David Bowie may be semi-retired from music (an archival photo book he’s been compiling, Bowie: Object, is now reportedly set for October), but having made an indelible mark on music over the past 4 decades, it isn’t hard to imagine why he’d choose to rest on his laurels. Or simply just rest. While his most memorable singles and personas might seem like a foregone conclusion at this stage, the fact is they were the result of relentless persistence — a long trial and error process, as Open Culture points out — that finally paid off in full upon the commercial success of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era. Much has been glossed over in the annals of rock history, but there’s value in taking a more nuanced look at the progression toward this once-unlikely moment. Enter The Story of Ziggy Stardust, a recent documentary aired by the BBC, featuring Jarvis Cocker narrating over rare archival material, scenes from D.A. Pennebaker’s 1973 doc Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and other footage from the vaults. It’s an insightful project, whether one’s familiar with the details or not — enjoy the whole program is above.
