“Good morning, Earth!” That is how Colonel Chris Hadfield—writing on Twitter—woke up the world every day while living for five months aboard the International Space Station. Through his 21-years as an astronaut, three spaceflights and 2600 orbits of Earth, Colonel Hadfield has become a worldwide sensation, harnessing the power of social media to make outer space accessible to millions and infusing a sense of wonder into our collective consciousness not felt since humanity first walked on the Moon. Colonel Hadfield recently announced his upcoming music album, and Rolling Stone magazine covered the news, below:
Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, whose cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” went viral in May 2013, will release an entire album of songs he recorded while manning the International Space Station. Hadfield laid down the album’s guitar and vocal tracks while in orbit – “a human first,” according to the press release – with only his acoustic guitar and a computer.
Those recordings were then handed to producer Robbie Lackritz, who added extra instrumentation courtesy of some “special guests.” Warner Music Canada says those guests include Barenaked Ladies, Buck 65 and Ron Sexsmith. The 55-year-old singer’s album will arrive later in the year, The Guardian reports.
“The serenity and grace I felt while orbiting our Earth, weightless by the window, gave a whole new place to write and perform music,” Hadfield, who retired as an astronaut in July 2013, said in a statement. “I’m delighted to be able to share these completed works as a new way to help tell the stories of early space exploration.”
Hadfield’s “Space Oddity,” said to be the first music video ever filmed in space, has been viewed 25 million times and counting since the astronaut posted the video on YouTube in May 2013. Bowie himself praised Hadfield’s rendition as “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created” and allowed the video to be reposted onto YouTube after its one-year agreement expired, the Washington Post wrote. Hadfield also detailed his dealings with Bowie and the song itself in a post on his official site.