Happy Anniversary: David Bowie, Labyrinth: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

29 years ago, four days before the release of the film itself, music fans were blessed with the opportunity to purchase the soundtrack of David Bowie's second motion picture to feature both his name and Jim Henson's in the credits.

The process of bringing Labyrinth to the big screen reportedly took about four years, with initial discussions about a goblin-themed film taking place while Henson and conceptual designer Brian Froud were on their way back from a screening of The Dark Crystal. The initial concept of Jareth the Goblin King was that he'd be as much of a puppet-esque creature as the goblins themselves, but after Henson reconsidered and decided that the character should be played by a star, someone positively oozing with charisma, names like Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Prince, and Sting were also considered for the role. As history reveals, however, it was Mr. Bowie who ended up securing the part in question, and we couldn't be happier.

That said, Bowie's inclusion in the cast also caused Henson to reconsider when Jareth's introduction into the proceedings should take place, leading him to request screenwriter Terry Jones - yes, he of Monty Python fame - to have Jareth appear throughout the film and, as one might expect from Bowie, have him singing his heart on a regular basis. Jones reportedly disagreed with this decision, but he nonetheless tweaked the script as requested, and Bowie was apparently pleased with it, based on his comments in a 1986 interview with Movieline:

“I'd always wanted to be involved in the music-writing aspect of a movie that would appeal to children of all ages, as well as everyone else, and I must say that Jim gave me a completely free hand with it. The script itself was terribly amusing without being vicious or spiteful or bloody, and it had a lot more heart in it than many other special effects movies. So I was pretty hooked from the beginning.”

As both a film and a soundtrack, Labyrinth ended up as far more of a cult classic than a full-fledged smash, but it nonetheless has a substantial fanbase, thanks to decades of the film being aired on various cable networks. Sadly, the soundtrack didn't manage to earn Bowie another hit single (as if he was really hurting for them in the '80s), but if you've ever thrilled to Sarah's adventures as she's on her quest to find her brother Toby, then we presume that you're among the group who'd agree that songs like “Magic Dance,” “As the World Falls Down,” “Within You,” and “Underground” are still much loved even now.