Aladdin Sane 50 Half Speed Master & PD 1xLP: 2023

A Golden Jubilee Glam Celebration

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s landmark album Aladdin Sane (originally released April 1973), two special vinyl editions were released on April 14, 2023, by Parlophone Records:

- Limited edition 50th anniversary half-speed mastered LP

- Limited edition picture disc LP

Both pressings were cut on a customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe with fully recapped electronics from 192kHz restored masters of the original master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The half-speed vinyl cut was by engineer John Webber at AIR Studios, London.

The album was Bowie’s immediate follow-up to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, released just ten months later. It marked a significant musical progression, adding brass, woodwind, soulful backing vocals, and the distinctive piano of Mike Garson. It was the first time Bowie topped the UK album charts and debuted in the US Top 20.

The cover — one of the most striking and expensive in rock history up to that point — was photographed by Brian Duffy (who later shot Lodger and Scary Monsters). The iconic red and blue lightning bolt make-up has become an indelible image in popular culture.

Bowie described Aladdin Sane as “Ziggy Goes To America: Ziggy under the influence of America.” The Ziggy Stardust persona was retired three months after the album’s release at the famous final show with The Spiders From Mars at Hammersmith Odeon in July 1973.

Track Listing

Side One

1. Watch That Man – 4:30

2. Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?) – 5:06

3. Drive-In Saturday – 4:33

4. Panic In Detroit – 4:25

5. Cracked Actor – 3:01

Side Two

1. Time – 5:15

2. The Prettiest Star – 3:31

3. Let’s Spend The Night Together – 3:10

4. The Jean Genie – 4:07

5. Lady Grinning Soul – 3:45

Preceded by two singles:

- “The Jean Genie” (peaked at UK No. 2)

- “Drive-In Saturday” (peaked at UK No. 3)

Legacy

The 50th anniversary editions — half-speed mastered LP and picture disc — are stunning collector pieces, bringing renewed attention to Bowie’s bold 1973 masterpiece.

Do you have the Aladdin Sane 50th anniversary editions in your collection? Ready for the lightning bolt? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including davidbowie.com, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.