Astronaut’s Space Oddity back on YouTube

Commander Chris Hadfield’s cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity is back on YouTube following months of contract negotiations.

The Canadian astronaut recorded the classic track last year on the International Space Station as he prepared to return to Earth after five months in orbit.

It launched on YouTube under a one-year agreement with Bowie’s publisher and racked up close to 24 million views. It was removed in May this year after the deal expired.

Now, following months of talks, a new two-year agreement is in place enabling the track and video to be re-released. And Hadfield doesn’t blame anyone for the situation.

He says on his blog: “David Bowie and his publisher had been very gracious – they had allowed his work, his intellectual property, to be made freely available to everyone for a year and had worked with us and the Canadian Space Agency to make it happen.

“There was no rancour and we removed it from YouTube to honour the agreement. This sequence wasn’t anyone’s fault. The day we took the video down, we started to work again to get permission to get it re-posted. But the legal process is careful and exacting and takes time.”

He continues: “Despite countless online expressions of frustration and desire, it wasn’t anyone’s ill-will or jealousy that kept this version of Space Oddity off YouTube – it was merely the natural consequence of due process.

“We’re proud to have helped bring Bowie’s genius from 1969 into space itself in 2013.”

Bowie previously called the recording “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.”

He released the track Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) in October which appears on his upcoming three-CD retrospective Nothing Has Changed. It’s set for release on November 17.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.

Latest in
Foreigner at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024
Foreigner will complete their Historic Farewell Tour with four different singers – and one of them has recorded Spanish versions of their hits
The cover of Classic Rock 339, featuring Pink Floyd
"It's the father and mother of The Dark Side Of The Moon!": The full inside story of Pink Floyd's Live At Pompeii - only in the new issue of Classic Rock
Asia
"The haters won’t stop us from doing what we do": Geoff Downes on Asia's new lineup and the band's future plans
Fleetwood Mac group portrait
"The soundtrack to the greatest rock'n'roll soap opera ever": The mightiest Fleetwood Mac line-up albums in one handy box
Pete Townshend - The Studio Albums cover art
"This collection embodies both the best and worst of Townshend the artist and arch conceptualist": An overview of the solo career of Pete Townshend, the man who never meant to have a solo career
Linkin Park 2024
Linkin Park launch "the best song we've ever made" Up From The Bottom
Latest in News
Foreigner at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024
Foreigner will complete their Historic Farewell Tour with four different singers – and one of them has recorded Spanish versions of their hits
The cover of Classic Rock 339, featuring Pink Floyd
"It's the father and mother of The Dark Side Of The Moon!": The full inside story of Pink Floyd's Live At Pompeii - only in the new issue of Classic Rock
Linkin Park 2024
Linkin Park launch "the best song we've ever made" Up From The Bottom
Vera Farmiga in 2021
The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga announces debut album with her heavy metal band The Yagas
'Emo' Ed Sheeran busking
Watch Ed Sheeran cover Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club on the New York subway while disguised as an emo busker
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale