Thursday Throwback is a weekly colour scheme inspired by an iconic album cover of yesteryear. This week’s throwback is the 1970 album “The Man Who Sold The World” by David Bowie. The colours are as follows:
| Colours | HEX | RGB | HSB | CMYK | LAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colour 1 | #BF5065 | 191, 80, 101 | 349, 58, 75 | 0, 58, 47, 25 | 49, 46, 10 |
| Colour 2 | #59484D | 89, 72, 77 | 342, 19, 35 | 0, 19, 13, 65 | 32, 8, 0 |
| Colour 3 | #82B0D9 | 130, 176, 217 | 208, 40, 85 | 40, 18, 0, 14 | 70, -4, -25 |
| Colour 4 | #F2C6A0 | 242, 198, 160 | 28, 34, 95 | 0, 18, 33, 5 | 82, 10, 24 |
| Colour 5 | #F2C6C2 | 242, 198, 194 | 5, 20, 95 | 0, 18, 19, 5 | 83, 14, 7 |
“The Man Who Sold The World” is David Bowie’s third studio album, released in November 1970 in the US and April 1971 in the UK. This album marked a significant shift in Bowie’s musical style, featuring a heavier rock sound and exploring themes of mental illness, religion and war. The album was produced by Tony Visconti and recorded at Trident Studios in London between 1970 and 1971. It featured contributions from Mick Ronson on guitar, Tony Visconti on bass, and Mick Woodmansey on drums, who would later form the core of Bowie’s backing band, The Spiders from Mars.
Initially, “The Man Who Sold The World” was not commercially successful, selling only 1,395 copies in the US by the end of June 1971. However, the album’s reputation grew over time, particularly following Bowie’s commercial breakthrough with “Ziggy Stardust” two years later. Many critics now consider it the beginning of Bowie’s “classic period”, praising the band’s performance and the unsettling nature of its music and lyrics. The title track has become one of Bowie’s most covered songs, with notable versions by Lulu and Nirvana bringing it to wider audiences. The album has influenced various genres, including goth rock, dark wave, and glam rock.
The album’s cover art varied across different releases:
1. The UK release featured Bowie reclining on a chaise longue in a dress designed by Michael Fish. The art direction by Keith MacMillan was influenced by Pre-Raphaelite paintings and showcased Bowie’s early androgynous look.
2. The original 1970 US release had a cartoon-like cover by Michael J. Weller, depicting a cowboy in front of the Cane Hill asylum in Croydon.
3. The 1971 German release showed a hand making a “flicking” gesture with Bowie’s head superimposed on the front and wings on the back.
4. A 1972 worldwide reissue by RCA Records used a black-and-white picture of Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.
In summary, “The Man Who Sold The World” is a crucial album in David Bowie’s career, demonstrating his artistic development and setting the stage for his future success, despite its initial commercial underperformance.
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