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 - Special + obi - Japanese - 2-LP vinyl set - £75.00, $105.75, €87.00 (New Item) (arrived 17-Jun-2021 11:44)
DAVID BOWIE Special (1976 Japanese-only 21-track double LP compilation, housed in a unique gatefold sleeve with Young Americans-era image, complete with Japanese lyric insert & obi-strip. The packaging is Excellent with some light foxing, whilst the vinyl has only a few light signs of play. Now hard to find! SRA-9503~04)
- David Bowie - Sorrow - French - 7" vinyl - £25.00, $35.25, €29.00 (New Item) (arrived 11-Jun-2021 10:42)
DAVID BOWIE Sorrow (1973 French solid centre label 7" vinyl single, also featuring Amsterdam, die-cut company sleeve RCA2424)
- David Bowie - Hunky Dory - Mainman - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £45.00, $63.45, €52.20 (New Item) (arrived 08-Jun-2021 12:19)
DAVID BOWIE Hunky Dory (1978 UK issue of the 1971 11-track LP on an orange RCA label, housed in a sturdy matt picture sleeve with 'Mainman' credit on the back, '78' dated plain die-cut inner & lyric insert. The sleeve is Excellent with just minor age wear & the vinyl grades Excellent with few signs of play SF8244)
- David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy - 80s - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $21.15, €17.40 (New Item) (arrived 08-Jun-2021 12:27)
DAVID BOWIE The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (1983 German black RCA label issue of the 1972 11-track vinyl LP, glossy barcoded picture sleeve with 'INT 5063' sticker on the reverse. The sleeve displays some light wear general signs of age, whilst the vinyl remains excellent with only light surface scuffs)
- David Bowie - Scary Monsters - 1st - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $28.20, €23.20 (New Item) (arrived 08-Jun-2021 15:27)
DAVID BOWIE Scary Monsters (Original 1980 UK black label 10-track LP, including the New Wave classics Ashes To Ashes & Fashion with a liberal dose of [Robert] Fripp, picture sleeve complete with fold-out lyric insert. The sleeve has some notable storage wear including some edge scuffing and ringwear, whilst the vinyl shows few signs of play BOWLP2)
- David Bowie - Golden Years - 4pr - UK - 7" vinyl - £8.00, $11.28, €9.28 (New Item) (arrived 09-Jun-2021 10:03)
BOWIE Golden Years (1975 UK 7" single with an intact four prong centre, also including Can You Hear Me, a classic Bowie track that saw him invited to perform it on the US TV show Soul Train [one of very few white artists to do so], RCA companydie cut paper sleeve. The sleeve shows a little wear whilst the vinyl appears barely played RCA2640)
- David Bowie - Bowie - UK - 7" vinyl - Promo - £15.00, $21.15, €17.40 (New Item) (arrived 09-Jun-2021 10:14)
DAVID BOWIE Bowie (Rare 1974 UK 7" promotional single-sided flexidisc featuring snippets from eight classic tracks including Knock On Wood, Space Oddity, The Man Who Sold The World, Life On Mars, Starman, Jean Genie, Sorrow & Diamond Dogs, originally issued with Record Mirror magazine LYN2929)
- David Bowie - Scary Monsters - 1st - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £25.00, $35.25, €29.00 (New Item) (arrived 10-Jun-2021 13:25)
DAVID BOWIE Scary Monsters (1980 UK first press 10-track LP, including the New Wave classics Ashes To Ashes & Fashion. The picture sleeve has some light signs of storage with a little age discolouration & comes complete with the fold-out lyric insert, whilst the vinyl remains in Excellent condition with very little play BOWLP2)
- David Bowie - Heroes - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $28.20, €23.20 (New Item) (arrived 10-Jun-2021 13:38)
DAVID BOWIE Heroes (1981 UK issue of the classic 1977 10-track LP on a green RCA label, the second album in the 'Berlin Trilogy' with assistance from Brian Eno & Robert Fripp, glossy picture sleeve. The sleeve & vinyl remain in Excellent condition with only a few minor signs of wear & play INTS5066)
- David Bowie - Fame 90 - UK - 7" vinyl - £9.99, $14.09, €11.59 (New Item) (arrived 11-Jun-2021 16:50)
DAVID BOWIE Fame 90 (1990 UK 7" vinyl single including the Gass Mix plus Queen Latifah's Rap Version. Both the glossy picture sleeve and vinyl remain in near 'as new' condition FAME90)
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