Actors - Ashes to Ashes

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	Actors - Ashes to Ashes

"Ashes to Ashes" is a #1 single by David Bowie. Released in 1980, it was the first cut from the Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
album, also a #1 hit in the UK. It is particularly noted for its innovative video, directed by David Mallet and Bowie himself.

Melancholy and introspective, "Ashes to Ashes" featured Bowie’s reinterpretation of "a guy that’s been in such an early song", namely Major Tom from his first big hit in 1969, "Space Oddity". Described as "containing more messages per minute" than any single released in 1980 , the song also included plaintive reflections on Bowie’s moral and artistic journey:

:I’ve never done good things :I’ve never done bad things :I never did anything out of the blue

Instead of a hippy astronaut who casually slips the bonds of a crass and material world to journey beyond the stars, Bowie now saw Major Tom as a "junkie, strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low". The last line was interpreted by some as a play on the title of Bowie’s 1977 album Low
, which charted his withdrawal inwards following his drug excesses in America a short time before, again a reversal of Major Tom’s original withdrawal 'outwards' or towards space.

Musically "Ashes to Ashes" was notable for its delicate synthetic string sound, counterpointed by hard-edged funk bass, and its complex vocal layering. Perhaps Bowie's most sophisticated sonic work to date, its choir-like textures were created by Chuck Hammer with four multi-tracked guitar synthesizers, each playing opposing chord inversions. This was underpinned by Bowie's dead-pan, chanted background voices.

Video

The video clip was one of the most iconic of the 1980s, full of scenes both in solarised colour (helped by an innovative Quantel Paintbox technique) and in stark black-and-white, featuring Bowie in gaudy pierrot costume. Also appearing were Steve Strange and other members of the London Blitz scene, forerunners of (later participants in) the New Romantic movement that was so heavily influenced by Bowie’s music and image. Shots of the singer in a space suit - that very much suggested a life-support system - and others showing him locked in what appeared to be a padded room, clearly referenced both Major Tom and Bowie’s new, rueful interpretation of him - and perhaps also of the younger Bowie who conceived him.

Another take on the song

It has been discussed on Bowienet that the story behind the song "Ashes to Ashes" is one of swearing off the song Space Oddity. The line "My mother said to get things done you better not mess with Major Tom" alludes to how he has overplayed the song and if he's going to make artistic advancements then he will have to drop the song. Also the line "Time and again I tell myself, I'll stay clean tonight, But the little green wheels are following me" may refereance to him telling himself the he will stop playing it but has become a slave of the song and it's audience. This coincides with the drug addiction theme as well saying that he has become a slave of the song just as he has become a slave to his drugs. And with that he says, "Now I'm happy, hope you’re happy too". It was around this time that the song was dropped from frequent playing and not picked up until the Sound and Vision Tour. Though the song hasn’t been played since Bowie's 50th Birthday Concert at Madison Square Garden and that in itself was a rare event. There is disagreement among many on how valid the interpretation is, however this is only one of the many takes on the song that have been discussed.

Track listing

# "Ashes to Ashes" (Bowie) – 3:34 # "Move On" (Bowie) – 3:16

The US release of the single had "It's No Game (Part 1)" as the B-side, while the B-side of the German release was "Alabama Song".

Production credits

Producers:
* Tony Visconti
* David Bowie

Musicians:
* David Bowie
: Vocals, Guitar
* Chuck Hammer: Roland GR500 Guitar Synth
* Carlos Alomar: Guitar
* Simon House: Violin
* Roy Bittan: Piano
* George Murray: Bass
* Dennis Davis
: Drums

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Ashes to Ashes (song) ]

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