Oh you pretty things peter noone biography

song by means of David Bowie

"Oh! You Pretty Things" is a song by say publicly English singer-songwriter David Bowie wean away from his album Hunky Dory. Preparation was the first song type wrote for the album. Pioneer recorded the song as regular demo before giving it lowly singer Peter Noone, lead soloist of Herman's Hermits, who unequivocal to release it as crown debut solo single.

Featuring Pioneer on piano, Noone's recording was produced by Mickie Most extract featured structural and lyrical differences from Bowie's later version. Loose by RAK Records in Apr under the title "Oh Spiky Pretty Thing", the single bizarre at number 12 in decency UK, becoming Bowie's biggest good as a songwriter since own single "Space Oddity" yoke years earlier.

Bowie recorded crown own version at Trident Studios in London during the session for Hunky Dory between June and July Co-produced by Pioneer and Ken Scott, it featured the musicians who would ulterior become known as the Spiders from Mars: guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and baron Mick Woodmansey.

Bowie played softness, although Rick Wakeman, who awkward piano on the rest bad deal the album, contended in drift he contributed. Similar to pristine tracks on the album, rendering themes of "Oh! You Cute Things" are dark, reflecting probity of the occultist Aleister Crowley and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, to the fullest extent a finally making literary references to President C.

Clarke's novel Childhood's End and Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel The Coming Race.

"Oh! You Comely Things" is considered by melody critics one of the gain the advantage over songs on Hunky Dory endure by some publications as figure out of Bowie's best songs. Pioneer performed the track multiple historical for BBC radio programmes in the middle of and and once on magnanimity Ziggy Stardust Tour in Bowie's version has appeared on copious compilation albums, while Noone's was included on a compilation styled after the track.

Other blankets have been recorded by Seu Jorge and Au Revoir Simone.

Background and writing

Upon completing a- promotional tour of America confine early , David Bowie shared to his home at Haddon Hall in Beckenham, London. Afterwards Tony Visconti moved out believe Haddon,^[a] Bowie acquired a softness for the building, which closure used to write songs.

Insides was a first for Pioneer, who previously composed songs largely on acoustic guitar. In finalize, he composed over three-dozen songs at Haddon, many of which would appear on his get the gist album Hunky Dory and sheltered follow-up The Rise and Come down of Ziggy Stardust and leadership Spiders from Mars.

The first express Bowie wrote for Hunky Dory was "Oh!

You Pretty Things".

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The song came to him in the ill-timed hours of a morning family unit January He recalled: "I couldn't sleep&#; this song was stick up 'round in my head. Hysterical had to get out delightful bed and just play it&#; so that I could hone back to sleep again."^[b] Proscribed requested studio time from cap music publisher Chrysalis, whose mate Bob Grace booked time unexpected defeat London's Radio Luxembourg Studios dressingdown record a demo.

Bowie authentic the demo sometime between Feb and March Paul Trynka states that it featured him abode solo piano, his only aid being "the jangling of description bracelets he was wearing". According to biographer Marc Spitz, Bowie's demos of "Oh! You Nice Things" and other Hunky Dory tracks "Life on Mars?" famous "Andy Warhol" inspired Bowie's modern manager, Tony Defries, to longlasting into securing a new make a notation of contract for Bowie, eventually signal him with RCA Records.

After put on tape its demo, Bowie gave birth tape to Grace, who showed it to producer Mickie About, the most well-known independent maker in the UK at leadership time.

He chose Most permission to his popularity, having recuperate from numerous hits for bands specified as the Animals and Herman's Hermits, telling Record Collector monthly years later: "The most unfailing way of getting a avoid in those days was hypothesize you got Mickie Most provision produce your song." Most end result the song and contacted Herman's Hermits' singer Peter Noone, who believed the song would assign Noone's first solo hit.

Noone recalled, "[Most] only played decency intro and I said, 'That's it, it's perfect!'"

Peter Noone's version

Noone's version of "Oh! You Nice-looking Things", titled "Oh You Appealing Thing",^[c] was recorded at London's Kingsway Studios on 26 Hike With Most producing, the roster consisted of Noone on directive vocals, Bowie on piano obtain backing vocals, session player Clem Cattini on drums and Herbie Flowers on bass; Flowers difficult previously worked with Bowie construct his self-titled album.

According make somebody's acquaintance Noone, Bowie struggled with nobleness piano part: "David had pitiless trouble playing it through fully, so we recorded it overfull three sections, something Mickie Height helped arrange." Most also handmedown acoustic guitar on the recording; according to biographer Chris O'Leary, this was "to help probity chord changes fall easier rolling the ear".

He also states that Noone's version is "bookended by refrains". Trynka states rove it features a "lumpy, rambler arrangement" that "failed to hamper" the song's melody. To steer clear of being banned from radio position, the line "the Earth deterioration a bitch" was changed look at "the Earth is a beast".NME editors Roy Carr and River Shaar Murray opined the dispose of to be "one of seesaw and roll's most outstanding examples of a singer failing confine achieve any degree of pity whatsoever with the mood allow content of a lyric."

Released beginning April by RAK Records, Noone's version of "Oh!

You Lovely Things" was a commercial come off, peaking at number 12 develop the UK Singles Chart breach May and at number be next to Australia.^[18] In addition to exploit Bowie's biggest success since "Space Oddity" two years earlier, inadequate was the first time virtually listeners had heard of Pioneer since then.^[19] Noone told NME at the time: "My belief is that David Bowie assessment the best writer in Kingdom at the moment&#; certainly significance best since [John] Lennon innermost [Paul] McCartney&#; David Bowie has more than enough talent go on a trip write hit songs&#; for cogent about any kind of singer." Bowie commented: "I don't remember if Peter knows what [the song] means.

It's all beget Homo Superior. Herman goes heavy." He would perform the melody with Noone on Britain's Top of the Pops on 9 June

Recording

Work on Hunky Dory officially began at Trident Studios in London on 8 June and concluded on 6 Honoured. Bowie's own version of "Oh! You Pretty Things" was documented sometime between 21 June nearby late July, according to O'Leary.

Kevin Cann writes that nobility song had been recorded insensitive to 26 July, as the complete track appeared on a promotional album compiled for Gem Productions.

Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Adventurer, it was recorded with nobleness musicians who would later transform into known as the Spiders be different Mars: guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey; according to O'Leary, Ronson's only contributions was a imagined arrangement and backing vocals.

Noteworthy also states that Bowie diseased piano on the track sidestep without Rick Wakeman, who hurt piano on the rest staff the album. However, Wakeman at issue in a BBC interview go off at a tangent Bowie played piano in integrity beginning section before he took over for the rest exclude the track.^[25][26]

Composition

Lyrics

The lyrics of "Oh!

You Pretty Things" concern loftiness establishment of a master approve of that will take over rectitude world. Bowie had explored unembellished similar premise in the ambit "We Are Hungry Men". Comparable other tracks on Hunky Dory, particularly "Quicksand", the themes look upon "Oh! You Pretty Things" flake dark, reflecting ideals of righteousness occultist Aleister Crowley and fillet Golden Dawn, and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and his theory incline Übermensch, or "Superman".^[32] Other songs Bowie had written during that period, including "The Supermen" shun The Man Who Sold blue blood the gentry World, reflect Nietzsche's theory perceive Übermensch.

There is a "strong hint" of Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel Childhood's End and a direct reference be adjacent to Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel The Be in no doubt Race. Perone writes that distinction "pretty things" are not gender-specific, leading to possible homosexual interpretations.

In a January interview with Melody Maker Bowie explains that "we have created a new generous of person in a passageway.

We have created a little one who will be so friendly to the media that explicit will be lost to tiara parents by age 12". Earth adds "all the things incredulity can't do they will". Be next to Bowie said "a lot flaxen the songs do in act deal with song kind disruption schizophrenia, or alternating id crunchs, and 'Pretty Things' is collective of them.

Remarking on class 'crack in the sky' character in the song Bowie aforementioned "According to Jung, to scrutinize cracks in the sky attempt not, is not really from a to z on. And I did, jagged know, the sky for out of this world representing something solid that could be cracked and I tranquil had a dome over significance world which again I small piece out was just my stream repressions".^[35]

Carr and Murray state deviate the lyrics herald "the undecided obsolescence of the human in order in favour of an coalition between arriving aliens and honesty youth of the present society." O'Leary states that the declare contains "more acceptance than dread", with a blunt note creature "the earth is a bitch".

He comments on Bowie's uncaring delivery of the line "all the nightmares came today Height And it looks as albeit they're here to stay", which he compares to Black Sabbath. In his analysis, the concert praises the children that testament choice replace us, but because they will suffer the same destiny as us, there's no explanation to fear the upcoming apocalypse.

Pegg cites Biff Rose's sticky tag "Mama's Boy" from his The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side as a likely inspiration, stating that the lyric "But description kids are growing up importation fine as can be Chronicle Members of a new society" "prefigures" the lyric for "Oh! You Pretty Things"; Bowie iced up another song from that autograph album, "Fill Your Heart", for Hunky Dory.

The darker themes fix up with provision a contrast to the theme itself.

Music

Musically, the song has antique characterised as pop.^[39] The consider contains a descending diatonic important progression that Bowie would plug for fellow album track "Changes" and later "All the Teenaged Dudes".

It opens on pianissimo in the key of Monarch major. Its time signature piece by piece in 2/4, before using natty waltz bar (3/4) to trade to 4/4 common time. Decency simple piano style has back number compared with the Beatles' aim "Martha My Dear". The outlet lyrics concern a man wakeful someone up for breakfast beget the middle of what O'Leary describes as a "fresh, apocalyptical morning".

Here, it transitions move of G major using B7 and D chords. In prestige first verse, Bowie uses surprising shifts in tonality, from belongings one note on the sticky tag "wake up you sleepyhead" get into the swing ranging across intervals: lowering dub "put another log on righteousness fire for me" (which goes from G to B) nearby rising on "and it air as though they're here infer stay".

He hits an operatic high C on "Homo Superior". This line is the affect for the name of wonderful group of young telepaths baptized the Homo Superior in Roger Price's The Tomorrow People. Estimate was a fan of Pioneer and even interviewed him avow one occasion.

Bowie compared the song's bassline in the refrain progress to the works of Paul Songwriter.

Doggett describes Bowie's vocal suit as "quite unadorned, presented and starkly&#; that it [is] seemingly unsettling". It ends the employ way it began: on softness. The album's following track, "Eight Line Poem", was designed be sound like a "continuation" promote "Oh! You Pretty Things".

Release person in charge reception

RCA Records released Hunky Dory on 17 December ,^[41] region "Oh!

You Pretty Things" sequenced as the second track compassion side one of the inspired LP, between "Changes" and "Eight Line Poem". Cann argues stroll the song's placement on Hunky Dory displayed Bowie's growing stage as a songwriter. Although "Changes" was released as the control single from the album, manifold commentators argued that "Oh!

Order about Pretty Things" was the denote choice.^[45] In a contemporary dialogue, Billboard named it as make sure of of the strongest songs tell the album.^[46] Retrospectively, Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock as well called it one of depiction best songs on the medium, citing it as an specimen of showcasing Bowie's growth introduction a songwriter and proving dirt would become an unpredictable artist.^[41] Ned Raggett of AllMusic besides considers it one of position best songs on the book and one of his chief efforts in general.^[47] Some reviewers have called it a tribade anthem.^[48][49]

"Oh!

You Pretty Things" has been ranked by some publications as one of Bowie's outshine songs. In , Uncut organ ranked it number 19 coop up a list of Bowie's 30 best songs.^[39] In , Mojo magazine considered it Bowie's Ordinal greatest song.^[50] Meanwhile, while distinction staff of NME placed lead at number ten in a-ok list of Bowie's 40 unqualified songs in ^[51] Two time eon later, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian voted it number amusing in his list of Bowie's 50 greatest songs, describing thunderous as one of Bowie's percentage uses of an apocalyptic section up to that point arena concluding: "[It is] a tune that sets an incredibly coarse message to a melody inexpressive lovely it could be below the surface by the lead singer accomplish Herman's Hermits."^[52]

Live versions

Bowie recorded "Oh!

You Pretty Things" three time for BBC radio programmes: debase 3 June and 21 Sep , and 22 May supporter In Concert: John Peel, Sounds of the 70s: Bob Harris, and The Johnnie Walker Breakfast time Show, respectively. The 3 June performance was cut from leadership show before broadcast and equitable now lost.

The September disc, a duo performance between Pioneer and Ronson, was released create the Japanese edition of goodness release Bowie at the Beeb and on the vinyl style of that album, while blue blood the gentry May performance was released defence the standard edition of Bowie at the Beeb.

A live narration recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 3 July during the Ziggy Stardust Take shape was released on the publication Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture in ^[54] It was unmixed as a medley with "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" endure "All the Young Dudes".

Bear was also recorded on 8 February for the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, even though the performance was not televise until over ten years closest. This performance is available clutch the Best of Bowie DVD. An outtake from the selfsame session, in which Bowie stumbles over the lines and gets them wrong on several occasions, is hidden among easter egg on the same DVD.

Covers bear subsequent releases

"Oh!

You Pretty Things" has appeared on numerous development albums, including Changestwobowie (),^[56]The Singles Collection (),^[57]The Best of King Bowie / (),^[58]Best of Bowie (),^[59]The Platinum Collection (),^[60]Nothing Has Changed (),^[61] and Legacy (The Very Best of David Bowie) ().^[62][63][64] In , the ventilate, along with its parent tome, was remastered for the Five Years (–)box set.^[65][66] It was released in CD, vinyl, enjoin digital formats.^[67] Noone's version besides appeared on the compilation Oh!

You Pretty Things, named afterward the track.^[68]

Brazilian singer Seu Jorge recorded a Portuguese version fall foul of "Oh! You Pretty Things!" optimism the film The Life Seagoing with Steve Zissou, while Administrative centre Revoir Simone recorded it backer the tribute compilation Life Away from Mars.

Personnel

According to biographer Chris O'Leary:

Production

Charts

Certifications

Notes

References

Sources

External links