On This Day in 1967, David Bowie Released the Strangest Single of His Career

On this day (April 14) in 1967, David Bowie released “The Laughing Gnome” as a single in the United Kingdom. The novelty song was a commercial flop and failed to chart across the board. However, fans who have patience for the high-pitched voice of the song’s titular character and his barrage of gnome-based puns will find some humor in the track.

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Bowie was not afraid of getting a little weird in his songwriting. His Ziggy Stardust and Thin White Duke eras were undoubtedly strange and wonderful. He also tapped into occult teachings for inspiration on songs like “Station to Station,” “Oh! You Pretty Things,” “Quicksand,” and others. Before that, though, was “The Laughing Gnome,” a standalone novelty single released two years before he introduced his 1969 self-titled album with the classic “Space Oddity.” Bowie didn’t look to esoteric sources for this novelty single despite it featuring a mythological creature. Instead, he looked to one of his early influences, Anthony Newly. He was an actor, director, comedian, composer, and much more.

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He enlisted studio engineer Gus Dudgeon to voice the song’s titular character. According to Songfacts, when Dudgeon died in 2002, Bowie sent flowers to his funeral with a note that read, “Farewell to the Laughing Gnome.”

David Bowie Eventually Found a Hit with “The Laughing Gnome”

Decca Records re-released “The Laughing Gnome” after David Bowie’s self-titled album was a commercial success. While the novelty track differed greatly from the material that made him a breakout success, it became a hit upon its second release. The song reached No. 6 on the British Singles chart and went to No. 3 in New Zealand.

Those who enjoy puns will get a laugh out of this song. Many of the Laughing Gnome’s lines are puns based on the word “gnome.” For instance, the mentions reporting someone to the “gnome office.” The squeaky-voiced character also claims to be a “gnome-ad” from “Gnome-man’s land.” The protagonist also refers to his brother, Fred, as a “metro-gnome” who keeps steady time. The tiny man in scarlet and gray isn’t uneducated, he studied at the “London School of Eco-Gnome-ics.”

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