"Hallo Spaceboy" (Pet Shop Boys remix) | ||||
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Single by David Bowie featuring Pet Shop Boys | ||||
from the album Outside | ||||
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Released | 19 February 1996 | |||
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"Hallo Spaceboy" on YouTube |
"Hallo Spaceboy" is a song by the English musician David Bowie from his 20th studio album, Outside (1995). It originated as an instrumental by Reeves Gabrels called "Moondust", which Bowie and Brian Eno stripped down and used to form the final track. An industrial rock and electronica number influenced by the Pixies and Nine Inch Nails, the song contains a hypnotic sound, with synthesisers, loops and distorted guitar lines. Lyrically influenced by Brion Gysin, the song contains images of apocalypse and continues the androgynous conundrums of former Bowie songs such as "Rebel Rebel".
For its release as the third and final single from Outside in February 1996, "Hallo Spaceboy" was remixed by the duo Pet Shop Boys, who added a disco edge and lyrics referencing the Major Tom character from Bowie's "Space Oddity". The single reached number 12 in the UK and charted elsewhere across Europe. Its accompanying music video, directed by David Mallet, mixes shots of both Bowie and Pet Shop Boys with footage of science fiction clips, atomic bomb testing footage and television advertising clips. Both versions of "Hallo Spaceboy" have been positively received and have appeared on lists of Bowie's best songs. Bowie performed "Hallo Spaceboy" frequently on his concert tours, recordings from which have appeared on live albums.
Written by David Bowie and Brian Eno, [1] "Hallo Spaceboy" developed from an ambient instrumental piece written by guitarist Reeves Gabrels called "Moondust". [2] [3] Initial work on the track began during a recording session at Mountain Studios in Montreux in 1994, shortly after the main sessions for the Leon project concluded. [4] Bowie biographers Nicholas Pegg and Chris O'Leary point to the influence of poet and artist Brion Gysin, who developed a cut-up technique with William S. Burroughs that Bowie had, on several occasions, utilised for song lyrics. During the recording, Bowie spoke the "If I fall, moondust will cover me", reportedly Gysin's final words before his death in 1986. [1] [4] Work halted on the track following the session, as Bowie believed "there wasn't anything special going on with that piece". [1]
The track resurfaced on 17 January 1995 during the Outside sessions in New York City at The Hit Factory. [4] Eno wrote in his diary that it was "stripped down to almost nothing [before] I wrote some lightning chords and space and suddenly, miraculously, we had something." [3] The final track features Bowie, Eno, Gabrels, guitarist Carlos Alomar, bassist Yossi Fine, pianist Mike Garson and drummer Joey Baron. [1] After finishing the track, Bowie said "I adore that track. In my mind, it was like Jim Morrison meets industrial. When I heard it back, I thought, 'Fuck me. It's like metal Doors.' It's an extraordinary sound." [5] Gabrels later expressed disappointment in not receiving a co-writing credit for the song. [1]
Characterised by commentators as industrial rock and electronica, [3] [6] [7] Pegg describes "Hallo Spaceboy" as "a hardcore maelstrom of sci-fi noise, hypnotic high-speed drumming and an insistent, speaker-hopping four-note guitar riff". [4] The song's influences range from the Pixies and Pornography -era Cure to Nine Inch Nails and the Smashing Pumpkins; [4] [8] Bowie himself reportedly stated he was aiming for a Nine Inch Nails-type sound. [5] Featuring synthesisers, loops and distorted guitar lines, [1] a few reviewers compared the song's sound to Bowie's 1974 album Diamond Dogs and his work with the rock band Tin Machine. [4] [3] [7] Author Dave Thompson argued that the song would not have felt out of place as a bonus track on that album. [9] Lyrically, Pegg states that "Hallo Spaceboy" captures the "millennial angst" of the Outside album and continues the androgynous conundrums of songs such as 1974's "Rebel Rebel" and 1979's "Boys Keep Swinging" with the line "Do you like girls or boys? / It's confusing these days". [4] [8] [10] Some of the words and ideals, such as "chaos", "dust" and "hallo", and visions of a science fiction apocalypse were recycled from Tin Machine's "Baby Universal" (1991). [11]
"Hallo Spaceboy" was released as the sixth track on Outside on 25 September 1995. [12] Bowie featured the song prominently on the 1995 Outside Tour, often together with Nine Inch Nails on the US leg and after as the closing number. [4] [8] Bowie intended "Hallo Spaceboy" to be his next single after "Strangers When We Meet", performing the song twice in Birmingham and again on Jools Holland's Later... in late December the same year. [13] Both Birmingham performances were later released on the live album No Trendy Réchauffé (Live Birmingham 95) in 2020. [14]
Believing that in its original state, "Hallo Spaceboy" was uncommercial as a potential hit single in 1996, Bowie commissioned Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys to remix the song for release as the third single from Outside. [15] Tennant, a lifelong Bowie fan, stripped the song's anger with electronics and added Pet Shop Boys' signature backing vocals to the mix. Combined with the original only containing a single verse, and a lyric including feelings of alienation, Tennant and bandmate Chris Lowe added lyrical fragments from Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity", using a Gysin-style cut-up technique, to create a second verse: "Ground to Major, bye bye Tom / dead the circuit, countdown's wrong / Planet Earth is control on?" [1] [15] [16] O'Leary states the additions turned the song's cry of "this chaos is killing me" into a plea from an astronaut "strung out in heaven". [1]
Bowie himself initially expressed reservation about the additions when Tennant told him during a telephone conversation, but later agreed that they worked well. [4] [17] Tennant told NME in a 1997 interview that he and Lowe, working alongside Bowie, had completed what Tennant called the "Major Tom trilogy", in reference to the fictional astronaut who first appeared in "Space Oddity" and later appeared in 1980's "Ashes to Ashes". Tennant explained, "I said to [Bowie], 'It's like Major Tom is in one of those Russian spaceships they can't afford to bring down,' and he said, 'Oh wow, is that where he is?'" [16] Compared to the original version, the remix features a disco edge. [18] [19]
Released on 19 February 1996, [20] the single was released through several formats, including a 7" single through BMG/RCA, a CD single through Arista/RCA [21] and a 12" promo in the US through Virgin. [22] The CD single was packaged with a reissue of "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" and live renditions of "Under Pressure" and "Moonage Daydream", [4] [22] recorded on the Outside Tour on 13 December 1995 in Birmingham. [23] The single was a success across Europe, [8] reaching number 12 in the UK, becoming Bowie's highest charting single since 1993's "Jump They Say". [4] On top of a number 1 placement in Latvia, [4] the remixed "Hallo Spaceboy" charted in Australia (36), [24] Austria (37), [25] Belgium Flanders (48) and Wallonia (30), [26] [27] Finland (8), [28] Germany (59), [29] Ireland (21), [30] the Netherlands Top 40 and Single Top 100 (24 and 33, respectively), [31] [32] Scotland (10) and Sweden (12). [33] [34]
The music video for "Hallo Spaceboy" was directed by longtime Bowie director David Mallet, mixing shots of both Bowie and Pet Shop Boys into a rapid-fire montage of Cold War era retro-footage of science fiction film clips, atomic bomb testing footage and television advertising clips. [4] Bowie performed the song with Pet Shop Boys at the 1996 Brit Awards on 19 February 1996, [35] [36] and again on Top of the Pops on 1 March. [4] According to O'Leary, Bowie "thrashed around" during these performances while Tennant sang calmly. [1]
The Pet Shop Boys remix replaced "Wishful Beginnings" on the Outside – Version 2 album, [4] and is included on some editions of the compilation albums Best of Bowie (2002), [37] Nothing Has Changed (2014) and Legacy (The Very Best of David Bowie) (2016). [38] [39] The remix was later included on Re:Call 5, released as part of the Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) box set in 2022. [40] Four additional remixes, excluding the single one, were compiled on the 2004 two-disc edition of Outside. [4] An extended Pet Shop Boys remix is included on their 2007 remix album Disco 4 . [41]
Both versions of "Hallo Spaceboy" have received positive reviews from music critics and biographers. Discussing the original, biographer Marc Spitz called it Bowie's "most convincing rocker" since "Rebel Rebel", [42] and David Buckley said the track is "quite daring, with a hard, industrial menace and a great use of dynamics". [10] Some have recognised the original as a highlight of the Outside album. [8] [21] AllMusic's Christian Huey said that the song was "the most successful spin since [1980's] Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) on his recurring 'urban nightmare' motif." [21] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian called the original "pummelling, chaotic and hypnotic". [43] Paul Lester from Melody Maker said, "'Hallo Spaceboy', drenched in the theatrical mockneyisms that begat Damon Albarn and Brett Anderson, is trip hoppy (dub it up, Portishead!)" [44] Roger Morton from NME declared it as "a viscerally thrilling glassed-guitar'n'driller rhythm rocker". [45] Gareth Grundy from Select wrote, "'Hello Spaceboy''s sci-fi pop is a new, quasi-industrial 'Space Oddity'". [46]
Reviewing the Pet Shop Boys remix, Simon Price from Melody Maker said that "this sounds like the Pet Shop Boys without anything you could call a chorus. The bit where Bowie's gin-and-lemon voice mixes with Neil Tennant's Amaretto Disaronno on the line Do you like girls or boys? It's confusing these days... is one to hoist aloft around the room on a red velvet cushion, though." [47] A reviewer from Music Week rated the song four out of five, writing that the song "has been transformed into a hi-NRG anthem with chart appeal to the max". [48] Mojo magazine writer Mark Paytress opined that adding Pet Shop Boys was a "masterstroke". [7] Huey called the remix a success, with "less uncompromising" drama and "less disturbing" results. [21]
"Hallo Spaceboy" has appeared on lists ranking Bowie's best songs by Far Out (number 21), [19] The Guardian (number 40) and Mojo (number 70). [7] [43] In 2016, Ultimate Classic Rock placed the single at number 79 (out of 119) in a list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best. [49]
"Hallo Spaceboy" featured regularly on Bowie's setlists throughout 1996 and 1997, and made return appearances during his 2000 summer shows, 2002 Heathen and 2003–2004 A Reality tours. [4] A version recorded on 18 July 1996 at the Phoenix Festival in England appeared on the BBC compilation Phoenix: The Album in 1997. [4] A July 1997 recording from the Earthling Tour was also released on the live album Look at the Moon! in 2021, [50] and 2 November recording in Rio de Janeiro from the same tour appeared on the live album LiveAndWell.com in 2000 (re-released in 2021). [51] [52] Pet Shop Boys also performed their own version of "Hallo Spaceboy" during their residency at London's Savoy Theatre in 1997. [4]
At Bowie's fiftieth birthday concert in New York in January 1997, the song was performed together with Foo Fighters. [53] [54] Three years later, he performed it at the Glastonbury Festival on 25 June 2000, [55] released in 2018 as Glastonbury 2000 . [56] Bowie performed the song live at BBC Radio Theatre, London, on 27 June 2000, and a recording of this performance was included on the bonus disc of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000; [4] [57] the full concert later appeared on Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001). [58] A November 2003 performance from the A Reality Tour is included on the 2004 A Reality Tour DVD, [59] and the 2010 A Reality Tour album. [60]
According to Chris O'Leary: [1]
Technical
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [24] | 36 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [25] | 37 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [26] | 48 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [27] | 30 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [28] | 8 |
Germany (GfK) [29] | 59 |
Ireland (IRMA) [30] | 21 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [31] | 24 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [32] | 33 |
Scotland (OCC) [33] | 10 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [34] | 12 |
UK Singles (OCC) [61] | 12 |
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [62] | 40 |
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"Space Oddity" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips and Mercury Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album, David Bowie. Produced by Gus Dudgeon and recorded at Trident Studios in London, it is a tale about a fictional astronaut named Major Tom; its title and subject matter were partly inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Bowie's feelings of alienation at that point in his career. Its sound departed from the music hall of his debut album to psychedelic folk inspired by the Bee Gees; it was one of the most musically complex compositions he had written up to that point.
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Black Tie White Noise is the eighteenth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 5 April 1993 through Savage Records in the United States and Arista Records in the United Kingdom. Conceived following Bowie's marriage to model Iman and the disbandment of his rock band Tin Machine, it was recorded throughout 1992 between studios in Montreux, Los Angeles and New York City. Bowie co-produced with his Let's Dance (1983) collaborator Nile Rodgers, who voiced dissatisfaction with the project in later decades. The album features several guest appearances, including previous collaborators Mike Garson and Mick Ronson, and new arrivals Lester Bowie and Chico O'Farrill.
Tin Machine is the debut studio album by the Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, released on 22 May 1989 through EMI America Records. The band consisted of the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, the American guitarist Reeves Gabrels and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, while Englishman Kevin Armstrong acted as an additional guitarist. The project was spearheaded by Bowie, who felt disconnected in his career by 1987 and looked to reinvent himself. After meeting Gabrels through his Glass Spider Tour, the two agreed to work together and would collaborate frequently for the next decade. Bowie hired the Sales brothers, neither of whom he had worked with since the 1970s, after a meeting in Los Angeles, while English producer Tim Palmer was hired to co-produce.
Tin Machine II is the second and final studio album by the Anglo-American rock group Tin Machine, released on 2 September 1991 through Victory Music. The band, composed of David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels on guitar and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, recorded it in Sydney, Australia in late 1989 at the conclusion of the Tin Machine Tour. After Bowie completed his solo Sound+Vision Tour in late 1990, recording resumed in Los Angeles, California until March 1991. The production was handled by Tin Machine and Tim Palmer, who produced their debut studio album (1989), with additional production by Hugh Padgham on "One Shot". While the album musically retains a hard rock sound, the songs are more melodic compared to its predecessor, with lyrics focusing on love.
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"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" is a song by English musician David Bowie from his 20th studio album, Outside (1995), and issued as a single ahead of the album. Released in September 1995 by Arista, BMG and RCA, it showcased Bowie's new, industrial-influenced sound. Lyrically, the single connects with the rest of the album, with Bowie offering a lament to "tyrannical futurist" Ramona A. Stone, a theme continued in subsequent songs. The song is also meant to confront Bowie's own perceptions about the ritual creation and degradation of art. Its music video was directed by Samuel Bayer and was so controversial that it required a re-edit for MTV. The song appears in the end credits of the 1995 film Seven.
"Boys Keep Swinging" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on 27 April 1979 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom as the lead single from his 1979 album Lodger. It was written by Bowie and Brian Eno and recorded in Montreux and New York City in September 1978 and March 1979. The recording utilised techniques from Eno's Oblique Strategies cards, which resulted in the musicians swapping instruments. Adrian Belew contributed a guitar solo, which he played receiving little guidance and was composited from multiple takes. The song was also built on the same chord sequence as the album track "Fantastic Voyage". Musically, "Boys Keep Swinging" contains elements of glam rock, funk and new wave, while lyrically, the song deals with the concept of gender identity, featuring various gender-bending lyrics. Bowie himself stated that the song was full of irony.
"D.J." is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on 29 June 1979 as the second single from his 1979 album Lodger. It was written by Bowie, Brian Eno and Carlos Alomar and recorded in Montreux and New York City in September 1978 and March 1979. A cynical comment on the cult of the DJ, the track includes a guitar solo by Adrian Belew, which was recorded in multiple takes, and then mixed back together for the album track. Bowie mimics David Byrne of Talking Heads in his vocal performance. Its accompanying music video, directed by David Mallet, features Bowie casually walking down London's Earl's Court Road as passersby recognise him and follow him, interjected with Bowie as the tortured DJ destroying his studio. The single charted at number 29 in the UK and has received positive reviews.
"Baby Universal" is a song by Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, released as the second single from their Tin Machine II album in October 1991.
"Strangers When We Meet" is a song by English musician David Bowie, originally recorded for his 1993 album The Buddha of Suburbia. In 1995, Bowie re-recorded the song for his 20th studio album, Outside (1995), and this version was edited and released in November 1995 by RCA as the second single from the album, paired with a reworked version of Bowie's 1970 song "The Man Who Sold the World". The double A-side reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. In Sweden, "Strangers When We Meet" peaked at number 56 in 1996.
"Look Back in Anger" is a song written by English artists David Bowie and Brian Eno for the album Lodger (1979). It concerns "a tatty 'Angel of Death'", and features a guitar solo by Carlos Alomar.
LiveAndWell.com is a 1999 limited edition live album by David Bowie. It was not available commercially and could only be acquired by being subscribed to BowieNet at the time. The album is made up of recordings from the 1997 Earthling Tour, featuring songs from the albums Outside (1995) and Earthling (1997).
Disco 4 is the fourth remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 8 October 2007 by Parlophone on CD and vinyl. It was not made available as a digital download, due to licensing difficulties for each track.
The Outside Tour was a tour by the English rock musician David Bowie, opening in September 1995 and lasting over a year. The opening shows preceded the release of the 1. Outside album which it supported. The tour visited stops in North America and Europe.
The Earthling Tour was a 1997 concert tour by English musician David Bowie, in promotion of his album Earthling. The tour started on 7 June 1997 at Flughafen Blankensee in Lübeck, Germany, continuing through Europe and the Americas before concluding in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 7 November 1997.
Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on 26 November 2021. A follow-up to the compilations Five Years (1969–1973), Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) and Loving the Alien (1983–1988), the set covers the period of Bowie's career from 1992 to 2001, commonly regarded by analysts as an artistic renaissance following his commercially successful but critically maligned work in the 1980s. However, Bowie's 1988–1992 tenure with the hard rock group Tin Machine is excluded. The set comprises eleven compact discs or 18 LPs.
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