Hallo Spaceboy

Updated on Jan 01, 2024

Edit

Comment

Released 19 February 1996		Format 7"/12"/CD single
B-side "Under Pressure (live)" Recorded Mountain Studios, Montreux, March 1994 Genre Industrial rock (album version) Alternative dance (single version) Length 5:14 4:25 (Pet Shop Boys mix)

"Hallo Spaceboy" is a song by David Bowie from his 1995 album Outside. The track was re-recorded the following year, and issued as a single, featuring Pet Shop Boys as guest vocalists. Bowie and Brian Eno co-wrote the original album version of the song.

Song development

Bowie wrote the song in mostly-improvised sessions with his band in 1995, and intentionally wrote it with a Nine Inch Nails-like vibe. Of the track, Bowie said "I adore that track. In my mind, it was like Jim Morrison meets industrial. When I heard it back, I thought, 'Fuck me. It's like metal Doors.' It's an extraordinary sound."

Remixes

The commercial (i.e. non-promo) version of the single featured a remix by Pet Shop Boys as the lead track, not the original album version. In contrast to the original, the single remix was far more disco-oriented and featured additional lyrics sung by Neil Tennant. The introduction was sampled from the opener to Outside, "Leon Takes Us Outside". Bowie initially expressed reservation about the additions, which referenced and "cut-up" the lyrics to "Space Oddity," but later agreed that they worked well. Bowie and Pet Shop Boys performed a live version of the remixed song at the Brit Awards in February 1996.

The three remixes by Dave Ball (known as the instrumentalist of Soft Cell) and Ingo Vauk are based on the Pet Shop Boys Remix, but only Double Click Mix uses Neil Tennant's vocals. Instrumental is an instrumental version of Double Click Mix.

Except the single mix, all remixes were initially released only on promo 12" singles. In 2004 they were included on the bonus disc of the re-released Outside album.

The 12" Remix also surfaced on Pet Shop Boys' remix collection Disco 4, which was released by EMI in October 2007 (2007-10).

Track listing

All tracks by Bowie/Eno unless noted.

CD: BMG-Arista / 74321 35383 2 Europe

"Hallo Spaceboy (Pet Shop Boys remix)" – 4:25
"Under Pressure (live)" (Mercury, Deacon, Taylor, May, Bowie) – 4:07

released in a card sleeve

CD: RCA-BMG 74321 35384 2 United Kingdom

"Hallo Spaceboy" (Pet Shop Boys remix) – 4:25
"Under Pressure" (live) (Mercury, Deacon, Taylor, May, Bowie) – 4:07
"Moonage Daydream" (live) (Bowie) – 5:25
"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" (Radio Edit) (Bowie, Eno, Gabrels, Kızılçay, Campbell) – 4:56

CD: BMG-Arista / 74321 35382 2 Europe

"Hallo Spaceboy" (Pet Shop Boys remix) – 4:25
"Under Pressure" (live) (Mercury, Deacon, Taylor, May, Bowie) – 4:07
"Moonage Daydream" (live) (Bowie) – 5:25
"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" (Bowie Mix) (Bowie, Eno, Gabrels, Kızılçay, Campbell) – 4:56

CD: BMG-Arista / BVCA-8820 Japan

"Hallo Spaceboy" (Pet Shop Boys remix) – 4:25
"Under Pressure" (live) (Mercury, Deacon, Taylor, May, Bowie) – 4:07
"Moonage Daydream" (live) (Bowie) – 5:25
"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" (Rubber Mix) (Bowie, Eno, Gabrels, Kızılçay, Campbell) – 4:56

UK 7" version

"Hallo Spaceboy (Pet Shop Boys remix)" – 4:25
"The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Radio edit)" (Bowie, Eno, Gabrels, Kızılçay, Campbell) – 3:33

12": BMG-Arista / SPACE 2 Europe

"Hallo Spaceboy" (12" remix) – 6:34

12": BMG / SPACE 3 United Kingdom

"Hallo Spaceboy" (Double Click mix) – 7:47
"Hallo Spaceboy" (Instrumental) – 7:41
"Hallo Spaceboy" (Lost in Space mix) – 6:29

12": Virgin / SPRO-11513 United States

"Hallo Spaceboy" (12" remix) – 6:45
"Hallo Spaceboy" (Pet Shop Boys remix) – 4:25
"Hallo Spaceboy" (Double Click mix) – 7:47
"Hallo Spaceboy" (Lost in Space mix) – 6:29

US promo

Production credits

Producers:

David Bowie

Brian Eno

David Richards

Musicians:

David Bowie: Vocals, Sax

Brian Eno: Synthesizers, Drum Machine

Reeves Gabrels: Guitar

Mark Plati: Guitar

Carlos Alomar: Guitar

Erdal Kızılçay: Bass Guitar

Mike Garson: Piano

Sterling Campbell: Drums

Live versions

Bowie performed the song with Pet Shop Boys at the 1996 Brit Awards.

In the autumn 1995, Bowie performed this song together with Nine Inch Nails.

A version recorded in 1996 at the Phoenix Festival in England was released on the various artist compilation Phoenix Festival in 1997 and on the live album LiveAndWell.com in 2000.

At Bowie's 50th Birthday Bash in New York January 1997, the song was performed together with Foo Fighters. This version featured Zachary Alford, William Goldsmith and Dave Grohl on three different drum sets and Nate Mendel and Gail Ann Dorsey on two bass guitars.

Bowie performed the song live at BBC Radio Theatre, London, on 27 June 2000, and a recording of this performance was included on the bonus disc accompanying the first releases of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000.

A November 2003 live performance from the A Reality Tour is included on the A Reality Tour DVD, released in 2004, as well as the A Reality Tour album, released in 2010.

Other releases

The Pet Shop Boys remix was released as an additional track on Outside – version 2 and is included on some editions of the compilation albums Best of Bowie (2002), Nothing Has Changed (2014), and Bowie Legacy (2016).

Several of the remixes (mostly from the 12" promo singles) were released on the 2004 limited 2CD edition of Outside.

The extended Pet Shop Boys remix of "Hallo Spaceboy" is included on the Pet Shop Boys album Disco 4, released on 8 October 2007.

Cover versions

Pet Shop Boys performed the song live with Sylvia Mason-James singing the Bowie part. This was released on the video Somewhere – Live at the Savoy (1997).

Blackened death metal band Behemoth recorded the song during their Thelema.6 recording session. This was released on the Antichristian Phenomenon EP in 2001

Indie band First of June recorded their version of the song for the tribute album Spiders from Venus: Indie Women Artists and Female-Fronted Bands Cover David Bowie in 2003.

Norwegian power/progressive metal band Pagan's Mind covered the song on their 2007 album God's Equation.