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Hawkwind are an English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band known as one of the earliest
space rock
Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...
groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
,
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
and
psychedelic rock. They are also regarded as an influential
proto-punk band.
Their lyrics favour urban and
science fiction themes
The following is a list of articles about recurring themes in science fiction.
Overarching themes
* First contact with aliens
*Artificial intelligence
** Machine rule/Cybernetic revolt/ AI takeover
*Extraterrestrials in fiction
*End of humanit ...
.
Many musicians, dancers and writers have worked with the band since their inception. Notable musicians who have performed in Hawkwind include
Lemmy,
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pi ...
,
Robert Calvert,
Nik Turner and
Huw Lloyd-Langton
Richard Hugh "Huw" Lloyd-Langton (6 February 1951 – 6 December 2012) was an English musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock band HawkwindStrong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Rock Discography'', Canongate, , p. 466 at various times. ...
. However, the band are most closely associated with their founder, singer, songwriter and guitarist
Dave Brock
David Anthony Brock (born 20 August 1941) is an English musician. He plays electric guitar, keyboards, bass and oscillators. He is a founder, sole constant member and musical focus of the space rock group Hawkwind.Allmusic– Dave Brock biogra ...
, who is the only remaining original member.
Hawkwind are best known for the song "
Silver Machine
"Silver Machine" is a 1972 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single on 9 June 1972, reaching number three on the UK singles chart. The single was re-issued in 1976, again in 1978 reaching number 34 on the UK s ...
", which became a number-three UK hit single in 1972, but they scored further hit singles with "
Urban Guerrilla
An urban guerrilla is someone who fights a government using unconventional warfare or domestic terrorism in an urban environment.
Theory and history
The urban guerrilla phenomenon is essentially one of industrialised society, resting both ...
" (another Top 40 hit) and "
Shot Down in the Night
''Shot Down in the Night'' is a 1979 song written by Steve Swindells, who was at that time keyboardist with the UK rock group Hawkwind. Swindells and Hawkwind released different versions of the song as a single on 27 June 1980. Hawkwind's versi ...
". The band had a run of twenty-two of their albums charting in the UK from 1971 to 1993.
History
1969: formation
Dave Brock
David Anthony Brock (born 20 August 1941) is an English musician. He plays electric guitar, keyboards, bass and oscillators. He is a founder, sole constant member and musical focus of the space rock group Hawkwind.Allmusic– Dave Brock biogra ...
and Mick Slattery had been in the London-based
psychedelic band Famous Cure, and a meeting with bassist John Harrison revealed a mutual interest in
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
which led the trio to embark upon a new musical venture together. Seventeen-year-old drummer Terry Ollis replied to an advert in a music weekly, while
Nik Turner and Michael "Dik Mik" Davies, old acquaintances of Brock, offered help with transport and gear, but were soon pulled into the band.
Gatecrashing a local talent night at the
All Saints Hall
The London Free School (LFS) was founded on 8 March 1966, principally by John "Hoppy" Hopkins and Rhaune Laslett.
Description
The London Free School was a community action adult education project inspired by American free universities (and th ...
,
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...
, they were so disorganised as to not even have a name, opting for "Group X" at the last minute, nor any songs, choosing to play an extended 20-minute jam on
the Byrds
The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...
' "
Eight Miles High
"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby. It was first released as a single on March 14, 1966. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Sh ...
".
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
DJ
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
was in the audience and was impressed enough to tell event organiser, Douglas Smith, to keep an eye on them. Smith signed them up and got them a deal with
Liberty Records on the back of a deal he was setting up for
Cochise
Cochise (; Apache: ''Shi-ka-She'' or ''A-da-tli-chi'', lit.: ''having the quality or strength of an oak''; later ''K'uu-ch'ish'' or ''Cheis'', lit. ''oak''; June 8, 1874) was leader of the Chihuicahui local group of the Chokonen and principa ...
.
The band settled on the name "Hawkwind" after briefly being billed as "Group X" and "Hawkwind Zoo".
An
Abbey Road
''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It is the last album the group started recording, although '' Let It Be'' was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly ...
session took place recording demos of "
Hurry on Sundown" and others (included on the remasters version of ''
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
''), after which Slattery left to be replaced by
Huw Lloyd-Langton
Richard Hugh "Huw" Lloyd-Langton (6 February 1951 – 6 December 2012) was an English musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock band HawkwindStrong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Rock Discography'', Canongate, , p. 466 at various times. ...
, who had known Brock from his days working in a music shop selling guitar strings to Brock, then a
busker.
1970–1975: United Artists era
Pretty Things
The Pretty Things were an English band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the Unit ...
guitarist
Dick Taylor
Richard Clifford Taylor (born 28 January 1943) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and founding member of the Pretty Things.
Taylor was an early bassist for the Rolling Stones, but left the band to resume his studies at Sidcu ...
was brought in to produce the 1970 debut album ''
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
''. Although it was not a commercial success, it did bring them to the attention of the
UK underground scene, which found them playing free concerts, benefit gigs, and festivals. Playing free outside the
Bath Festival, they encountered another
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove () is an area and a road in West London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, passing through Kensal Green and Notting Hill, running north–south between Harrow Road and Holland Park Avenue.
It is also a name given ...
based band, the
Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies are an English rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and other stunts, ...
, who shared similar interests in music and recreational activities; a friendship developed which led to the two bands becoming running partners and performing as "Pinkwind". Their use of drugs, however, led to the departure of Harrison, who did not partake, to be replaced briefly by
Thomas Crimble (about July 1970–March 1971). Crimble played on
a few BBC sessions before leaving to help organise the Glastonbury Free Festival 1971; he sat in during the band's performance there. Lloyd-Langton also quit, after a bad
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
trip at the
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970.
The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...
led to a
nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...
.
Their follow-up album, 1971's ''
In Search of Space
''In Search of Space'' (also known as "X In Search of Space") is the second studio album from Hawkwind, released in 1971. It reached No. 18 on the UK Albums Chart.
Background
Bass player John A Harrison left just after recording the first album ...
'', brought greater commercial success, reaching number 18 on the UK album charts. This album offered a refinement of the band's image and philosophy courtesy of graphic artist
Barney Bubbles and underground press writer
Robert Calvert, as depicted in the accompanying ''Hawklog'' booklet, which would be further developed into the ''Space Ritual'' stage show. Science fiction author
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
and dancer
Stacia also started contributing to the band. Dik Mik had left the band, replaced by sound engineer
Del Dettmar
Del Dettmar (born 20 April 1947 in Thornton Heath, Surrey, England) is best known as synthesizer and keyboard player with the English space rock band Hawkwind from 1971 to 1974.
After leaving school he had a number of jobs including working in ...
, but chose to return for this album giving the band two electronics players. Bass player
Dave Anderson, who had been in the German band
Amon Düül II
Amon Düül II (or Amon Düül 2, PronunciationAmon Düül is a German rock band. The group is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of the West German krautrock scene. Their 1970 album ''Yeti'' was described by British magazine ''The W ...
, had also joined and played on the album but departed before its release because of personal tensions with some other members of the band. Anderson and Lloyd-Langton then formed the short-lived band Amon Din. Meanwhile, Ollis quit, unhappy with the commercial direction the band were heading in.
The addition of bassist
Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister and drummer
Simon King propelled the band to greater heights. One of the early gigs the band played was a benefit for the Greasy Truckers at
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...
on 13 February 1972. A live album of the concert, ''
Greasy Truckers Party
''Greasy Truckers Party'' is a 1972 live album by various artists recorded at a February 1972 Greasy Truckers concert at the Roundhouse in London. The concert featured three bands, Man, Brinsley Schwarz, and Hawkwind, and musician Magic Michae ...
'', was released, and after re-recording the vocal, a single, "
Silver Machine
"Silver Machine" is a 1972 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single on 9 June 1972, reaching number three on the UK singles chart. The single was re-issued in 1976, again in 1978 reaching number 34 on the UK s ...
", was also released, reaching number three in the UK charts. This generated sufficient funds for the subsequent album ''
Doremi Fasol Latido
''Doremi Fasol Latido'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Hawkwind. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios and released in 1972. It reached No. 14 on the UK album charts.
New members
The rhythm section of Dave Anderson and Ter ...
'' Space Ritual tour. The show featured dancers Stacia and Miss Renee typically performing either topless or wearing only body paint, mime artist Tony Carrera and a light show by
Liquid Len and was recorded on the elaborate package ''
Space Ritual
''The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London'' (commonly known as ''Space Ritual'') is a 1973 live double album recorded in 1972 by UK rock band Hawkwind. It is their fourth album, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the ...
''. At the height of their success, in 1973, the band released the single "
Urban Guerrilla
An urban guerrilla is someone who fights a government using unconventional warfare or domestic terrorism in an urban environment.
Theory and history
The urban guerrilla phenomenon is essentially one of industrialised society, resting both ...
", which coincided with an
IRA
Ira or IRA may refer to:
*Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name
*Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name
*Iran, UNDP code IRA
Law
*Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
bombing campaign in London, so the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
refused to play it and the band's management reluctantly decided to withdraw it fearing accusations of opportunism, despite the disc having already climbed to number 39 in the UK chart.
Dik Mik departed during 1973 and Calvert ended his association with the band to concentrate on solo projects. Dettmar also indicated that he was to leave the band, so
Simon House
Simon House (born 29 August 1948 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England) is a British composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind.
Career
Before his time with Ha ...
was recruited as keyboardist and violinist playing live shows, a North America tour and recording the 1974 album ''
Hall of the Mountain Grill
''Hall of the Mountain Grill'' is the fourth studio album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 1974. It is regarded by many critics as a career highlight.
Overview
The group's fourth studio album, it was the first by a new line-up that inc ...
''. Dettmar left after a European tour and emigrated to Canada, whilst
Alan Powell deputised for an incapacitated King on that European tour, but remained giving the band two drummers.
At the beginning of 1975, the band recorded the album ''
Warrior on the Edge of Time
''Warrior on the Edge of Time'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Hawkwind. Many of the lyrics are by Michael Moorcock, and the album is loosely based on the concept of Moorcock's novel '' The Eternal Champion''. It was the band ...
'' in collaboration with
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
, loosely based on his
Eternal Champion
The Eternal Champion is a fictional character created by British author Michael Moorcock and is a recurrent feature in many of his speculative fiction works.
General overview
Many of Moorcock's novels and short stories take place in a shared M ...
figure. However, during a North American tour in May, Lemmy was caught in possession of
amphetamine crossing the border from the US into Canada. The border police mistook the powder for cocaine and he was jailed, forcing the band to cancel some shows. Fed up with his erratic behaviour, the band dismissed the bass player replacing him with their long-standing friend and former Pink Fairies guitarist
Paul Rudolph. Lemmy then teamed up with another Pink Fairies guitarist,
Larry Wallis, to form
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
, named after the
last song he had written for Hawkwind.
1976–1978: Charisma era
Calvert made a guest appearance with the band for their headline set at the
Reading Festival
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
in August 1975, after which he chose to rejoin the band as a full-time lead vocalist. Stacia chose to relinquish her dancing duties and settle down to family life. The band changed record company to Tony Stratton-Smith's
Charisma Records
Charisma Records (also known as The Famous Charisma Label) was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der ...
and, on Stratton-Smith's suggestion, band management from Douglas Smith to Tony Howard.
''
Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music'' is the first album of this era. On the eve of recording the follow-up "
Back on the Streets" single, Turner was dismissed for his erratic live playing
[Hawkwind Family Tree, Pete Frame 1979] and Powell was deemed surplus to requirements. After a tour to promote the single and during the recording of the next album, Rudolph was also dismissed, for allegedly trying to steer the band into a musical direction at odds with Calvert and Brock's vision.
Adrian "Ade" Shaw
Adrian Shaw (born 2 January 1947 in Hampstead, North London), frequently known as Ade Shaw, is a musician primarily working in the psychedelic field. He has a long history dating back to the 1960s working with such acts as Hawkwind, - this page ...
, who, as bass player for Magic Muscle, had supported Hawkwind on the ''Space Ritual'' tour, came in for the 1977 album ''
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
''Quark, Strangeness and Charm'' is the seventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1977. It spent six weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at number 30.
This is Hawkwind's seventh studio album, hence "The Hawkwin ...
''. The band continued to enjoy moderate commercial success, but Calvert's mental illness often caused problems. A manic phase saw the band abandon a European tour in France, while a depression phase during a 1978 North American tour convinced Brock to disband the group. In between these two tours, the band had recorded the album ''
PXR5
''PXR5'' is the ninth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1979. It reached No. 59 on the UK album charts.
Overview
Allmusic referred to ''PXR5'' as "the last in the sequence of brittle, pop-inflected records the ...
'' in January 1978, but its release was delayed until 1979.
On 23 December 1977 in
Barnstaple, Brock and Calvert had performed a one-off gig with Devon band Ark as the
Sonic Assassins, and looking for a new project in 1978, bassist
Harvey Bainbridge
Harvey Frederick Bainbridge (born 24 September 1949, Dorset) is an English people, English bass guitar, bass and Keyboard (instrument), keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind.
Career
Bainbridge's f ...
and drummer Martin Griffin were recruited from this event.
Steve Swindells
Steve Swindells (born 21 November 1952) is an English singer-songwriter, keyboardist, party organizer, club promoter and journalist.
Life and career Early life
Swindells grew up in the Bath and Bristol area, dropping out of art college to play ...
was recruited as keyboard player. The band was named
Hawklords
Hawklords were an English music group active between 1978 and 1979. Members were from Hawkwind, who were inactive during that period, (Robert Calvert – vocals, Dave Brock – guitar and Simon King – drums) and a local Devon group named A ...
, (probably for legal reasons, the band having recently split from their management), and recording took place on a farm in Devon using a mobile studio, resulting in the album ''
25 Years On''. King had originally been the drummer for the project but quit during recording sessions to return to London, while House, who had temporarily left the band to join a
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
tour, elected to remain with Bowie full-time, but nevertheless contributed violin to these sessions. At the end of the band's UK tour, Calvert, wanting King back in the band, dismissed Griffin, then promptly resigned himself, choosing to pursue a career in literature. Swindells left to record a solo album after an offer had been made to him by the record company
ATCO Atco or ATCO may refer to:
Businesses
* ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies
** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company
* Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing ...
.
1979–1986: Bronze, RCA and independents
![Hawkwind_Donington_1982](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Hawkwind_Donington_1982.jpg)
In late 1979, Hawkwind reformed with Brock, Bainbridge and King being joined by
Huw Lloyd-Langton
Richard Hugh "Huw" Lloyd-Langton (6 February 1951 – 6 December 2012) was an English musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock band HawkwindStrong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Rock Discography'', Canongate, , p. 466 at various times. ...
(who had played on the debut album) and
Tim Blake
Timothy Blake (born 6 February 1952, in Shepherd's Bush, London) is a keyboardist, synthesist, vocalist, and composer working with Gong, Hawkwind and his Synthesizer and Light performances as Crystal Machine, with the French Light Artist Patr ...
(formerly of
Gong
A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
), debuting at the first Futurama (The World's First Science Fiction Music Festival) on 9 September in Leeds,
and then embarking upon a UK tour despite not having a record deal or any product to promote. Some shows were recorded and a deal was made with
Bronze Records
Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm.
History
Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up ...
, resulting in the ''
Live Seventy Nine
''Live Seventy Nine'' is a 1980 live album by Hawkwind recorded on their Winter 1979 UK tour. It reached #15 on the UK album chart.
This is a reconstituted Hawkwind with Brock, Bainbridge and King emerging from the dissolved Hawklords, joined ...
'' album, quickly followed by the studio album ''
Levitation
Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact.
Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
''. However, during the recording of ''Levitation'' King quit and
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pi ...
was drafted in for the sessions, but he chose to stay with the band for the tour, during which Blake left to be replaced by Keith Hale.
In 1981 Baker and Hale left after their insistence that Bainbridge should be dismissed was ignored, and Brock and Bainbridge elected to handle synthesisers and sequencers themselves, with drummer Griffin from the Hawklords rejoining. Three albums, which again saw Moorcock contributing lyrics and vocals, were recorded for
RCA/Active: ''
Sonic Attack
''Sonic Attack'' is the eleventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1981. It spent five weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #19.
After the departure of drummer Ginger Baker and keyboardist Keith Hale follow ...
'', the electronic ''
Church of Hawkwind
''Church of Hawkwind'' is the twelfth studio album by Hawkwind, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offer ...
'' and ''
Choose Your Masques
''Choose Your Masques'' is the thirteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1982. It spent five weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 29.
The group's line-up for this album remained unchanged from the pre ...
''. This band headlined the 1981
Glastonbury Festival and made an appearance at the 1982
Donington Monsters of Rock Festival, as well as continuing to play the summer
solstice
A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countr ...
at
Stonehenge Free Festival.
In the early 1980s, Brock had started using drum machines for his home demos and became increasingly frustrated at the inability of drummers to keep perfect time, leading to a succession of drummers coming and going. First, Griffin was ousted and the band tried King again, but, unhappy with his playing at that time, he was rejected.
Andy Anderson briefly joined while he was also playing for
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
, and
Robert Heaton
Robert Charles Heaton (6 July 1961 – 4 November 2004) was an English musician best known as the drummer in the English rock band New Model Army. Besides being the drummer for the band Heaton was also responsible for much of the band's son ...
also filled the spot briefly prior to the rise of
New Model Army.
Lloyd Langton Group drummer John Clark did some recording sessions, and in late 1983 Rick Martinez joined the band to play drums on the ''Earth Ritual'' tour in February and March 1984, later replaced by Clive Deamer.
Turner had returned as a guest for the 1982 ''Choose Your Masques'' tour and was invited back permanently. Further tours ensued with Phil "Dead Fred" Reeves augmenting the line-up on keyboards and violin, but neither Turner nor Reeves would appear on the only recording of 1983–84, ''
The Earth Ritual Preview
''The Earth Ritual Preview'' is a 1984 (see 1984 in music) EP by the English space rock group Hawkwind. It spent two weeks on the UK singles chart peaking at #86. The EP is included on the remastered version of '' The Chronicle of the Black Swo ...
'', however there was a guest spot for Lemmy. The ''Earth Ritual'' tour was filmed for Hawkwind's first video release, ''
Night of the Hawk
''Night of the Hawk'' is a 1992 techno-thriller written by Dale Brown. It is the sequel to the events of the ''Flight of the Old Dog'' in which a crew member - Dr. David Luger - sacrifices himself to save the Old Dog crew.
Plot
The novel prolo ...
''.
Alan Davey was a young fan of the band who had sent a tape of his playing to Brock, and Brock chose to oust Reeves moving Bainbridge from bass to keyboards to accommodate Davey. This experimental line-up played at the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1984, which was filmed and release as ''Stonehenge 84''. Subsequent personal and professional tensions between Brock and Turner led to the latter's expulsion at the beginning of 1985. Clive Deamer, who was deemed "too professional" for the band, was eventually replaced in 1985 by Danny Thompson Jr (son of folk-rock bassist
Danny Thompson
Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Mart ...
), a friend of Alan Davey, and remained almost to the end of the decade.
Hawkwind's association with Moorcock climaxed in their most ambitious project, ''
The Chronicle of the Black Sword
''The Chronicle of the Black Sword'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1985. It spent two weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #65. The album is based upon the adventures of Elric of Melnib ...
'', based loosely around the
Elric series of books and theatrically staged with Tony Crerar as the central character. Moorcock contributed lyrics, but only performed some spoken pieces on some live dates. The tour was recorded and issued as an album ''
Live Chronicles
''Live Chronicles'' is a 1986 album by Hawkwind recorded of a live performance of their ''The Chronicle of the Black Sword'' concept album based on the Michael Moorcock character Elric of Melniboné.
Overview
The original album release lacked ...
'' and video ''
The Chronicle of the Black Sword
''The Chronicle of the Black Sword'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1985. It spent two weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #65. The album is based upon the adventures of Elric of Melnib ...
''. The band also performed at the
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, durin ...
(World Science Fiction Convention) in Brighton.
![Vera Lynn, Hawkwind, and others at Crystal Palace Bowl, 24 August 1985](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Vera_Lynn%2C_Hawkwind%2C_and_others_at_Crystal_Palace_Bowl%2C_24_August_1985.jpg)
In August 1985, The band performed at
Crystal Palace Bowl
The Crystal Palace Park Concert Platform, formerly the Crystal Palace Bowl, is an outdoor stage and performance venue in Crystal Palace Park in the London Borough of Bromley.
History
The Crystal Palace Bowl was constructed in 1961. It origina ...
, with several other rock bands, for a benefit concert for
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.
Townsh ...
's
Double-O
Michael Aguilar, better known by his stage name Double-O (or Double O), is an American producer, DJ and one half of the acclaimed hip-hop group Kidz in the Hall.
Life and career Early life
Born in Brooklyn, , New York, United States, Double-O ...
anti-heroin charity. Lemmy and Stacia were reunited with the band for this event.
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...
closed the show.
1986–1999: GWR through to EBS
A headline appearance at the 1986 Reading Festival was followed by a UK tour to promote the ''Live Chronicles'' album which was filmed and released as ''
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
''. In 1988 the band recorded the album ''
The Xenon Codex
''The Xenon Codex'' is the fifteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1988. It spent two weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #79.
The group's line-up remained unchanged for three years. The album was r ...
'' with Guy Bidmead, but all was not well in the band and soon after, both Lloyd-Langton and Thompson departed.
Drummer Richard Chadwick, who joined in the summer of 1988, had been playing in small alternative free festival bands, most notably Bath's Smart Pils, for a decade and had frequently crossed paths with Hawkwind and Brock. He was initially invited simply to play with the band, but eventually replaced stand in drummer Mick Kirton to become the band's drummer to the present day.
To fill in the gap of lead sound, lost when Lloyd-Langton left, violinist House was re-instated into the line-up in 1989 (having previously been a member from 1974 until 1978), and, notably, Hawkwind embarked on their first North American visit in eleven years (since the somewhat disastrous 1978 tour), in which House did not partake. The successfully received tour was the first of several over the coming years, in an effort by the band to re-introduce themselves to the American market.
Bridget Wishart
Bridget Wishart (born 25 February 1962) is an English vocalist, musician and performance artist. She was a member of English rock band Hawkwind from 1989 to 1991. Wishart was the first woman to sing lead vocals in Hawkwind, and is the band's o ...
, an associate of Chadwick's from the festival circuit, also joined to become the band's one and only singing front-woman, the band had been fronted in earlier days by Stacia but only as a dancer. This band produced two albums, 1990's ''
Space Bandits
''Space Bandits'' is the sixteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1990. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #70.
By mid-1989, the group's line-up had changed once again. Guitarist Dave Brock, keyboar ...
'' and 1991's ''
Palace Springs
''Palace Springs'' is a 1991 live/studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind.
Although released in 1991, this album was recorded in 1989 prior to the previous album '' Space Bandits''. The first two tracks had been recorded with a m ...
'' and also filmed a one-hour appearance for the ''
Bedrock TV'' series with dancer Julie Murray-Anderson, who performed with Hawkwind between 1988 and 1991.
1990 saw Hawkwind tour North America again, the second instalment in a series of American visits made at around this time in an effort to re-establish the Hawkwind brand in America. The original business plan was to hold three consecutive US tours, annually, from 1989 to 1991, with the first losing money, the second breaking even, and the third turning a profit, ultimately bringing Hawkwind back into recognition across the Atlantic. Progress, however, was somewhat stunted, due to ex-member Nik Turner touring the United States with his own band at the time, in which the shows were often marketed as Hawkwind.
Still supporting Space Bandits, 1991 commenced with perhaps the most surprising Hawkwind tour in the band's history, without Dave Brock. Brock's temporary replacement was former Smart Pils guitarist Steve Bemand (who had played with Chadwick and Wishart in the Demented Stoats). The tour began in Amsterdam on 12 March and took in Germany, Greece, Italy and France before wrapping up in Belgium on 10 April after 24 dates.
In 1991 Bainbridge, House and Wishart departed and the band continued as a three piece relying heavily on synthesisers and sequencers to create a wall-of-sound. The 1992 album ''
Electric Tepee
''Electric Tepee'' is the seventeenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1992. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #53.
After a European tour in March and April 1991, long-standing bass guitarist and key ...
'' combined hard rock and light ambient pieces, while ''
It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous'' is almost devoid of the rock leanings. ''
The Business Trip'' is a record of the previous album's tour, but rockier as would be expected from a live outing. The ''
White Zone'' album was released under the alias Psychedelic Warriors to distance itself entirely from the rock expectancy of Hawkwind.
A general criticism of techno music at that time was its facelessness and lack of personality, which the band were coming to feel also plagued them.
Ron Tree
Ronald 'Ron' Tree (born 8 April 1963 in Leeds, England) is an English musician and songwriter, best known as frontman and bassist for the English space rock band Hawkwind from 1995 to 2002. He also played both these roles in the reunited Steve T ...
had known the band on the festival circuit and offered his services as a front-man, and the band duly employed him for the album ''
Alien 4'' and its accompanying tour which resulted in the album ''
Love in Space
''Love in Space'' is a 1996 live album by the English space rock group Hawkwind. It was recorded during the group's 1995 tour to promote the '' Alien 4'' album.
It was re-issued in 2009 with bonus tracks taken from the ''Love in Space'' EP.
...
'' and ''
video
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...
''.
In 1996, unhappy with the musical direction of the band, bassist Davey left, forming his own Middle-Eastern flavoured hard-rock group Bedouin and a Motörhead tribute act named Ace of Spades. His bass playing role was reluctantly picked up by singer Tree and the band were joined full-time by lead guitarist Jerry Richards (another stalwart of the festival scene, playing for Tubilah Dog who had merged with Brock's Agents of Chaos during 1988) for the albums ''
Distant Horizons
''Distant Horizons'' is the twenty-first studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1997.
Towards the end of 1996, Jerry Richards, who had been contributing lead guitar to some live dates and recording sessions, joined ...
'' and ''
In Your Area
''Hawkwind in Your Area'' is the twenty-second live/ studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind.
The live side was recorded during the group's 1997 tour to promote the '' Distant Horizons'' album. The studio tracks were recorded d ...
''. Rasta chanter Captain Rizz also joined the band for guest spots during live shows.
1999–2007: Anniversaries, disputes and Voiceprint
Hawkestra—a re-union event featuring appearances from past and present members—had originally been intended to coincide with the band's 30th anniversary and the release of the career spanning ''
Epocheclipse – 30 Year Anthology'' set, but logistical problems delayed it until 21 October 2000. It took place at the
Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...
with about 20 members taking part in a more than 3-hour set, which was filmed and recorded. Guests included
Samantha Fox
Samantha Karen Fox (born 15 April 1966) is an English pop singer and former glamour model from East London. She rose to public attention aged 16, when her mother entered her photographs in an amateur modelling contest run by ''The Sunday Peopl ...
who sang "Master of the Universe". However, arguments and disputes over financial recompense and musical input resulted in the prospect of the event being re-staged unlikely, and any album or DVD release being indefinitely shelved.
The Hawkestra had set a template for Brock to assemble a core band of Tree, Brock, Richards, Davey, Chadwick and for the use of former members as guests on live shows and studio recordings. The 2000 Christmas Astoria show was recorded with contributions from House, Blake, Rizz, Moorcock, Jez Huggett and Keith Kniveton and released as ''
Yule Ritual
''Yule Ritual'' is a 2001 live album by Hawkwind.
Track listing
#"Electronic Intro" (Hawkwind) – 4:27
#"Levitation" (Brock) – 8:47
#"Spacebrock" (Brock) – 6:08
#"Space Is Deep" (Brock) – 5:45
#"Flying Doctor" (Calvert, B ...
'' the following year. In 2001, Davey agreed to rejoin the band permanently, but only after the departure of Tree and Richards.
Meanwhile, having rekindled relationships with old friends at the Hawkestra, Turner organised further Hawkestra gigs resulting in the formation of xhawkwind.com, a band consisting mainly of ex-Hawkwind members and playing old Hawkwind songs. An appearance at Guilfest in 2002 led to confusion as to whether this actually was Hawkwind, sufficiently irking Brock into taking legal action to prohibit Turner from trading under the name Hawkwind. Turner lost the case and the band began performing as
Space Ritual
''The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London'' (commonly known as ''Space Ritual'') is a 1973 live double album recorded in 1972 by UK rock band Hawkwind. It is their fourth album, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the ...
.
An appearance at the Canterbury Sound Festival in August 2001, resulting in another live album ''
Canterbury Fayre 2001'', saw guest appearances from Lloyd-Langton, House, Kniveton with
Arthur Brown Arthur Brown may refer to:
Entertainment
* Arthur William Brown (1881–1966), Canadian commercial artist
* H. Arthur Brown (1906–1992), American orchestral conductor
* Arthur Brown (musician) (born 1942), English rock singer
* Arthur Brown, ak ...
on "Silver Machine". The band organised the first of their own weekend festivals, named
Hawkfest, in Devon in the summer of 2002. Brown joined the band in 2002 for a Winter tour which featured some
Kingdom Come songs and saw appearances from Blake and Lloyd-Langton, the Newcastle show being released on DVD as ''
Out of the Shadows'' and the London show on CD as ''
Spaced Out in London''.
In 2005 a new album ''
Take Me to Your Leader'' was released. Recorded by the core band of Brock/Davey/Chadwick, contributors included new keyboardist
Jason Stuart
Jason Stuart (born Stuart Ted Greif; January 13, 1959) is an American actor and comedian.
Life and career
Born in The Bronx, New York, Stuart was raised in Los Angeles, California. He is openly gay, and is the chair of the Screen Actors Guil ...
, Arthur Brown, tabloid writer and TV personality
Matthew Wright, 1970s New Wave singer
Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich (; born Lili-Marlene Premilovich; March 30, 1949) is an English-American singer, songwriter and musician. She first gained attention in 1979 with the release of her hit single "Lucky Number", which peaked at number 3 on the UK Singl ...
, Simon House and Jez Huggett. This was followed in 2006 by the CD/DVD ''
Take Me to Your Future''.
The band were the subject of an hour-long television documentary entitled ''Hawkwind: Do Not Panic'' that aired on
BBC Four as part of the ''Originals'' series. It was broadcast on 30 March 2007 and repeated on 10 August 2007. Although Brock participated in its making he did not appear in the programme, it is alleged that he requested all footage of himself be removed after he was denied any artistic control over the documentary. In one of the documentary's opening narratives regarding Brock, it is stated that he declined to be interviewed for the programme because of Nik Turner's involvement, indicating that the two men have still not reconciled over the xhawkwind.com incident.
December 2006 saw the official departure of Alan Davey, who left to perform and record with two new bands: Gunslinger and Thunor. He was replaced by Mr Dibs, a long-standing member of the road crew. The band performed at their annual Hawkfest festival and headlined the US festival Nearfest and played gigs in PA and NY. At the end of 2007,
Tim Blake
Timothy Blake (born 6 February 1952, in Shepherd's Bush, London) is a keyboardist, synthesist, vocalist, and composer working with Gong, Hawkwind and his Synthesizer and Light performances as Crystal Machine, with the French Light Artist Patr ...
once again joined the band filling the lead role playing keyboards and
theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
. The band played 5 Christmas dates, the London show being released as an audio CD and video DVD under the title ''
Knights of Space
''Knights of Space'' is a live album by Hawkwind recorded at their annual London Christmas gig at the Astoria on 19 December 2007 and released in August 2008. It is released as an audio (2x CD) and video (2xDVD)
Track listing
#"Black Corridor" ( ...
''.
2008–2016: Atomhenge and Eastworld
In January 2008 the band reversed its anti-taping policy, long a sore-point with many fans, announcing that it would allow audio recording and non-commercial distribution of such recordings, provided there was no competing official release. At the end of 2008, Atomhenge Records (a subsidiary of
Cherry Red Records) commenced the re-issuing of Hawkwind's back catalogue from the years 1976 through to 1997 with the release of two triple CD anthologies ''
Spirit of the Age (anthology 1976–84)'' and ''
The Dream Goes On (anthology 1985–97)''.
On 8 September 2008 keyboard player Jason Stuart died due to a brain haemorrhage. In October 2008,
Niall Hone
Niall Hone (born 24 June 1970) is an English musician, best known as a member of the UK space rock band Hawkwind from 2008 to 2017, and May 2018–2021. Hone has also been heavily involved in electronic dance music since the early 1990s.
Music ...
(former Tribe of Cro) joined Hawkwind for their Winter 2008 tour playing guitar, along with returning synth/theremin player Tim Blake. In this period, Hone also occasionally played bass guitar alongside Mr Dibs and used laptops for live electronic improvisation.
In 2009, the band began occasionally featuring Jon Sevink from
The Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its popul ...
as guest violinist at some shows. Later that year, Hawkwind embarked on a winter tour to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, including two gigs on 28 and 29 August marking the anniversary of their first live performances. In 2010, Hawkwind held their annual Hawkfest at the site of the original Isle of Wight Festival, marking the 40th anniversary of their appearance there.
On 21 June 2010, Hawkwind released a studio album entitled ''
Blood of the Earth
''Blood of the Earth'' is the twenty sixth studio album by the British space rock group Hawkwind, released on 21 June 2010.
Although it is a new studio album, there are some new versions of older songs. "You’d Better Believe It" was originall ...
'' on Eastworld Records. During and since the ''Blood of the Earth'' support tours, Hone's primary on-stage responsibility shifted to bass, while Mr. Dibs moved to a more traditional lead singer/front man role.
In 2011, Hawkwind toured Australia for the second time.
April 2012 saw the release of a new album, ''
Onward'', again on Eastworld. Keyboardist Dead Fred rejoined Hawkwind for the 2012 tour in support of ''Onward'' and has since remained with the band. In November 2012, Brock, Chadwick and Hone — credited as "Hawkwind Light Orchestra" — released ''Stellar Variations'' on
Esoteric Recordings
Esoteric Recordings is a UK independent record label specialising in 1970s progressive rock, folk, psychedelic, and jazz-rock reissues as part of Cherry Red Records. Its releases include both catalogue reissues and new works from artists who ...
.
2013 marked the first Hawkeaster, a two-day festival held in Seaton, Devon during the Easter weekend. A US tour was booked for October 2013, but due to health issues, was postponed and later cancelled.
In February 2014, as part of a one-off Space Ritual performance, Hawkwind performed at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire featuring an appearance by
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer.
Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of '' I, Claudius'', King Richard I ...
for the spoken word element of Sonic Attack; a studio recording of this performance was released as a single in September 2014. Later in the year, former Soft Machine guitarist
John Etheridge
John Michael Glyn Etheridge (born 12 January 1948) is an English jazz fusion guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator known for his eclecticism and broad range of associations in jazz, classical, and contemporary music. He is best known f ...
joined the live line-up of the band, though he had departed again prior to early 2015 dates.
Following Hawkeaster 2015, Hawkwind made their debut visit to Japan, playing two sold-out shows in Tokyo. Hawkwind performed two Solstice Ritual shows in December 2015, with
Steve Hillage guesting, and Haz Wheaton joining Hawkwind on bass guitar. Wheaton is a former member of the band's road crew who had previously appeared with Technicians of Spaceship Hawkwind, a "skeleton crew" spin off live band. Additionally, he had guested on bass for Dave Brock's solo album ''Brockworld'' released earlier in the year.
2016: Cherry Red projects
The band released ''
The Machine Stops
"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in ''The Oxford and Cambridge Review'' (November 1909), the story was republished in Forster's ''The Eternal Moment and Other Storie ...
'' on 15 April 2016, a
concept album based on
E.M. Forster
Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly '' A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910), and ''A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous short stor ...
's short story of the
same name.
Brock and Chadwick were joined on the recording by Hone, Dibs and Wheaton sharing bass duties, while Hone and Dead Fred contributed one solo piece each. The album entered the UK album chart at number 29. Dead Fred's last live appearance was at Eastbourne Winter Gardens on 1 April; Hone took on keyboard and synth duties until Blake returned for the summer shows.
The trio of Brock, Chadwick and Wheaton recorded the album ''
Into the Woods
''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'', released on 5 May 2017, with additional contributions from Dibs, Magnus Martin (whose band Tarantism had supported Hawkwind on many occasions) and Big Bill Barry.
Martin and saxophonist Michał Sosna (from Polish group hipiersoniK) joined the band for a 16-date UK promotional tour in the same month, and festival appearances at
Hellfest
Hellfest (), also called Hellfest Summer Open Air, is a rock festival focusing on heavy metal music, held annually in June in Clisson, France. Its high attendance makes it the French music festival with the largest turnover. It is also one o ...
,
Clisson
Clisson (; br, Klison), is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.
It is situated at the confluence of the Sèvre Nantaise and the Moine southeast of Nantes.
The town and the celebrated ...
, France in June and
Bluedot Festival at
Jodrell Bank Observatory
Jodrell Bank Observatory () in Cheshire, England, hosts a number of radio telescopes as part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. The observatory was established in 1945 by Bernard Lovell, a radio astro ...
,
Cheshire in July. The
Roundhouse gig, with a guest appearance from
Phil Campbell, was released as ''Hawkwind At The Roundhouse'' on 8 December in 2CD/DVD and 3LP formats.
For the ''Into The Woods'' tour the group had performed an opening acoustic set before the main set, and they decided to capture some acoustic performances of their 1970s repertoire in the studio. A chance meeting with
Mike Batt
Michael Philip Batt, LVO (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director and conductor. He was formerly the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.
Having achieved substantia ...
by Brock at the
US Embassy
The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
brought him into the project contributing production, arrangement and additional orchestrations. The album ''
Road to Utopia
''Road to Utopia'' is a 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, ''Road to Utopia'' is the fourth film of the "'' Road to ...
'' was released on 14 September 2018.
There was a guest appearance from
Eric Clapton, who Brock had performed with as a duo in the 1960s prior to his rise to fame in
The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
.
Batt conducted a series of concerts titled ''In Search of Utopia - Infinity and Beyond'' featuring the band and
Docklands Sinfonia Orchestra in October and November, with
Arthur Brown Arthur Brown may refer to:
Entertainment
* Arthur William Brown (1881–1966), Canadian commercial artist
* H. Arthur Brown (1906–1992), American orchestral conductor
* Arthur Brown (musician) (born 1942), English rock singer
* Arthur Brown, ak ...
guesting.
After the recording of the album but before the shows, both Wheaton and Dibs left, while Hone rejoined on bass. Wheaton went on to join
Electric Wizard
Electric Wizard are an English doom metal band from Dorset. The band formed in 1993 and have recorded nine studio albums, two of which have been considered genre landmarks: '' Come My Fanatics…'' (1997) and ''Dopethrone'' (2000). Electric Wi ...
, and Dibs stated "irreconcilable differences" on the Hawkwind fans Facebook page, Brock claiming "we propped the fella up and kept him in the band longer than he should have been, because we were genuinely concerned... about his state of mind."
In October 2019 the group released ''
All Aboard the Skylark
''All Aboard the Skylark'' is the thirty-second album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 2019.
Background
Some copies were issued as a Compact disc, 2CD set with an additional disc ''Acoustic Daze'', which was also issued as an independent ...
'', marketed as a return to their space rock roots. This was the first album with the line-up of Brock, Chadwick, Hone and Martin. Accompanying the CD version, and sold as a separate vinyl LP, was ''Acoustic Daze'' which included tracks from the ''Road to Utopia'' minus the additions of Batt and Clapton.
The album was promoted with a 15 date tour of Britain in November, culminating in a final show at London's
Royal Albert Hall. The group were augmented by keyboard player Blake, with guest appearances from
Phil Campbell and Clapton.
A record of the live show titled ''50th Anniversary Live'', with the guest appearance from Campbell, is released on 4 December 2020 by Cherry Red in 3LP and 2CD formats.
Brock had started work on new material in his home studio with some contributions from Chadwick and Martin when the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
spread curtailing any further band activity. Brock would continue work with remote contributions from Martin, and the album ''Carnivorous'' (an anagram of
coronavirus) was released in October 2020 under the name Hawkwind Light Orchestra to reflect the reduced personnel.
When the group returned to live performances post-COVID in late 2021, the line-up featured Brock, Chadwick, Martin and new members
Thighpaulsandra
Timothy Lewis – best known by the stage name Thighpaulsandra – is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist, known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. He began his career working with Julian Cope in the late 1 ...
on keyboards and Doug MacKinnon on bass, replacing Blake and Hone respectively. A new Hawkwind album, ''Somnia'', was released in September 2021.
Influence and legacy
Hawkwind have been cited as an influence by artists such as
Al Jourgensen
Alain David Jourgensen (born Alejandro Ramírez Casas; October 9, 1958) is a Cuban-American singer, musician and music producer. Closely related with the independent record label Wax Trax! Records, his musical career spans four decades. He is b ...
of
Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
,
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guitar) and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums); they have since gone through several lineup ...
, the
Sex Pistols (who covered "
Silver Machine
"Silver Machine" is a 1972 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single on 9 June 1972, reaching number three on the UK singles chart. The single was re-issued in 1976, again in 1978 reaching number 34 on the UK s ...
"),
Henry Rollins
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...
and
Dez Cadena
Dez Cadena (born June 2, 1961) is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1980 to 1983. Cadena played guitar with Misfits from 2001 to 2015, init ...
of
Black Flag,
Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Maire Fahey (; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later ...
,
Ty Segall
Ty (stylized as ty) is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It was founded by Ty Warner in 1986. It designs, develops and sells products, most notably Beanie Babies, exclusively to speci ...
,
The Mekano Set, and
Ozric Tentacles
Ozric Tentacles are an English instrumental rock band, whose music incorporates elements from a diverse range of genres, including psychedelic rock, progressive rock, space rock, jazz fusion, electronic music, dub music, world music, and ambi ...
.
Hard rock musician
Lemmy of the band
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
gained a lot from his tenure in Hawkwind. He remarked, "I really found myself as an instrumentalist in Hawkwind. Before that I was just a guitar player who was pretending to be good, when actually I was no good at all. In Hawkwind I became a good bass player. It was where I learned I was good at something."
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are an Australian rock band formed in 2010 in Melbourne, Victoria. The band's current lineup consists of Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Harwood and Michael Cavanagh. They a ...
told ''
Total Guitar
''Total Guitar'' is a monthly music magazine based in Bath, the United Kingdom, that has been in circulation since 1994.
The magazine is owned by Future plc, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to technology mag ...
''
that they were "...were listening to Hawkwind a lot" (while making their space rock album ''
Nonagon Infinity
''Nonagon Infinity'' is the eighth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 29 April 2016 on ATO Records. The album is designed to play as an "infinite loop" where each song segues i ...
)''.
Members
Current members
*
Dave Brock
David Anthony Brock (born 20 August 1941) is an English musician. He plays electric guitar, keyboards, bass and oscillators. He is a founder, sole constant member and musical focus of the space rock group Hawkwind.Allmusic– Dave Brock biogra ...
–
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
,
guitars,
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
, synthesisers
(1969–present)
* Richard Chadwick –
drums, vocals
(1988–present)
* Magnus Martin – guitars, vocals, keyboards
(2016–present)
*
Thighpaulsandra
Timothy Lewis – best known by the stage name Thighpaulsandra – is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist, known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. He began his career working with Julian Cope in the late 1 ...
- keyboards, synthesizers
(2021–present)
* Doug MacKinnon - bass
(2021–present)
Discography
* ''
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
'' (1970)
* ''
In Search of Space
''In Search of Space'' (also known as "X In Search of Space") is the second studio album from Hawkwind, released in 1971. It reached No. 18 on the UK Albums Chart.
Background
Bass player John A Harrison left just after recording the first album ...
'' (1971)
* ''
Doremi Fasol Latido
''Doremi Fasol Latido'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Hawkwind. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios and released in 1972. It reached No. 14 on the UK album charts.
New members
The rhythm section of Dave Anderson and Ter ...
'' (1972)
* ''
Hall of the Mountain Grill
''Hall of the Mountain Grill'' is the fourth studio album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 1974. It is regarded by many critics as a career highlight.
Overview
The group's fourth studio album, it was the first by a new line-up that inc ...
'' (1974)
* ''
Warrior on the Edge of Time
''Warrior on the Edge of Time'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Hawkwind. Many of the lyrics are by Michael Moorcock, and the album is loosely based on the concept of Moorcock's novel '' The Eternal Champion''. It was the band ...
'' (1975)
* ''
Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music'' (1976)
* ''
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
''Quark, Strangeness and Charm'' is the seventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1977. It spent six weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at number 30.
This is Hawkwind's seventh studio album, hence "The Hawkwin ...
'' (1977)
* ''
25 Years On'' – Released as
Hawklords
Hawklords were an English music group active between 1978 and 1979. Members were from Hawkwind, who were inactive during that period, (Robert Calvert – vocals, Dave Brock – guitar and Simon King – drums) and a local Devon group named A ...
(1978)
* ''
PXR5
''PXR5'' is the ninth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1979. It reached No. 59 on the UK album charts.
Overview
Allmusic referred to ''PXR5'' as "the last in the sequence of brittle, pop-inflected records the ...
'' (1979)
* ''
Levitation
Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact.
Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
'' (1980)
* ''
Sonic Attack
''Sonic Attack'' is the eleventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1981. It spent five weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #19.
After the departure of drummer Ginger Baker and keyboardist Keith Hale follow ...
'' (1981)
* ''
Church of Hawkwind
''Church of Hawkwind'' is the twelfth studio album by Hawkwind, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offer ...
'' – Released as Church of Hawkwind (1982)
* ''
Choose Your Masques
''Choose Your Masques'' is the thirteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1982. It spent five weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 29.
The group's line-up for this album remained unchanged from the pre ...
'' (1982)
* ''
The Chronicle of the Black Sword
''The Chronicle of the Black Sword'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1985. It spent two weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #65. The album is based upon the adventures of Elric of Melnib ...
'' (1985)
* ''
The Xenon Codex
''The Xenon Codex'' is the fifteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1988. It spent two weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #79.
The group's line-up remained unchanged for three years. The album was r ...
'' (1988)
* ''
Space Bandits
''Space Bandits'' is the sixteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1990. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #70.
By mid-1989, the group's line-up had changed once again. Guitarist Dave Brock, keyboar ...
'' (1990)
* ''
Electric Tepee
''Electric Tepee'' is the seventeenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1992. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #53.
After a European tour in March and April 1991, long-standing bass guitarist and key ...
'' (1992)
* ''
It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous'' (1993)
* ''
White Zone'' – Released as Psychedelic Warriors (1995)
* ''
Alien 4'' (1995)
* ''
Distant Horizons
''Distant Horizons'' is the twenty-first studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1997.
Towards the end of 1996, Jerry Richards, who had been contributing lead guitar to some live dates and recording sessions, joined ...
'' (1997)
* ''
In Your Area
''Hawkwind in Your Area'' is the twenty-second live/ studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind.
The live side was recorded during the group's 1997 tour to promote the '' Distant Horizons'' album. The studio tracks were recorded d ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Spacebrock'' (2000)
* ''
Take Me to Your Leader'' (2005)
* ''
Take Me to Your Future'' (2006)
* ''
Blood of the Earth
''Blood of the Earth'' is the twenty sixth studio album by the British space rock group Hawkwind, released on 21 June 2010.
Although it is a new studio album, there are some new versions of older songs. "You’d Better Believe It" was originall ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Onward'' (2012)
* ''Stellar Variations'' – Released as Hawkwind Light Orchestra (2012)
* ''
The Machine Stops
"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in ''The Oxford and Cambridge Review'' (November 1909), the story was republished in Forster's ''The Eternal Moment and Other Storie ...
'' (2016)
* ''
Into the Woods
''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'' (2017)
* ''The Road to Utopia'' (2018)
* ''
All Aboard the Skylark
''All Aboard the Skylark'' is the thirty-second album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 2019.
Background
Some copies were issued as a Compact disc, 2CD set with an additional disc ''Acoustic Daze'', which was also issued as an independent ...
'' (2019)
* ''Carnivorous'' – Released as Hawkwind Light Orchestra (2020)
* ''Somnia'' (2021)
Videography
* 1984 – ''Night of the Hawks'' – 60min concert
* 1984 – ''Stonehenge'' – 60min concert with
The Enid
The Enid are a British progressive rock band founded by keyboardist and composer Robert John Godfrey. Godfrey received his main musical education from The Royal College of Music. He is previously known for his work with Barclay James Harvest, ...
and
Roy Harper
* 1984 – ''Stonehenge'' – 60min concert
* 1985 – ''The Chronicle of the Black Sword'' – 60min concert
* 1986 – ''Bristol Custom Bike Show'' – 15min concert with Voodoo Child
* 1986 – ''Chaos'' – 60min concert
* 1989 – ''Treworgey Tree Fayre'' – 90min concert
* 1990 – ''Nottingham'' – 60min TV concert
* 1990 – ''Bournemouth Academy'' – 90min concert
* 1992 – ''Brixton Academy'' – 123min concert
* 1995 – ''
Love in Space
''Love in Space'' is a 1996 live album by the English space rock group Hawkwind. It was recorded during the group's 1995 tour to promote the '' Alien 4'' album.
It was re-issued in 2009 with bonus tracks taken from the ''Love in Space'' EP.
...
'' – 90min concert
* 2002 – ''Out of the Shadows'' – 90min concert
* 2008 – ''
Knights of Space
''Knights of Space'' is a live album by Hawkwind recorded at their annual London Christmas gig at the Astoria on 19 December 2007 and released in August 2008. It is released as an audio (2x CD) and video (2xDVD)
Track listing
#"Black Corridor" ( ...
'' – 90min concert
* 2014 – ''Space Ritual Live'' – 140min concert
References
Sources
*
Further reading
* Kris Tait – ''This is Hawkwind: Do Not Panic'' (1984, published by the band and now only available second hand)
* Ian Abrahams – ''Sonic Assassins'' (Published by SAF publishing; )
* Carol Clerk – ''The Saga of Hawkwind'' (Publisher: Music Sales Limited, 2004, )
*
Nik Turner,
Dave Thompson – ''The Spirit of Hawkwind 1969–1976'' (2015, Cleopatra Records, )
* Joe Banks –
Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground(''Strange Attractor Press, 2020'', ')
External links
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
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English progressive rock groups
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English space rock musical groups
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