Memory of a Free Festival

"Memory of a Free Festival"
Single by David Bowie
from the album David Bowie (aka Space Oddity)
A-side "Memory of a Free Festival Part 1"
B-side "Memory of a Free Festival Part 2"
Released 12 June 1970
Format 7" single
Recorded Trident Studios, London
8-9 September 1969 (album track)[1]
Trident Studios and Advision Studios, London
21, 23 March, 3, 14-15 April 1970 (single)[2]
Genre
Length 3:59 (Part 1)
3:31 (Part 2)
Label Mercury
6052 026
Writer(s) David Bowie
Producer(s) Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"The Prettiest Star"
(1970)
"Memory of a Free Festival"
(1970)
"Holy Holy"
(1971)
Space Oddity track listing
"God Knows I'm Good"
(9)
"Memory of a Free Festival"
(10)
Alternative cover

"Memory of a Free Festival" is a 1970 single by David Bowie. The song had originally been recorded in September 1969[1] as a seven-minute opus for Bowie's second self-titled album (reissued as Space Oddity in 1972). It was reworked in March-April 1970[2] at the behest of Mercury Records, the label believing that the track had a better chance of success as a single than "The Prettiest Star", released earlier in the year. Bowie and Tony Visconti roughly split the track in half, re-recording it so both halves could function as individual songs. A more rock-orientated version than the earlier album cut,[3] this rendition marked guitarist Mick Ronson's and drummer Mick Woodmansey's studio debut with Bowie's band, bringing together the line-up that would shortly record The Man Who Sold the World.

Biographer David Buckley described "Memory of a Free Festival" as "a sort of trippy retake of the Stones' 'Sympathy for the Devil' but with a smiley lyric".[4] The track was written as a homage to the Free Festival, organised by the Beckenham Arts Lab, which was held at Croydon Road Recreation Ground in Beckenham on 16 August 1969.[5]

Released in America in June 1970, it was commercially unsuccessful; only a few hundred copies sold. It was also issued in the UK, but was similarly unsuccessful.

Recording

David Bowie used a child's Rosedale Electric Chord Organ, obtained from Woolworths, on both LP and single versions of the song to give a "classic Ivor Cutler/harmonium feel".[6] Producer Tony Visconti recalled Bowie "always had a hard time playing the organ and singing part one of the song".[7]

The late reworking of the song also featured a Moog synthesizer played by classical music producer Ralph Mace and programmed by Chris Thomas. Mace would play the instrument again on the recording of The Man Who Sold the World.

Track listing

  1. "Memory of a Free Festival Part 1" (Bowie) – 3:59
  2. "Memory of a Free Festival Part 2" (Bowie) – 3:31

Personnel

Other versions

Cover versions

Notes

  1. 1 2 Kevin Cann (2010). Any Day Now - David Bowie: The London Years: 1947-1974: p.159
  2. 1 2 Kevin Cann (2010). Any Day Now - David Bowie: The London Years: 1947-1974: pp. 188, 189, 190
  3. Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p.33
  4. David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story: p.98
  5. The Free Festival which inspired the song: BowieWonderworld.com website. Retrieved on 22 September 2007.
  6. Kevin Cann (2009). Space Oddity 2009 reissue liner notes.
  7. Tony Visconti (2009). Tony Visconti: The Autobiography: Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy. HarperCollins UK. ISBN 978-0007229451

References

Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5

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