50th anniversary of David Bowie's Space Oddity commemorated with new music video

“The stars look very different today” without David Bowie, whose hit single “Space Oddity” is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

His official website surprised fans with a brand new video to commemorate the occasion, featuring new visuals and a refreshed version of the song. Visuals that appear in the Tim Pope-directed video, include never-seen-before footage of Bowie singing the tune at his 50th birthday concert held at Madison Square Garden in 1997 and newly cut content used as the backdrop during the 1990’s Sound & Vision tour.

Longtime Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti was tasked with creating a fresh new audio mix of the tune made for a 2019 audience.

The video also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which happened just days after Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong’s historic mission. The British musician was inspired to write the song about a fictional astronaut named Major Tom by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In a fitting tribute, NASA was treated to a special screening of 2019’s “Space Oddity” at a private event held at Kennedy Space Center in Washington, D.C.

Bowie, who died from liver cancer in 2016, wrote a hit sequel to the popular song in 1980 called “Ashes to Ashes” featuring Major Tom. He brought him back one more time in 1995’s “Hallo Spaceboy,” a song the singer has been quoted as saying “he adored.”

Mattel is also honoring the icon by creating a “Ziggy Stardust” Barbie, tied to the “Space Oddity” anniversary. The special edition doll features Bowie’s stage persona’s signature look, donning a red and blue striped space suit and red platform boots just like he did while touring in 1973.

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