NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/alt/rocknr/20149

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Newsgroups: alt.rock-n-roll,alt.music.progressive
Path: sparky!uunet!news!wrs.com!malcolm
From: [e-mail] (Malcolm Humes)
Subject: Re: STEVE HILLAGE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Keywords: acid gong hilage
Sender: [e-mail] (News Manager)
Nntp-Posting-Host: flat
Organization: Wind River Systems, Inc.
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 20:41:07 GMT
Lines: 414

[e-mail] (Alexander M. Dekhtyar) writes:

>    Hey,  if I'm right Steve Hillage was playing on some
>    mid 70-ies records of _Gong_.
>    Could somebody post his entire career ?
>

His entire career? Well, here's a considerable overview, but there's
probably a few gaps, and someone else will have to post the list of
every concert he ever played, this only covers recordings...  :^)

BTW, there's a few Hillage and Gong fans lurking over in alt.music.progressive.

Here's a discography Clive posted a while back, with some reposts of other
Hillage posts tagged on at the end:

>From: clive@mcdd1 {.uucp?} (Clive Backham)
Subject: Steve Hillage Discography
Date: 28 Oct 91 11:17:39 GMT

Someone asked for a Steve Hillage discography.   Sorry,  don't  remember
who it was.

This  almost  certainly  isn't  complete,  but  can  be   described   as
"extensive".   All  the  info  is  about  UK vinyl releases except where
explicitly stated otherwise.  The comments about content are, of course,
IMHO.   Nearly  all  Steve  Hillage's  and Gong's stuff can be basically
categorised as "psychadelic/space  rock/hippy-drippy",  but  is  usually
less  rambling  with  tighter  song  structures than that classification
implies.

1.  SOLO ALBUMS.

FISH RISING.  1975.  Virgin V2031

Effectively the first Gong album after Daevid Allen left and Steve  took
over leadership.  Long songs divided into many parts.  Main features are
a number of memorable riffs.

L.  1976.  Virgin V2066

Produced by Todd Rundgren, with Utopia  as  the  backing  band.   Has  a
vaguely  "eastern"  feel  to  it  in  parts.  Includes a cover of George
Harrison's "It's All Too Much", which  ends  with  a  blistering  guitar
solo; the kind that makes your jaw drop and you think "how the *&!% does
he play that!".  My favourite Hillage solo of all time.

MOTIVATION RADIO.  1977.  Virgin V2777

Produced by Malcolm Cecil, of Tonto's Expanding Head Band  fame.   First
album  with  a  "dedicated" Hillage backing band.  A very "happy" album;
all the songs are optimistic and other-worldly (and  make  you  want  to
throw  up  if  you  listen  too hard to the lyrics).  Loads of top class
guitar work.  The rhythm section is really tight and rocks well.   Steve
at his best.

GREEN.  1978.  Virgin V2098

Produced by Nick Mason (Pink Floyd's drummer).  Same band as "Motivation
Radio".   More  varied  material.  Less consistent, but of equal overall
quality.

LIVE HERALD.  1979.  Virgin VGD3502

Double album; 3 sides live, one side studio.  The CD has just  the  live
bits on a single disc.  Good live versions of songs from the first three
albums.  The studio side is very good, definitely not just fillers.

OPEN.  1979.  Virgin V2135

CD includes the studio side of "Live Herald".   Some  songs  are  almost
straight  rock,  the  others  more  in  keeping with Steve's traditional
style.  Confusingly has guest  appearances  by  Dave  Stewart  and  Dave
Stewart  (National  Health, Eurythmics).  The rhythm section is new, but
just as good as the earlier one.  (Same band is on the  studio  side  of
"Live Herald").

RAINBOW DOME MUSIC.  1979.  Virgin VR1

Oddball "new age" stuff.  Done as backing sounds for a laser lightshow.
Rambling,  gets  nowhere.   I  hate  it.   A  friend  of  mine  who is a
T.Dream/Klaus Schultz fan loves it.

FOR TO NEXT + AND NOT OR.  1982.  Virgin V2244 / OVED8

"And Not Or" was given away free with early copies of  "For  To  Next".
(Methinks  Steve  had just learned the BASIC programming language).  The
two albums appear together on a single CD.  "For  To  Next"  has  songs,
while  "And Not Or" is instrumental solos.  Unfortunately, Steve employs
the dreaded drum machine on these.  The songs are fairly bitter,  things
about  "missiles  cruising  round  the  town", and so on.  It seems like
Steve's dream of a better world had been shattered.

2.  WITH GONG AS A FULL BAND MEMBER.

FLYING TEAPOT.  1973.  Virgin V2002

First part of the Radio Gnome Trilogy.  Steve had only just joined,  was
still  finding  his feet, and is not particularly evident.  A very silly
album in the best Daevid Allen traditions.

ANGEL'S EGG.  1973.  Virgin V2007

Radio Gnome part 2.  The CD has an extra track that is left off  the  CD
of  "Gong  Live".   A  much more satisfying album than "Flying Teapot".
Still pretty silly, but musically has rather more to say.   For  Hillage
fans,  the  high  spot is "I Never Glid Before" which ends with a pretty
good solo.

GREASY TRUCKERS' PARTY #1, LIVE AT DINGWALL'S.  1973? ????

This  was  a  live  double  album  recorded  at  a  London  club  called
"Dingwall's".   Gong  is on one side only.  It's nearly 15 years since I
heard it.  As I recall, the numbers are mainly from "Angel's  Egg",  and
are fairly unremarkable.  Memorable only for a manic drum solo by Pierre
Moerlin (similar  to  the  end  of  "Percolations"  on  the  Gong  album
"Gaseuze!", on which Steve does not appear).

YOU.  1974.  Virgin V2019

Radio Gnome part 3.  The best album by the  classic  Gong  line-up.   By
this  time,  Steve  was clearly driving about half the band's material.
Although all tracks are credited to the whole band, "Master Builder"  is
obviously  largely  a  Hillage  composition,  and  includes  a riff that
reappears on a couple of his solo albums.  On "The Isle of  Everywhere",
Steve stretches the band out with a magnificent solo.

GONG LIVE.  1977.  Virgin VGD3501

Double album of various Gong line-ups.  The CD has one track missing  to
fit  it  on a single disc.  Steve is on all tracks.  Generally good, but
no real classic Hillage performances.  The BBC recordings on side 3  are
especially clean.

GONG EST MORT - VIVA GONG.  1977.  Tapioca (France) TP10002/3

Double live album of the Gong reunion gig at  Paris  Hippodrome  in  May
1977.   Steve  is  not  credited  on the sleeve (presumably due to legal
problems with Virgin; the inside photo even has his face  masked  out!),
but can clearly be heard.  Fairly rough recording but manages to capture
the atmosphere.  Again, no real classic Hillage parts.

LIVE AT PARIS BATACLAN, 1973.  1990.  Mantra (France) 025 [CD]

Unmemorable.

LIVE IN SHEFFIELD, 1974.  1990.  Mantra (France) 042 [CD]

Largely unmemorable.

3.  OTHER BANDS / GUEST APPEARANCES.

KHAN: SPACE SHANTY.  1972.  DERAM SDLR11

Steve is clearly leader of this band.  Surprisingly good  for  an  early
effort.    Recognisably  Hillage  song  structures,  with  some  obvious
influence from Dave Stewart (of Egg at the time), who also appears.

KEVIN AYERS: BANANAMOUR.  1973.  Harvest ????

Steve plays lead guitar on "Shouting in a  Bucket  Blues".   Includes  a
pretty good solo.

PARAGONG: PENTAGRAMASPIN.  1973.  Virgin ????

Daevid Allen & Gilli Smyth temporarily left Gong after "Flying  Teapot",
and  the  rest  of the band toured for a while as "Paragong".  The track
"Pentagramaspin" appears on a Virgin records  compilation  album  called
"V".

EGG: THE CIVIL SURFACE.  1974.  Virgin/Caroline C1510

Steve guests on the track "Wring  Out  the  Ground",  but  is  not  very
obvious.

GONG: SHAMAL.  1975.  Virgin V2046

Steve left Gong shortly after the success of "Fish  Rising".   This  was
their   first   album  after  that.   Steve  plays  on  two  tracks.   A
transitional album for Gong, after which Pierre Moerlin took control and
the style changed to heavily percussive jazz/rock.

THE ORB: ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ULTRAWORLD.  1991.  ????

New age meets dance.  Steve is on a couple of tracks, maybe  more;  it's
difficult to tell.  Dreadful.  (My friend who likes "Rainbow Dome Music"
really likes it).

SYSTEM 7: ????  ????  ????

Nearly as bad as the Orb stuff.   My  friend  with  strange  tastes  :-)
really  loves this album.  I've only heard it on a tape he made for me.
There are a couple of places where  the  classic  Hillage  guitar  style
comes through, but overall it's all very sad.

4.  SINGLES.

I only buy albums, so don't know anything about these.

I do know a 12" single of "Kamikazi Eyes" (shorter  version  appears  on
"For To Next") was released.

I once possessed a 7" of "Leylines to Glassdom" which was given  out  to
attendees of a Hillage gig at the London Rainbow in 1977.  Presumably it
was given away at all gigs on that tour, so it shouldn't be  too  rare.
Anyway, this version has never been released.  It's completely different
(better, IMHO) to the version on "Green".  Unfortunately, I gave it away
when  I  bought  a Linn LP12 deck (no 45 rpm).  Definitely worth seeking
out if you're heavily into Hillage.


Clive Backham, McDonnell Douglas Information Systems, UK
Phone:    [phone]
E-mail:    mcsun!uknet!mcdd1.uucp!clive


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In recent years Hillage has been working in the Techno-dance music arena,
with his project, SYSTEM 7, and frequently collaborating with The Orb.


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

> I've heard he's worked with Tony Banks and Orb lately and would like
> to know more about what he's done in recent years.

>From: "Paul S. Casey" <[e-mail]>
I can't give you any details, but here's what appears on the latest from
System 7:

-------------------------------------
Title: none
Catalog number: DIXCD102 Ten Records Ltd.
Country: ?

1. Sunburst (Alex Paterson/Steve Hillage/Miquette Giraudy) -        7:25
    Produced by Youth and Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Youth and Thrash.
    Published by Orb Music/Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

2. Freedom Fighters (Steve Hillage/Aniff Cousins/Zoe) -            5:21
    Verse vocal by Aniff Cousins.
    Chorus vocal by Zoe.
    Backing vocals by Aniff Cousins and Miquette Giraudy.
    Produced by Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Steve Hillage/Thrash/Greg Hunter.
    Published by Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd./Big Life Music/
        Copyright Control.

3. Habibi (Steve Waddington/Steve Hillage/Olu Rowe/Miquette Giraudy) -    6:10
    Vocals by Olu Rowe.
    Backing vocals by Olu Rowe/Roxanne Stehens.
    Wah wah guitar by Steve Waddington.
    Produced by Steve Hillage and Steve Waddington.
    Mixed by Thrash.
    Published by Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        BMG Music (Publishers) Ltd.

4. Altitude (Derrick May/Steve Hillage) -                5:59
    Produced by Derrick May and Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Derrick May.
    Published by Zomba Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

5. Bon Humeur (Steve Hillage/Olu Rowe/Miquette Giraudy) -        7:27
    Vocals by Olu Rowe.
    Produced by Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Thrash.
    Published by Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        BMG Music (Publishers) Ltd.

6. Fractal Liaison (Derrick May/Steve Hillage) -            2:09
    Produced by Derrick May and Steve Hillage.
    Mixed live to DAT.
    Published by Zomba Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

7. Dog (Alex Paterson/Steve Hillage/Aniff Cousins/Miquette Giraudy) -    5:53
    Produced by Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Thrash.
    Published by Orb Music/Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        Copyright Control.

8. Thunderdog (Alex Paterson/Steve Hillage/Miquette Giraudy) -        2:26
    Produced by Steve Hillage and Alex Paterson.
    Mixed by The Orb.
    Published by Orb Music/Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

9. Listen (Derrick May/Steve Hillage) -                    6:24
    Produced by Derrick May and Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Thrash.
    Published by Zomba Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

10. Strange Quotations (Steve Hillage/Mick Mcneil/Olu Rowe) -        6:36
    Accordion by Mick Mcneil.
    Vocals by Olu Rowe.
    Produced by Steve Hillage.
    Published by Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        BMG Music (Publishers) Ltd.

11. Miracle (Alex Paterson/Paul Oakenfold/Steve Hillage/Miquette
             Giraudy/Andy Falconer) -                    7:09
    Additional programming by Andy Falconer.
    Produced by Steve Hillage.
    Mixed by Thrash.
    Published by Orb Music/Circa Music/Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd./
        Copyright Control.

12. Over and Out (Steve Hillage/Miquette Giraudy) -            3:28
    Produced and mixed by Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy.
    Published by Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

 [e-mail] (Todd Madson) wrote:
>and he also produced some new wave bands
>in the mid to late eighties, but hip hop and house?  Methinks something weird
>is afoot.

Larry Spence wrote:
I don't see what's so weird about it.  Hillage has been into funk, sequenc-
ers, and a certain three-letter drug (no! not PCP!) for a long time.  Folks
like Dr. Alex (Orb) are coming at the same thing from a slightly different
angle (a one-letter drug, maybe? %).  Listening to the full-length (2 CD)
_Ultraworld_, I think that Stevo fits in perfectly.  Too bad they deleted lots
of it for the cheapo US release... %(

When I heard _For To Next_ (long after it was released), I got the impression
that he was getting tired and didn't have quite the enthusiasm he once had
(_And Not Or_ is great stuff, but wisely is all-instrumental).  My guess is
that he finally gave up on trying to spread his hippie philosophy around in
an unsupportive environment.  Finally, in the late 80s, the retro-60s/rave type
stuff started up, and Steve decided to join in.  Just my theory, I haven't read
any interviews with him in many years.

I agree that _Motivation Radio_ is great; I wore out my tape of it a long time
ago.  Time to get the CD, I guess.  There are some killer guitar parts on that
album!  Of course, the lyrics give a lot of people nausea...

Obscure Hillage question: when, on the _Motivation Radio_ track "Light in the
Sky," M. Giraudy says, "It's a blimp, Frank!" (in a voice that makes the
"Little Fluffy Clouds" babe sound straight as an arrow), what old Frank Zappa
track is this a reference to?

--
Larry Spence
[e-mail]
....{uunet,texsun,cs.utexas.edu,decwrl}!csccat!larry

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>From: [e-mail] (D. Owen Rowley)
>Subject: Re: System 7

[e-mail] (mohsen.gamshad) writes:
>Does anyone have, or heard, the new album by Steve Hillage (sp?) under the name
> of System 7.

Yes.. I was in London a few weeks ago and picked it up at Virgin.
At that time no other major music emporiums were selling it.
Perhaps that has changed in the meantime.

>I read in the NME that the album is a massive collaboration with
> The Orb, among others.

Yes , Hillage is working with the Orb, and gigging with them too.
It was a serious dissapointment that i could not attend a show which
featured both Orb and system seven..
I was there for it but had other commitments.
I'm told that Hillage Jams with Orb regularly at their performances, and am
hoping that he will be present when they perform here in san Francisco next
week.

>In the same issue of the NME I read a review of the album
> and it was anything but good, although the writer of the article on System 7,
> in earlier pages, seemed to like the work.  Does anyone know what it sounds
> like and is it available in the states.

I like it a lot, but I'm a fan of hillages work, so predisposed to liking
everything he's done. Oddly enough I had been attracted to the Orb, before
I was told of hillages work with them . If you check the Orb's double album
you'll find that there are a few cuts with Hillage/Giraudy on them.
He also shows up on a recennt Bass-o-matic CD single ( fascinating rhythym)

This material probably isn't really a proper fit here in RMI, its soft, its
spacey, its  mellow.. Personally I have a wide spectrum of musical taste,
and enjoy the whole panoplay of types, My collection ranges from Ivor Cutler
to Nurse with wound, from Mike batt to Current 93, I can easily mix disparate
types of music and enjoy myself immensely. The only people I've ever met who
have wider range of taste in music are M jones and J Dauber, I'm sure there
are lots more like that here in RMI, I've just not met them :-)

Anyway ..back to Hillage..
Are you also into Gong?
Mother Gong is touring you know?
the whole Gong thing is starting to thrive again, I saw Mother Gong in a
double bill with Magick Brother ( a new daevid allen project) in London back
in early october.. There is an organisation called G.A.S. ( Gong
appreciation society) which sells tapes and records and cd's..
many are live performances, many are rare and tremendous, some are common
and droll..
I don't have the information with me right now, but will post something
about it soon, or you can write to me.

LUX .. owen

--
D. Owen Rowley {uunet,fernwood,sun}!autodesk!owen
  "It's just around the corner" ...Nigel Whitfield

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