Major Tom
Encyclopedia
Major Tom is a fictional astronaut
created by David Bowie
, heard in his songs "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes
," and "Hallo Spaceboy
." Bowie's own interpretation of the character evolved throughout his career. 1969's "Space Oddity" depicts an astronaut who casually slips the bonds of a crass and material world to journey beyond the stars. In the 1980s song "Ashes to Ashes," Bowie reinterprets Major Tom as an oblique autobiographical symbol for himself. Major Tom is described as a "junkie
, strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low". This lyric was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's 1977 album Low, which charted his withdrawal following his drug abuse in America. A short time later, there is another reversal of Major Tom's original withdrawal, turning 'outwards' or towards space.
Other major artists who have featured Bowie's character include Peter Schilling
in his "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (remade by Shiny Toy Guns
in 2009 and William Shatner
in 2011); "Major Tom" by Earth Below Us" in 2010; "I'm A Soldier" by Stefán
; "Mrs. Major Tom" by K.I.A.
; "Somewhere" by Tnaya Ball; "Rocket
" by Def Leppard
; and "Rain or Shine" by Five Star
; among others. Due to some similarities in Elton John
's "Rocket Man", some presume this song might also be an allusion to Major Tom. In fact, Bowie made the connection during concerts, calling out during the song, "Oh, Rocket Man!".
, Major Tom's departure from Earth is successful and everything goes according to plan, but he then cuts off contact with Ground Control. His last transmission is "Tell my wife I love her very much" and the response is that "she knows."
In Peter Schilling
's 1983 song "Major Tom (Coming Home)" Tom sends a final message, "Give my wife my love..." with no transmissions back to Earth from that point. He then declares that he's "coming home", being commanded by the light, which can be taken to mean the afterlife
. The associated music video also shows an object falling back through the atmosphere, presumably either Major Tom or his ship. In this song the word "light" in "now the Light commands" is often heard or transcribed as "life" but the liner notes of the Error In The System LP (and the original German) confirm the word "light."
Also in 1983, Schilling's song was recorded by Plastic Bertrand
, but with slightly altered lyrics, in which Major Tom prefers to stay away from Earth and its selfishness and danger of nuclear war
.
Additionally from 1983, the song "Why Me?" by the Planet P Project
, also about an astronaut, may be indirectly referencing Major Tom with the line, "The last man to leave here was never heard from again. He won't be back this way til 2010," though this more likely references the character David Bowman (note the similarity in names) in 2001: A Space Odyssey, who next reappears in 2010 (2010: Odyssey Two
).
In 2010 "Major Tom" in fact was heard from once more as Earth Below Us created a modern version of the song.
Matthew Wilder
's commercially unsuccessful 1984 title track "Bouncin' Off the Walls" does not name its main character but may continue Schilling's story of Major Tom burning up during atmospheric re-entry to Earth.
The 1986 hit single "Rain or Shine" by British pop group Five Star
mentions Major Tom in its lyrics.
In 1995 Bowie's song "Hallo Spaceboy
" was remix
ed by the Pet Shop Boys
, with extra lyrics (sung by Neil Tennant
) taken from "Space Oddity."
In "Mrs. Major Tom", released by the artist K.I.A.
(on Neuphoria Recordings, 2002), the story is continued, but now told from the perspective of the wife left at home.
The introduction to "Cosmonaut" on Relationship of Command
(2000) by At the Drive-In
contains a "final message" from Major Tom before he dies in space. The message was commonly used to introduce Cosmonaut at live shows.
Major Tom has also had passing references in other songs, such as Def Leppard
's "Rocket
", The Tea Party
's "Empty Glass
", Cold
's "Happens All The Time" and Marilyn Manson
's "Apple of Sodom
."
The lyrics "My mother said to get things done, you'd better not mess with Major Tom" appear on the song "Cicatriz: Part III" on The Mars Volta
's live album "Scabdates
," quoting Bowie's song "Ashes to Ashes" from Scary Monsters.
Major Tom is mentioned in Fantastic 6 by Alphabeat
in the lyrics "They have crash helmets on, Just like Major Tom."
Major Tom is briefly mentioned in punk band The Cab
's song "Angel With A Shotgun".
In 1999 the band Helloween
released a cover of "Space Oddity" on their album Metal Jukebox
.
A cover of "Space Oddity" also appears in the special edition edition of Space Metal
, a collection of science-fiction and topically related songs, on the second disc. The American rock band I Hate Kate
included a cover of "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling on their CD Embrace The Curse. This cover does not include the verses after the second chorus, which includes the message from Major Tom. Colin Forsythe sang a cross-over mix of "Space Oddity" with "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
" on his debut album, 2007's He's Just Not That Into You
. In 2007 The Contact
also created well-received a cover of "Major Tom (Coming Home)" on the album Canvas Tears. http://www.pandora.com/#/music/song/contact/major+tom+coming+home
Singer Cat Power
recorded a cover of David Bowie
's "Space Oddity
" for use in a commercial for the 2009 Lincoln MKS
. Later, The American band Shiny Toy Guns
recorded a cover of Peter Schilling
's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" in 2009 for use in a commercial for the 2010 Lincoln MKZ
. It reached #36 on the iTunes Top 200 Songs chart, causing it to debut at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Cold
recorded a cover in 1998 for their Oddity EP
release.
Tears for Fears
recorded a cover of "Ashes to Ashes" for "Ruby Trax", a 1992 collection of covers for NME
Magazine.
Collide recorded a modern (but close to the original) version of David Bowie
's "Space Oddity
" in 2009 on their album These Eyes Before.
Blackened Death Metal band Behemoth
covered "Hallo Spaceboy" in the Limited Edition Digipak release of Thelema.6
in 2000.
Early nineties rock band Saigon Kick
also covered "Space Oddity" on their 1993 album Water.
Natalie Merchant
covered "Space Oddity" during her Tiger Lily concert tour.
The New Zealand comedic folk duo Flight of the Conchords
allude to the character in their 2008 tribute song "Bowie
" where they place Bowie himself in space, and give him the rank of Lieutenant.
The Flying Pickets also made a (vocal) version of the song.
Animal puppeteer group "Fluff & Such" has created a puppet video version
William Shatner
released an album in 2011 entitled Seeking Major Tom, which included covers of "Space Oddity," Peter Schilling's "Major Tom," K.I.A's "Mrs. Major Tom," and Elton John's "Rocket Man."
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
created 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...
, heard in his songs "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)
"Ashes to Ashes" is a single by David Bowie, released in 1980. It made #1 in the UK and was the first cut from the Scary Monsters album, also a #1 hit. As well as its musical qualities, it is noted for its innovative video, directed by Bowie and David Mallet...
," and "Hallo Spaceboy
Hallo 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...
." Bowie's own interpretation of the character evolved throughout his career. 1969's "Space Oddity" depicts an astronaut who casually slips the bonds of a crass and material world to journey beyond the stars. In the 1980s song "Ashes to Ashes," Bowie reinterprets Major Tom as an oblique autobiographical symbol for himself. Major Tom is described as a "junkie
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low". This lyric was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's 1977 album Low, which charted his withdrawal following his drug abuse in America. A short time later, there is another reversal of Major Tom's original withdrawal, turning 'outwards' or towards space.
Other major artists who have featured Bowie's character include Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes...
in his "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (remade by Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...
in 2009 and William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
in 2011); "Major Tom" by Earth Below Us" in 2010; "I'm A Soldier" by Stefán
Stefán
Stefán is a common first name in Iceland.According to Icelandic custom, people are generally referred to by first and middle names and patronyms are used if disambiguation is required....
; "Mrs. Major Tom" by K.I.A.
Kirby Ian Andersen
K.I.A. is a cross-genre pop electronica producer from Toronto, Canada. Like much of the Toronto and Montreal music scenes, Kirby Ian Andersen, the writer and producer of the songs, involves many people in his recordings—six or seven different vocalists on each release...
; "Somewhere" by Tnaya Ball; "Rocket
Rocket (Def Leppard song)
"Rocket" is a song recorded by British hard rock band Def Leppard in 1987 from the album Hysteria. It was the sixth and final single release, coming out in January 1989 and hitting the Top 15 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart.The song was considered one of the most experimental for...
" by Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def 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...
; and "Rain or Shine" by Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
; among others. Due to some similarities in Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "Rocket Man", some presume this song might also be an allusion to Major Tom. In fact, Bowie made the connection during concerts, calling out during the song, "Oh, Rocket Man!".
Songs
In "Space Oddity", on the 1969 album also titled Space OdditySpace Oddity (album)
-Release history:-7" open reel tape releases:There was only one release of Space Oddity on open reel, in 1972 duplicated by Magtec, North Hollywood, CA 91605. This is a high speed 7.5 ips release...
, Major Tom's departure from Earth is successful and everything goes according to plan, but he then cuts off contact with Ground Control. His last transmission is "Tell my wife I love her very much" and the response is that "she knows."
In Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes...
's 1983 song "Major Tom (Coming Home)" Tom sends a final message, "Give my wife my love..." with no transmissions back to Earth from that point. He then declares that he's "coming home", being commanded by the light, which can be taken to mean the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
. The associated music video also shows an object falling back through the atmosphere, presumably either Major Tom or his ship. In this song the word "light" in "now the Light commands" is often heard or transcribed as "life" but the liner notes of the Error In The System LP (and the original German) confirm the word "light."
Also in 1983, Schilling's song was recorded by Plastic Bertrand
Plastic Bertrand
Plastic Bertrand is a Belgian musician, songwriter, producer, editor and television presenter, best known for the 1977 international hit single "Ça plane pour moi".-Early life and bands:...
, but with slightly altered lyrics, in which Major Tom prefers to stay away from Earth and its selfishness and danger of nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
.
Additionally from 1983, the song "Why Me?" by the Planet P Project
Planet P Project
Planet P Project is a science-fiction themed, progressive rock band; it is run as a side venture by frontman Tony Carey, for his more experimental music. It has released five albums: Planet P ; Pink World ; Go Out Dancing, Part I ; Go Out Dancing, Part II ; and, Go Out Dancing, Part III ...
, also about an astronaut, may be indirectly referencing Major Tom with the line, "The last man to leave here was never heard from again. He won't be back this way til 2010," though this more likely references the character David Bowman (note the similarity in names) in 2001: A Space Odyssey, who next reappears in 2010 (2010: Odyssey Two
2010: Odyssey Two
2010: Odyssey Two is a 1982 best-selling science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It is the sequel to the 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, but continues the story of Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation with the same title and not Clarke's original novel. The book is a part of Clarke's...
).
In 2010 "Major Tom" in fact was heard from once more as Earth Below Us created a modern version of the song.
Matthew Wilder
Matthew Wilder
Matthew Wilder is an American musician, composer and record producer, best known for his 1983 Top 5 hit, "Break My Stride"....
's commercially unsuccessful 1984 title track "Bouncin' Off the Walls" does not name its main character but may continue Schilling's story of Major Tom burning up during atmospheric re-entry to Earth.
The 1986 hit single "Rain or Shine" by British pop group Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
mentions Major Tom in its lyrics.
In 1995 Bowie's song "Hallo Spaceboy
Hallo 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...
" was remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, with extra lyrics (sung by Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
) taken from "Space Oddity."
In "Mrs. Major Tom", released by the artist K.I.A.
Kirby Ian Andersen
K.I.A. is a cross-genre pop electronica producer from Toronto, Canada. Like much of the Toronto and Montreal music scenes, Kirby Ian Andersen, the writer and producer of the songs, involves many people in his recordings—six or seven different vocalists on each release...
(on Neuphoria Recordings, 2002), the story is continued, but now told from the perspective of the wife left at home.
The introduction to "Cosmonaut" on Relationship of Command
Relationship of Command
Relationship of Command is the third and final studio album by the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, and was released in September 2000. The band reached mainstream success through the album, if only for a short time before their indefinite break-up....
(2000) by At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...
contains a "final message" from Major Tom before he dies in space. The message was commonly used to introduce Cosmonaut at live shows.
Major Tom has also had passing references in other songs, such as Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def 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...
's "Rocket
Rocket (Def Leppard song)
"Rocket" is a song recorded by British hard rock band Def Leppard in 1987 from the album Hysteria. It was the sixth and final single release, coming out in January 1989 and hitting the Top 15 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart.The song was considered one of the most experimental for...
", The Tea Party
The Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
's "Empty Glass
Seven Circles
Seven Circles is The Tea Party's seventh album, and the last prior to the band breaking up in 2005. The album continues the style of the band's two previous offerings by combining world music influences with rock instrumentation and electronic studio techniques...
", Cold
Cold (band)
Cold is an American post-grunge band, formed in 1996 in Jacksonville, Florida. With two gold-albums Cold has sold over 1.2 million records in the US alone. On November 17, 2006, Ward announced on MySpace that, after a period of uncertainty since that February, the group had decided to disband. In...
's "Happens All The Time" and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
's "Apple of Sodom
Apple of Sodom
Calotropis procera is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that is native to North Africa, Tropical Africa, Western Asia, South Asia, and Indochina. It is commonly known as Apple of Sodom, a name derived from the Hebrew Tapuah Sdom...
."
The lyrics "My mother said to get things done, you'd better not mess with Major Tom" appear on the song "Cicatriz: Part III" on The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
's live album "Scabdates
Scabdates
-CD pressing:-Source of recordings:05/12/2004 – Wiltern Theatre – Los Angeles, CA* "Haruspex"* "Cicatriz"05/13/2004 – Wiltern Theatre – Los Angeles, CA* "Caviglia"05/05/2005 – Roseland Ballroom – New York City, NY* "Abrasions Mount the Timpani"...
," quoting Bowie's song "Ashes to Ashes" from Scary Monsters.
Major Tom is mentioned in Fantastic 6 by Alphabeat
Alphabeat
Alphabeat are a Danish pop band from Silkeborg, fronted by singers Stine Bramsen and Anders SG and signed to Polydor Records. Their single "Fascination" was a major hit in Denmark during the summer of 2007 and a significant hit in the United Kingdom in 2008...
in the lyrics "They have crash helmets on, Just like Major Tom."
Major Tom is briefly mentioned in punk band The Cab
The Cab
The Cab is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. Their debut album, Whisper War, was released on April 29, 2008. They have been called "The Band You Need to Know 2008" by Alternative Press magazine...
's song "Angel With A Shotgun".
Covers
There are multiple cover versions of the David Bowie songs mentioning Major Tom as well as Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)":In 1999 the band Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
released a cover of "Space Oddity" on their album Metal Jukebox
Metal Jukebox
-Personnel:*Andi Deris - vocals*Michael Weikath - guitar*Roland Grapow - guitar*Markus Grosskopf - bass*Uli Kusch - drums...
.
A cover of "Space Oddity" also appears in the special edition edition of Space Metal
Space Metal (Star One album)
Space Metal is an album by Star One released on the recording label Inside Out in 2002. It was issued in two versions, a standard version containing just the first CD and a limited edition version with more elaborate packaging and both CDs....
, a collection of science-fiction and topically related songs, on the second disc. The American rock band I Hate Kate
I Hate Kate
Darling Thieves, formerly known as I Hate Kate, is an alternative rock band from Huntington Beach, California. The band was founded in November 2004 by former Zebrahead frontman Justin Mauriello.-History:...
included a cover of "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling on their CD Embrace The Curse. This cover does not include the verses after the second chorus, which includes the message from Major Tom. Colin Forsythe sang a cross-over mix of "Space Oddity" with "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
"Christmas Time " is a single released by The Darkness in the UK during December 2003, to fall in with the famous UK Christmas Number One Race.-Race for Christmas #1:...
" on his debut album, 2007's He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was published in 2004 and later adapted into a film by the same name...
. In 2007 The Contact
The Contact
The Contact is a 1997 South Korean romantic film directed by Chang Yoon-Hyun. Starring Han Suk-gyu and Jeon Do-yeon, it was the second biggest-grossing Korean film of 1997, and was awarded the Grand Bell Award for best picture....
also created well-received a cover of "Major Tom (Coming Home)" on the album Canvas Tears. http://www.pandora.com/#/music/song/contact/major+tom+coming+home
Singer Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
recorded a cover of 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...
's "Space Oddity
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a music single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; its title alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, released the previous year. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the failed...
" for use in a commercial for the 2009 Lincoln MKS
Lincoln MKS
The Lincoln MKS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. The MKS first appeared in concept form at the North American International Auto Show in January 2006 with the production version, a 2009 model, appearing later at the Los Angeles International Auto...
. Later, The American band Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...
recorded a cover of Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes...
's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" in 2009 for use in a commercial for the 2010 Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln MKZ
The Lincoln MKZ, initially named the Lincoln Zephyr, is a mid-size, entry-level luxury car from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln revived the Zephyr name in the fall of 2005 as a platform-mate for the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan; the vehicles were based on the CD3 platform,...
. It reached #36 on the iTunes Top 200 Songs chart, causing it to debut at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Cold
Cold (band)
Cold is an American post-grunge band, formed in 1996 in Jacksonville, Florida. With two gold-albums Cold has sold over 1.2 million records in the US alone. On November 17, 2006, Ward announced on MySpace that, after a period of uncertainty since that February, the group had decided to disband. In...
recorded a cover in 1998 for their Oddity EP
Oddity EP
Oddity EP, released in 1998, was the first EP released by the band Cold. The album cover photo was taken by the wife of drummer Sam McCandless when their pet tarantula named Wednesday crawled on the face of one of her dolls...
release.
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
recorded a cover of "Ashes to Ashes" for "Ruby Trax", a 1992 collection of covers for NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Magazine.
Collide recorded a modern (but close to the original) version of 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...
's "Space Oddity
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a music single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; its title alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, released the previous year. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the failed...
" in 2009 on their album These Eyes Before.
Blackened Death Metal band Behemoth
Behemoth
Behemoth is a mythological beast mentioned in the Book of Job, 40:15-24. Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity.-Plural as singular:...
covered "Hallo Spaceboy" in the Limited Edition Digipak release of Thelema.6
Thelema.6
Thelema.6 is the fifth album by blackened death metal band Behemoth. The album was recorded and mixed at the Hendrix Studios in Poland in July and August 2000 and was then mastered at the High-End Studio in Warsaw, Poland in 2000....
in 2000.
Early nineties rock band Saigon Kick
Saigon Kick
Saigon Kick was an American rock band from Miami, Florida that formed in 1988.-History:Saigon Kick was formed by lead vocalist Matt Kramer and guitarist Jason Bieler along with bassist Tom Defile, and drummer Phil Varone. They gained a following on the local club scene and generated enough of a...
also covered "Space Oddity" on their 1993 album Water.
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
covered "Space Oddity" during her Tiger Lily concert tour.
The New Zealand comedic folk duo Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007 on HBO, also called Flight of the Conchords.They were named...
allude to the character in their 2008 tribute song "Bowie
Bowie
- Places :* Fort Bowie National Historic Site* Bowie, Arizona* Bowie, Maryland* Bowie County, Texas* Bowie, Texas* Bowie Seamount, a submarine volcano on the coast of British Columbia, Canada- Fiction :...
" where they place Bowie himself in space, and give him the rank of Lieutenant.
The Flying Pickets also made a (vocal) version of the song.
Animal puppeteer group "Fluff & Such" has created a puppet video version
William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
released an album in 2011 entitled Seeking Major Tom, which included covers of "Space Oddity," Peter Schilling's "Major Tom," K.I.A's "Mrs. Major Tom," and Elton John's "Rocket Man."