The Astronettes
The Astronettes were a short-lived but historically significant soul vocal trio created and produced by David Bowie in 1973–1974.
The group consisted of Ava Cherry, Jason Guess, and Geoff (Geoffrey) MacCormack, all drawn from Bowie’s Diamond Dogs–era inner circle.
- Members: Ava Cherry, Jason Guess, Geoff MacCormack
- Role: Soul / R&B vocal trio
- Produced by: David Bowie
- Recorded: 1973–1974 (London)
- Status: Shelved project
- Later release: People From Bad Homes (1995)
Where The Astronettes fit in Bowie’s timeline
The Astronettes occupy a crucial hinge moment in David Bowie’s career. They emerged after the theatrical collapse of Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, but before Bowie fully committed to the soul direction of Young Americans.
In late 1973, Bowie was experimenting intensely — shedding glam rock structures and testing how soul, gospel harmonies, and Black American vocal traditions might reshape his music.
The concept behind the trio
Rather than forming another Bowie-fronted project, Bowie envisioned a separate act: a contemporary soul trio built around harmony vocals and groove-based arrangements.
The Astronettes were not conceived as backing singers but as a fully independent group, with Bowie acting as producer, writer, and conceptual guide.
Members and Bowie’s inner circle
Ava Cherry was closely connected to Bowie both personally and creatively during this period. Jason Guess and Geoff MacCormack were also deeply embedded in Bowie’s touring and studio environment.
This made The Astronettes less an external collaboration and more an extension of Bowie’s working family.
Recording sessions and key material
The trio recorded a substantial body of material in London in 1973–1974. The sessions blended soul, pop, and experimental songwriting, with Bowie testing lyrical ideas and melodic fragments.
- “I Am a Laser” — later reworked by Bowie into “Scream Like a Baby” (1980).
- “God Only Knows” — a striking reinterpretation of the Beach Boys classic.
- People From Bad Homes — the eventual compilation of Astronettes recordings (released 1995).
Why the project was shelved
Despite Bowie’s enthusiasm, The Astronettes project was never released in the 1970s. As Bowie’s focus shifted rapidly toward America, Philadelphia soul, and his own recording schedule, the trio was quietly set aside.
As with many Bowie side-roads, the material was not abandoned so much as absorbed into his evolving creative process.
Later release and reassessment
When the recordings finally surfaced as People From Bad Homes in 1995, they gained significance as a window into Bowie’s transitional thinking.
Listeners could hear early drafts of ideas that Bowie would later refine, as well as his growing confidence in soul-based vocal textures.
Why The Astronettes matter in Bowie’s story
The Astronettes reveal Bowie at his most restless and experimental. They show him using collaboration as a laboratory — a place to test ideas without the pressure of a “David Bowie” release.
In hindsight, the project forms a vital bridge between Diamond Dogs and Young Americans, capturing Bowie in the act of becoming something new.