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David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’ to get 50th anniversary re-release

'Ziggy Stardust' features hits such as 'Suffragette City' and 'Starman'

By Sam Moore

The cover of David Bowie's album 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'
David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust location in Heddon Street. Picture: Brian Ward

David Bowie’s ‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ is going to be getting a 50th anniversary re-release.

The classic album is due to turn 50 this June and a special edition of the record will be released on 17 June through Parlophone Records.

The album will be released in two different vinyl formats – as a half speed LP or as a picture disc.

The re-release will also come with a replica poster of the album.

‘Ziggy Stardust’ features several seminal Bowie tracks such as ‘Suffragette City’, ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘Starman’.

Often cited as a breakthrough record for the ‘Life on Mars’ artist, ‘Ziggy Stardust’ saw Bowie become internationally popular and the album has gone on to be considered one of the greatest of all time.

The album saw Bowie adopt the persona of Ziggy Stardust, an alien rockstar who comes to Earth to save the planet from an impending apocalypse.

Basing the character on rock frontmen such as Iggy Pop and Vince Taylor, Bowie’s alter ego helped make him a superstar.

The era in which he played the character is considered one of his creative and commercial peaks.

He retired the character at a show in London in 1973, citing the difficulty in performing the role over 18 months on tour.

Bowie would go on to form the persona of The Thin White Duke during the tour in support of ‘Young Americans’ in 1974. He played the character until 1977 when he moved to Berlin.