David Bowie (August 2, 1980) Ashes to Ashes – Melody Maker

A full‑page advertisement from Melody Maker announcing David Bowie’s new single Ashes to Ashes, featuring original artwork and stamp‑sheet imagery created by Bowie himself.

Writer: RCA Records Advertisement

Artist: David Bowie

Date: August 2, 1980

Length: 3 min read

The advertisement showcases Bowie’s own visual concept for Ashes to Ashes, combining photography and graphic design in a distinctive layout. At the top, a grid of nine small monochrome images appears as perforated stamps, each depicting Bowie in his Pierrot costume from the music video. Below, the handwritten title Ashes to Ashes stretches across the page in bold black script. The lower section features three faded portraits of Bowie in the same costume, each in a different pose. The text notes that the first 100,000 copies of the single include a collectible sheet of nine stamps, with four different sheets available. All artwork is credited to Bowie, underscoring his hands‑on creative direction.

PUBLICATION

Publication: Melody Maker

Date: August 2, 1980

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Pages: Full‑page advertisement

Title: Ashes to Ashes

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Promotion of Bowie’s single Ashes to Ashes

Era: 1980 – Scary Monsters period

Tone: Artistic and promotional

Photography: Bowie in Pierrot costume

Audience: UK music readers and Bowie collector

3 individual picture sleeves. First 100,000 contain a sheet of 9 stamps (there are 4 different sheets to collect). All original artwork by David Bowie.

THE STORY BEHIND IT

Ashes to Ashes was released in August 1980 as the lead single from Bowie’s album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). The song revisited the character of Major Tom from Space Oddity, pairing introspective lyrics with a groundbreaking video that blended surreal imagery and New Romantic fashion. This Melody Maker advertisement mirrored the single’s visual sophistication, presenting Bowie’s Pierrot persona as both melancholy and iconic. The stamp‑sheet motif reflected Bowie’s fascination with collectible art and his desire to merge music with design.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This advertisement captures the visual essence of Bowie’s Scary Monsters era, where music, art, and identity converged. The Pierrot imagery became one of Bowie’s most recognisable symbols of transformation, representing both nostalgia and reinvention. The collectible stamp sheets added a tactile dimension to the release, turning the single into a piece of art as well as a record.

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: RCA advertisement for Ashes to Ashes

Era: 1980

Tone: Artistic and conceptual

Photography: Bowie in Pierrot costume

Audience: Melody Maker readers and Bowie fans

Ashes to Ashes – All original artwork by David Bowie.

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SOURCES

Melody Maker (August 2 1980)

Publication verified from archival issue records

Context cross‑checked with discography and press documentation

External anchors: Discogs / Wikipedia (where applicable)

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

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