sounds completely contemporary. I added some backing vocals and a sonar blip and sculpted the piece a little so that there was more contour to it." Live versions of this version of the song from 1995 were released in 2020 as part of the concert albums Ouvre le Chien (Live Dallas 95) and No Trendy Réchauffé (Live Birmingham 95). In 2020, on what would have been Bowie's 73rd birthday, a previously unreleased acoustic version, recorded for the ChangesNowBowie documentary in 1996 during the Earthling sessions, was released. According to Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone, this version has "a lighter touch, with that famous serpentine guitar riff slinking around a steady acoustic strum and slowly swelling synths." It features Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and vocals, Reeves Gabrels (whom Bowie collaborated with in the band Tin Machine) on guitar, and Mark Plati on keyboards and programming. This version was released on the digital version of the EP Is It Any Wonder? in February 2020 and on the album ChangesNowBowie in August 2020. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, writing for Pitchfork, described the re-recording as "a nod to Nirvana popularising the song a few years earlier". A live version recorded in 1997 during Bowie's Earthling Tour was released in 2021 on the live album Look at the Moon! Personnel According to Kevin Cann: David Bowie – lead vocals, acoustic guitar Mick Ronson – electric guitar Tony Visconti – bass guitar Woody Woodmansey – drums, percussion Ralph Mace – Moog synthesiser Certifications Lulu version The song was covered by the Scottish singer Lulu in 1974, who, according to biographer David Buckley, performed it in "a sleazy, almost Berlin cabaret style". O'Leary categorises her rendition as "glam-disco" and calls it "loud, captivating and distorting." Lulu would recall Bowie inviting her to a concert he gave after which he met her in his hotel room saying: "I want to make a MF of a record with you [because] you're a great singer." Lulu – "I didn't think it would happen but [Bowie] followed up two days later. He was übercool at the time and I just wanted to be led by him. I loved everything he did. I didn't think 'The Man Who Sold the World' was the greatest song for my voice, but it was such a strong song in itself. I had no idea what it was about. In the studio Bowie kept telling me