Hawkwind - BBC4 30th March

...I guess it's always difficult to document a band like Hawkwind on TV due to the relative paucity of contemporary footage. That said although I enjoyed the documentary (let's face it MTV/VH1 aren't going to schedule such a programme)I felt there wasn't as much "meat" as I'd hoped for.
Much of the music BBC 4 broadcasts has played a major part in the lives of 50+ guys like myself ....for years "our music" has been studiously ignored by mainstream TV (is BBC 4 mainstream?) so I'm not going to unduly critisise beeb researchers having a crack at such a difficult subject as Hawkwind.

I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of people watching tonight were already fairly clued up and were fans of the band (my better half finds the Hawks unlistenable!) so perhaps it could have been more "muso" orientated rather than concentrating on Hawkwind's outsider status and the copious amounts of acid the various members dropped.

If the Space Ritual tour had happened today the footage would have been available on CD/DVD in full DTS surround sound but sadly it appears no real quality visual footage was ever recorded in 1973.

..Still I have my memories!

I don't believe any dvd could do justice to Hawkwind - not only is it the music, the light or should that be vision) show but the atmosphere. Now if we could have smellyvision...

Nick Turner made me laugh seeing the footage of his unicorn hairstyle. The first time I saw Nick Turner sporting that haircut he was dressed up in a luminous skeleton body suit.

Interesting, but I'd like to have heard from Dave Brock, as he's always been Mr Hawkwind to me.

quote:

Interesting, but I'd like to have heard from Dave Brock, as he's always been Mr Hawkwind to me.

But that is why he wasn't on the programme, Hawkwind was not one man but a band< Brock took it over even trademarking name for himself ( without anyone else knowing), most of old original band will have nothing to do with him. He will not appear on any show with any of them-note that Lemmy was on side of Turner as was Moorcock. For me the spirit still lives on in Nik Turners Space ritual-go and see them if you can, guaranteed nostalgia.
TV gave nothing rally new but was fun, best bit the TOTP recording of Silver Machine.

Steve

Blimmin' missed it!!! I was so stoned by the time it came on I passed out. Anyone knowe if it's on again sometime?
(Okay...the sky box failed to record)

Rasher
Not scheduled to be repeated yet - but it no doubt will be. In the meantime you could always watch Val Donnican Rocks Sun 8th April 21:15 - 22:15.
Steve

Don't worry. BBC4 have a habit of repeating these docs a half-dozen or so times after the original broadcast. Not sure if you're being tongue in cheek re: the jazz woodbines. I used to LOVE Hawkwind, Gong, Hillage etc as a kid. I saw the mighty 'Wind dozens of times, including twice at Stonehenge on the solstice sunrise. Then again, I was always off my face, I really can't listen to too much of this stuff these days (as a non-stoned adult). Still love Urban Guerilla though, nothing other than long haired punks.

Okay, I'll keep an eye out for a repeat.
Val Doonican will be good. Now.... where did I put my mirror?

quote:

Originally posted by SteveGa:
In the meantime you could always watch Val Donnican Rocks Sun 8th April 21:15 - 22:15.
Steve

Another date for the diary - Delaney's Donkey, O'Rafferty's Motor Car, Paddy McGinty's Goat and it's the hits that keep coming back - just makes you want to Walk Tall.

Set your Tivo for this one as well

Legends Sunday 15th April 2007, 19:00 to 20:00 repeated Wednesday 18th April 2007, 01:30 to 02:30

Documentary, using unseen footage and exclusive interviews, which follows the dramatic story of 'Forces Sweetheart' Dame Vera Lynn's rise to stardom, from the almost forgotten world of the big band singers of the 1930s to her battles with the BBC and her struggle to survive the musical chaos of the 1950s and 60s. Her three key songs during the war years epitomised the mood of the time - We'll Meet Again for optimism, The White Cliffs of Dover for patriotism and Yours was the love song.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
ROTF you said you only liked P/A/T/G/D.SO YOU DO HAVE ALL THE OTHER STUFF

Did I say I only liked Piper , I do like it and The Singles [Lucy, King Bee, Arnold, Candy, Emily, Scarecrow, Apples etc. ..] best by far; I also like Madcap and Barrett a lot. PF albums I have are The Singles, Piper, Saucer, More, Atom, Meddle, Obscured, DOSTM and the Wall. I used to have WYWH, but I loaned it to somebody and it never came back

Even saw PF without Sir Syd at Knebworth (74, I think), but remember Chelmsford Corn Exchange (67) more fondly.

So yes I do like the Floyd. The band is just fantastic that is really what I think, BTW which one's Pink.

It's with the Rolling Stones that I've never understood what all the fuss is about - couple of decent tracks, but nothing special. Certainly not in the Hawkwind class - IMO, of course

All the best, Rotf

I've just been playing Brainstorm off Doremi and immediately was reminded of Spinal Tap. Check out the vocals.

I'll tell you an ace 'Wind album: Warrior On The Edge Of Time (it was the one which had a gatefold sleeve which became a giant shield) from '75.

Assault & Battery/The Golden Void is one of the finest trascks they ever did. Magnu has an ace riff too. Lots of Mellotrons and Simon House's violins on this one.

I also love Quark Strangeness & Charm too, it's their wittiest record, while Astounding Sounds from '76 has a number of great instrumentals featuring some fab synths.

Nothing after Levitation does it for me I'm afraid, but in the 70s they were gods. And has anyone noticed how influenced by Can they were (this can only be a good thing)?

K

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin-W:
I'll tell you an ace 'Wind album: Warrior On The Edge Of Time (it was the one which had a gatefold sleeve which became a giant shield) from '75.

K

My favourite HW album too.

Ironic to see ambassadors of the counter culture riven by a dispute over rights to the name of the band.

I first saw them when they were The Hawklords, and they were very good. I saw them a few times after that, but without Calvert, and they'd become a bit less interesting. One thing I hadn't realised before seeing the BBC4 doc was how deranged Calvert was - I'd imagined he was just one of rock's likeable eccentrics.

I think Nik Turner's Xitindtoday has recently been reissued on CD.

Mark S

quote:

Originally posted by cider glider:
One thing I hadn't realised before seeing the BBC4 doc was how deranged Calvert was - I'd imagined he was just one of rock's likeable eccentrics.

Mark S

I didn't know Calvert was so out of control either, I just thought of him as Captain Lockheed.

quote:

I think Nik Turner's Xitindtoday has recently been reissued on CD.

Yes- and mighty fine it is.
It was reissued a few years ago but was "doctored""edited", this new expanded release is remastered and as Nik wanted it, includes the original flute recording from inside the pyramids- album is link between Hawkwind and Gong.

Steve

Bob was a diamond bloke, but spark mad would be putting it politely. The band eventually had had enough of his erratic behaviour and the end came when they abandoned him after a gig in Southern France and just left him to make his own way home.

To be fair to Dave Brock , no one is perfect by any means but he wasn't involved in the sacking of Lemmy. The rest of the band voted him out and then told Dave. Infact, they then tried to sack Dave, who was at the time, the only original member left in the band, Nik having already moved on.

Without Dave there would have been no Quark Strangeness/Astounding Sounds etc..

I suppose the question to ask is whose solo stuff sounds most like Hawkwind, and on that question, i think even the most anti Brock person would have to agree Dave's does.

BTW.. don't know if it was covered in the Documentary but Hawkwind, the name, came from the rancidness of Nik Turners flatulence.. :-)

quote:

Originally posted by Stevedog:
BTW.. don't know if it was covered in the Documentary but Hawkwind, the name, came from the rancidness of Nik Turners flatulence.. :-)

Yes it did mention that - the Hawk part coming from Michael Moorcock's History of the Runestaff in which Dorian Hawkmoon von Koln was the hero - well according to the doc.

I agree with you that Mr B was the mainstay of most of Hawkwind's greatest moments and that Mr C was very important too: Captain Lockhead is another fine album. I quite like Moorcock's New World's Fair, dude.

Captain Lockheed.. Definitely the Numero Uno concept album ever made..