One of the songs that André Kuipers has taken with him on both of his space missions is 'Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)', by German singer/songwriter Peter Schilling. From Peter's album 'Error in the System', the song was originally recorded in German, and released in West Germany in 1983. It took European charts by storm, reaching Number 1 in West Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and Number 2 in France and the Netherlands. The English version, called 'Major Tom (Coming Home)' was first released in the USA in 1983, and also charted in UK, Canada and South Africa.
Peter is from Stuttgart, Germany, has been making music for over 30 years. His songs often feature science-fiction themes (aliens, astronauts, spaceflight, etc.) and the character in his international hit is unofficially related to 'Major Tom', the theme of David Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity.
A live version of the song Major Tom appears on Peter's lastest album, Neu und Live 2010.
For more information on Andre's playlist and the PromISSe mission:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/PromISSe/index.html
For more on Peter Schilling:
http://www.peterschilling.com/
