“Velvet Goldmine” was recorded in the early 70s as part of the Ziggy Stardust sessions. It was dropped from the album, but luckily, surfaced in 1975 as the B-side to a “Space Oddity” single re-release.
Bowie actually toned the lyrics down a bit. The label had considered them a bit smutty. I mean, they knew who David Bowie was, presumably…
When you consider Ziggy Stardust, it is surprising that the song didn’t make the cut. It’s classic Ziggy era Bowie!
With its fluid, careering choruses and hard rocking verses, you can’t mistake the song for anything other than a Bowie track.