Album will be available in two new vinyl configurations
April 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane. On April 14th, one week before its Golden Jubilee, the album will be issued as a limited edition 50th anniversary half-speed mastered LP and a picture disc LP pressed from the same master.
The title track and songs such as “Lady Grinning Soul” and “Time” marked a significant musical progression from its predecessor, adding brass, woodwind, soulful backing vocals and the distinctive piano playing of Mike Garson.
The album was preceded by two singles, “The Jean Genie” and “Drive-In Saturday,” peaking in the UK singles chart at No. 2 and 3, respectively, and was the first time he topped the UK album charts. It also marked his debut on the US charts reaching the top 20 album chart there, where an edited version of “Time” was released as a single.
The cover artwork has become one of the most famous sleeves of all time and was rumored to be the most expensive produced up to that point. The cover photograph was taken by Brian Duffy, who would also shoot the sleeves for 1979’s Lodger and 1980’s Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), and features Bowie with the iconic red and blue lightning bolt make-up, an image which has now entered the planet’s cultural lexicon.
This new pressing of Aladdin Sane was cut on a customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe with fully recapped electronics from 192kHz restored masters of the original master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The half-speed was cut by John Webber at AIR Studios.
Bowie described Aladdin Sane as “Ziggy Goes To Washington: Ziggy under the influence of America.” The album was to be Ziggy Stardust’s last stand, and the persona was laid to rest three months after the album’s release in July 1973 at the infamous final show with the Spiders From Mars at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.
Last year saw the release of Moonage Daydream, the acclaimed David Bowie documentary directed by Brett Morgen, which was named the biggest-grossing documentary of 2022 in any category, according to BoxOfficeMojo. The film has already grossed more than $12.2 million at the box office, just over eight times the box office gross of the No. 2 documentary, 2000 Mules.
Acclaimed filmmaker Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Cobain: Montage of Heck, Jane) synthesized Bowie’s music and art into a sublime kaleidoscopic experiential cinematic odyssey that explores Bowie’s creative, spiritual, and philosophical journey. With never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, the film is guided exclusively by Bowie’s narration with long-time collaborator and friend Tony Visconti serving as the film’s music producer.
