Ashes to Ashes

[pinstripeme]

Howdy ho,

I have downloaded the tabs for ashes to ashes off the net (see below) – they sound right and amazingly it’s fairly easy for even me to play – however - it sounds like its in a different key or tune to how it’s played by SFK at the most recent live@wireless.

Could anyone possibly tab it or tell me how to play it in the same key/tune as SFK’s version?

(Or else tell me if this tab is infact in the same key in which case my guitar is waaaaaaaaay out of wack)

Cheers




Am G Dm Am
G Em
Do you remember a guy that's been In such an early song
C D
I've heard a rumor from ground control Oh no don't say it's true
F C G/B F
They got a message from the action man I'm happy hope you're happy too
G E/G#
I've loved all I've needed love Sordid de-tails following
A E
The shrieking of nothing is killing me Just pictures of Jap girls in synthesis
G D C Em
And I ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair But the planet is glowing
F G C Am
Ashes to Ashes funk to funky We know major Tom's a junky
F G Am G Dm Am
Strung out in heaven's high Hitting an all time low
G Em
Time and again I tell myself I'll stay clean tonight
C D
But the little green wheels are following me Oh no not again
F C G/B F
I'm stuck with a valuable friend I'm happy hope you're happy too
G E/G# A
One flash of light but no smoking pis-tol I've never done good things
E G D
I've never done bad things I've never done anything out of the blue
F C Em
I want an axe to break the ice I want to come down right now
F G C Am
Ashes to Ashes funk to funky We know major Tom's a junky
F G Am G Dm Am
Strung out in heaven's high Hitting an all time low

Am G Dm Am (repeat)
My mama said to get things done You'd better not mess with major Tom

[Jurds]

Hey Megan,

Hows things? Hows the new guitar working out?

The problem your are likely having is that Paul plays the song with a capo on the first fret effectively making the song a half note higher. Whack a capo on the first fret and play the same chords one fret higher than you would without the capo and all should be well.

Cheers,
Jarrod

[Ollie]

Correct Jarrod.
Paul does play slightly different formations, but its pretty close. Capo the 1st fret and your right.

[pinstripeme]

good stuff - thanks for that

new guitar is going good. I had a couple of lessons over the last few weeks but decided not to contiinue since the guy spent more time showing off how good he could play rather than actually teach me!
maybe when i get back to aus I'll start again...
volunteers ...
anyone...
anyone?!

[SPDC]

I did this waaaay back in October or November, saved it to a zip file and uploaded it to my email account.

This is how SFK play it, I can't exactly remember the Bowie version. You'll have to work out the rhythm.

Guitar 2 also does a single downward stroke in conjunction with guit. 1 denoted by an *

Guitar 1: Acoustic w/ capo fret 1
Guitar 2: Electric, slight distortion, tabbed w/ capo fret 1 (may not be the case but it makes no difference)
Tabbed/chordpro w.r.t capo.


Intro (guitar 1): Am G Dm (repeat as necessary)

Riff (guitar 2):

e|---5-7--7----5---|
b|-5--------5----3-|

Verse (guit. 1):

G                                 Em
do you remember a guy that's been in such an early song

C                                    D
i heard a rumour from ground control oh no, don't say it's true

F                                   C         G                 F
i got a message from the action man i'm happy hope you're happy too

                          G           E
i've loved all i've needed love sordid details following

A*                                  E*
the shrieking of nothing is killing just pictures of jap girls in synthesis

G                                               D
and i ain't got no money and and i ain't got no hair

C                                               Em
but i'm hoping to kick off (?) the planet is glowing

F              G             C             Am      
ashes to ashes funk to funky we know major tom's a junky

F                      G               Am       G     Dm  (repeat intro bits)
strung out in heaven's high hitting an all time low

G                             Em
time after time i tell myself i'll stay clean tonight

C                                       D
but the little green wheels are following oh no not again

F                                C           G                 F
i'm stuck with a valuable friend i'm happy i hope you're happy too

                  G              E
one flash of light but no smoking pistol

A*                          E*
i've never done good things i've never done bad things

G                                   D
i've never done anything out of the blue woah-oh

C                            F
want an axe to break the ice i want to come down right now

Chorus x1
Intro x1

Electric guit. to play into riff over this part (in rhythm to intro chords)

Am                         G        Dm                   Am          
my mama said to get things done you better not mess with major tom (repeat as necessary)

[Not sure about spacey guitar bit yet]

End on Am

'Fin.

I didn't know that those E chords had the altered G# bass, but I figured it didn't matter too much, seeing as how G# is a major 3rd above E anyway.

(Damn proboards code for removing the chord progressions)

[Another Matt]

pinstripeme said:

(Or else tell me if this tab is infact in the same key in which case my guitar is waaaaaaaaay out of wack)

;D for some indefinable reason, that cracked me up ;D

can't help you though, my guitars are always tuned down and stuff like that and I lost my capo

[blake]

That's right, capo at the 1st fret.

They play it in the same key Bowie did - b flat.

The claim is that Brian Eno's synth wasn't calibrated properly so the A minor is actually b flat

[pinstripeme]

SPDC said:

C Em
but i'm hoping to kick off (?) the planet is glowing

this line of lyric eludes me also.
I find this song difficult to sing along to - although I am extremely un-co when playing and singing at the same time.

[SPDC]

The original Bowie line is:

"But I'm hoping to kick but the planet is glowing"

then into the chorus.

It's not too difficult to think of it in terms of chords and words at the same time, seeing as how SFK play it in a fairly slow tempo.

Anyone got any idea on that spacey guitar bit that Pip does towards the end? Any idea of effects etc?

[blake]

If you combine a Digitech Whammy pedal set to (i think) 2 octaves higher than normal witha good ol' Analog Delay you should get pretty close.

If you listen to the original version, he's basically imitating the lines that Brian Eno played on synth.

Improvise, man...........like, make it up and stuff.....