July 1969: David Bowie releases Space Oddity from Beckenham

On July 11, 1969, David Bowie released a new single: Space Oddity. 

It would be the song that kickstarted Bowie’s dazzling career as a cultural icon and pioneer of glam rock.

But, Space Oddity is fledgling Bowie. It shows the South London artist not so much casting his own image but in the shadow of others – without a feather boa in sight.

Originally turned down by legendary producer George Martin, Space Oddity is an amalgamation of young Bowie’s obsessions – the musicians, poets and spirituality of the late-60s.

In the years prior to the release, the two-toned eyed musical genius had been having a hard time becoming a major British Pop star.

Every single released on his 1967 debut album flopped. Rather than maintaining a belief in Bowie – who was still only 20 – Decca Records threw him to the wayside and he was dropped from the label.

In 1968 – living in Foxgrove Road, Beckenham – Bowie formed the trio, Feathers, with then girlfriend Hermione Farthingale and John Hutchinson. 

But, by the final year of the 60s the folk-poetry-performance group and his relationship with Hermione were in the process of disintegrating.

Convinced he had more to offer, manager Kenneth Pitt encouraged Bowie to lean into his creative mind. After watching Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bowie felt inspired and created a mystical narrative surrounding a character he named Major Tom.

Just five days before The United States’ Apollo 11 mission would launch, Bowie undertook his own launch.

Speaking to Performing Songwriter in 2003, Bowie said: “In England, it was always presumed that it was written about the space landing, because it kind of came to prominence around the same time.

“But it actually wasn’t. It was written because of going to see the film 2001, which I found amazing. I was out of my gourd anyway, I was very stoned when I went to see it, several times, and it was really a revelation to me. It got the song flowing.

“It was picked up by the British television, and used as the background music for the landing itself. I’m sure they really weren’t listening to the lyric at all.

“It wasn’t a pleasant thing to juxtapose against a moon landing. Of course, I was overjoyed that they did. Obviously, some BBC official said, ‘Oh, right then, that space song, Major Tom, blah blah blah, that’ll be great.’ ‘Um, but he gets stranded in space, sir.’ 

“Nobody had the heart to tell the producer that.”

Space Oddity was Bowie’s first number one. Born to be in the limelight, once Bowie got a glimpse of superstardom, nothing could stop him.

He moved to the ground floor of the now-demolished house, Haddon Hall, in Southend Road, Beckenham, and painted the ceilings silver.

It was underneath these silver ceilings that Bowie and his friends put the finishing touches to the look of his Ziggy Stardust character. 

The haircut was done by Suzi Fussey, who worked opposite the Three Tuns in Beckenham in the Evelyn Paget now Gigante hair salon, and the famous red and black platform boots were made by Stan Miller of Greenaway and Sons in Penge.

The songs that became Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust were rehearsed in a studio space he created under the stairs, as well as at the Thomas a Becket pub in Old Kent Road. 

Pictured top: David Bowie in 1970, the year after Space Oddity was released (Picture: PA Media)