The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie – What’s On The Table
Ziggy Stardust, the Starman …
We were so excited to talk about a David Bowie album for this new “What’s On The Table” episode!
We chose “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” … or short “Ziggy Stardust”.
It’s the album that put David Bowie on the international map and includes “Starman” which we have covered back in 2019.
We are sharing some stories in this episode and are looking forward to hearing about your own connections to David Bowie and his music in the comments!
Thanks for watching and stay groovy,
Mona & Lisa
PS: There is a quite abrupt cut at the 2:30 minute mark because YouTube forced us to remove one of the songs for copyright reasons. The tune is called “Five Years” and we think it’s one of the most powerful tracks on the album so we recommend you to check it out if you’ve never heard it before. 🙂
The only Bowie album I own. I haven’t listened to it in a long time. I always loved this album, and as soon as I hear a few notes it all comes rushing back. Bowie was a genius, but I like your version of Starman even better. Great video. Lanzarote kinda looks like outer space anyway, like you said. Closing with the view of the Milky Way was a great idea.
Suffragette City still gets airplay around here – I think that would be the big hit if they were deciding now. A hard rock anthem for the ages,
I never got a chance to see him live, but I remember reading long ago that when he used to change characters every album and tour, that fans would show up wearing the last tour’s gear, not realizing he was going to be someone new.
Another great WOTT. I never fail to smile and laugh at these. Thanks.
David Bowie was my favourite singer when I was growing up, so great that you love him too!
You girls never cease to make me smile. My take on David is this. I used to watch a TV show in the 70s called The Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack on Friday nights at 11. It was a music variety show that had a few different musical acts each week. Of course I liked the Rock n Rollers like Kiss, Aerosmith etc. The first time I seen Bowie was on that show. It was during the Ziggy Stardust era and I just thought he was strange looking and kind of weird. I did grow to love his music and his free spirit. I think it’s part of the reason I’m so attracted to your music. It seems every song you come out with is something new and different and something I really wouldn’t expect. Like David’s Modern Love and Let’s Dance in the 80s. It may take me a few listens to “get it” but when I do it is so refreshing. A great feeling for sure. Thanks again for another educational video. Peace friends.
Round And Round would definitely not have fitted on the album. But no hits?! What about Suffragette City, or Hang On to Yourself?
That was really fun, thank you for this! I can imagine you would do a wonderful cover of Lady Stardust! I’d love to hear that!
Regarding the popularity of space themes at that time, you have to know that NASA was still sending regular manned missions to the Moon. It may seem like ancient history now, but at the time it was awesome!
David Bowie’s appearance on Top of the Pops to do Starman was as seismic as Jimi Hendrix’s appearance in 1967 (Hey Joe) and Queen’s first appearance (Seven Seas of Rye), when everybody just went “Whaaaat!’
This was the greatest rock star image ever created imo. David Bowie WAS Ziggy Stardust at this time, both on and off stage, to the point where he almost lost himself, and had to let it go – “Hang On To Yourself”! He really did look as though he was not of this earth.
Great choice again ! When this album came out it was the first time I heard about artist called David Bowie. I soon learned that he had made music before “Ziggy” but has´been able to come a really big name even he had had one big hit in 1969, “Space Oddity. This is really great which should be played – as the cover said – at maximum volume.
Ziggy was one very talented artist, but really wasn’t my cup of tea – I like your cover of Stardust better than the the original.
Your “What’s on the Table” sessions are great. Many/most of them are rock history classes for me. I’m looking forward to the next one.
UFOs, Ziggy, Starman, Blue Gorgonzola Cheese! What more could you wish for?
Another great What’s on the table! Thank you Mona and Lisa. To me? You both dig back to the great times of music, 60 and 70″s and I favor the early 70’s reason being I feel it was a spill over from the 60″s and a lot of people starting out or getting into their moment in time like David Bowie. Starman is a great cover and to be honest? I like it better than the original again for the same reason as I stated before, you both can take a song and stick to the essence of the song and not go to far away from the meaning and make it your own and breathe new life in to songs that I grew up listening to. Such a joy for me to re live some of the covers you both do. David Bowie was a great showman , music writer and performer and seen him back on the Diamond Dogs tour back in 1974 and it was awesome! Again thank you so much for this whats on the table and keep it coming we all love you in the Mona Lisa Club
Bill and Maddie Isenberg Huge Fans from Pittsburgh PA USA
Hi Mona, hi Lisa, I heard the original song “Starman” from David Bowie the first time. But I must honestly say that your version of this song I like the best! Have a nice and healthy advent time. Yours Frank N.
Hi Mona and Lisa, this feels like a great album! While I was not very familiar with this album, I do recognize “Ziggy Stardust”, great intro on the song, and like your expression even more Lisa! ????
I pulled up “Five Years” on youtube to have a listen, and I love that song! Wow, really chimes close to my heart. One of my best friends from highschool was diagnosed with Multiple Myloma about 4 years ago and prognosis for that disease is about 5 years. I talk to him almost weekly and he is still doing well, and ever since he got ill, I’ve never felt time so precious. In “Five Years”, the passion and emotion about only having 5 years left really made me tear up! ???? Wow, what a song can do. If you recall back in 2018 I ordered Orange vinyl for Glenn and you both graciously signed his name on it saying feel better. He still has that album and talked about it a little while ago! Wow, an unexpected emotional tangent.
I loved the transition from Bowie’s Starman to your cover here. I love that video and your version absolutely rocks out of this world! ???? Enjoyed seeing the little back story around it while you were in Lanzarote. That place does look like Mars indeed.
Thanks so much for this most wonderful and special WOTT! Really enjoyed it. ???? ???? ???? ❤ I think I will get this album, I really like it.
https://youtu.be/2ObjtVdsV3I
Thanks for sharing this album. I’m not up on all of Bowie’s earlier stuff but I do enjoy it. David had such a charming voice, one can’t help but listen. Space Oddity is my favorite Bowie song while Let’s Dance is my favorite Bowie album.
I will check out Ziggy. I do know a couple songs off of it, but I will listen to the album. Didn’t he do a cover of God Only Knows? Was it on the Blue Jean album?
It’s great how you both love learning the history of each album/artists that you are into. It is fun learning about how a song title came to be, or was initially disregarded. Or perhaps discovering an uncredited artist played on a track. These WOTT episodes are very informative.
You two are hilarious. The blue cheese bit reminded me of the Marathon video when out-of-breath Lisa is trying to speak and then looked down and exclaimed “Look at the pretty flowers”
Fun fact: Bowie sang on Comfortably Numb at one of David Gilmour’ s shows a few years ago. Here is a clip from the rehearsals. Watch Bowie suggest Gilmour is older than he looks. Then watch the performance. It’s pretty kool.
https://youtu.be/WOQhidUT7FQ
I think Bowie would like Janitor Joe.
JP
I’m getting so a can’t wait for these what’s on the table, you guys couldn’t get any cuter. You need MonaLisa Bobble heads in the store. That’s what you remind me of when your sitting on the couch getting into the music. Poor Lisa all concerned about everything getting drenched and “Mona looks worse”. Mona’s reply “It was great” lol. I lost it. Thanks for the smiles.
David Bowie has always been a favorite of mine, and my wife Lisa is an even bigger fan. There’s plenty of David Bowie in our house. We’ve been listening to a lot of his compilations on vinyl, but I never had this LP on vinyl, certainly a travesty that needs to be corrected.
Love the “What’s On the Table” videos! ????????????????
Tried to post my comment but kept getting a message saying “Nonce is invalid”. Found that somehow I got logged out. ??? ANYWAYS, You girls are such a joy to watch talk about things. Your laughs towards the end of the video made me smile so hard it hurt my face! David last played here in Poughkeepsie,N.Y. at a club called The Chance on August 19th 2003. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtTVnGPMIDU
Another great “What’s on the Table”! The two of you keep it real and I always enjoy your stories. “Ziggy Stardust” was one of my first (of many) Bowie albums. Your cover of “Starman” is fantastic and I’d love to hear more! I had the great honor of working with him on “Live by Request” back in the early 2000’s at Sony Studios in New York as a lighting technician. He was an incredible showman and a pleasure to work with. There will never be another.
I still have the album on vinyl and sometimes get on the couch with the headphones on, to listen to it, it is a great album, if i should name my absolute favourite Bowie song though, it would probably be Life On Mars
Saw him on his Glass Spider tour.
Though Bowie came out when I was in high school. I was more into Stones, Zeppelin, Steppenwolf type rock. But I do enjoy you two bantering like, well, sisters. And inviting us in makes it feel as if we are part of the “conversation.” I get a kick from your family vids too. Be humble and don’t stumble. Peace be.
https://youtu.be/ADbJLo4x-tk You would never think of Xmas, Bing Crosby and David Bowie. A great singer, song writer and Entertainer. I got to see him once. Great concert!!! Stay Groovy.
If anybody wants to hear this album it is available on Spotify. I’m no entertainment lawyer so it makes me scratch my head over these copyright issues, why one song wouldn’t be allowed but they don’t mind others being used?
Interesting. Never owned that one. Love “Starman” Love your version more than his original version. Cool song.
Hiya ladies, yes I bought this in 1972 when I was 15. I was into Led Zepplin and Purple but heard this played at school in the common room and got it from Woolworths on the way home. Fantastic artist and album, thank you for playing it on your channel, it brought back some great memories, not so much from school but friends at the time.
Stay groovy and safe, Steve xx…