oddity
July 2019 is the 50th anniversary not only of the Apollo moon landing but of the original release of David Bowie's Space Oddity single, which was his first ever hit.
One Giant Step examines the origins and legacy of Space Oddity and its importance as a shadowy presence throughout his whole career. The programme features new interviews from those who were there - including musicians, record company personnel and friends - as well as archive interviews with David and producer Gus Dudgeon. There are also unheard studio outtakes and live performances. Contributors include: Pet Shop Boys, Dana Gillespie, Kevin Cann, and Olav Wyper.
One Giant Step examines the origins and legacy of Space Oddity and its importance as a shadowy presence throughout his whole career. The programme features new interviews from those who were there - including musicians, record company personnel and friends - as well as archive interviews with David and producer Gus Dudgeon. There are also unheard studio outtakes and live performances. Contributors include: Pet Shop Boys, Dana Gillespie, Kevin Cann, and Olav Wyper.
This programme looks at why, off the back of nine flop singles and many unreleased attempts at fame, Space Oddity was written, and examines the influences with new interviews with his duet partner of the time John Hutchinson and an ex-girlfriend Dana Gillespie. For the very first time, listeners will hear the earliest known demo of Space Oddity - performed as a duo with Hutch, but with different lyrics and arrangements. It’s revealed how producer Tony Visconti hated the song - so gave it to Gus Dudgeon to record, and how Elton John was so blown away by Space Oddity that he just had to have Gus Dudgeon as his producer.
Bassist Herbie Flowers, who played on the track, describes the original session plus playing the song with David on his 1974 tour. And Philips Records executive, Olav Wyper explains how he helped make the record - against all odds - a hit.
Also in the programme, we’ll hear an interview with video director David Mallet - who made the startling video for Space Oddity 1979 which presaged the award winning video for Ashes To Ashes and exclusive archive footage of Bowie talking about Ashes to Ashes and the continuing story of Major Tom. In a brand new interview Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant explains how The Pet Shop Boys came to remix Hello Spaceboy, and how it was his idea to “cut up” the original Space Oddity lyrics and sing them with Bowie on the hit.
There is also some rare audio of the very last time Bowie performed the song in 2002 in Denmark. Space Oddity has by now become such a part of popular culture that it was no surprise when Chris Hadfield performed Space Oddity live from the Space Station. Superstar film director Johan Renck describes the creative process of working with Bowie on the Blackstar video - the video that sees Major Tom finally laid to rest, made only months before Bowie’s untimely death.
The programme is presented by Tris Penna, who as a record executive and producer knew and worked with David Bowie.
- Presenter: Tris Penna
- Producer: Sue Clark Production
Publicity contact: SH8