Extremely limited release of 3,000 available July 11th
British designer Paul Smith has created a multi-color vinyl version of David Bowie’s 1969 album Space Oddity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark release. This extremely limited edition pressing of 3,000 copies will be released on July 11th, 50 years to the day from the July 11th, 1969 UK release of the original “Space Oddity” single.
The front cover of this special edition features the original 1969 UK Philips release of the album. It features the British photographer Vernon Dewhurst’s famous portrait of David Bowie, merging into a colorful optical art background of blue dots inspired by the work of Victor Vasarely. The rear cover is decorated with a surrealist image from another of Bowie’s regular collaborators, the illustrator George Underwood, titled “The Depth of a Circle.”
In reference to the album’s famous opening track, “Space Oddity,” the new 12” record comes with a vibrant blue and yellow starburst pattern. This unique design is created by hand, making each vinyl a one-off piece of art.
To accompany the release, a small-scale exhibition of limited edition photographic prints by Vernon Dewhurst and Ray Stevenson offers the opportunity to see some intimate portraits of Bowie at a crucial point in his career. These prints will be on show at Paul Smith’s shop in London’s Mayfair at No. 9 Albemarle Street from July 11th to August 6th.
The new release is the latest chapter in an on-going partnership between Paul Smith and David Bowie, which has continued after the artist’s sad passing in 2016. Friends for many years, Bowie and Smith collaborated on projects including creating a special red vinyl version of David Bowie’s The Next Day album in 2013 and a series of special edition T-shirts for Bowie’s final album, ★ (Blackstar) in 2016.
Only 3,000 copies of this limited edition release will be produced worldwide. They are £25 and available from select Paul Smith shops and online from July 11th.
