David Bowie’s earliest known versions of ‘Space Oddity’ will be released for the song’s 50th anniversary.
The timeless 1969 track – which was included on the late rock icon’s self titled second album – will be celebrated as part of the upcoming ‘Spying Through A Keyhole’ collection.
The 7" vinyl box set has been announced by Parlophone, and it will feature nine demos including two of the earliest known recordings of the popular tune.
In notes given by the label for the ‘demo except’, it says: "The lyric and arrangement variations lend weight to the theory that this is possibly the first ever recorded demo of one of Bowie’s most famous songs."
The collection – which has been announced almost three years to the day after Bowie’s sad death on January 10, 2016 aged 69 following a secret battle with cancer – will also include a take with alternate lyrics as a collaboration with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson.
The label explains: "Originally conceived as a song for a duo to perform, this is the first known version to feature John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson again with lyric and arrangement variations."
Also set for the collection are two demo versions of ‘Angel, Angel, Grubby Face’, and an early take on ‘London Bye, Ta-Ta’ with "completely different" verse lyrics compared to the full band recordings.
Demos of ‘Mother Grey’, ‘Goodbye 3d (Threepenny) Joe’, ‘Love All Around’ and ‘In The Heat Of the Morning’ round off the track-listing.
Most of the recordings are said to be solo vocal and acoustic home demos.
‘Spying Through A Keyhole’ is expected to be released later this spring, although a firm date is yet to be confirmed.
Rare David Bowie demos set for vinyl release
