Billy R. Preston and Juliet Gamero of memoryfield have been fans of David Bowie and his music forever. This song in particular is very special to both of them and they have each stated that the lyrics are especially touching as they have detected the deeper meaning(s) to be found within them. Their approach to take on this classic "psychedelic space-folk" song, originally released in 1969, was with the use of low impact acoustic instruments and just a touch of synthetic noises to add a feeling of ambience and texture into the mix. The acoustic guitar and the vocals are unassuming and rather understated, allowing the bass and the darkened piano to interweave with one another, creating a feeling of warmth and color. What Preston and Gamero lack in the area of vocal dynamics they make up for with honesty and simplicity, making it a point to never attempt to "upstage" the story being told by the original author of the song. The drums (Jason Jones) hold the piece together with military-like marching rolls and flourishes but like the vocals, never attempt to overplay their role in the larger ensemble. The final minute concludes with an outpouring of vocal emotion by Preston/Gamero and also features Gamero and her keyboard skills. She purposefully leaves a healthy and thoughtful amount of space between notes, allowing the sound of resonance from the piano to be felt and only slightly heard. Some of her notes are only implied. She keeps the song from becoming overly busy with her choice to underplay rather than show off or draw attention to herself, although with her well-known skills in this department she could easily do so. The song comes across as smooth and almost folky, jazz-like with a smoky feel. A valiant effort by memoryfield and they should be commended for not attempting to completely "re-create" this well-known and beloved classic by purposefully pushing it into a genre that it might not be suited for. They paid homage to Bowie and his music by respecting boundaries and not trying overly hard to impress or make this version of the song more about themselves. The three-part vocal harmonies also add a nice touch. -Wolf River Music 9/30/14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q_D7uHvzPQ&list=UUeiYxeup1_TEGIuA9rITEQA Words and Music by David Bowie, Essex Music International. Sample credits: Celldroid (for radio voices) via Freesound.org "I love the vocals and the harmonies, and the way the energy in the song steps up and builds. I love how it stays true to the David Bowie rendition, but has its own less produced sound (I might prefer it even)." (Andrea Young - President, Aspenbeat Records 11/20/2014)