Watch A "Lost" David Bowie Performance On Top Of The Pops From 1973

Wow, apparently it's a good week to unearth random cool stuff! SPIN reports that "new" (old) footage of the legendary David Bowie stopping by the classic UK music program Top Of The Pops in January of 1973 to perform his then-new single "The Jean Genie" has resurfaced on the Internet.

The performance aired only once on British television and was intended to be archived forever, but then the BBC wound up erasing the tape on which it was preserved in an effort to reuse tapes. Silly, silly BBC. Fortunately, the cameraman who shot the performance, John Henshall, made a personal copy for himself and submitted it to air on last night's Top Of The Pops Christmas Special so that we can all witness a performance that hasn't been seen publicly in nearly 40 years.

Check it out in all its Aladdin Sane goodness below! (It starts at the 20 second mark.)