Ziggy Stardust & the Legendary Stardust Cowboy

July 5, 2007 2:23 PM

Ziggy Stardust is one of David Bowie's most famous and enduring creations. Bowie's inspiration for the name came from "Ziggy's," a London tailor shop, and from one of the most unusual performers of the period, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Bowie explains his fascination with "The Ledge" In this interview, (topic starts at 2:00). So what ever happened to The Ledge? Well, he's somehow morphed into a bad frat party act!! (anyone else reminded of Otis Day and the Knights?)
posted by janetplanet (12 comments total)

I always preferred the Bauhaus cover.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:29 PM on July 5, 2007

and just what the hell problem you got with otis day and the knights?
posted by quonsar at 2:42 PM on July 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

hey janetplanet....and btw I get the astral weeks tip

check this

tim
posted by timsteil at 3:09 PM on July 5, 2007

The Legendary Stardust Cowboy isn't the bad frat party act, that's Saturn Five (hired to play at his CD release -- even in the underground, recording management sucks). The Ledge is still uncategorizable, the only musician since Spike Jones to use a six-gun as a percussion instrument.
Standing in a trashcan/thinking about you/got TV dinner all over my boots...
posted by CCBC at 3:13 PM on July 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Ziggy Stardust is one of David Bowie's most famous and enduring creations.

You don't say? I supposed Caesar was an emperor, and Jesus walked on water too?



disclaimer: Ignore this snark at your own leisure.
posted by Alex404 at 4:17 PM on July 5, 2007

I always preferred the Bauhaus cover.
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:29 PM on July 5

Bauhaus' career is one long Ziggy Stardust cover.
posted by four panels at 4:43 PM on July 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

Caesar was technically a tyrant.

Didn't Bowie like the Bauhaus cover better than his own version? I recall hearing that, but can't remember where.
posted by boo_radley at 6:36 PM on July 5, 2007

Ladies and gentlemen, an exhaustive review of David Bowie's teeth.
posted by punkfloyd at 6:43 PM on July 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

For whatever reason, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy is filed next to the The Space Lady, another great 'outsider' musician (I hate that term), with a Bowie connection in the form of her cover of Peter Schilling's Major Tom.

The Legendary Stardust Cowboy isn't the bad frat party act, that's Saturn Five

Yeah, a more suspicious mind than mine might wonder whether janetplanet actually watched the clip all the way through ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 2:47 AM on July 6, 2007

Er, filed next to the Space lady in my head, that is. A more suspicious mind than mine might wonder whether I actually read what I wrote all the way through ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 2:49 AM on July 6, 2007

I always thought the Bauhaus cover was nonsense. I like covers that are not simply copies of the original with more distortion in the sound. I don't mind it being close but the Bauhaus version is a little too close for my liking.

I found it somewhat fascinating that Bowie covered the cover version of the Pixies covering Neil Young's I've Been Waiting For You.
posted by juiceCake at 8:19 AM on July 6, 2007

Didn't Bowie like the Bauhaus cover better than his own version? I recall hearing that, but can't remember where.
posted by boo_radley

Yeah, he also said in the notes of the booklet of Seu Jorge's album something like "Sue Jorge lent the songs a level of beauty they previously didn't have". If he had asked someone to translate the lyrics for him, I'm sure he wouldn't have been half as pleased.
posted by micayetoca at 11:56 AM on July 6, 2007 [1 favorite]