Sonic Editions

David Bowie, Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack, The Thin White Duke. The late, great David Jones was the man behind a rich treasure trove of musical alter egos and personas.

Having unsuccessfully attempted pop stardom under variations of his real name, David Bowie released his eponymous debut album in 1967, but only hit the charts two years with the single Space Oddity, later followed shortly by an album of the same name. Although elements of this style were evident on The Man Who Sold The World and Hunky Dory, it got turned up to warp speed for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972. Ziggy spawned a film and crystallised the overblown, androgynous flamboyance with which Bowie would forever be associated, even though he later flirted with minimalism (and certain substances) in Berlin. Whether he was flying solo or engaging in one of his many collaborations (he worked with Robert Fripp and Brian Eno on Heroes, and with Queen on Under Pressure), his is an instantly recognisable voice. Changes, The Jean Genie, Heroes, Let’s Dance, and a whole load of other top pop tunes couldn’t belong to anyone else but Bowie. In 2016, he offered us the stunning Blackstar, his ultimate masterpiece and latest album, an enigmatic, grandiose musical farewell to the world. He died a few days after the release. His legacy will never die, as he inspired and left behind him a generation that would have been a lot different without him.