History Trivia / TheManWhoSoldTheWorld

** ''The Man Who Sold America'', a 2019 book critiquing UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump by Creator/{{MSNBC}} host Joy Ann Reid.

* MissingEpisode: When the album was originally issued in America, US Mercury released "All the Madmen" as a (poorly distributed) single, cutting the 5:38 original down to 3:14 in the process. This single edit wasn't reissued until it was included on the ''Five Years 1969-1973'' BoxedSet in 2015.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The cowboy on the original American cover was originally supposed to say "Roll up your sleeves and show us your arms", a reference to record players, drugs, and guns, but Mercury thought that was inappropriate and left the text bubble blank. His text bubble is no longer blank on the 2020 ''Metrobolist'' cover, but he's now instead saying "Roll up your sleeves, take a look at your arms."

* MissingEpisode: When the album was originally issued in America, US Mercury released "All the Madmen" as a (poorly distributed) single, cutting the 5:38 original down to 3:14 in the process. This single edit wasn't reissued until it was included on the ''Five Years 1969-1973'' box set in 2015.

** A ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}''[=/=]Franchise/DCUniverse [[Fanfic/TheManWhoSoldTheWorld crossover fanfic]] is named after this album.

%%** So is a track on the second ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' soundtrack CD.

* PublisherChosenTitle: The album was recorded under the name ''Metrobolist'' (a reference ot the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''), which was kept so late into production that it's still listed on the master tapes; Creator/MercuryRecords changed it to the final title at the last minute without Bowie's permission. Bowie then attempted to retitle the album ''Holy Holy'' in the UK[[note]]the album was released [[ShortRunInPeru a year early]] in the US[[/note]] after a non-album single he put out at around the same time, only for Mercury to call it ''The Man Who Sold The World'' there too when the single flopped. Eventually, the ''Metrobolist'' title would be restored for the album's 50th anniversary remix in 2020.

* PublisherChosenTitle: The album was recorded under the name ''Metrobolist'' (a reference ot the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''), which was kept so late into production that it's still listed on the master tapes; Creator/MercuryRecords changed it to the final title at the last minute without Bowie's permission. Bowie then attempted to retitle the album ''Holy Holy'' after a non-album single he put out at around the same time, only for Mercury to call it ''The Man Who Sold The World'' there too when the single flopped. Eventually, the ''Metrobolist'' title would be restored for the album's 50th anniversary remix in 2020.

* ExecutiveMeddling:
** The story of this album's ''four'' different covers is a long and involved one. Here's the short version: Bowie originally planned a gatefold cover with Michael Weller's cowboy cartoon on the front and a Keith [=MacMillan=] photo of Bowie wearing a "man's dress" created by fashion designer "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fish_%28fashion_designer%29 Mr. Fish]]" on the inside. However, both British and American executives at Bowie's then-current label, Creator/MercuryRecords, were put off by the dress photo, and were unwilling to spend the money on a gatefold. US Mercury released the album with the cartoon cover in November 1970[[note]]the recording had been completed that May[[/note]], while UK Mercury finally relented and released it with the dress photo in April 1971. Adding onto this, Mercury's German division, for whatever reason, gave the album an elaborate ''[[https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/09/imgL/117693795-2.jpg round]]'' cover! Later, when RCA reissued ''The Man Who Sold the World'' in 1972, they gave it [[http://waxvinylrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/230612011.jpg a fourth]] [[TrendCovers trend cover]] based on Bowie's then-current [[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars Ziggy Stardust]] persona.
** Bowie originally intended for the album's title to be ''Metrobolist'', a reference to the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'', but Mercury changed it to ''The Man Who Sold the World'' at the last minute without Bowie's input. The 2020 [[TheNotRemix remixed version]], which was released by Creator/ParlophoneRecords[[note]]the licensee for Bowie's catalog from ''Music/SpaceOddity'' onwards[[/note]], changed the album's name back to ''Metrobolist''.

** Bowie originally intended for the album's title to be ''Metrobolist'', a reference to the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'', but Mercury changed it to ''The Man Who Sold the World'' at the last minute without Bowie's input. The 2020 [[TheNotRemix remixed version]], which was released by Creator/ParlophoneRecords[[note]]the licensee for most of Bowie's post-1969 catalog[[/note]], changed the album's name back to ''Metrobolist''.

** The story of this album's ''four'' different covers is a long, involved one that wound up having an unexpectedly large effect on Music/DavidBowie's career. Here's the short version: Bowie originally planned a gatefold cover with Michael Weller's cowboy cartoon on the front and a Keith [=MacMillan=] photo of Bowie wearing a "man's dress" created by fashion designer "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fish_%28fashion_designer%29 Mr. Fish]]" on the inside. However, both British and American executives at Bowie's then-current label, Creator/MercuryRecords, were put off by the dress photo, and were unwilling to spend the money on a gatefold. US Mercury released the album with the cartoon cover in November 1970[[note]]the recording had been completed that May[[/note]], while UK Mercury finally relented and released it with the dress photo in April 1971. Adding onto this, Mercury's German division, for whatever reason, gave the album an elaborate ''[[https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/09/imgL/117693795-2.jpg round]]'' cover! Later, when RCA reissued ''The Man Who Sold the World'' in 1972, they gave it [[http://waxvinylrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/230612011.jpg a fourth]] [[TrendCovers trend cover]] based on Bowie's then-current [[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars Ziggy Stardust]] persona.

* WorkingTitle: Bowie originally planned for the album to be released as ''Metrobolist'', but the title was changed ''The Man Who Sold the World'' [[ExecutiveMeddling without Bowie's input]]. This change was reverted for the 2020 [[TheNotRemix remix album]].

** The story of this album's ''four'' different covers is a long, involved one that wound up having an unexpectedly large effect on Music/DavidBowie's career. Here's the short version: Bowie originally planned a gatefold cover with Michael Weller's cowboy cartoon on the front and a Keith [=MacMillan=] photo of Bowie wearing a "man's dress" created by fashion designer "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fish_%28fashion_designer%29 Mr. Fish]]" on the inside. However, both British and American executives at Bowie's then-current label, Creator/MercuryRecords, were put off by the dress photo, and were unwilling to spend the money on a gatefold. US Mercury released the album with the cartoon cover in November 1970[[note]]the recording had been completed that May[[/note]], while UK Mercury finally relented and released it with the dress photo in April 1971. Adding onto this, Mercury's German division, for whatever reason, gave the album an elaborate ''[[https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/09/imgL/117693795-2.jpg round]]'' cover! Bowie was so frustrated by the whole mess that he wound up [[ChannelHop switching labels]] to Creator/RCARecords (where he had his first sustained success), taking the masters to this album and ''Music/SpaceOddity''[[note]]which had been released by Mercury in the US and its corporate parent [[Creator/PhilipsRecords Philips]] in the UK[[/note]] with him. Later, when RCA reissued ''The Man Who Sold the World'' in 1972, they gave it [[http://waxvinylrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/230612011.jpg a fourth]] [[TrendCovers trend cover]] based on Bowie's then-current [[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars Ziggy Stardust]] persona.

* ColbertBump: Music/{{Nirvana}}'s cover of the title track on ''Music/MTVUnpluggedInNewYork'' revived interest in the original.

* CreatorBacklash: For a good period of time, Bowie was publicly dissatisfied with Michael Weller's cowboy cartoon on the front cover of the original US release, heavily preferring the UK dress cover and considering it the canonical one, to the point of making it the only cover included on reissues once he regained control of his 1969-1982 back-catalog in 1988 (though the US cover ''is'' included on the back of the liner notes booklet from the Creator/{{Rykodisc}} CD reissue onwards, meaning anyone who prefers that can just flip the booklet around and put it back in the jewel case backwards). Eventually though, Bowie's views on the matter mellowed out, and in 1999 he admitted that the cartoon cover was pretty good in its own right. The dress cover is still considered the canon one, but the cartoon cover has been given a bit more publicity here and there -- and it was used as the cover for ''Metrobolist'', the 2020 RemixAlbum reissue.

** Bowie originally intended for the album's title to be ''Metrobolist'', a reference to the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'', but Mercury changed it to ''The Man Who Sold the World'' at the last minute without Bowie's input. The 2020 RemixAlbum, which was released by Creator/ParlophoneRecords[[note]]the licensee for most of Bowie's post-1969 catalog[[/note]], changed the album's name back to ''Metrobolist''.
* MilestoneCelebration: ''Metrobolist'', the 2020 RemixAlbum reissue, released to commemorate the album's 50th anniversary.

* WorkingTitle: Bowie originally planned for the album to be released as ''Metrobolist'', but the title was changed ''The Man Who Sold the World'' [[ExecutiveMeddling without Bowie's input]]. This change was reverted for the 2020 RemixAlbum.

** Bowie originally intended for the album's title to be ''Metrobolist'', a reference to the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'', but the record company, Mercury, changed it to ''The Man Who Sold the World'' at the last minute without Bowie's input. The 2020 RemixAlbum, which was released by Parlophone instead of Mercury, changed the album's name back to ''Metrobolist''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story of this album's ''four'' different covers is a long, involved one that wound up having an unexpectedly large effect on Music/DavidBowie's career. Here's the short version: Bowie originally planned a gatefold cover with Michael Weller's cowboy cartoon on the front and a Keith [=MacMillan=] photo of Bowie wearing a "man's dress" created by fashion designer "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fish_%28fashion_designer%29 Mr. Fish]]" on the inside. However, both British and American executives at Bowie's then-current label, Creator/MercuryRecords, were put off by the dress photo, and were unwilling to spend the money on a gatefold. US Mercury released the album with the cartoon cover in November 1970[[note]]the recording had been completed that May[[/note]], while UK Mercury finally relented and released it with the dress photo in April 1971. Adding onto this, Mercury's German division, for whatever reason, gave the album an elaborate ''[[https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/09/imgL/117693795-2.jpg round]]'' cover! Bowie was so frustrated by the whole mess that he wound up [[ChannelHop switching labels]] to Creator/RCARecords (where he had his first sustained success), taking the masters to this album and ''Music/SpaceOddity''[[note]]which had been released by Mercury in the US and its corporate parent [[Creator/PhilipsRecords Philips]] in the UK[[/note]] with him. Later, when RCA reissued ''The Man Who Sold the World'' in 1972, they gave it [[http://waxvinylrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/230612011.jpg a fourth]] [[TrendCovers trend cover]] based on Bowie's then-current [[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars Ziggy Stardust]] persona.

* LateExportForYou: More like "late ''import'' for you"; the album took an extra five months to arrive in Bowie's home country, on account of the conflict he had with Mercury over its cover art. As such, ''The Man Who Sold the World'' is the only David Bowie album to receive a release exclusively in America before any other region.