Astronaut records song from space with Barenaked Ladies
The universe's first space-to-Earth musical collaboration takes place with an astronaut on the ISS, the Barenaked Ladies, and a choir.
Chris Hadfield may well be the coolest astronaut in the galaxy.
He spends his time hosting Google+ Hangouts; giving tutorials on how to clip one's fingernails while on the International Space Station; tweeting with William Shatner; and playing space guitar. Space guitar is pretty much like regular guitar, except it happens in zero gravity while in orbit above the Earth on-board the ISS.
Hadfield has applied his space guitar skills to a recording session where he played and sang live along with the Barenaked Ladies and a choir. A large screen projected his part over video so everyone was on the same page during the session.
The song, "I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)," was commissioned by CBCMusic.ca and The Coalition for Music Education with the Canadian Space Agency to celebrate music education in schools.
The lyrics are full of space references with rockets, orbiting, and mentions of "that ball of shining blue." It may not top the pop charts, but it's plenty catchy. Hadfield gets to take the lead vocals for a stretch, showing off a pleasantly folky voice.
If Hadfield is taking requests, I'd love to hear David Bowie collaborate with him on an ISS concept album.