First Music Video Shot in Space: Astronaut Chris Hadfield Performing David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'
If you haven't seen it yet, well, prepare for something that has never happened in the history of human existence: the first full music video shot in space. Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut and the exiting commander of the International Space Station, just released a tribute music video to David Bowie's Space Oddity, which was shot completely aboard the ISS. Check it out below:
Here's a little bit about how it came about from Emm Gryner:
The task was in front of me. I came up with a piano part. I then enlisted my friend, producer and fellow Canadian Joe Corcoran to take my piano idea and Chris' vocal and blow it up into a fully produced song. Drums! mellotrons! fuzz bass! We also incorporated into the track ambient space station noises which Chris had put on his Soundcloud. I was mostly blown away by how pure and earnest Chris' singing is on this track. Like weightlessness and his voice agreed to agree.
And voila! An astronaut sings Space Oddity in space! I was so honoured to be asked to be a part of this. You wouldn't get too many chances to make a recording like this and not only that, to make music with someone who - through his vibrant communications with kids in schools to his breathtaking photos to his always patient and good-humoured demeanour - has done more for science and space than anyone else this generation. Planet earth IS blue, and there's nothing left for Chris Hadfield to do. Right.
Safe travels home Commander!
It's quite a fitting place for the song to be performed, and they had Bowie's blessing before doing it. The video was likely shot with the Nikon D3s, as there is certainly shallow depth of field, and from my understanding there are only Nikon DSLRs cameras on-board (someone can correct me if they find out exactly). I know the ISS generally lags behind a bit with camera technology, but with the post-production and, oh yeah, the fact that it was shot in space, it's an absolutely beautiful video.
Hadfield has done a number of videos from space, but here's an interesting one focusing on photography aboard the ISS:
Just for kicks, here is the original and an alternate version for Space Oddity:
Be sure to follow Hadfield on Twitter and Facebook, and check out all of the great material he's been posting.
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