This is Major Tom to Ground Control, I’m stepping through the door…
In the last instalment of The Continuing Story Of Major Tom, (10.09.2009 NEWS: THE FIRST BOWIE TOTPs BROADCAST IS FORTY) we reminded you that after David’s first TOTPs on October 9th 1969, his appearance on the show was rebroadcast on October 16th, helping the single climb further up the chart to #8 in the UK and #9 in Holland.
A week later the charts published for the weekend of October 25th recorded a rise in Space Oddity‘s position to #6 in the UK and #8 in Holland, as celebrated in the above Billboard advert published in November in an attempt to help boost US sales of the single.
Coincidentally, the 1975 reissue of Space Oddity six years later was climbing to the top of the UK charts in the very same weeks. By October 25th, 1975, the reissue had reached #4 in the UK. However, both the 1969 and 1975 releases still had further to go…more of which next week.