With Producer Ken Scott

This event takes place in the British Library Theatre and will be simultaneously live streamed on the British Library platform. Tickets may be booked either to attend in person, or to watch on our platform (online) either live or within 48 hours on catch up. In-person ticket bookers will also be sent a bonus link to the online event. Viewing links will be sent out shortly before the event.

The online version of this event will be live captioned.

David Bowie was a musical and cultural phenomenon whose significance only seems to increase with every passing year. He rocketed to stardom 50 years ago, in the summer of 1972, with the release of the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars. His appearance on Top of the Pops a month later, dressed as an alien rock star and performing ‘Starman’, was an event that changed many lives.

Meet a man who was there at the birth of Ziggy Stardust, legendary record producer Ken Scott, who joins Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy about the making of the album that shot Bowie into inter-galactic fame.

Ken not only produced Bowie’s The Rise and Fall… but also the preceding Hunky Dory and the following Aladdin Sane. Furthermore he was one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, engineered for Elton John, and produced Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham, Supertramp and Missing Persons.

Ken’s conversation with Colleen will be followed by playback of the album through world class Bowers & Wilkins 800D3 speakers, and the chance to put your questions to one of the most important producers in rock history.

Classic Album Sundays, founded by Colleen Murphy, is a long running series of events (not always on Sundays!) and a rich website that tells the stories behind the albums that have shaped our culture and our lives.

Part of the British Library’s 2022 Season of Sound, a range of talks, discussions and performances celebrating the Library’s sound archive of over six million recordings.

If you’re attending in person, please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. We are committed to the safety of our event bookers. Find out how we are welcoming you to the Library safely.

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