From the BBC.
A demo believed to be the first recording of David Bowie’s hit song Starman is being put up for auction.
The 1971 tape had been packed away in a box and “totally forgotten about” for almost 50 years.
Bowie can be heard on the demo telling guitarist Mick Ronson he had not finished the song when he tried to end the recording.
Ronson gave the demo to his friend Kevin Hutchinson, an aspiring musician, to help him learn the song in 1971.
But Mr Hutchinson listened to the song, labelled it “David Bowie rehearsal tape” and packed it away in his loft.
The demo also contains recordings of Bowie songs Moonage Daydream and Hang Onto Yourself.
Mr Hutchinson, who is now selling the tape, said: “I remember listening to it and thinking, ‘This is OK.’ I didn’t think, ‘This is fantastic.’
“At 16, you’re not totally impressed. Nothing impresses you.”
He kept the tape despite moving house several times and now Mr Hutchinson thinks it’s “phenomenal… obviously”.
The song featured in the 1972 Ziggy Stardust concept album, which propelled Bowie to fame.
The demo will be auctioned on Tuesday at Omega Auctions in Newton-le-Willows, between Liverpool and Manchester, where it is expected to sell for £10,000.
Mr Hutchinson retrieved the tape from his loft after watching a documentary about Bowie, who died aged 69 in 2016.
He told BBC Radio Humberside in 2017 that he had forgotten about the tape and was “staggered” when he heard the quality of it.
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- David Bowie - The Man Who Sold - 1st - Complete - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $37.50, €33.60 (New Item) (arrived 05-Jun-2020 10:59)
DAVID BOWIE The Man Who Sold (Original 1972 UK orange label 9-track LP with no Mainman credit on sleeve or label, complete with the illustrated lyric inner & 22" x 17" fold-out poster of the album's artwork. The picture sleeve is Very Good with some light ring wear scuffing to be expected due to the matte finish. The poster has previously been displayed with a little putty on the back corners but also remains in good shape & completes the package. The vinyl is clean & grades EX/EX- with a few light cosmetic signs of play LSP-4816)
- David Bowie - The Manish Boys / Davy Jones And The Lower Third EP - UK - 7" vinyl - £35.00, $43.75, €39.20 (New Item) (arrived 04-Jun-2020 14:07)
DAVID BOWIE The Manish Boys / Davy Jones And The Lower Third EP (1979 UK 4-track 7" vinyl EP with an intact four prong centre, reissue of two separate early '60s singles by Bowie, both produced by legendary producer Shel Talmy [The Kinks]; flipback picture sleeve. The sleeve shows only minimal wear whilst the vinyl shows very little signs of play EMI2925)
- David Bowie - Scary Monsters - Ex - German - vinyl LP - £40.00, $50.00, €44.80 (New Item) (arrived 04-Jun-2020 12:17)
DAVID BOWIE Scary Monsters (1983 German black RCA label issue of the 1980 10-track vinyl LP including the classic singles Ashes To Ashes and Fashion. The glossy picture sleeve has the catalogue number correction sticker on the reverse and comes with the lyric inner. The cover has a little shelfwear to the edges and despite some light paper scuffs showing signs of play, the vinyl remains in excellent condition PL83647)
- David Bowie - Changesonebowie - 2nd - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $18.75, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 04-Jun-2020 11:37)
DAVID BOWIE Changesonebowie (1982 UK black RCA label issue of the 1976 11-track vinyl LP, including Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Jean Genie, Rebel Rebel, Suffragette City and John I'm Only Dancing [its first appearance on album and a different mix to the single release]. The picture sleeve has some light general wear, whilst the vinyl has the odd light sign of play, an excellent example of this classic collection of Bowie tracks! RS1055)
- David Bowie - Modern Love - UK - 12" vinyl - £12.00, $15.00, €13.44 (New Item) (arrived 03-Jun-2020 16:48)
DAVID BOWIE Modern Love (1983 UK 2-track 12" vinyl single, also includng a live version. The glossy picture sleeve shows a little shelfwear and light foxing but the vinyl appears in excellent condition with only light signs of play 12EA158)
- David Bowie - Heroes - Italian Vinyl + Insert - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £45.00, $56.25, €50.40 (New Item) (arrived 02-Jun-2020 17:02)
DAVID BOWIE Heroes (1977 UK 10-track LP on a tan label, pressed in Italy for the UK market, recorded in Berlin & featuring guest appearances from Robert Fripp & Brian Eno's 'Frippertronics' & motorik synths. Comes housed in the UK printed picture sleeve with lyric insert. The sleeve & vinyl are Excellent with just minor signs of wear or play. A Bowie essential PL12522)
- David Bowie - Hunky Dory - Dynaflex + Insert - US - vinyl LP - £75.00, $93.75, €84.00 (New Item) (arrived 01-Jun-2020 17:47)
DAVID BOWIE Hunky Dory (Scarce Mid 70s US Dynaflex pressed 11-track vinyl LP with the 'APRS 5947' matrices in the run-out groove, including the classics Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things and Life On Mars?. The UK printed picture sleeve shows a little shelfwear with a very small hand-written to the top left corner on the reverse side which also displays light ringwear but comes accompanied by the lyric insert and the vinyl looks barely played SF8244)
- David Bowie - The Beginning Vol.2 - EX - German - vinyl LP - £15.00, $18.75, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 01-Jun-2020 17:19)
DAVID BOWIE The Beginning Vol.2 (1977 German issue of the 1973 10-track vinyl compilation LP, a stereo edition of the [14 track] version of the 1967 album 'David Bowie' but with four tracks removed. The front-laminated picture sleeve has some laminate lift wear to the opening edge evident while the back lists four other bands in the series and the vinyl remains in excellent condition)
- David Bowie - Low - 1st + Inserts - UK - vinyl LP - £60.00, $75.00, €67.20 (New Item) (arrived 01-Jun-2020 17:06)
DAVID BOWIE Low (1977 UK 11-track vinyl LP, part of a series of collaborative albums with Brian Eno including the influential tracks Warszawa and Sound & Vision. The matt picture sleeve [EX] has some light signs of shelfwear & age to the edges but does comes accompanied by both the album credits insert and the rare fold-out Fan Club insert while the vinyl remains in barely played condition PL12030)
- David Bowie - Diamond Dogs - 1st - Interpak Sleeve - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £65.00, $81.25, €72.80 (New Item) (arrived 01-Jun-2020 17:02)
DAVID BOWIE Diamond Dogs (1974 UK first issue 11-track vinyl LP with 'A-1 "OLY" / B-1 "OLY" hand etched in the run-outs, his eighth studio album including the singles Rebel Rebel, Diamond Dogs and 1984. The heavy duty gatefold picture sleeve has city-scape inner spread, a printed story excerpt by Bowie & 'Interpak by Shorewood' credit and shows just light shelfwear while the vinyl remains near 'as new' with few signs of play APL1-0576)
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