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 Rise And Fall Of Ziggy - 2nd - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £35.00, $47.60, €39.20 (New Item) (arrived 05-Mar-2021 13:13)
DAVID BOWIE The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (Mid 70s UK issue of the classic 1972 11-track LP on the orange RCA label with 'Mainman/ Chrysalis' credit. The picture sleeve also has the Mainman logo present on the back & comes with the illustrated lyric inner. The sleeve has some light edge scuffing and a little general storage wear, whlist the vinyl shows few signs of play SF8287)
- David Bowie - David Live - 1st - EX - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £25.00, $34.00, €28.00 (New Item) (arrived 22-Feb-2021 14:19)
DAVID BOWIE David Live (1974 UK first press 17-track double LP, recorded at the Tower Philadelphia on 12th & 13th July that year on the Diamond Dogs tour, complete with illustrated narrative inner. Comes housed in the original fully laminated gatefold sleeve with incorrect dates of 14th & 15th July inside & 'A Mainman Artiste' logo on the back. The cover & the vinyl remains in Excellent condition with light shelf wear & minor signs of play APL2-0771)
- David Bowie - Let's Dance - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $20.40, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 18-Feb-2021 11:47)
DAVID BOWIE Let's Dance (1983 UK 8-track vinyl LP produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers and featuring the guitar genius of a then unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan, glossy picture sleeve with illustrated lyric inner. The sleeve shows just a little light shelfwear and the vinyl remains in excellent condition with just a few signs of play AML3029)
- David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity] - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £49.99, $67.99, €55.99 (New Item) (arrived 19-Feb-2021 10:56)
DAVID BOWIE David Bowie [Space Oddity] (2009 UK '40th Anniversary Limited Edition' 9-track digitally remastered LP pressed on 180 gram Vinyl - Produced by Tony Visconti [bar 'Space Oddity', which was produced by the late Gus Dudgeon], the album was a giant leap forward in terms of songwriting for Bowie compared to his 1967 debut. Noted for a list of collaborators, including session players Herbie Flowers, Tim Renwick, Terry Cox & Rick Wakeman, the album delves into Psychedelic Folk-Rock, as well as Prog, with its genre-defying template creating a blueprint of what was to come. Housed in a replica glossy gatefold sleeve with printed inner & giant fold-out poster - still sealed in its hype-stickered shrinkwrap DBSOLP40)
- David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity] - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £49.99, $67.99, €55.99 (New Item) (arrived 19-Feb-2021 14:25)
DAVID BOWIE David Bowie [Space Oddity] (2009 UK '40th Anniversary Limited Edition' 9-track digitally remastered LP pressed on 180 gram Vinyl - Produced by Tony Visconti [bar 'Space Oddity', which was produced by the late Gus Dudgeon], the album was a giant leap forward in terms of songwriting for Bowie compared to his 1967 debut. Noted for a list of collaborators, including session players Herbie Flowers, Tim Renwick, Terry Cox & Rick Wakeman, the album delves into Psychedelic Folk-Rock, as well as Prog, with its genre-defying template creating a blueprint of what was to come. Housed in a replica glossy gatefold sleeve with printed inner & giant fold-out poster - still sealed in its hype-stickered shrinkwrap DBSOLP40)
- David Bowie - This Is Not America - UK - 12" vinyl - £15.00, $20.40, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 20-Feb-2021 10:49)
DAVID BOWIE & THE PAT METHENY GROUP This Is Not America (1985 UK 12" single taken from the film The Falcon & The Snowman, also featuring the Instrumental version. The picture sleeve shows a little shelfwear whilst the vinyl shows only light signs of play 12EA190)
- David Bowie - Low - 1st + Insert + Sticker - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $40.80, €33.60 (New Item) (arrived 20-Feb-2021 13:30)
DAVID BOWIE Low (1977 UK 11-track LP, part of a series of collaborative albums with Brian Eno including the influential tracks Warszawa & Sound & Vision, complete with album credits insert, picture sleeve with tracklist sticker on the reverse. The cover shows a little edge and spine wear, with the vinyl showing a fair amount of play PL12030)
- David Bowie - Drive In Saturday - 4pr - UK - 7" vinyl - £10.00, $13.60, €11.20 (New Item) (arrived 22-Feb-2021 12:15)
DAVID BOWIE Drive In Saturday (1973 UK 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre, also including Round And Round, record company die-cut paper sleeve. The sleeve has been carefully annotated with title and artist whilst the vinyl shows only light signs of play RCA2352)
- David Bowie - Pin Ups - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $20.40, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 22-Feb-2021 14:05)
DAVID BOWIE Pin Ups (1973 UK 12-track LP pressed in Canada for the UK market, including the single 'Sorrow'. The picture sleeve shows a little shelfwear with the odd minor crease, complete with the illustrated credits insert, the vinyl remains in excellent condition with minimal play RS1003)
- David Bowie - Hunky Dory - Canadian - vinyl LP - £25.00, $34.00, €28.00 (New Item) (arrived 22-Feb-2021 14:30)
DAVID BOWIE Hunky Dory (1973 Canadian orange RCA label 11-track 'Dynaflex' LP, housed in a lightly textured picture sleeve. The sleeve has no deletion cuts & remains in Excellent condition with some minor shelfwear. The vinyl grades EX/EX- with just a few minor paper scuffs not affecting play LSP-4623)
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