The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (often shortened to Ziggy Stardust[1]) is the fifth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 16 June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott and features Bowie's backing band the Spiders from Mars — Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. It was recorded from November 1971 to February 1972 at Trident Studios in London.
"Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" redirects here. For the 1983 film about David Bowie, see Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (film).
Described as a loose concept album and rock opera, Ziggy Stardust is about Bowie's titular alter ego Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster. In the story, Ziggy wins the hearts of fans but suffers a fall from grace after succumbing to his own ego. The character was inspired by numerous musicians, including Vince Taylor. Most of the album's concept was developed after the songs were recorded. The glam rock and proto-punk musical styles were influenced by Iggy Pop, the Velvet Underground and Marc Bolan. The lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music, political issues, drug use, sexuality and stardom. The album cover, photographed in monochrome and recoloured, was taken in London outside the home of furriers "K. West".
Preceded by the single "Starman", Ziggy Stardust reached top five of the UK Albums Chart. Critics responded favourably; some praised the musicality and concept while others struggled to comprehend it. Shortly after its release, Bowie performed "Starman" on Britain's Top of the Pops in early July 1972, which propelled him to stardom. The Ziggy character was retained for the subsequent Ziggy Stardust Tour, performances from which have appeared on live albums and a concert film. Bowie described the follow-up album, Aladdin Sane, as "Ziggy goes to America".
In later decades, Ziggy Stardust has been considered one of Bowie's best works, appearing on numerous professional lists of the greatest albums of all time. Bowie had ideas for a musical based on the album, although this project never came to fruition; ideas were later used for Diamond Dogs (1974). Ziggy Stardust has been reissued several times and was remastered in 2012 for its 40th anniversary. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Background[edit]
After his promotional tour of America in February 1971,[2] David Bowie returned to Haddon Hall in England and began writing songs,[3] many of which were inspired by the diverse musical genres that were present in America.[4] He wrote over three dozen songs, many of which would appear on his fourth studio album Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust;[5] among these were "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself", which he recorded with his short-lived band Arnold Corns in February 1971,[6] and subsequently reworked for Ziggy Stardust.[3][5] Work officially began on Hunky Dory in June 1971 at Trident Studios in London.[7] The sessions featured the musicians who would later become known as the Spiders from Mars – guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Mick Woodmansey.[8] Ken Scott, who previously worked as an engineer for Bowie's two previous albums and the Beatles, was chosen to be the producer.[3] The sessions also featured keyboardist Rick Wakeman on piano who[9] after completing work on the album, declined Bowie's offer to join the Spiders to instead join the English progressive rock band Yes.[10] According to Woodmansey, Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust were almost recorded back-to-back, but the Spiders realised that most of the songs on Hunky Dory were not suitable live material, so they needed a follow-up album with material they could use on tour.[11]
After Bowie's manager Tony Defries ended his contract with Mercury Records, Defries presented the album to multiple labels in the US, including New York City's RCA Records. The head of the label, Dennis Katz, heard the tapes and saw the potential of the piano-based songs, signing Bowie to a three-album deal on 9 September 1971; RCA became Bowie's label for the rest of the decade.[12][13] Hunky Dory was released on 17 December to very positive reviews from critics but sold poorly and failed to break the UK Albums Chart,[14] partly due to poor marketing from RCA; the label had heard from Scott that Bowie was going to be changing his image for his next record so they did not know how to promote it.[3][15]
Release and promotion[edit]
Before Bowie changed his appearance to his Ziggy persona, he conducted an interview with journalist Michael Watts of Melody Maker where he came out as gay.[96] Published on 22 January 1972 with the headline "Oh You Pretty Thing",[97] the announcement garnered publicity in both Britain and America,[98] although according to Pegg the declaration was not as monumental as latter-day accounts perceive. Nevertheless Bowie was adopted as a gay icon in both countries, with Gay News describing him as "probably the best rock musician in Britain" and "a potent spokesman" for "gay rock". Although Defries was reportedly "shocked" by the announcement, Scott believed Defries was behind it from the start, wanting to use it for publicity.[18] According to Cann, the ambiguity surrounding Bowie's sexuality drew press attention for his tour dates, the upcoming album and the subsequent "John, I'm Only Dancing" non-album single.[98]
RCA released the lead single, "Starman", on 28 April 1972, backed by "Suffragette City".[31] The single sold steadily rather than spectacularly but earned many positive reviews. Promoting the upcoming album, Bowie, the Spiders, and keyboardist Nicky Graham performed the song on the Granada children's music programme Lift Off with Ayshea on 15 June; it was presented by Ayshea Brough.[73] Ziggy Stardust was released a day later in the United Kingdom on 16 June,[99][100][d][a] with the catalogue number SF 8287. It sold 8,000 copies in Britain in its first week and entered the top 10 in its second week on the UK Albums Chart.[18] The Lift Off performance was broadcast on 21 June in a "post-school" time slot, where it was witnessed by thousands of British children.[105] By 1 July, "Starman" rose to number 41 on the UK Singles Chart, earning Bowie an invitation to perform on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops.[106]
Bowie, the Spiders, and Graham performed "Starman" on Top of the Pops on 5 July 1972.[73] Bowie appeared in a brightly coloured rainbow jumpsuit, astronaut boots, and with "shocking" red hair while the Spiders wore blue, pink, scarlet, and gold velvet attire. During the performance, Bowie was relaxed and confident and wrapped his arm around Ronson's shoulder.[106] Shown the following day,[107] the performance brought public attention to the album[108] and helped solidify Bowie as a controversial pop icon. Buckley writes: "Many fans date their conversion to all things Bowie to this Top of the Pops appearance."[109] The performance was a defining moment for many British children.[110] U2 singer Bono said in 2010, "The first time I saw [Bowie] was singing 'Starman' on television. It was like a creature falling from the sky. Americans put a man on the moon. We had our own British guy from space–with an Irish mother."[111] After the performance,[110] "Starman" charted at number 10 in the UK while peaking at number 65 in the US.[112] On 11 April 1974,[113] impatient for a follow-up to "Rebel Rebel", RCA belatedly released "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" as a single. Buckley calls this move a "dosh-catching exercise".[114][115]
After dropping down the chart in late 1972, the album began climbing the chart again; by the end of 1972, the album had sold 95,968 units in Britain. It peaked at number five on the chart in February 1973.[116] In Canada, the album reached number 59 and was on the charts for 27 weeks.[117] In the US, the album peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart in April 1973.[118] The album returned to the UK chart on 31 January 1981, peaking at No. 73,[119] amid the New Romantic era that Bowie had helped inspire.[120] After Bowie's death in 2016, the album reached a new peak of No. 21 in the US Billboard 200.[121] It has sold an estimated 7.5 million copies worldwide, making it Bowie's second-best-selling album.[122]
Critical reception[edit]
After its release, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars received generally lukewarm reviews from contemporaneous critics.[123] James Johnson of New Musical Express (NME) said the album has "a bit more pessimism" than on previous releases and called the songs "fine".[124] Watts said in Melody Maker that while Ziggy Stardust had "no well-defined story line", it had "odd songs and references to the business of being a pop star that overall add up to a strong sense of biographical drama."[125] In Rolling Stone, writer Richard Cromelin thought the album was good, but he felt that it and its style might not be of lasting interest: "We should all say a brief prayer that his fortunes are not made to rise and fall with the fate of the 'drag-rock' syndrome."[47]
Some reviewers gave overwhelming praise to the album. A writer for Circus magazine wrote that the album is "from start to finish... of dazzling intensity and mad design", and called it a "stunning work of genius".[126] Referencing the album, Jack Lloyd of The Philadelphia Inquirer declared that "David Bowie is one of the most creative, compelling writers around today".[127] The Evening Standard's Andrew Bailey agreed, praising the songwriting, performances, production, and "operatic" music.[128] Robert Hilburn positively compared Ziggy to the Who's Tommy (1969) in the Los Angeles Times, describing the music as "exciting, literate and imaginative".[129]
Jon Tiven of Phonograph Record praised the album, calling it "the Aftermath of the Seventies", where there are no filler tracks. He further called Bowie "one of the most distinctive personalities in rock" believing that should Bowie ever become a star "of the Ziggy Stardust magnitude", he deserves it.[130] In Creem, Dave Marsh considered Ziggy Stardust Bowie's best record up to that point, stating "I can't see him stopping here for long".[131] Creem later placed the album at the top of their end of year list.[132] Meanwhile Lillian Roxon of New York Sunday News chose Ziggy Stardust over the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. as the best album of the year up to that point, even considering Bowie "the Elvis of the Seventies".[133]
Nevertheless the album did receive some negative reviews. A writer for Sounds magazine, who praised Hunky Dory, opined: "It would be a pity if this album was the one to make it... much of it sounds the work of a competent plagiarist."[134] Writing for The Times, Richard Williams felt that the persona was just for show and Bowie "doesn't mean it".[135] Although Nick Kent of Oz magazine enjoyed the album as a whole, he felt the character of Ziggy Stardust did not quite come together as well, stating that Bowie was "over-reaching himself".[136] Doggett said that this was the general verdict for reviewers who had enjoyed the "dense, philosophical songs" of Bowie's previous releases, as they could not relate to the "mythology" of Ziggy Stardust.[123]
Other projects[edit]
While recording Ziggy Stardust, Bowie offered "Suffragette City" to the band Mott the Hoople, who were on the verge of breaking up, but they declined. So Bowie wrote a new song for them, "All the Young Dudes".[26][77] With Bowie producing, the band recorded the track in May 1972.[152] Bowie would also produce the band's fifth album named after the song. Bowie would perform the song on the Ziggy Stardust Tour and record his own version during the Aladdin Sane sessions.[153] The tour took a toll on Bowie's mental health; it marked the beginning of his longtime cocaine addiction.[154] During this time, he underwent other projects that contributed to growing exhaustion. In August 1972, he co-produced Lou Reed's Transformer with Ronson in London in between tour commitments. Two months later, he mixed the Stooges' 1973 album Raw Power in Hollywood during the first US tour; Bowie had become friends with the band's frontman Iggy Pop.[155]
In November 1973, Bowie conducted an interview with writer William S. Burroughs for Rolling Stone. He spoke of a musical based on Ziggy Stardust, saying: "Forty scenes are in it and it would be nice if the characters and actors learned the scenes and we all shuffled them around in a hat the afternoon of the performance and just performed it as the scenes come out." The musical, considered by Pegg a "retrograde step", fell through, but Bowie salvaged two songs for he had written for it—"Rebel Rebel" and "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"—for his 1974 album Diamond Dogs.[156]
Reissues[edit]
Ziggy Stardust was first released on CD in November 1984 by RCA.[198] Dr. Toby Mountain later remastered the album at Northeastern Digital Recording in Southborough, Massachusetts[199] from the original master tapes for Rykodisc. The reissue was released on 6 June 1990, with five bonus tracks.[200] It charted for four weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 25.[201] The album was remastered again by Peter Mew and released on 28 September 1999 by Virgin.[202]
On 16 July 2002, a two-disc version was released by EMI/Virgin. The first in a series of 30th Anniversary 2CD Editions, this release included a newly remastered version as its first CD. The second disc contained twelve tracks, most of which had been previously released on CD as bonus tracks on the 1990–1992 reissues. The new mix of "Moonage Daydream" was originally done for a 1998 Dunlop television commercial.[203]
On 4 June 2012, a "40th Anniversary Edition" was released by EMI/Virgin. This edition was remastered by original Trident Studios' engineer Ray Staff.[204] The 2012 remaster was made available on CD and on a special, limited edition format of vinyl and DVD, featuring the new remaster on an LP, together with 2003 remixes of the album by Scott (5.1 and stereo mixes) on DVD-Audio. The latter included bonus 2003 Scott mixes of "Moonage Daydream" (instrumental), "The Supermen", "Velvet Goldmine", and "Sweet Head".[198][205]
The 2012 remaster of the album and the 2003 remix (stereo mix only) were both included in the Parlophone box set Five Years (1969–1973), released on 25 September 2015.[206][207] The album with its 2012 remastering, was also rereleased separately in 2015–2016, in CD, vinyl, and digital formats.[208] Parlophone released the separate LP on 26 February 2016 on 180g vinyl.[209] On 16 June 2017, Parlophone reissued the album as a limited edition LP pressed on gold vinyl.[210]
On 17 June 2022, Parlophone reissued the album to celebrate its 50th anniversary, in vinyl picture disc and half-speed-mastered versions.[211][212] Two years later, the label announced the release of Waiting in the Sky, an alternate version of the album based on a tracklist made before the recording of "Starman", for Record Store Day 2024.[213] The same year, Parlophone will release a five disc box set chronicling Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period, featuring various unreleased tracks, including demos, outtakes and live performances. The box set, Rock 'n' Roll Star!, is scheduled for release on 14 June.[214]