FEMENINA 50

Lunes,11 de enero de 2016

Mis 11 del 11, no necesariamente en ese orden

Alone again (naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan

"Alone Again (Naturally)" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. It was released in 1972 at the same time as, but not on, the album, Back to Front. In total, the single spent six weeks, non-consecutively, at #1 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Billboardranked it as the No. 2 song for 1972.^[2] In Casey Kasem's American 'Top 40 of the 1970s', "Alone Again (Naturally)" ranked as the fifth most-popular song of the decade (Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" was #1). "Alone Again (Naturally)" also spent six weeks at number one on the Easy Listening chart.^[3] The track reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart.^[4] It is an introspective ballad, starting with the singer telling of his plans to commit suicide after being left at the altar after his bride deserted him, and then telling about the death of his parents

Play Me (Neil Diamond)

"Play Me" is a 1972 song by Neil Diamond from his album Moods. The song, the first single from Moods,^[3] was recorded in February 1972 inLos Angeles.^[4] It was released as a single in May 1972 and peaked at #11 in the United States^[1] in September of that year.^[5] It was listed byBillboard as #27 of his best 30 songs.^[6]

The "catchy pop-rock"^[7] song, a medium-tempo waltz,^[8] features broken chords played on the acoustic guitar, courtesy of Diamond's long-time collaborator Richard Bennett.^[8] Bennett had played on a few songs on Diamond's 1971 album Stones; Moods was his first full album with him, and he played on every Diamond album until 1987 and toured with him for 17 years. It is widely praised by critics and musicians as well; it is among the top-ten favorite songs of American writer and critic David Wild. Wild was especially fond of the lines "You are the sun, I am the moon, / You are the words, I am the tune, / Play me,"^[8] and other writers have cited the lines as well.^[18] Diamond himself has referred to those lines, for instance in an apology to a 2008Columbus, Ohio, audience, for performing with a raspy voice while suffering from acute laryngitis

Long cool woman (The Hollies)

"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (also called "Long Cool Woman" or "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)") is a song written byAllan Clarke, Roger Cook, and Roger Greenaway and performed by the British rock group The Hollies. Originally appearing on the album Distant Light, it was released as a single in April 1972 (on Parlophone in the United Kingdom),^[1] selling 1.5 million copies in the United States and two million worldwide.^[4] It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1972. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1972. On the day "Long Cool Woman" was recorded at AIR Studios, the group's producer, Ron Richards, was ill and, as a result, the song was produced by the group. The song is different from most Hollies songs in that there are no three-part vocal harmonies, and the song features lead guitar and lead vocal work by Allan Clarke. Upon his return, Ron Richards mixed the recording.^[2].The song was written in the swamp rock^[5][6] style of Creedence Clearwater Revival, in terms of the vocal, rhythm, and melodic style. It came out in the summer of 1972, that same time when Creedence split up. Clarke imitated John Fogerty's vocal style, which was based on the Creedence song "Green River". John Fogerty was not impressed with the group's imitation of his style, and tried to sue the Hollies for infringing on the Creedence trademark; however, because of the differences in the melody of the two songs, the case was thrown out.^{[citation needed]}According to Clarke, the song was written "in about five minutes". When the song made its mark in America, Clarke had already left the band, but Clarke feels that "it wasn't unfortunate", since he had written the song.^[2] Clarke rejoined the Hollies in the summer of 1973, partly due to the success of this song

Pinball Wizard (The Who)

"Pinball Wizard" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who, and featured on their 1969 rock operaalbum Tommy. The original recording was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a pinball champion, called "Local Lad" in the Tommy libretto book, astounded by the skills of the opera's eponymous main character, Tommy Walker: "What makes him so good?; He ain't got no distractions; Can't hear those buzzers and bells; Don't see lights a flashin'; Plays by sense of smell.; Always has a replay; Never tilts at all; That deaf dumb and blind kid; Sure plays a mean pin ball.", and "I thought I was the Bally table king, but I just handed my pinball crown to him".

Townshend once called it "the most clumsy piece of writing [he'd] ever done".^[1] Nevertheless, the song was a commercial success and remains one of the most recognised tunes from the opera. It was a perpetual concert favourite for Who fans due to its pop sound and familiarity.

Close to You (Carpenters)

The song was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You", without parentheses. However, only that single's flip side, "Blue Guitar", became a hit. The tune was also recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963 and re-recorded with a Burt Bacharach arrangement for her 1964 album Make Way for Dionne Warwick, and was released as the B-side of her 1965 single "Here I Am". Bacharach released his own version in 1968. But the version recorded by The Carpenters, with instrumental backing by L.A. studio musicians from the Wrecking Crew,^[1] which became a hit in 1970, is the best known.

The first recorded duet of this song is attributed to Dinah Washington and Lionel Hampton, which can be found on YouTube.^[2] The song can be found on Hampton's 1995 album Jazz Moods.^[3] and on the 1996 compilation double-CD Dinah Wasshington, released in the Netherlandson the Bluenite label.^[4] As Washington died in late 1963, this is believed to be one of the first recordings of this song.

In 1970, it was released by the Carpenters on their album Close to You, and it became their breakthrough hit. The song stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. This song was originally given to Herb Alpert as a follow up to his Number 1 hit, "This Guy's in Love with You", another Bacharach-David composition. Alpert was not thrilled with his version and shelved the recording. Looking for a follow-up to their first A&M Records/Billboard No. 54 recording Ticket to Ride, in 1969 Alpert decided to give it to the Carpenters (Alpert's version was released in 2005 on the Tijuana Brass album Lost Treasures 1963–1974). Richard had stated that when Alpert introduced the song to him back in early 1970, he was a bit apprehensive about the song.^{[citation needed]} He and Alpert collaborated on the song, and the finished product was a 4-minute, 36-second long song. When A&M Records decided to release it as a 3-minute, 40-second long single in May 1970, it became A&M's biggest hit since Alpert's "This Guy's in Love with You" from 1968. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1970.^[5]

With "(They Long to Be) Close to You", the Carpenters earned a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1971. It became the first of three Grammy Awards they would win during their careers.

Richard had originally written the flugelhorn solo part for Herb Alpert, but when he was unavailable, Chuck Findley was brought in. Richard later commented: "Chuck didn't play it that way at first, but I worked with him and he nailed it. A lot of people thought it was Herb - Bacharach thought so, too. But it's the way Findley is playing it."^[6]

Love grows where my Rosemary goes (Edison Light house)

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" is a popular song by "one-hit wonder" Edison Lighthouse. The single hit the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart on the week ending on 31 January 1970, where it remained for a total of five weeks.^[1]. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" was written by Tony Macaulay Barry Mason and Sylvan Whittingham. Essentially, they were a studio group with prolific session singer Tony Burrows providing the vocals. When the song became a hit, a group needed to be assembled rapidly to feature the song on Top of the Pops, a popular TV show. Sylvan Whittingham found a group called 'Greenfields' and brought them to Tony's auditions a week before their appearance on Top of the Pops. Once chosen and rehearsed, they appeared on the show as 'Edison Lighthouse' to mime to the fastest climbing number 1 hit record in history. Burrows sang the song on the programme during his third appearance on the same show with three different groups.

"Love Grows" reached number 5 on US pop chart, number 3 in Canada, and number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in January and February 1970. It reached number 3 in South Africa in February 1970.^[2]

In an interview in 2003, Rob Grill of The Grass Roots said that the song had been offered to them, but they turned it down.

We're an american band (Grandfunk railroad)

We're an American Band" (from the album of the same name) became Grand Funk Railroad's first #1 single^[1] on 29 September 1973, Mark Farner's 25th birthday. Written by Don Brewer and produced by Todd Rundgren, its huge chart success broadened Grand Funk's appeal. It was sung by Brewer rather than Farner, who usually took lead vocals.

It is the 99th song on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. Brewer's lyrics are somewhat autobiographical, detailing the band's recent tour and their energetic live performances. In the song, the band mentions traveling through Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as stopping to party with four groupies that sneak into their hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. The lyrics also mention "sweet sweet Connie", which is a reference to legendary groupie Connie Hamzy.

According to rock critic/writer Dave Marsh in his book, The Heart of Rock and Soul, Grand Funk was touring with the British group Humble Pie in early 1973. After one performance, the two groups were drinking in a bar when they began arguing over the merits of British versus American rock. Grand Funk drummer Don Brewer stood up and after bragging about American rock heroes such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley, proudly announced, "We're an American band!". Thus inspired, he wrote the song the next morning; by late 1973, it was the top-selling song in the world . A video was also made, showing the band playing the song as well as engaging in activities such as basketball, dirtbike riding, and watersports.

The original single was released on gold transparent vinyl.

Beginnings (Chicago).

"Beginnings" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the rock band Chicago and recorded for their debut album The Chicago Transit Authority, released in 1969. Lamm also provided lead vocals. The song was the band's second single (after Questions 67 and 68), but failed to chart on its initial release.

After the band's success with subsequent singles, "Beginnings" was re-released in June 1971, backed with "Colour My World". Both sides became U.S. radio hits, and the combined single climbed to number seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Beginnings" reached number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart.^[1]

The distinctive acoustic guitar was originally played by Chicago's guitarist Terry Kath. In concert, Lamm has played guitar for the song, though he is primarily known as the group's keyboard player.

The uncut album version clocked in at 7:54. The original single version was cut to just under three minutes, leaving only a fraction of the climactic second half. A later edit of just over six minutes for subsequent compilation albums restores much of the second half. One notable exception is the compilation The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997, which features the original full-length version of the tune

And when I die (Blood Sweat & tears)

"And When I Die" is a song written by American singer Laura Nyro. It was first recorded by American folk group Peter, Paul and Mary in 1966. Nyro then recorded it on her 1967 debut album More Than a New Discovery. However, the song is probably best known for its third version by American rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears, which reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and became a Gold record. The song gives a positive outlook about death, stating, in the chorus, "And when I die/and when I'm gone/there'll be one child born and a world/to carry on/to carry on. "And When I Die" was one of the first songs recorded by Nyro, when she was 17 years old.^[2] She then sold the song to folk group Peter, Paul and Mary for $5000,^[3] who then recorded the song for their sixth studio album The Peter, Paul and Mary Album.

The song was later recorded by American rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears for their self-titled second album and was eventually released as the third single from the album, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100; the album's previous two singles had also stalled at #2 on the Hot 100. The Blood, Sweat & Tears version exists in the album version, which features two instrumental portions, one featuring a player piano, and the other featuring horns and a clipped clopping sound, like a western cowboy song. Also, the pauses between the choruses and the other two verses are slightly longer, while the single version omits the two instrumental portions as well as the two pauses. The song begins with a harmonica solo, before the first verse comes in. The harmonica accompanies the other two verses

The End (sequence from Beatles Abbey Road)

"The End" is a song by the Beatles composed by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) for the album Abbey Road. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles,^[2] and is the final song of the medley that comprises the majority of side two of the album. McCartney said, "I wanted [the medley] to end with a little meaningful couplet, so I followed the Bard and wrote a couplet."^[3] In his 1980 interview with Playboy, John Lennon acknowledged McCartney's authorship by saying, "That's Paul again ... He had a line in it, 'And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give,' which is a very cosmic, philosophical line. Which again proves that if he wants to, he can think."^[4] Lennon misquoted the line; the actual words are, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."^[5]The closing lyrics of "The End" .recording began on 23 July 1969, when the Beatles recorded a one-minute, thirty-second master take that was extended via overdubs to two minutes and five seconds. At this point, the song was called "Ending."^[6] The first vocals for the song were added on 5 August, additional vocals and guitar overdubs were added on 7 August, and bass and drums on 8 August, the day the Abbey Road cover picture was taken.^[7] Orchestral overdubs were added 15 August, and the closing piano and accompanying vocal on 18 August

You can't always get what you want (Rolling Stones).

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in its 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was recorded on 16 and 17 November 1968 at Olympic Sound Studios in London. It features theLondon Bach Choir opening the song [the choir opening is only on the album version], highlighting throughout, and bringing it to its conclusion.Jimmy Miller, the 'Stones' producer at the time, plays drums on this song instead of Charlie Watts. Al Kooper plays piano and organ, as well as the French horn intro, while Rocky Dijon plays congas and maracas.^{[citation needed]}

Of the song, Jagger said: "'You Can't Always Get What You Want' was something I just played on the acoustic guitar—one of those bedroom songs. It proved to be quite difficult to record because Charlie couldn't play the groove and so Jimmy Miller had to play the drums. I'd also had this idea of having a choir, probably a gospel choir, on the track, but there wasn't one around at that point. Jack Nitzsche, or somebody, said that we could get the London Bach Choir and we said, 'That will be a laugh.'"^[1]

In his review of the song, Richie Unterberger of Allmusic said: "If you buy John Lennon's observation that the Rolling Stones were apt to copy the Beatles' innovations within a few months or so, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' is the Rolling Stones' counterpart to 'Hey Jude'."^[2] Jagger said in 1969, "I liked the way the Beatles did that with 'Hey Jude'. The orchestra was not just to cover everything up—it was something extra. We may do something like that on the next album

What's going on (Marvin Gaye 1971)

What's Going On" is a song by American recording artist Marvin Gaye, released in 1971 on the Motown subsidiary Tamla. Originally inspired by a police brutality incident witnessed by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, the song was composed by Benson, Al Cleveland and Gaye and produced by Gaye himself. The song, which focused on major seventh and minor seventh chords,^[2] and was oriented in sounds by jazz, gospel and classical music orchestration, was mainly viewed as a meditation on the troubles and problems of the world, proving to be a timely and relatable release, and marked Gaye's departure from the Motown Sound towards more personal material. Later topping the Hot Soul Singles chart for five weeks and crossing over to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, it would sell over two million copies, becoming Gaye's second-most successful Motown song to date.^[3]

The song's inspiration came from Renaldo "Obie" Benson, a member of the Motown vocal group the Four Tops, after he and the group's tour bus arrived at Berkeley on May 15, 1969.^[8] While there, Benson witnessed police brutality and violence in the city's People's Park during aprotest held by anti-war activists in what was hailed later as "Bloody Thursday".^[8] Upset by the situation, Benson said to author Ben Edmonds that as he saw this, he asked, "'What is happening here?' One question led to another. Why are they sending kids so far away from their families overseas? Why are they attacking their own children in the streets?"^[8][2]

Upset, he discussed what he witnessed to friend and songwriter Al Cleveland, who in turn wrote and composed a song to reflect Benson's concerns. Benson wanted to give the song to his group but the other Four Tops turned down the request.^[8] "My partners told me it was a protest song", Benson said later, "I said 'no man, it's a love song, about love and understanding. I'm not protesting, I want to know what's going on.'"^[8] In 1970, Benson presented the untitled song to Marvin Gaye, who added a new melody and revised the song to his liking, adding in his own lyrics. Benson later said Gaye tweaked and enriched the song, "added some things that were more ghetto, more natural, which made it seem like a story than a song... we measured him for the suit and he tailored the hell out of it."^[9] Gaye titled it "What's Going On". When Gaye initially thought the song's moody feel would be appropriate to be recorded by The Originals, Benson convinced Gaye to record it as his own song.

Gaye, himself, had been inspired by social ills committed in the United States, citing the 1965 Watts riots as a turning point in his life in which he asked himself, "'With the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?'"^[10] Gaye was also influenced by emotional conversations shared between him and his brother Frankie, who had returned from three years of service at the Vietnam War and his namesake cousin's death while serving troops.^[10] During phone conversations with Berry Gordy, who was vacationing in the Bahamas at the time, Gaye had told Gordy that he wanted to record a protest record, to which Gordy said in response, "Marvin, don't be ridiculous. That's taking things too far

Go all the way (The Raspberries)

"Go All the Way" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in July 1972 written by band leader Eric Carmen. The song reached the Top 5 on three principal U.S. charts, #5 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[2] #4 on Cashbox^[3] and #3 on Record World. The tune sold more than 1.3 million copies and earned the band their first Gold Record Award. It was their second single release, their all-time biggest U.S. hit, and appeared on their debut LP,Raspberries.

Because of its sexually suggestive lyrics, considered risqué for the day, the song was banned by the BBC.^[4][5]

The repeat of the words "come on", in the bridge or middle section, is loosely based on the "come on"s that The Beatles did in "Please Please Me" (another sexually suggestive song).

The tune ranked at #33 on Billboard '​s Top 100 Singles of 1972 year-end list (#39 on Cashbox '​s year-end best-sellers countdown). In 1989, Spinmagazine named "Go All the Way" in its list of the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time", ranking it at #91.^[6] "Go All the Way" appeared in Blendermagazine's July 2006 issue as one of its "Greatest Songs Ever"."Go All the Way" has been featured in three movies. Director Cameron Crowe, a Raspberries fan, used the song in his 2000 film Almost Famous. Matthew Sweet and Bangles member Susanna Hoffs included a faithful rendition of the song in their 2009 collaboration Under the Covers, Vol. 2. The Killers recorded a cover of the song for the 2012 film Dark Shadows, an adaptation of the 1966–1971 TV series Dark Shadows.^[7][8] The song briefly appears in the 2014 Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy. The Raspberries were an American power pop/pop rock band formed in 1970 from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early1970s music scene with their pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies."^[3] The members were known for their clean-cut public image, with short-hair and matching suits, which brought them teenybopperattention as well as scorn from some mainstream media outlets as "uncool".^[4] The group drew influence from the British Invasion era—especially The Beatles, The Who, The Hollies, and Small Faces—and its mod sensibility.^[3] In both the U.S. and the UK, the Raspberries helped pioneer the power pop music style that took off after the group disbanded.^[5] They also have a following among professional musicians such asJack Bruce, Ringo Starr,^[6] and Courtney Love.^[7].The group's "classic" lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (vocalist/guitarist/bassist), Wally Bryson (guitarist), Jim Bonfanti (drummer), and Dave Smalley (guitarist/bassist). Their best known songs include "Go All the Way", "Let's Pretend", "I Wanna Be with You", "Tonight", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)".^[3] Producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for all four of the Raspberries' albums in the 1970s. The group broke up in 1975 after a five-year run, and Eric Carmen proceeded to a successful career as a solo artist. Bryson and Smalley resurrected the group's name in 1999 for an album,^[3] which included singer/songwriter Scott McCarl working as the vocalist.^[8] In 2004 the original four-man lineup reunited and undertook a well-received reunion tour in 2005

Bad bad Leroy Brown (Jim Croce)

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is a song written by American folk rock singer Jim Croce. Released as part of his 1973 album Life and Times, the song was a Number One pop hit for him, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1973. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1973.^[1]

Croce was nominated for two 1973 Grammy awards in the Pop Male Vocalist and Record of the Year categories for "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".^[2] It was his last number-one single before his death on September 20. James Joseph "Jim" Croce (/ˈkroʊtʃi/; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American folk and popular rock singer of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles. His singles "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle" both reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Love's Theme (unlimited Love Orchestra)

"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece recorded by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973 as an A-Side single. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, which it did in early 1974. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1974.^[1] The piece was included on two albums: 1973's Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited (by the vocal group Love Unlimited) and 1974's Rhapsody in White by Love Unlimited Orchestra

Me and my Bobby Mcgee (Janis Joplin).

Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller. Others performed the song later, including the Grateful Dead, Kristofferson himself,^[1] and Janis Joplin who topped the U.S. singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second posthumous number-one single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Billboard ranked Joplin's version as the No. 11 song for 1971The song is essentially a road story about two drifters, the narrator and his girlfriend Bobby McGee (boyfriend in Joplin's version). The narrator speaks of travelling as vagrants, and hitching a ride on a diesel truck. They sing with the driver while travelling through the American south. The couple eventually travels to California, growing more intimate with each other and helping each other through the hardships of life.

However, Bobby gets tired of life on the road and decides to settle down "up near Salinas". She parts ways with the narrator who continues travelling. The song ends with the narrator regretting leaving Bobby, as he would "trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday"

Blue Collar Jane (The Strypes).

The Strypes are a four-piece rock band from Cavan, Ireland, formed in 2011 consisting of Ross Farrelly (lead vocals/harmonica), Josh McClorey (lead guitar/vocals), Peter O'Hanlon (bass guitar/harmonica) and Evan Walsh (drums). The band played the local scene with various members switching parts as they searched for their sound. They draw inspiration from 60's blues boom and 70's pub rock bands such as Dr. Feelgood, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Lew Lewis and Rockpile as well as the original bluesmen and rock 'n' roll artists such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter, among others. The band members' current ages are 18 to 20 years.

Space Oddity (David Bowie)

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known as David Bowie (/ˈboʊ.i/),^[1] was an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, painter, and actor. Bowie was a figure in popular music for over four decades, and was known as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His androgynous appearance was an iconic element of his image, principally in the 1970s and 1980s.^[2][3]

Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an early interest in music although his attempts to succeed as a pop star during much of the 1960s were frustrated. Bowie's first hit song, "Space Oddity", reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a three-year period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single "Starman" and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie's impact at that time, as described by biographer David Buckley, "challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day" and "created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture".^[4] The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona proved to be one facet of a career marked by reinvention, musical innovation and visual presentation.

In "Space Oddity", from the album David Bowie (1969, later retitled Space Oddity), Major Tom's departure from Earth is successful and everything goes according to plan. At a certain point during the travel ('past one hundred thousand miles'), he thinks that "my spaceship knows which way to go" and proceeds to say "Tell my wife I love her very much." Control then informs him, "Ground Control to Major Tom: your circuit's dead, there's something wrong" and attempts to reestablish contact with Major Tom. Tom's final words in the song (possibly not heard by Ground Control) are: "Here... am I floating in my tin can, far above the Moon. Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do.