Life On Mars?

June 21, 2023 7:44 PM

Davie Bowie's ”Life on Mars?” was released as a single 50 years ago. Did you know it was written as revenge on Frank Sinatra?

Bowie’s video
St. Albans organ solo on the day of Bowie’s death
Rick Wakeman’s tribute
Lorde's tribute
Aurora's cover
Bowie’s last performance of the song

posted by Johnny Wallflower (12 comments total)

Great list of covers and tributes, thanks! I've always been partial to Seu Jorge's version (is a translation/adaptation still a 'cover'?).
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:41 PM on June 21, 2023 [5 favorites]

I fondly remember this audition covering that song on The Voice France, which I thought was pretty.
posted by maxwelton at 8:43 PM on June 21, 2023

I love Life On Mars.

It nevertheless puzzles me how adored it is. Probably my fourth or fifth favourite song from Hunky Dory. Now there's an album.
posted by philip-random at 10:33 PM on June 21, 2023 [9 favorites]

One of my favorite Life on Mars covers is by perennially underrated rock n' roll angel Abby Travis, with Frank Agnew of the Adolescents on piano. It starts around 1:10 in this clip and there are a few false starts and missed notes but that's part of the fun. They're just two pals goofing around in his house, no rehearsal at all, but then they bang out this messy little masterpiece.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:38 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Great post. My favorite cover was the Fall Out Boy cover. (Specifically Patrick Stump's cover, but BBC1 credits the band).
posted by Torosaurus at 5:22 AM on June 22, 2023

I hope this thread (d)evolves to reference Stewie doing Shatner doing Elton's near-contemporaneous (partly) about life on the same cold as hell place.
posted by stevil at 6:44 AM on June 22, 2023

Check out this snippet which features Bowie’s isolated voice and Mick Ronson’s string arrangement.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:27 AM on June 22, 2023 [2 favorites]

> I've always been partial to Seu Jorge's version (is a translation/adaptation still a 'cover'?).

It's a cover, a tribute and sublime. All of the songs he recorded (mostly Bowie covers) for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou were released as an album.
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 9:15 AM on June 22, 2023 [2 favorites]

Love David. Thank you for this post and keeping the spirit alive!
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:26 PM on June 22, 2023

never realized this. makes so much sense.
posted by worbel at 9:17 PM on June 22, 2023

Johnny Wallflower! *gasp*
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:03 PM on June 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

puddles kills it. stay connected to his expressions.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:50 AM on June 26, 2023 [1 favorite]