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    Home»Nerd Culture»Music»Google Thinks Nirvana, not David Bowie, Wrote “The Man Who Sold The World”
    Nirvana's Kurt Cobain performs "The Man Who Sold The World" during MTV's Unplugged.
    Music

    Google Thinks Nirvana, not David Bowie, Wrote “The Man Who Sold The World”

    Mary Anne ButlerBy Mary Anne ButlerDecember 5, 20202 Mins Read
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    Imagine you’re doing a google search for a song you adore, one that’s been covered more than once, and is a widely respected tune from a dearly departed unearthly being. In this case, David Bowie‘s classic melancholiac tune “The Man Who Sold The World,” and just exactly who Google things wrote it.

    Enter Duncan Jones, filmmaker and son of the late great Bowie, who tweeted this image of his recent Google search results when looking for that particular track.

    Whaaaaat?! 😮 pic.twitter.com/q9KAdx9gRe

    — Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) December 5, 2020

    Yes, Nirvana DID do an absolutely delightful cover of the song during their iconic MTV Unplugged session, but WROTE it? Yeah not so much.

    Jones followed up his discovery tweet with a reassurance that he does enjoy the cover.

    (I think the Nirvana version is fantastic. Was just a funny Google hit when I was looking up the title to check the origin of the title of the song.)

    — Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) December 5, 2020
    Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain performs “The Man Who Sold The World” during MTV’s Unplugged.
    The iconic cover for David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” studio album.

    Originally recorded by Bowie in April-May of 1970 and released in November of the same year, “The Man Who Sold The World” first appeared on the album of the same name.

    Here’s a video montage from the official David Bowie channel highlighting the classic song:

    And, the Nirvana performance (which is certainly worth a watch and a listen if you never have):

    Some additional covers of the track if you’re so inclined include Lulu from 1974, Midge Ure from 1984, Bowie and Brian Eno doing a different take in 1995, Øllebirde in 2018, and Gary Oldman during a Bowie Birthday Celebration in 2016.

    If you love Bowie like we do, chances are you’ll wanna know about the amazing birthday celebration virtual spectacular happening next month!

    Do You Want to Know More?

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    Mary Anne Butler
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    Mary Anne Butler (Mab) has been part of the fast-paced world of journalism since she was 15, getting her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (where she is still Editor-in-Chief), Bleeding Cool (where she was News Editor), and now Nerdbot as Editor-In-Chief. Over the past 10 years, she’s built a reputation at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band with an international presence. Though she be but little, she is fierce.

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