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The Prettiest Star
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = The Prettiest Star
| cover = Bowie_ThePrettiestStar.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = David Bowie
| album =
| B-side = Conversation Piece
| released =
| recorded = 8, 13, 15 January 1970
| studio = Trident, London
| genre =
| length = 3:09
| label = Mercury
| writer = David Bowie
| producer = Tony Visconti
| prev_title = Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title = Memory of a Free Festival
| next_year = 1970
| misc =
}}
"'The Prettiest Star'" is a song by David Bowie, originally released as a single in March 1970.
In January 1970, Bowie re-recorded an old Deram track, "London Bye Ta-Ta", intended as a follow-up single to "Space Oddity". However, the same sessions spawned a new composition named "The Prettiest Star", which Bowie had written for Angela Barnett, reputedly playing it down the telephone as part of his proposal to her. The song is in the style of the Greek hasapiko dance as a tribute to Angie's Cypriot ethnic origin. He also chose it as his next single, to the displeasure of manager Kenneth Pitt, who favoured "London Bye Ta-Ta".David Buckley (1999). 'Strange Fascination David Bowie: The Definitive Story': pp.8081
The track featured Marc Bolan on guitar, with whom Bowie would spend the next few years as a rival for the crown of the king of glam rock. Producer Tony Visconti, who brought the two aspiring pop stars together in the studio, recalled that the session went well until the end when Bolan's wife June remarked to Bowie, "Marc is too good for you, to be playing on this record!"
Despite receiving good notices, the single reportedly sold fewer than 800 copies, a major disappointment on the back of the success of "Space Oddity".
A more glam-influenced version was recorded in December 1972Kevin Cann (2010). 'Any Day Now David Bowie: The London Years: 19471974': p.292Roger Griffin (2016). 'David Bowie: The Golden Years': p.122 or January 1973Chris O'Leary (2015). 'Rebel Rebel': p.133Nicholas Pegg (2016). 'The Complete David Bowie': p.213 for the album 'Aladdin Sane', with Mick Ronson recreating Bolan's original guitar part almost note-for-note.Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). 'Bowie: An Illustrated Record': p.32
Track listing
All songs written by David Bowie.
# "The Prettiest Star" 3:09
# "Conversation Piece" 3:05
Personnel
* 'Producer:'
** Tony Visconti
* 'Musicians (original single version):'
** David Bowie lead vocals, acoustic guitar
** Marc Bolan electric guitar on "The Prettiest Star"
** Tony Visconti bass guitar, string arrangement
** John Cambridge drums
** Derek Austin Hammond Organ
Tim Renwick, John 'Honk' Lodge and John Cambridge were all from the band Junior's Eyes, who briefly served as Bowie's backing band for live appearances and on an October 1969 BBC Radio session.[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Junior's+Eyes 'Junior's Eyes' discography] at Discogs.com[http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/BBC.htm 'David Bowie and Junior's Eyes' BBC recording session] at The Illustrated db Discography'Battersea Power Station' (Junior's Eyes) Liner Notes, David Wells (2000)
* 'Musicians ('Aladdin Sane' version):'
**David Bowie lead vocals, acoustic guitar
**Mick Ronson electric guitar, backing vocals
**Trevor Bolder bass guitar
**Woody Woodmansey drums
**Mike Garson piano
**David Sanborn tenor saxophone
**Warren Peace backing vocals, handclaps
Other releases
* The 'Aladdin Sane' version was released as the B-side of the US single "Time" in April 1973.
* The 'Aladdin Sane' version also appeared on the Japanese compilation 'The Best of David Bowie' in 1974.
* The single version from 1970 was included, in its original mono format, in the 'Sound + Vision' box set, in 1989, and on 'Re:Call 1', part of the 'Five Years (19691973)' compilation, in 2015. It was also included on the career-spanning Marc Bolan box set '20th Century Superstar'.
* On 'The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974' in 1997, the 1970 recording was issued for the first time in stereo, described on the sleeve as "Bolan Stereo Mix"; the same version later appeared on 'The Platinum Collection' (2006) and the 40th Anniversary Edition of Bowie's 'Space Oddity' album (2009).
* The song appeared on the musical soundtrack of the film 'Kinky Boots'.
Cover versions
*Finnish musician Hector recorded a version for his 1977 album, 'HEC'.
*French industrial metal band Treponem Pal recorded a version for their 1989 debut album, 'Treponem Pal'.
*Ian McCulloch recorded a version for 'Starman: Rare and Exclusive Versions of 18 Classic David Bowie Songs', a Bowie tribute album from the March 2003 issue of 'Uncut' magazine.
*British singer Simon Turner recorded a version for 'Oh! You Pretty Things: The Songs of David Bowie', a 2006 Bowie tribute album.
*American singer Jad Fair recorded a version for his free download album, 'Sunshiney Shine'.
*American ukulele-based cover band Uke-Hunt recorded a version for their debut album in 2014
Notes
References
*Pegg, Nicholas, 'The Complete David Bowie', Titan Books, 2016,
*[http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Singles/TPS1970/Title.html "The Prettiest Star" at Teenage Wildlife]
Category:David Bowie songs
Category:1970 singles
Category:Songs written by David Bowie
Category:Song recordings produced by Tony Visconti
Category:Song recordings produced by Ken Scott
Category:Song recordings produced by David Bowie
Category:Rock ballads
Category:1970 songs
Category:1970s ballads
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