2009 looks to be the year of the reissue. It is also the year David Bowie‘s iconic debut album Space Oddity celebrates its 40th anniversary. Needless to say, it only makes sense for the legendary musician to reissue the legendary 10-track effort, something which he will be doing this October.
According to Rolling Stone, Bowie will soon reissue Space Oddity as a double-disc collection. Aside from such items as 15 tracks worth of b-sides, rarities, and demos, eight of which are previously unreleased, the package will differ from other previous reissues of the album as it will feature interlude “Don’t Sit Down” fused together with “Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed”.
“Great lengths were made to ensure that the album’s original tapes were used in the reissue, to mirror the sound of the album when it was first released on vinyl,” Rolling Stone reports. “The original fade-outs and gaps between tracks have also been preserved.”
Other highlights multiple versions of the album closer “Memory of a Free Festival”, an Italian version of the album’s title track, and extensive sleeve notes with rare pictures.
Space Oddity 40th Anniversary Edition Tracklist:
Disc One
01. Space Oddity
02. Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed (inc. Don’t Sit Down)
03. Letter To Hermione
04. Cygnet Committee
05. Janine
06. An Occasional Dream
07. Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud
08. God Knows I’m Good
09. Memory Of A Free Festival
Disc Two
01. Space Oddity (demo) *
02. An Occasional Dream (demo) *
03. Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (single B-side with spoken intro)
04. Brian Matthew interviews David/Let Me Sleep Beside You (BBC Radio session D.L.T. Show)
05. Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed (BBC Radio session D.L.T. Show) *
06. Janine (BBC Radio session: D.L.T. Show)
07. London Bye Ta-Ta (stereo version)
08. Prettiest Star (stereo version)
09. Conversation Piece (stereo version) *
10. Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 1) (single A-side)
11. Memory Of A Free Festival (Part 2) (single B-side)
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 (full length stereo version) *
* = previously unreleased
