This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Space Oddity – the David Bowie song that would go on to become arguably his most iconic. Bucks Music Group, through Onward Music Ltd, publishes Space Oddity and more than 20 Bowie copyrights in total. Bucks MD Simon Platz tells the tale of the legendary artist’s 1969 single to Music Business Worldwide… check it out here

"Despite nine major label singles and a critically acclaimed solo album, David Bowie’s seemingly unshakeable self-belief as an artist must surely have waivered from the recoil of consistent commercial failure as 1968 loomed – a year that would become notable as the only one in his three-decade career where Bowie didn’t release a record.

His debut album had become a favourite of actor, dancer, mime artist and choreographer Lindsey Kemp, who invited Bowie to join his mixed media theatre group and take a starring role in Kemp’s new production ‘Pierrot In Turquoise’. Kemp also starred in a BBC TV show which featured actor and dancer Hermione Farthingale who, on meeting Bowie, found a mutual attraction between the pair.

Bowie recorded new material with Tony Visconti, the in-house producer at his publisher Essex Music – the predecessor to Bucks Music Group. But, on hearing the songs, Bowie’s record label, DERAM, elected not to release them and instead terminated Bowie’s contract and plans they had for a second album.

Following Kemp’s production, Bowie developed a solo mime piece ‘Jetsun And The Eagle’ and supported his friend Marc Bolan at Tyrannosuarus Rex’s summer show at London’s Royal Festival Hall on the 3rd June. Bolan had acquired a new electronic instrument called a Stylophone – a pen-operated portable mini keyboard. Few existed at the time, and Bolan gifted it to Bowie.

Rejuvenated by his stint with Kemp and his new association with Farthingale, Bowie’s songwriting flourished as Essex Music pitched his lyrics and songs to other artists. Bowie wrote an English lyric (‘Even A Fool Learns To Love’) to a tune that would be better known later as ‘My Way’, and two of Bowie’s songs ‘When I’m Five’ and ‘Silly Boy Blue’ were recorded and released by The Beatstalkers and Brit rocker Billy Fury to mild reviews and milder sales. Bowie meanwhile auditioned for theatre and film roles and even got a proper job of sorts."...Read More