Monday, January 8th, would’ve been David Bowie’s 77th birthday. To mark the occasion, Wilco has shared their rendition of Bowie’s 1969 hit, “Space Oddity.”
The release hails from Wilco’s 2023 performance on Mountain Stage (a public radio show distributed by NPR Music), and will be included on an upcoming compilation announced today titled Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers, due on April 19th via Oh Boy Records.
Presenting a wonderfully Wilco-esque take on “Space Oddity” — itself named the 43rd best song of all time by Consequence in 2012 — the band settles into an acoustic arrangement, allowing Jeff Tweedy’s vocals to masterfully convey the tune’s enduring appeal for humanity.
Speaking about the performance in a statement, the band said: “As a gratefully, if not begrudgingly, Earth-bound band, it’s always an honor and a challenge to tackle any of David Bowie’s space-soaring arrangements. Striving to reach the heights of his freedom and talent is a wise goal for any band. We thank Mountain Stage for letting us give this song another home on Earth.”
Joining Wilco on the tracklist of Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers will be an exciting list of artists who have played on the show over the past 40 years, including: John Prine, Rhiannon Giddens, Margo Price, Jason Isbell, Indigo Girls, Tyler Childers, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, and more. Pre-orders are ongoing. Check out the artwork and full tracklist below.
Meanwhile, in March, Wilco will embark on an international tour stopping in Japan and Australia. Check out the dates and grab tickets here.
Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers Artwork:
Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers Tracklist:
01. Space Oddity (David Bowie cover) – Wilco
02. The Wolves – Watchhouse
03. You Didn’t Call My Name – Molly Tuttle
04. Going Home – Tyler Childers
05. Joy – Lucinda Williams
06. Sinners Like Me – Eric Church
07. Hurtin’ (On the Bottle) – Margo Price
08. One More Dollar – Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
09. Lodestar – Bird of Chicago
10. Redwing Blackbird – Kathy Mattea
11. Closer to Fine – The Indigo Girls
12. Souvenirs – John Prine
13. You Know the Rest – Steve Earle
14. What’cha Gonna Do – Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn
15. I’d Do It Again – Sierra Ferrell
16. Cup of Sugar – Tim O’Brien
17. Black Is the New Color – Rhiannon Giddens
18. Let Me Touch You for a While – Alison Krauss
19. Canola Fields – James McMurtry
20. Traveling Alone – Jason Isbell
21. Isn’t Love Great – Sam Baker
