From: fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes)
Newsgroups: rec.music.newage
Subject: Re: Hawkwind
Date: 30 Jul 92 19:02:34 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

lllowen@netcom.com (lllowen) writes:

>Recently I have been noticing the group HAWKWIND showing up on some
>e-music mailing lists, and have recently noticed them placed under the
>ELECTRONIC section at one of my local record stores.  I read a small
>blurb about the group somewhere once at it said they were a heavy metal
>band.  What gives?  I am curious about this group and might want to
>check them out but not if it's going to be heavy rock.  Are they able to
>make a real neat combination of the two?  Sounds interesting...

>Any Hawkwind experts out there?

Well, I'll probably do until one comes along. I've seen 'em a few times
and I have a number of their records. I also have access to a few online
pieces of info on 'em.

The quick answer on what do they do:

Their music is based in a hippie/SF ethic with a bit of social protest
thrown in. It's certainly true that they do quite a few pure synth
tracks. They also do a number of tracks that border on light or even
heavy metal. A number of tracks incorporate both. That still doesn't
cover it though since an awful lot of tracks are in other styles.
Hawkwind can somehow totally vary their style and yet most tracks will
be instantly recogniseable as Hawkwind.

Anyway, since I have all this online info. I'll just plug it in. Read
until you:

a) get bored
b) decide you gotta be at a Hawkwind concert asap, and I'll see you at
the Brixton Academy all nighter on Agust 15th
c) want more info - mail me dude.


So, what I got here is:

a) Something I posted to the Net about Mike Moorcock, Hawkwind, and SF
b) A brief history of Hawkwind
c) A list of the Hawkwind albums I have, and comments, recommendations
on which ones are most worth buying

I also have a complete discography (around 50K now I think) and an index
of tracks and which albums they're on. There's also a Hawkwind/Blue
Oyster Cult mailing list at boc-l@edu.spc.spcvxa

FoFP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

News article on Moorcock, Hawkwind, and SF:

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:08:21
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Michael Moorcock's Swords Trilogy


Moorcock has also been associated in various ways with rock music. he
had his own band The Deep Fix, named after one of his best short
stories. They produced one album: The New World's Fair based on another
favourite scene: a fairground after the end of the world. The style is
almost but not quite folk rock, with some narration from Moorcock. they
produced the singles "Brothel In Rosenstrasse" and "Dogem Dude". There's
also a tape just been released by Adrian Shaw at Cyborg Records (I can
get the address if anyone is interested).

He did some work with Blue Oyster Cult and they've done a few songs on
the Law/Chaos idea, the Fireclown (Great Sun Jester), and the Black
Sword (Stormbringer).

Moorcock's most famous connection with rock music though is undoubtedly
with the British band "Hawkwind".

Hawkwind started out in 1969 as very much an acid rock/hippie band. The
UK answer to the Grateful Dead. They played Free Festivals and layby's.
Their music had settled down by 1972 to a kind of soft metal with loads
of synthesisers. They varied it though, some tracks were just
straight-out acid rock jams and some were quite lilting snth tracks
featuring saxophone or violin depending who was in the band at the time.
They had one major hit single with "Silver Machine" in 1972.

Moorcock came across Hawkwind in 1973 simply because they were all
hanging around Portobello Road/Ladbroke Grove in London. through their
itinerant poet Robert Calvert (now deceased) Hawkwind had developed a
science fiction background to their music, often basing songs on a
mixture of SF and hippie mysticism. Moorcock appeared at a few gigs and
read poetry while the band played.

Eventually, in 1974 the Collaboration led to the album "Warrior on the
Edge of Time" based on Moorcock's Eternal Champion books.  Moorcock both
plays and narrates on the album.  It's one of Hawkwind's best albums by
one of their best lineups. 

Some of Hawkwind played on the Deep Fix album and Moorcock ocasionally
guested at Hawkwind gigs. Hawkwind continued through many lineup changes
and still with the SF ethos, with songs based on Damnation Alley and
Jack of Shadows amongst others. In 1982 they again collaborated with
Moorcock on the Choose Your Masques album which featured the Law/Chaos
idea in the title track, and other of Moorcock's ideas in tracks like
"Coded Languages".

The collaboration again became closer culminating in the 1985 album The
Chronicles of the Black Sword which detailed the Story of Elric and the
Sword Stormbringer. Moorcock did narration on the album and on parts of
the tour which followed and featured mime actors playing Elric,
Zarozinia, the chaos gods etc. The Live Chronicles double-album is a
recording made on the tour and again features Moorcock narrating the
story between the songs based on it. Again, definitely some of
Hawkwind's better stuff. The live album has just been released on CD.

Hawkwind still continue on after more lineup changes (there have now
been over 60 members of the band) and are currently touring Germany.
There's been no recent collaboration with Moorcock but I wouldn't rule
it out. I'd still like to be at a Hawkwind concert and see a portly dark
haired gentleman walk onto the stage and start reciting a poem or
story...

Anyway, if anyone wants to follow up the Hawkwind stuff just drop me
some email. There's also a Hawkwind/Blue Oyster Cult mailing list where
info on records/tours/etc is passed around and folks being spread around
the planet a bit, help each other find the albums....

FoFP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A CONCISE HISTORY OF HAWKWIND
 
 
In 1969 Dave Brock recruited fellow musicians Mick Slattery, Nik
Turner, Terry Ollis, Dik Mik and John Harrison for a one-off jam
session in Notting Hill, which they played under the name of Group X.
The session attracted the attention of Clearwater Productions and the
band made a demo disc, using the name Hawkwind Zoo.  The demo earned
them a contract and they dropped the word Zoo from their name.
 
1970 saw Hawkwind playing as many gigs as possible.  Including playing
'outside the fence' at the Isle of Wight festival, a protest against
the high prices being charged inside.  They also released their first
single, "Hurry On Sundown" and their first album "Hawkwind", both on
Liberty.  Also during that year, Mick Slattery left and was replaced by
Huw Lloyd Langton.  Huw later left and was not replaced.  John Harrison
left and was replaced by Thomas Crimble.
 
Thomas Crimble left in 1971 and was replaced by Dave Anderson, who was
soon replaced by Lemmy.  Stacia and Del Dettmar joined the line-up and
Bob Calvert became resident poet.  In October they released their
second album, "In Search of Space".
 
At the start of 1972 Terry Ollis was replaced by Simon King and Bob
Calvert joined full-time.  The line-up finally stabilised for a while
and a positive musical direction had evolved.  In February they played
at the famous Greasy Truckers Party, a gig which spawned their
chart-topping single "Silver Machine" and put the band on an
international level.  Using money made from "Silver Machine", Hawkwind
released their third album "Doremi Fasol Latido" and mounted a massive
and complex tour called "The Space Ritual" from which they released a
'live' double album in 1973.  1973 also saw the departures of Dik Mik
and Robert Calvert.  Michael Moorcock began to make regular appearances
with the band through 1973 and 1974, with occasional guest appearances
until this day.  November 1973 saw Hawkwind on their first USA tour.
 
In 1974 Hawkwind toured America twice and England twice, with a few
concerts in Europe.  Simon King joined the band, Del Dettmar left and
the album "Hall Of The Mountain Grill" was released.  In July Simon
King broke some ribs and Alan Powell stepped in for him, remaining in
the band after Simon returned.
 
"Warrior On The Edge Of Time" was released in 1975 and Hawkwind toured
America again.  At the Canadian border Lemmy was arrested when customs
officers mistook his amphetamine sulphate for coke and the event led to
Lemmy's departure from the band.  He was replaced by Paul Rudolph.
Back in England Hawkwind headlined at the Reading Festival, the last
gig for Stacia (who got married the next day).  Soon after Bob Calvert
re-joined.
 
1976 was a year of upheaval.  The band left Liberty/UA and signed to
Charisma.  Within the band there was a conflict of musical direction
which caused the album "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music" to have
different styles of music thereon.  There was a lengthy tour with the
impressive "Atomhenge" stage setting, after which Nik Turner, Paul
Rudolph and Alan Powell were sacked in an attempt to steer the band
back on course.
 
1977 began with a new, trim line-up of Dave Brock, Bob Calvert, Simon
House, Simon King and Adrian Shaw.  They toured England in the spring
(with Motorhead as support) and in the autumn to coincide with the
release of the album "Quark Strangeness and Charm".  At Christmas Dave
and Bob teamed up with Harvey Bainbridge, Martin Griffin and Paul
Hayles for a one-off gig under the name "The Sonic Assassins".
 
During a Spring tour of America in 1978, Simon House left to join David
Bowie on tour and Paul Hayles took his place.  It was a depressing tour
and at the end of it Dave Brock split and sold his guitar.  Back in
England, he set up a new band which was more or less The Sonic
Assassins except that Steve Swindells took the place of Paul Hayles.
For legal reasons, contracts etc. they could not use the name Hawkwind
so they shelved the already recorded album "P.X.R. 5" and released a
new album, "25 Years On" under the name Hawklords, touring to promote
the album.  The fans did not care for the new name and in early 1979
Bob Calvert left again, shortly after insisting that Martin Griffin was
sacked.  "P.X.R. 5" was released but otherwise things had ground to a
halt.
 
In September 1979 with the contracts expired, Dave Brock was able to
set up a new Hawkwind consisting of himself, Harvey Bainbridge, Huw
Lloyd Langton, Tim Blake and Simon King, to headline at the first
Futurama Festival.  Afterwards they undertook a huge UK tour although
they had no record label and no album to promote.  They did, however,
record a 'live' album during the tour "Live 79" and this was released
in 1980, having secured them a deal with Bronze.  Simon King was
replaced by Ginger Baker and they recorded the album "Levitation" and
mounted an Autumn tour to promote it.  The two Bronze albums put the
band back into the top twenty album charts.  Tim Blake left and was
replaced by Keith Hale, but early in 1981 Ginger left in order to set
up his own band and took Keith with him.  Keith was not replaced at
once but Martin Griffin returned to take Ginger's place.  They split
from Bronze.
 
A new record deal with RCA Active was signed and a new album "Sonic
Attack" released.  The tour to promote the album featured the smallest
ever Hawkwind line-up of Dave Brock, Harvey Bainbridge, Huw Lloyd
Langton and Martin Griffin and saw them returning to the psychedelic
lightshows they used in the early seventies.
 
In 1982 they toured Europe and released the album "Church Of Hawkwind".
Nik Turner began guesting at the one-off gigs during the summer.  In
the Autumn, with Nik now a regular member, they toured the UK to
promote the album "Choose Your Masques", shortly after which they split
from RCA Active.  Martin left the band.  Andy Anderson took his place
for a few gigs in February 1983.
 
In 1983 Hawkwind headlined at various festivals and signed a one-off
album deal with Flicknife Records, who had been issuing compilation
albums of collectors' items of Hawkwind and associated material.
Flicknife issued the live album "Zones" in the Autumn but Hawkwind,
anxious to break the routine of album and tour did no gigs.  Instead
they toured during the Spring of 1984, released a 12" EP called "The
Earth Ritual Preview".  Also to coincide with the tour, the Hawkwind
biography "This is Hawkwind---Do Not Panic" was published.  They
continued to headline Summer festivals and played three gigs in
Holland.  In the Autumn the video, "Night Of The Hawks" was released,
as was the album "This Is Hawkwind---Do Not Panic" and Hawkwind toured
the UK continuing their practice of playing in many small venues as
well as the big ones.  The "Stonehenge" video was released at
Christmas and included Hawkwind as one of the three acts thereon.
 
February 1985 saw the band attending Hawkon, the first ever Hawkwind
convention, held at the Manchester Exhibition Centre, the convention
drew well over a thousand fans and featured rare live videos and film
footage along with other Hawkwind rarities such as rare albums,
posters, photographs and stage props dating back to the band's earliest
tours.  The whole event culminated in a huge jam featuring the current
line up along with a handful of ex-band members guesting on various
numbers.
 
Following the success of the Hawkon the band set out on a mini tour
during June to start working in new material for a new album, based on
Michael Moorcock's "Elric" stories.  A sudden upturn in media interest
resulted in them being asked to record a new session for BBC's Friday
Rock Show and appearing live on Channel 4's Heavy Metal TV show, ECT.
Hawkwind (now comprising: Dave Brock; guitar and vocals, Harvey
Bainbridge; keyboards, Alan Davey; Bass, Huw Lloyd Langton; Guitar and
vocals and new boy Danny Thompson on drums) locked themselves away in
Rockfield studios to record "The Chronicle Of The Black Sword" for
Flicknife Records.  To coincide with the album, they took on tour a
huge "Elric" production, with stage sets, slide shows, costumes and
mime artists.  A video of the "Chronicle" tour filmed at Hammersmith
Odeon in 1986 was released on Jettisoundz.
 
They followed up with a double "Live Chronicles" album on GWR Records
in 1987, then in May 1988 released a new studio album "The Xenon Codex"
on the same label.  Their live appeal continued to grow, headlining in
London and elsewhere huge open-air concerts, as well as benefits for
Robert Calvert's family following his untimely death.  In late 1988 a
double-album "The Travellers Aid Trust" featuring Hawkwind together
with various other like-minded bands was released on Flicknife.
 
Hawkwind continue to be faithful to both their music and fans resulting
in a loyalty from audiences which looks set to continue for at least
another twenty years.
 
Source: thanks to K. Needs/F. Gloder/M. Banks.
 
(Material reproduced from the sleeve notes of the album "Ridicule", on
Obsession Records; UK: OBSESS LP 1, Germany: EFA 75191 04 LP,
France: NEW ROSE NR 315)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review:

I did this for the Hawkwind/ Blue Oyster Cult mailing list. The problem
was that there are quite a few Hawkwind albums, a lot of them
compilations and so it's not clear which ones a fan has gotta get, which
ones are kinda optional, and which ones are for completists only. Once
you see the size of this list, you'll know which category I come into :-)


1970  Hawkwind  [re-released as pic disk 1980] also as "Rock File"

weird and not the established Hawkwind style, but since it's their first
album it's a "must have". The Seeing It As You Really Are track is great.

1971  In Search Of Space  [originally contained booklet: The Hawkwind Log]

a "must have"

1972  Doremi Fasol Latido  [orig. contained Star Rats poster]

A "must have"

1972  The Text Of Festival: Live 1970-2 (live)

Poor sound quality live album. Mostly jamming tracks. nah, don't bother.

1973  Space Ritual Alive (live) [double album.  Contained open-out sleeve]

Definitely a "must have"

1973  Bring Me The Head Of Yuri Garagin (live) [ = Early Daze ]

Another poor quality live compilation. Don't bother

1974  Hall Of The Mountain Grill

If you don't have this then you don't have a hawkwind collection

1975  Warrior On The Edge Of Time

Ditto for this one. It's vinyl only though. Amazing album.

1976  Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music

Possibly their poorest studio album. I'd still get it for "Reefer
Madness", "Steppenwolf", and "Kadu Flyer" though.

1976  Roadhawks  (studio material w/remixes by Brock)

One of the better compilations, and an official one. Remixed live
version of Shouldn't Do That. Get this one.

1977  Quark Strangeness And Charm

A "must have"

1978  PXR5

same lineup as Quark. Another "must have"

1978  Hawklords - 25 Years On 

Different but definitely worth getting.

1979  Hawkwind Live '79

One of the best live albums. Gotta get this one.

1980  Levitation  [original release was on blue vinyl]

A "must have"

1981  Sonic Attack

If Doremi blew you away, this one'll do the same. 

1981  Sonic Assassins  12EP  [live recording from '77]

Quirky, but worth getting. Authentic live Hawkwind sound.

1981  Hawkwind Zoo 12EP

Quirky again but good in a way.

1982  Victoria double album

My opinions vary on this one. It's rare though and it certainly isn't a
bad album. Worth having.

1982  Church of Hawkwind [originally with booklet]

The most electronic of Hawkwind's albums. Get it if you can.

1982  Choose Your Masques

A "must have"

1982  Hawkwind Live at Stonehenge and Watchfield (Festival Records)

A bootleg. Not brilliant sound. Rare anyway, so expensive.

1982  Friends And Relations - Hawkwind
1983  Friends And Relations II  (Twice Upon A Time)
1985  Friends And Relations III
1988  Best of Hawkwind Friends & Relations CD

Depends how interested you are in the Hawkwind spinoff bands really.

1983  Zones  [also released as pic disk]

Some good tracks. Not the most powerful album but definitely worth getting.

1984  The Earth Ritual Preview (EP)

Same comment as for the above.

1984  Stonehenge (This Is Hawkwind/Do Not Panic) (live) [LP & EP]

Another not so great sound quality live album. But this one does have
something. 

1985  The Chronicle Of The Black Sword

A "must have"

1985  Space Ritual II  

not as good sound as Space Ritual. It's okish though.

1985  Live Chronicles (live)

A "must have"

1985  Ridicule (live 1973)

The other half of Space Ritual II. Same comment

1985  Welcome To The Future (Mausoleum Records)

Another not so good live compilation

1985  Live '70/'73

Yet another not so good live compilation

1986  Independent Days, Vol. I

Rare now. It's a bit like the Friends & Relations stuff.

1986  Independent Days, Vol. II

Ditto.

1987  Out And Intake

Ditto again, but I would get this one. It has something.

1987  Hawkwind Box Set - The Official Picture Log Book

Depends if you have the stuff in it already. The package is a good one
though.

1988  The Xenon Codex

This took a while but it grew on me. Get it.

1988  Zones/Stonehenge CD

On balance worth getting if you see it.

1988  Spirit of the Age CD

There are two of these. The earlier one of Charisma (76-78) stuff is
good. The later one is just another compilation. Depends which of the
tracks you already have.

1988  Hawkwind Live  [German CD: Imtrat]

This is just Space Ritual II

1990  Space Bandits

I still don't like all of this album but the good tracks are good. It's
an official album though. Depends on your attitude.

1991  Palace Springs (live)

Good modern live album. Get it.

1991  Hawkwind: Space Rock from London 

If you see this, grab it with all your hands. It's a remixed version of
the BBC disk and it is absolutely awesome live early hawkwind. You might
never listen to Doremi or Space Ritual again ;-)

1991  The Golden Void [Live at Glasgow Apollo 19/10/82]

official bootleg? poorish sound. It was a great gig though. Consider it.

1991  The Never Ending Story of The Psychedelic Warlords [Live 1990]

Comes with the Gigi Marinoni lyric book. Good sound, though not my fave
tracks. The package is worth getting IMHO, though not everyone agrees.

1972  Glastonbury Fayre (with various artists)

Earliest Hawkwind it's possible to get. Silver Machine and Welcome. the
rest of this triple LP set is other bands. UK Hippy stuff. Out on CD now
though. It's up to you.

1972  Greasy Trucker's Party

Similar to above though just Hawkwind and Man. Awesome early live Born
To Go and Master of the Universe. Watch out though, there are two Greasy
truckers compilations. The other one has Gong et al on it.

1977  Masters of the Universe (Compilation)

Two LP's of this name. The early one is official and has "It's So Easy
on it". The other tracks appear elsewhere, but if you don't have 'em
then this is a good album. The later compilation of this name is just
another compilation.

1979  Repeat Performances (Compilation)

A Charisma Compilation. Good choice of tracks. get this one if poss.

1981  Hawkwind Live at the Bottom Line (New York 1978)

Bootleg. Sound is okish. Up to you.

1981  Hawkwind at Glastonbury 1981

Tape only. I was there. Awesome gig. Get it if you can.

1984  Utopia 1984

A good compilation. Worth getting.

1985  In The Beginning  (Live "Top Gear" BBC Session 1970)

Early hawkwind. Good sound. I'm for some reason not so keen on this one
though. Mileage may vary.

1986  Angels of Death

Compilation of RCA stuff mostly. It's ok.

1986  The Hawkwind Collection

Double album. A good compilation. Wortyh having.

1986  The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. I LP
1986  The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. II LP
1986  The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. III LP
1986  The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. I CD
1986  The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. II CD

The three anthologies are just the same as the Acid Daze anthologies. I
think the two CD's don't cover all the tracks on the three LP's, though
the Acid Daze CD's do. There are also vinyl box sets of both. They're
ok, a cross between just another compilation and a good history of the
band. The later Hawkwind Anthology 3-CD set is better though since Brian
Tawn picked the tracks. You're more likely to see that one anyway. It's
in a blue box with red ~Hawkwind" lettering.

1986  The Approved History of Hawkwind  (Samurai Records)

The above in a box set.

1987  British Tribal Music (live, compilation) [Good sound quality.  Digitally

As it says, good sound but really just another compilation. Not a great
choice of tracks.

1987  Early Daze

Just another compilation. Not a great choice of tracks.

1988  Traveller's Aid Trust (with various artists)

Sort of a live Friends & Relations. not great really.

1989  Night of the Hawk [Powerhouse Compilation]

Just another compilation.

1989  Ironstrike [Avanti Records ISTCD 004]

Another compilation. Not bad though.

1990  Stasis - The U.A. Years 1971-1975  LP

A good compilation. Rare singles mixes of tracks. Worth getting.

1990  Night Riding

Just another compilation. Goodish though.

1990  The Best and the Rest of Hawkwind  [Action Replay records.

Just another compilation. Not so good.

1990  The Best of Hawkwind (volume #2 of Metal Classic series by EMI)

Cassette only. Just another compilation.

1991  The Early Years Live EP

4 tracks. I like 'em. Vinyl only. Worth getting.

1991  Masters of The Universe [ Marble Arch Rock CMA CD 129]

The "other" album of this name. Not so worth having as the early one.

1991  The BBC Radio Disc 

The "lost" BBC disk. Gotta get this one if you can't find the better
mixed "Space Rock From London" CD of the same gig.

1991  Spirit of The Age [on "Elite". Different from 1988 Charisma compilation]

Just another compilation. Good tracks though.

1991  Castle Masters Collection

Just another compilation. Not bad.

1991  Friday Rock Show - Live at Reading '86

If you liked Live Chronicles then this is the one for you. Screamin'
live Hawkwind. Amazing stuff. Get it.

1992  Electric Teepee - double album, a "must have"

1992  Mighty Hawkwind Classics CD: a compilation of 4 EP's: Hawkwind
Zoo, Earth Ritual Preview, Motorhead/Valium Ten, Sonic Assassins. It's
hard to get the EP's so this is a "must have".

1992 The Hawklords Live: Live stuff from the 1978 tour. Definitely worth
having.

1992 This is Hawkwind: Do Not Panic - all but two tracks of this are on
the Zones/Stonehenge CD. It depends on how much you want "Stonehenge
Decoded" and yet another version of "Watching the Grass Grow". If you
don't have the double CD though, this is a *kicking* live album so get
this version.

1992 The Psychedelic Warlords: limited edition CD from Rock Cave. It's
similar to "Stasis" in that it concentrates on the UA years 1971-1975
with the emphasis on the singles b-side mixes. Again, definitely worth having.

1992 California Brainstorm  - Live US tour 1990. Similar to Palace
Springs but shares only one track. Some good live tracks like Reefer
Madness, Hassan I Sabha, Out of the Shadows, Night of the Hawk,
Ejection. Get this one.

1992 Hawkwind at Stonehenge 1983 - Yugoslavian bootleg of the Solstice
dawn concert on June 22nd 1983. Hawkwind in jamming mode with Nik
Turner's sax very much to the fore. The memory of them playing Spirit of
the Age as I stood within Stonehenge watching the Sun rise is kinda
etched into my brain so I'm a bit partial to this one. It's good though
and on the "must have" list.

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If you got this far and you want more info, get in touch.

FoFP

"I'm a digital citizen safe in my room
 I've got my video to relieve the gloom
 My mind's on a circuit with the news on the screen
 Life's a no-go area, it's so obscene"           -- Hawkwind "Right to Decide"
Newsgroups: rec.music.newage