Today we would be celebrating David Bowie's 77th birthday, had we not lost the icon in 2016. We've previously revisited his 50th birthday, on which he played a massive show at Madison Square Garden. Today we're looking back on a more intimate show, a short set played in London for Bowie's 23rd birthday. The show was in promotion of his second studio album, but he played three covers and a song each from his forthcoming two albums.

Bowie opened the seven-song set with a cover from Belgian singer Jacques Brel - he would later record a version of "Amsterdam" and release it as a B-side in 1973. Album opening track and would-be first chart hit "Space Oddity" came next, before the first of two Biff Rose covers "Buzz the Fuzz."

That night saw the live debut of "The Supermen," the closing track on The Man Who Sold the World, released in November of 1970. Following that was the live debut of "Oh! You Pretty Things," a piano-driven song that would appear on his 1971 LP Hunky Dory. The second Biff Rose cover he performed, "Fill Your Heart," would also appear on side two of HD.

Bowie closed the set with Space Oddity album closing track, "Memory of a Free Festival."

"The sun machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party..."

See the full setlist:

[Editor's note: Article originally published in 2021, updated for 2024]