Annabel Gutherz's Out of This World Cover of Life on Mars
David Bowie’s song Life on Mars from the album Hunky Dory, released in 1971, was originally written for Frank Sinatra. It was rejected in favor of his infamous album My Way. Bowie reworked it into one of his biggest hits ever.
Since then it’s been covered countless times in countless styles. The latest cover is by talented Annabel Gutherz. The singer/songwriter is from Montreal, Canada, and wanted to give homage to one of her favorite songs. Her cover is an orchestral-pop rendition of "Life on Mars" which was released at the same time as the new Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream.
“My interpretation of the rich narrative conveyed through Bowie's abstract and surreal lyricism is one of sadness, longing, and hope, with a commentary about society and the media that still rings true today. I love the emotional dimensionality of the story being told, the melody, the production... everything! I hope to honor Bowie, one of the most prolific and brilliant artists of our time, and his lasting legacy with this cover.”
-Annabel Gutherz
Gutherz decided to stay close to the song's original arrangement with a couple of twists along the way. The first thing you notice when listening is the crystal-clean approach to the music production. Everything has a freshly polished sound to it. Where the song really shines, however, is the vocal delivery. She stays very true to the original through the first verse but once it kicks into the chorus that’s where things really take off. It has a very Disney musical quality to it which I loved.
I look forward to what Annabel releases next!
Find Annabel Gutherz Here
