David Bowie - Memory of a Free Festival - 1969

Memory of a Free Festival is a song from David Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity. It contains a mix of folk, balladry, and prog rock. Held to be "the first Bowie album proper", and his first deemed worthy by record companies of regular reissue, Space Oddity featured a notable list of collaborators, including session players Herbie Flowers, Tim Renwick, Terry Cox, and Rick Wakeman, as well as cellist Paul Buckmaster, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tony Visconti, and bassist John Lodge.

"Memory of a Free Festival" is a 1970 single by David Bowie. The song had originally been recorded as a seven-minute opus for Bowie's second self-titled album (reissued as Space Oddity in 1972). It was reworked 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, this rendition marked 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". The track was written as a homage to the Free Festival, organised by the Beckenham Arts Lab, which was held at Croydon Road Recreational Ground in Beckenham on August 16, 1969.

The single was a commercial disaster on release in America in June 1970, with only a few hundred copies selling. It was also issued in the UK, but was similarly unsuccessful.

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[Billsgang]

played there!:)

[KarlMarkis]

@Billsgang Fucking. Awesome.

[GooGajoob224]

I prefer the version with Mick Ronsons guitar arrangements.

Though the album version is still perfect with it's crystalized sounds pouring out of every crack and crevice of my speakers. It's soft and melodic.

[keithmartinames]

I live in the road where the festival took place. 16th August means a lot to me as I got married on that date! Albeit in 2002 in Florida Keys. David, you a true hero.

[giantfruitapple]

David Bowie is the sexiest man in the world.

[MonkeyFartsForever]

world

[GuitarKarl1]

in the

[Lioncat2]

man

[gmsillfilms]

sexiest

[Magicalhurray]

is the