David Bowie Changeling: 5. Walk On The Wild Side

Kate Moss digs into how Bowie brought Ziggy Stardust to life, through a striking transformation. Though Hunky Dory showed him with flowing golden hair, Bowie was already embracing a bolder look inspired by Warhol’s circle and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange.

Despite the daring style, early gigs drew small crowds—some nights just ten people—and not everyone embraced the new aesthetic. One early show featured Roxy Music, another band pushing boundaries.

Bursting with creativity, Bowie wrote and produced All the Young Dudes for Mott the Hoople, an anthem that defined the era. Then in June 1972, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was released. A month later, Bowie’s electrifying Top of the Pops performance of Starman in full Ziggy costume became a cultural milestone.

That summer, riding the wave of Ziggy’s success, Bowie produced Lou Reed’s Transformer.

With contributions from Suzi Ronson, Trevor Bolder, Woody Woodmansey, Michael Watts, Mick Ronson, Phil Manzanera, Mick Rock, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed & Boy George.

Artwork Photo Credit: Ellen von Unwerth

A Zinc Media Production.

Series Producer: Des Shaw

BBC Commissioners: Will Wilkin & Hannah Clapham