Wilco Honour David Bowie With Striking ‘Space Oddity’ Cover

David Bowie’s legacy will outlive us all, and tomorrow (January 10) marks what would’ve been the late, great genre-bender’s 77th birthday. To honour the occasion, Wilco have shared a stunning cover of Bowie’s classic tune Space Oddity.

It’s a live recording, laid to tape in April 2023 at a concert hosted by Mountain Stage, a radio show produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and aired on NPR. The track is featured on a new compilation, Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws And Outliers, due out on April 19 to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary.

It’s not the first time Wilco performed Space Oddity live, though, having thrown it in the setlist for a handful of their shows in February 2016.

In a press statement shared with this immortalisation, the band said of their spin on the classic song (first released in 1969, and notable too as the opening track on Bowie’s eponymous second album): “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.”

Have a listen to Wilco’s cover of Space Oddity below.

Meanwhile, Wilco are gearing up for a trip out our way in March. For their first Australian tour in exactly ten years, they’ll hit stages in Brisbane (Meanjin), Canberra (Ngambri), Melbourne (Naarm) and Sydney (Eora). When the band announced that run, ringleader Jeff Tweedy said in a statement of his own: “How is it possible that it’s been over 10 years since Wilco was last down under?! Mind-blowing. So we’re beyond thrilled to be able to say we’re coming back. We love Australia and can’t wait!”

Head here for more info on Wilco’s 2024 Australian tour.