Mark Paytress talks to the ever-present guitarist and vocalist about Hawkwind's lengthy career
Dave Brock: You're right, but there are a lot of releases that I don't even know about!
RC: Why does this stuff keep turning up?
DB: Well, take Samurai Records, for instance. Because there was so much compilation and re-released material about, Jim White thought it would be a good idea to bring together a catalogue of all our own stuff that we liked, in the hope of stopping all that. But we never got any royalties out of the "Anthology" sets we did with them, and as far as we know they've sold around 66,000 of that triple set. Then he sold the catalogue on to various companies. We were never told what was going on so eventually we sued him. The contents of those three albums are now spread across something like ten discs. But they aren't the only ones who've not been paying us royalties.
DB: I wish I could, but it really depends on these companies getting in touch with us. They must know we're still around, 'cos every time we tour, there are three or four compilations put out to tie in with it. It's really confusing for the fans and annoying for us. We even tried to stop Dave Anderson at Demi-Monde, who used to be in the group. He got a lot of stuff through Nik Turner, much of which was badly recorded. Looking back, at least the "Space Ritual Vol.2" album, which is basically the out-takes from the original album, is a legitimate release, not a load of old crap that someone's recorded on a cheap tape recorder.
RC: Couldn't you go back, remaster the old records, add a few relevant rarities and reactivate the back catalogue in a way that will both please the collector and elevate the band's best work? Or even compile a retrospective box set, with a detailed booklet?
DB: That's what I hope Douglas Smith is doing. We've got the Flicknife stuff, and I think he's gonna do the deal through Castle, 'cos they've got the GWR and Legacy material. The three RCA albums are in the hands of Kingsley Ward, and I've been trying to get him to release them for the last three or four years.
RC: What about the United Artists material?
DB: Well, they still own the rights to that. I write to these companies sporadically, but I'm sure the letters end up in the bin!
RC: You'd been playing in bands for several years before the formation of Hawkwind, and some of these recordings have turned up on the Weird Tapes series. There are rumours that, as Famous Cure, you released a single in Holland during the late 60s.
DB: Yes, that was the only thing we did. It was blues, basically. I've got the original tape. We did a tour in Holland with a circus in 1967 under the overal title 'Tent 67'. We were the B-group on a bill that included the top Dutch bands like Cuby and the Blizzards and Golden Earring, and we all played in front of a big psychedelic light-show in a tent. One of the tracks Famous Cure recorded was "Sweet Mary", and the single got to something like No. 5 in the Dutch chart. But we didn't have any work permits and so we got kicked out of the country.
RC: How did that develop into Hawkwind?
DB: Well, the blues went into psychedelia, making weird noises on the guitar. In fact, I'd gone back to busking in the streets and I met up with various characters including Don Partridge...
RC: Of "Rosie" fame?
DB: ...that's right. He became a very well-known busker! He decided to get a tour of buskers together, and we travelled round the country in a double-decker bus. Out of that came a buskers' album, and I decided to form a group which then became Hawkwind. Don Poole, who worked for Essex Music, told me that if I got a band together, I could do some tapes, so we went off to EMI's Abbey Road studios in a little room down there, and recorded "Hurry On Sundown", which has since been released by Flicknife. The band then was called Hawkwind Zoo. This was in 1969.
RC: Give or take the odd Joe Meek record, Bowie's "Space Oddity" and some of the early Floyd's material, Hawkwind are always depicted as the real pioneers of 'space rock', enhanced with effects and stage shows. Who was the prime motivator behind that?
DB: Space was the final frontier. I mean, we all used to read science-fiction magazines and books. We began making weird noises, like putting a steel rod along the guitar strings, and using echo units. Then Dik Mik joined and got an audio generator and echo unit. Actually, there used to be a 60s band called Silver Apples, who consisted of a drummer and a guy with about six audio generators.
RC: Did they make any records?
DB: Yeah, they made a couple of albums, "Silver Apples" and "Contact", I think. Anyway, Dik Mik got the audio generator, then Bob Calvert, who was a poet, joined us and on we went from there.
RC: Was the pull of your origins as a Ladbroke Grove community-type band part of the reason why you didn't follow-up the surprise success of "Silver Machine"?
DB: We did follow it up! We actually released "Urban Guerilla", but at that point, the IRA had let a load of bombs off in London. The single had gone straight into the charts, but the BBC didn't like the words, which were about urban warfare, and wanted to ban it from airplay. Bob and Nik's place in Gloucester Road got raided by the secret services, which was probably also linked with the fact that we were doing lots of benefits for anarchist-type units, the White Panthers and all that, "Frendz" magazine, centres of alternative thinking. So United Artists got cold feet, and decided to withdraw all copies from the shops. That would have been a Top Five single and who knows what would have happened then.
RC: Do you see the United Artists years as the band's golden age?
DB: It was a successful time. Looking back, I think we lived life to excess, I couldn't do it now. We went to America, where we were supported by several bands who've gone on to become very big now. We were playing big 8-12,000 [seat] venues, and "Warrior On The Edge Of Time" was very successful over there.
RC: Was Lemmy, who was with the band during the early 70s, just as much the rock'n'roll nutcase then as he's well known for now?
DB: He hasn't changed that much! The band had a lot of characters in it in the 70s. The music biz was a bit more avant-garde in those days than it is now.
RC: He seemed to ride the punk rock thing well with Motorhead, whereas Hawkwind developed into the Hawklords and went through a sticky patch. Did you see the writing on the wall?
DB: Well, Johnny Rotten came in to see us one night with his minder. There was a knock at the door and this bloke says "Is it alright if Johnny comes in and has a word with you?" There was just Bob Calvert and me there. And he came in, shook our hands and said, "If it wasn't for you, I doubt if I would have got all this together". That was quite nice, and in our way, we probably influenced a lot of those people.
RC: New generations of fans, including some who probably weren't born when "Silver Machine" charted, still warm to the band. What is it that continues to excite younger audiences?
DB: We always had that reputation of being an alternative band and our shows are very good. But I wouldn't keep on doing it unless I actually enjoyed it.
RC: Didn't you insist on a vinyl pressing of the new "Electric Tepee" album?
DB: The reason we wanted vinyl is that I didn't have a CD player and I'm sure there are a load of other people who are still in the same boat. I must admit I actually went out yesterday and bought one.
RC: Are you preparing for the festival season this year?
DB: At the moment, we're not doing anything, though we'll probably do two or three. We've been working really hard, doing this album and then the tour, it was five months on the go. As we're down to a three-piece now, we have to compensate. When our guitarist Huwie left, it took me about a year to actually get back to playing guitar. I'd sunk back into playing keyboards a bit more. Now I've Midi-ed the guitar to the keyboards so I can play both, and you have to really pay attention to do that.
RC: Does it still feel like Hawkwind, with you being the only original member?
DB: Sometimes it does!
RC: Do you ever play with Nik Turner or any of the others?
DB: No. I haven't seen them for years. Lemmy's played with us a few times on and off. He's the only one I ever see, actually - I'm a bit of a recluse now. And Nik's got a farm in West Wales, where he plays in a group with all his family.
RC: Are there many studio out-takes from the band's career?
DB: I've got some 24-track tapes here. I was on the phone to some of the people who do acid house stuff who'd sent me a letter and a tape of them sampling Hawkwind material. And they said "Are you interested?" So I got back to them and sent them a tape to see what they'd do with it. I heard a band called Beautiful People who sampled a Hendrix guitar solo and it's highly exciting, hearing modern music and all of a sudden Hendrix comes flying out of the speakers.
RC: What about left-overs from album sessions?
DB: I think there is stuff left over, but I haven't got those. I'd imagine EMI would have some. There was even a good video made when we were at Charisma to accompany the Hawklords album. I'd love to see that again. I've also been trying to get hold of the "Silver Machine" clip which the BBC have got. They had a film crew at Dunstable, and recorded about half-an-hour of the show, which was where the "Silver Machine" clip for "Top Of The Pops" came from.
Brian Tawn tracks the solo career of the late poet, novelist and songwriter
Following the success of "Silver Machine", Robert Calvert left Hawkwind in November 1973, having already released his first single, "Ejection", with musicians culled mainly from the band. Early copies, which came in a Rodney Matthews' picture sleeve, and featured a slightly different mix to the ones released in a plain sleeve, are currently valued at around £20.
Calvert's first solo album, "Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters", appeared in May 1974. While all copies of the album were housed in a gatefold sleeve and came with a stapled lyric booklet, the labels on early and later pressings differed. Initially the plain United Artists ones were used, but after a while, blue labels bearing the "Starfighter" logo appeared. Copies adorned with the latter also came in an inner sleeve with a similar design. When sales were hit by the cancellation of a promotional tour, the album soon became collectable and the complete package currently sells for up to £30.
Collectors unable to locate a copy were delighted when BGO reissued it in 1987 in its' original gatefold cover, complete with lyric book, followed by a CD the following year. One song in the booklet, "The Widow's Song", was excluded from the album, but was recorded in 1984 for the "Hawkwind Friends and Relations Vol. 3" album. Robert's only other activity in 1974 was guesting on two
Calvert's second album, "Lucky Leif and the Longships", emerged in September 1975, by which time he'd rejoined Hawkwind, this time as principal lyricist, vocalist and frontman. This LP too, was reissued by BGO in its' original gatefold and laster on CD. Interestingly, one track, "The Making Of Midgard", has a different arrangement on these reissues.
Firmly esconced in Hawkwind, Robert's only solo material until 1979 was his poetry book, "Centigrade 232" (Quasar, 1977) and his Jimi Hendrix play, "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice", which was first performed in 1976 and has been revived at various times since.
In 1979, having left Hawkwind for the last time (although he later made occasional guest appearances), Calvert recorded a one-sided green vinyl flexi-disc single, "Cricket Star", as Robert Calvert's 1st XI, which has since proved quite elusive.
A further literary excursion occured when New English Library published Calvert's novel, "Hype", in 1981, while A-Side issued his album of the same title, using the same cover artwork. Flicknife had already, in 1980, released a single with different mixes of two of the tracks, "Lord Of The Hornets" and "The Greenfly And The Rose". This was then reissued in 1981 with black sleeve print instead of the original purple design. Incidentally, "Hype" was reissued by See For Miles in 1991 on vinyl and CD, complete with a new cover and notes.
During the 80s, Robert Calvert performed many stage shows, plays and musicals. Material recorded at one of his Krankschaft Cabaret shows appeared on an obscure and unusual album called "Ersatz" by the Imperial Pompadours (Pompadour POMP 001, 1982). The brainchild of Barney Bubbles, the record featured music by Inner City Unit and Robert Calvert's Krankschaft Cabaret, though all remained officially anonymous. Difficult enough to find at the time, this is now extremely scarce.
Freq
Robert's own recording career got back into gear in 1985 with a short album called "Freq". Copies can still be found, but Anagram (a division of Cherry Red) are scheduled to issue it on CD as "Freq Revisited", with two extra tracks and sleeve-notes.
Calvert's last studio LP, "Test Tube Conceived", appeared on Demi-Monde in April 1986, and on CD by the obviously-named CD label in 1987. The project led to a play of the same title, and Robert's career seemed once again to be gaining momentum. On October 1st 1986 he played what he considered to be the highlight of his solo career, a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. The gig was recorded and intended for release on his cassette label, Harbour.
Robert's Harbour Publications began in 1986 with his second book of poems, "The Earth Ritual". The label then concentrated on cassettes, starting with 1987's "Centigrade 232", a reading from his book. Next came some of his demos on two volumes of "The Cellar Tapes". The following year promised two further tapes, one of him reading "The Earth Ritual" book and a tape called "Live At The Queen Elizabeth Hall". These two were certainly advertised, but tragedy struck when Robert died at his home in Kent on August 14th. As a result, it seems unlikely that copies of either tape were ever distributed.
However, "Live At The Queen Elizabeth Hall" surfaced posthumously on Clear Records. An impressive, mail-order-only package, including the album in a gatefold sleeve, a poster, a badge and a T-shirt, this limited edition is now almost impossible to find. Shortly before he died, Robert recorded an LP with Amon Düül, which subsequently appeared as "Die Lösung", (Demi-Monde DM 1015) credited to 'Amon Düül with special guest Robert Calvert'.
Interest in Robert's career still continues. Not only is the "Freq Revisited" CD planned, but Cyborg has released a cassette EP titled "Revenge", consisting of four previously unissued songs. At the time of writing, Beat Goes On are still planning to release their fourth Robert Calvert CD, the rare Clear album "At The Queen Elizabeth Hall", later this year.
As for possible future projects, many unreleased demo recordings exist, as do live tapes of Robert with various support acts like Krankschaft Cabaret, the Starfighters, Maximum Effect and others. Because interest in his career is still strong, I'm sure that plenty more recordings will eventually see the light of day.
Brian Tawn examines the writer's work on record
Living in West London, Moorcock became immersed in science fiction, music and the underground movement, so it was perhaps inevitable that he would cross paths with Hawkwind. The union came when, around 1970, Hawkwind were playing a free Saturday afternoon gig under the Westway (the raised section of the A40 by Ladbroke Grove). Mike turned up with a couple of poems and was invited to perform them with the band.
Many of Hawkwind's songs and albums have been Moorcock-inspired, and Mike has often been closely involved with the band. During the "Space Ritual" era, he regularly stepped in for Robert Calvert when Robert was not available, but it wasn't until 1975's "Warrior On The Edge Of Time" album that Mike entered the studios with the band. This LP featured three Moorcock poems (two spoken by Mike) and one of his songs, "Kings of Speed", which was chosen as a single.
Banjo
In 1978, Mike decided that his next Jerry Cornelius novel, "The Entropy Tango", which was to contain some lyrics, should be sold with an album of songs, which he duly recorded with Pete Pavli (ex-High Tide) as a demo tape. In fact, the project fell though, but the book was later published by New English Library, albeit without the LP. The only vinyl airing of the material came when extracts from the demos appeared on the "Hawkfan 12" fan club album. The title song was also performed by Moorcock, Pavli and Adrian Shaw at Nik Turner's Bohemian Love-In at the Roundhouse in June 1978.
Very basic demos were also made of the songs relating to Moorcock's book "Gloriana", but the project was never completed.
Mirrors
In 1979, Blue Oyster Cult's "Mirrors" album (CBS 86087) made use of the writer's song "The Great Sun Jester". Then in 1980, their "Cultosaurus Erectus" LP (CBD 86120) featured his "Black Blade", while 1981's "Fire Of Unknown Origin" (CBS 85137) carried "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars", which was also used in the film "Heavy Metal", and appeared on the soundtrack (Epic EPC 88558, 1981). Blue Oyster Cult also included "Black Blade" and "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" on their "Extraterrestrial Live" double-album (CBS 22203, 1982). Anyone wishing to collect these Blue Oyster Cult sets should watch out for the poster which came with initial copies of "Cultosaurus Erectus".
An EP of songs to accompany his book, "The Brothel In Rosenstrasse", was to have been released by Flicknife but this was abandoned. Instead, Cyborg issued a cassette EP of it in 1992, a decade after Flicknife released the "Brothel In Rosenstrasse"/"Time Centre" single, using a heavy vinyl disc and limiting the issue to 500 numbered copies in a picture sleeve, with a lyric sheet signed by Mike. "Good Girl, Bad Girl", together with "Time Centre" (which is also on the "Best of Hawkwind Friends & Relations" CD) appeared on "Hawkwind Friends & Relations". Another guest appearance occured in 1980, when A-Side released Robert Calvert's "Hype" album (reissued by See For Miles in 1989), with Moorcock playing 12-string guitar.
Masques
Michael continued to make occasional guest appearances on stage with Hawkwind, and in 1981, the first studio version of "Sonic Attack" appeared on the band's album of the same name, along with "Coded Languages", performed by Mike.
The following year, Hawkwind recorded Moorcock's "Choose Your Masques" and "Arrival In Utopia" on their "Choose Your Masques" LP, while 1983 saw Michael performing his "Running Through The Back Brain" on the "Zones" album, also issued as a picture disc.
Hawkwind recorded the "Chronicle Of The Black Sword: album in 1985, based on Mike's "Elric of Melniboné" books. When the group performed the stage show, Mike guested at two or three gigs, reciting four Elric poems to fit in with the story. Three of these appear on the "Chronicle Of The Black Sword" video. Meanwhile, GWR issued a double-album of the bulk of the show (excluding Mike's poems) in 1986 (issued on CD and cassette, with new notes, by Castle in 1992). During the ensuing promotional tour, Mike guested at London's Hammersmith Odeon for the encore and performed "Warrior At The End of Time" and "Coded Languages", both of which turned up as bonus tracks on the "Out & Intake" CD, where the incorrect title "Warrior On The Edge Of Time", was used.
Since then, music has taken a back seat while Michael Moorcock concentrates on his novels, However, when Guest of Honour at the Atlanta Fantasy Convention, Mike took to the stage with several friends, and I'm sure we'll see him do it again.
Those wishing to explore Michael Moorcock's writings further should refer to "Book & Magazine Collector" magazine issue 29 for an interview and issue 59 for a full bibliography of his fantasy books.
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