Oh! You Pretty Things

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"Oh! You Pretty Things" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie from his 1971 album Hunky Dory. Bowie recorded the song as a demo before giving it to the singer Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, who released it as his debut solo single in April 1971 under the title "Oh You Pretty Thing". Noone's recording featured structural and lyrical differences from Bowie's later version. The single peaked at number 12 in the UK, becoming Bowie's biggest success as a songwriter since his own single "Space Oddity" two years earlier. Bowie recorded his own version during the sessions for Hunky Dory between June and July 1971. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it featured the musicians who would later become known as the Spiders from Mars: Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Mick Woodmansey (drums). Similar to other tracks on the album, the themes of "Oh! You Pretty Things" are dark, reflecting ideals of the occultist Aleister Crowley and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche,...

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