Editing Space Oddity (section)

==Recording==
===Initial demos and first studio version===
One of the first [[Demo (music)|demos]] of "Space Oddity", recorded in January 1969, differs greatly from the album version, including unused vocal harmonies and different lyrics. Rather than the softly spoken "lift-off", an American-accented "blast-off!" is present. "I'm floating in a most peculiar way" is replaced with "Can I please get back inside now, if I may?"{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}} The demo also includes the later-revised lines:{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}}

{{poemquote|And I think my spaceship knows what I must do
And I think my life on Earth is nearly through
Ground Control to Major Tom,
you're off your course, direction's wrong.}}

The demo's instrumentation uses only acoustic guitar and Stylophone, which were played by John Christopher 'Hutch' Hutchinson and Bowie, respectively.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 3}} Bowie had used the [[Stylophone]], a recently released electronic instrument that was mainly marketed to children, to compose the song's melody.{{sfn|Doggett|2012|p=60}} Both Bowie and Hutchinson sang vocals.

Bowie and Hutchinson recorded further acoustic demos of "Space Oddity",{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}} including a performance of the song on a promotional demo tape recorded for Mercury executives in March<ref name="2019 Conversation Piece liner notes">{{Cite AV media notes |title=''Conversation Piece'' |others=David Bowie |year=2019 |publisher=[[Parlophone]] |location=Worldwide |type=Album liner notes |id=DBCP 6869|p=41}}</ref> or April{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 3}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=334}} 1969.

The first full studio version of "Space Oddity", which was for ''Love You till Tuesday'', was recorded on 2&nbsp;February 1969 at [[Morgan Studios]], London. At this point, the lyrics were finalised. The session was produced by Jonathan Weston; Bowie and Hutchinson were joined by [[Colin Wood]] on [[Hammond organ]], Mellotron and flute; Dave Clague on bass and Tat Meager on drums.{{sfn|Cann|2010|pp=145, 147}} As in the early demos, Bowie and Hutchinson shared lead vocals, with Bowie voicing Major Tom's dialogue and Hutchinson singing Ground Control's lines. Bowie also played an [[ocarina]] solo. Pegg calls this version significantly inferior to the ''David Bowie'' recording.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}}{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 3}}

===Album version===
{{quote box|quote=In those days a gimmick was a big deal and people who had gimmicks were taken more seriously than those who hadn't. Bowie's was that he'd written a song about being in space at a time when the first US moonshot was about to take place. I listened to the demo and thought it was incredible. I couldn't believe that Tony didn't want to do it.<ref name="Classic Rock">{{cite web |last1=DeMain |first1=Bill |title=The Story Behind The Song: "Space Oddity" by David Bowie |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/story-behind-the-song-space-oddity-david-bowie |website=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917011243/https://www.loudersound.com/features/story-behind-the-song-space-oddity-david-bowie |archive-date=17 September 2021 |date=13 February 2019}}</ref>|source=—Gus Dudgeon|width=30%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}

In June 1969, Pitt negotiated a one-album deal, with options for a further one or two albums, with [[Mercury Records]] and its UK subsidiary [[Philips Records|Philips]].{{sfn|Gillman|Gillman|1987|p=172}} Mercury executives had heard one of the "Space Oddity" demos earlier in 1969. After [[The Beatles|Beatles]]' producer [[George Martin]] turned down the project,{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=113}} Pitt hired [[Tony Visconti]], who produced Bowie's later Deram sessions. "Space Oddity" had been selected as the [[lead single]] in advance.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=335}} Visconti, however, saw it as a "novelty record" and "a gimmick to cash in on the moonshot". He declined to produce the song, passing production responsibility to Bowie's former engineer [[Gus Dudgeon]]; Visconti produced the rest of the album.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=335}}<ref name="Yahoo Wiederhorn">{{cite web |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon |title=David Bowie Producer Tony Visconti Recalls 'Holy' Career Highlights |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/david-bowie-producer-tony-visconti-223242335.html |website=Yahoo! |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916204213/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/david-bowie-producer-tony-visconti-223242335.html |archive-date=16 September 2021 |date=20 April 2016}}</ref> On hearing Bowie's demo, Dudgeon said it was "unbelievable"; he and Bowie planned "every detail" of the recording.{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=114}}

Work on the album version of "Space Oddity" and its [[A-side and B-side|B-side]], "[[Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud]]", began at [[Trident Studios]] in London on 20&nbsp;June 1969.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=335}} Mercury insisted the single was released the following month, ahead of the [[Apollo 11]] Moon landing.{{sfn|Cann|2010|pp=153–154}} The guitarist [[Mick Wayne]] of the British band [[Junior's Eyes]] and the keyboardist [[Rick Wakeman]] were brought on at Visconti's suggestion, while the composer [[Paul Buckmaster]] was hired to arrange the orchestra,{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=114}} which consisted of eight violins, two violas, two cellos, two [[arco bass]]es, two flutes and an organ.{{Sfn|Cann|2010|p=153}} Buckmaster advised Bowie to focus on creating the overall sound rather than the narrative.{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=153}} Dudgeon hired the bassist [[Herbie Flowers]] and the drummer [[Terry Cox]] of the folk band [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]],{{sfn|Buckley|2005|p=57}} while Bowie played acoustic guitar and Stylophone.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 3}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=335}}{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=153}} Bowie later said he added the Stylophone at [[Marc Bolan]]'s suggestion; "[Bolan] said, you like this kind of stuff, do something with it. And I put it on 'Space Oddity', so it served me well."{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=256–257}} Bowie fell ill with [[conjunctivitis]] and [[overdub]]s were completed a few days later.{{sfn|Cann|2010|pp=153–154}}

Dudgeon outlined a plan for the Stylophone and Mellotron parts by scribbling notes on paper, later telling the biographer [[Paul Trynka]]: "When we hit that studio we knew exactly what we wanted&nbsp;– no other sound would do."{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=114}}{{sfn|Buckley|2005|p=57}} At one point, Wayne thought he had finished his guitar take early so he began retuning one of the strings. Dudgeon liked the warped effect of the retuning and asked Wayne to repeat it on the next take.{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=114}} Wakeman recorded his part in two takes after hearing the demo once;{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=153}} he later said; "it was one of half a dozen occasions where it made the hair stand up on your neck and you know you're involved in something special. 'Space Oddity' was the first time it ever happened to me". Cox also felt a sense of excitement after the session finished.{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=114}}

The session cost £500.<ref name="Classic Rock" /> Dudgeon was paid £100 for his work on the two songs;{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=154}} in June 2002, he instigated a lawsuit against Bowie claiming he did not receive the agreed two per cent of royalties for "Space Oddity". Dudgeon intended to sue for a settlement of £1 million; the suit, however, was halted after Dudgeon's death in a car accident the following month.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=256}} Dudgeon had told Buckley he felt "Space Oddity" was among the finest work of Bowie's career.{{sfn|Buckley|2005|p=59}}

===Mixing===
"Space Oddity" was [[Audio mixing|mixed]] in both [[Monaural|mono]] and [[Stereophonic sound|stereo]] formats,{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=155}} a rarity for radio singles at the time.<ref name="Classic Rock" /> Wakeman later said it was Bowie's idea to mix it in both formats: "To the best of my knowledge nobody released stereo singles at that time, and they pointed that out to David&nbsp;... and I can remember David saying, 'That's why this one will be stereo!' And he just stood his ground&nbsp;... he wasn't being awkward, but he had a vision of how things should be."{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=257}} The biographer Kevin Cann said stereo copies were given to the media and radio stations while mono copies were given to retailers.{{sfn|Cann|2010|p=155}} According to Pegg, the stereo single was sold only in specific territories, including Italy and the Netherlands; the mono single appeared in both Britain and America.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=257}}