planet gong news

news archive : 2001

System 7 releases in the bazaar now

The new CD, 'Seventh Wave' CD was released on Monday 24th September. Read all about it in the System 7 section in the bazaar… I think you'll find I'm keen on it.


New in the Bazaar

A couple of Steve related tracks gets the beautiful 'Krishna Beats' 2CD box set in the Hillage CD section.

In the Invisible Opera Co. of Tibet CD section is the very good 'The Early Years' CD by Fabio Golfetti. All the tracks are covers including Pink Floyd and Gong's 'Blues For Findley' from 'Continental Circus'.

There's also new 'Rarities' section in the Kazbah. At present it only contains one item, an 8 track cartridge of 'You', but more things of an exclusive nature will appear over time.


Audiophile Box Set with Daevid/Gong tracks

The Italian audiophile re-issue label Get Back are in the process of pressing a 5 or 6 LP compilation box set of Jazz tracks once released by BYG. A Daevid Allen track and a Gong track are included. I don't know what they are yet but if this collection follows the pattern of original BYG compilation LPs of the late '60s and early '70s they will probably come from 'Bananamoon' and 'Magick Brother'. Expect the same very high quality packaging and pressing as Get Back's other releases.

The set is actually not too expensive for such a beautifully produced item and will probably retail at around £40.00 mark. I'm not planning to stock this release on a regular basis, but if you think you would like to get hold of it please contact me. But remember the postage is going to be something else again… all that 180gm vinyl and thick card covers!


Make that Teiera Volante as well as Théière Volante

We now have an Italian saviour in the shape of Toni Colina. He has translated all of the trilogy and is now working on Camembert. I have only posted Flying Teapot and will get to the rest as soon as I can. This whole thing is turning into some kind of Gong correspondence language course. Soon you will be able to work your way round Europe speaking fluent PHP!


Theo Travis : Heart of the Sun - new CD

Theo's excellent new CD is now available, although the official release date is the 3rd September. I received it this morning and have played it non-stop. It's a masterful, atmospheric album with some wonderful performances by the line-up of great musicians. Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg is a revelation for me. Daevid also has a small guest spot on gliss guitar on one track.


Shamal Sampled

In reply to my questions about the rash of Shamal samples being used on dance CDs recently I received the following (I'm afraid I forget who it's from - sorry):-

"It's (the track) Oochie Wally on a record called 'Queensbridge's Finest'. It's been a big hit on the streets, you've heard it everywhere in the subway, etc. and it has had a lot of radio play, 'cause the radio version isn't as graphic as the version on the record.

I actually bought the disk 'cause I thought it was pennywhistles or something. It's on track 7 (or maybe 5). I've forgotten the group; it's a bunch of different groups from Brooklyn".


M. Luc Pilmeyer …the work continues… el alien replies

Keep track of the University of Errors US Tour (probably) at UofE website

Also… Real audio & mp3 of live tracks at http://www.universityoferrors.com/audios.html/ New webcartoon (21st century prog rock man-live) http://www.universityoferrors.com/uoevid.html/

POUR Dr Look Pimplemaya;

CHERIE AMIGO GAGA,

I watched your latest and concluded you are well mad. Thus i say to you CONGRATULATIONS! yOUE AREfunDEMENTALLY backwards & in reverse. This id SPLENDID! i HEREbye award you the BEARDED HONOUR of the QUIMSICK VALLEY plus pool. Relax well whilst not sleeping. I bow. I AM charmed & honored by your conTRIBUTIONS. WITH FOOL GRATEFRUIT & attributable results.


my remains,
the ultimately foolish
Dr alien banane
headMASTA
UNIperversity of er rror Z
goode afternude
DaeFit


Théière Volante anyone?

Thanks to the heroic work of Benoit Godfroy the lyrics of Flying Teapot in French have been posted. And now he's working on Angels Egg!


Buses Old & New

And while in bus-mode… For the first time we will be using a large sleeper bus on the forthcoming Gong Tours (cheaper than Hotels). So many a long mile and hour more than usual will be spent in each other's company. Time to meditate on the future of the Gong, conjure up wild plans, rebuild websites to someone's (anyones?) satisfaction, sketch out the next 23 albums and build useful paper-mache artifacts out of the small mountain of newspapers that accumulates (I think it's a nest building thing) and sample… er …things.


Lyrics posted

Thanks to Gong friend Benoit Godfroy a French translation of the lyrics of Gilli's new CD have been posted, he also helped greatly with a French version of the Mother lyrics which is being posted bit by bit. Also added are some more of the Mother lyrics we missed out, and one of Daevid's Brainville songs.


New and Expanded Categories

It seems a mite retro in this brave new digital age but there is now a Tape section in the bazaar. Just three in there at present, but there's's more to come.

All sorts of new entries in the book section, Daevid's illustrated writings such as 'What Happened To Walter' and the wonderful 'Book of Chloroforms', Gilli poems, lyric booklets and others things.

Note: We seem to be reaching the limits of the secure shopping cart system we are using at present and it adds VAT to the book orders. But… there is no VAT on books so we will deduct it from all book orders and only charge the cover price show by the shopping cart.

The flexible postage rate system often comes into play more so with orders of multiples of books than with other orders. Rest assured we will make the post and packing as reasonable as possible on all such orders.

And finally there is a special, very limited offer in the Poster section. It's a little pricier than usual but it's all in a very good cause… And anyway your children can sell it for 20,000 Martian Fumits, or whatever, in 50 years time.


Easy Maintenance : Glastonbury Assembly Rooms 23/6/01

It was never in doubt there would be some high points to this gig, the musicians involved were just too good for there not to be. But I must admit to being a just mite worried about the possible lows, especially when I discovered halfway through last week that all planned rehearsals had been abandoned and there was to be just a sound check on the day of the gig… I needn't have fretted at all.

The whole event easily exceeded my highest hopes for it. The set of almost two hours (after some of the best reggae/dub DJing you could hope for from Simon of the Invisibles… classic rockers throughout) was an onward, ever upward journey of pure improvised beyond, space-rock adventure. There simply were no lows, just intriguing, flexing, organically pulsing breathers before another push towards the high country.

I hadn't seen Kif-Kif behind a drum kit since 1977, he was as impassioned, powerful and musically flexible as I remembered, great to see him there. Twink's synthesizers bubbled and swooped away adding texture and classic adrenalin rush surges. And Steffe …well what can you say… simply superb. Armed only with a little amp, his Strat and a couple of basic pedals his palette of sounds was enormous and subtle. This was no simple psychedelic flash bang wallop. He brought all he has learnt from the ambient chill out rooms and the full on trance dance-floor experiments of recent years… but without playing either style …and brought it together with the joy of spacing out with his Here & Now mates of old, Kif-Kif and Twink. Add to that, on bass, Tim (Invisible) Flatus, who by turns anchored the whole expedition, embellished Steffe's sonic artistry and forged new melodic directions for the others to ride out on, all with a twinkle and a laugh, and you have some gig happening.

Graham Hinton dealt perfectly with the unique demands of operating a PA in the Assembly Rooms and at the same time caught the gig on a digital multi-track recording (which we are all eager to hear). There were good lights, lots of dancing children and happy faces all round.


more lyrics posted

The lyrics of Camembert Electrique, Flying Teapot, Electric Shiatsu and Shamal have been added to the lyric section. If you spot any glaring errors please tell us (Perhaps someone could start the topic of mis-heard Gong lyrics in the Forum).

I've also added the only lyrics on Didier's 'Bloom', those of 'Give a Chance To To-morrow', which for some reason weren't included in the new Voiceprint CD, unlike the original vinyl version which had a lyric insert.


Gong-ection Correction

Didier is free and will now be part of the Soupsongs Robert Wyatt band at the Royal Festival Hall in London later this month.


More Errors

Thanks to the tireless work of Professor Luc Pilmeyer a whole series of ERRORS bank notes similar to the one displayed on our homepage are now available from the Pataphysical bank at the University of Errors


New Didier Malherbe CDs

Didier's great re-issued albums Bloom and Faton Bloom are now in stock, much earlier than expected.


Glissando Guest

daevid guests on a track of Theo Travis' forthcoming CD 'Heart of the Sun'. The track is called 'Here's That Rainy Day' and the CD is due out at the end of August. Theo also tells me that the Alien Cipher ambient CD is coming along nicely and has reached the final mastering stage. It's hopefully to be available in time for the Autumn Gong Tours.


New York Gong vinyl

Italian vinyl re-issue specialist label Get Back have just released New York Gong's 'About Time' on vinyl. Should be good quality after their great job on Flying Teapot, Bananamoon and Jet Propelled Photograph. Not in stock yet.


Oh! …long sleeved Camembert t-shirts

Now that the hot weather is finally here I have found a forgotten box of long-sleeved Camembert Electrique T-shirts that we had made for the last Gong Tour. So wrap up warm and keep that ole sun at bay. They're available in the t-shirt section.


Gilli Smyth & aaevid allen lecture

On Saturday 12th June Gilli and Daevid were invited to talk at Lismore University in Australia about their experiences in the French Revolution in '68 and the continuing struggle for human rights. It was well attended received. It's of course apt that they were invited because as Gilli wrote in a recent email to me:-

…after all Gong was founded in the revolution, and relates to the revolution in so many ways, even in going to another planet and speaking in absurdity. Also remembering that Daevid and I had to flee for our lives (or our legs and testicles) in 1968.

Gilli has written a long piece on the lecture for inclusion in the next GAS mag… more of which very soon I promise.


Gong-nections at the Royal Festival Hall

As you might expect there are several Gongish links at the forthcoming 'Robert Wyatt's Meltdown 2001' series of gigs at the Festival Hall in London. Obvious ones are Bill Laswell, once of New York Gong, and Charles Hayward, a Gong drummer way back playing together. And then there's also Chris Cutler and Daevid's old mate Terry Rielly on different nights. But one connection you may not be aware of is that current Gong sax-miester, Theo Travis is part of Anja Garbarek's band playing on the 12th June. To strangely underline that link, as part of his 'regular' job, Gong Switchdoctor, David Id has been contracted to engineer the gig! One Gong-bond that won't be happening however is Didier as a member of the Annie Whitehead led 'Soupsong' Robert Wyatt tribute ensemble. He is unfortunately otherwise engaged this time. But there is a certain Mr Lol Coxhill playing instead.


Switch and American Express accepted

As there have been a some requests now the bazaar can accept Switch and American Express credit cards. We'll try running the American Express facility for a while to see if it works and there is demand. There are however aspects of their way of working I'm not entirely happy with, so I'm not promising it will remain an option. Accepting Switch cards should be here to stay.


last of the Gong 25th Birthday Party posters

While we are on mail order matters there are less than a dozen of the fabby Gong 25th Birthday Party posters left. So if you have been wanting but waiting… don't do it any longer.


more vinyl back in stock

Finally got round to putting some more of the vinyl on our shelves into the vinyl section. Some older releases and some of the recent Italian audiophile re-issues.


Zorch Glastonbury gig report

Saturday's Zorch gig at the Assembly Rooms in Glastonbury was a little jewel of a gathering.

After the hottest and sunniest day of the year so far in England we enjoyed an evening of engaging, often blissful synthesizer music enhanced by a beautiful lightshow. Many meetings and greetings took place as Zorch fans and friends from near and far (in distance and time) turned up. Half the Brooks clan came with Basil, David Id came down from London to join in, Kif Kif from Here and Now was there, a smattering of Invisibles, some intrepid GAS members, and many more. Most extrodinary of all Joie of Eat Static came from nearby Frome bringing along his neighbour. This turned out to be Hector Chrome, the first (sort of) Zorch manager, who nobody had seen since 1974!

Gwyo Zepix (over from Germany for this gig) and Basil, with a few days rehearsal under their belts, were in fine form. A very nice surprise addition to the whole package was Sousxie O'Neill (one time designer of Snapper's website) guesting serenely on Theremin.

To cap it all an very good multi-track recording of the whole event was made by Graham Hinton.

The gig was dedicated to Douglas Adams, writer of the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, who died early on Saturday morning. Basil had worked with him providing live sounds for a stage presentation of the Guide at he ICA in the late 70s, and of course the original radio series was tuned into ( often recorded), and loved by many us.

For many, many reasons a most memorable day.


Back in stock


Gilli Smyth: It's All a Dream - new CD

Available now exclusively from GAS.

A cross between the lyrical ambient beats of Even As We by Glo and her celebrated Mother LP and I think her best release since that album.

Among the partisipipants is Scott Tinkler, with some great muted Miles Davis inspired trumpet, lucious gliss guitar from Daevid and Harry Williamson weaving some magical acoustic, electric and angel guitar lines

The whole thing is brought together as a unified and unique whole by Orlando who with this release has really matured as a producer

Track Listing :

  1. I am invisible
  2. Dreaming
  3. Mysterious Stranger
  4. Taliesin
  5. Brink of the Future
  6. Robot
  7. Voices in your head
  8. Shia
  9. Another World
  10. Breathe Light
  11. Water
  12. Flower
  13. Goddess T and the Virgin Mary


Gong DVD Release?

Snapper Music are deciding whether to take up their option to release a Gong DVD of the Zero 2 Infinity CD launch gig/party at the Subteranean last April. If it is to happen I presume a release would coincide with the Autumn touring schedule. I will keep you posted.


new CDs to buy


More Gongish Music Now Available

The Bazaar, our secure online music & merchandosage emporium, is having a long overdue stock update:

Watch this space! Many more to be added over the next few days…


Gilli Smyth : It's All a Dream - forthcoming album

The Gilli album is finished and coming out shortly. More than a year in the making… it was originally conceived as a follow on to the Goddess T's 'Electric Shiatsu', but developed into Orlando's dance orientated album 'Tiger Eyes', which then split naturally into two CDs, one more Club mixes, the other, 'It's All a Dream', more ambient lyrical dub.

It was composed and produced by Orlando, and shaped by the atmospheres of the lyrics.

There are several well-known guests including Scott Tinkler on trumpet, Daevid Allen glissando, Tom the World Poet and Harry Williamson on guitar. Orlando remixed "I am you" for the Gong "You" remixes, created "Cyberwhale" (released on Gong "Family Jewels") for the Hervey Bay Whale Sanctuary, has dance tracks on Edgecore (Australia) releases, and others coming out in Germany.

Gilli is inspirer of bands Goddess T, Mother Gong, and Gong Matrix and the female voice of Gong all through (alias Shakti Yoni). She is known for her seductive voice and spoken word.

Taliesin is the baby on the front cover of the Gilli's 'Mother' album. Now in his adult form he tells the bardic story of 'Taliesin' by Taliesin (6OO CE) on this album. Gilli Smyth releases page

track listing:

  1. I am invisible
  2. Dreaming
  3. Mysterious Stranger
  4. Taliesin
  5. Brink of the Future
  6. Robot
  7. Voices in your head
  8. Shia
  9. Another World
  10. Breathe Light
  11. Water
  12. Flower
  13. Goddess T and the Virgin Mary


Web News

Bathtub of Adventures - Reviews of Gong at Hammersmith and Canterbury Festival, CD review of Zero to Infinitea and retrospective of You.

Phil Miller's new site

Gong feature on latest issue of cd-mag, 'Launch'


CD Reviews

The new issue of the french magazine Traverses (no. 8) is available for promotional download as a 'pdf' here. Gong's "Live 2 infinitea" is reviewed on page 16.

Another Live 2 Infinitea Review : All About Jazz


Gig Reviews

Gong Cambridge Junction 29/11/2000 review : Pooterland

Gong Hackney Empire review [not archived]

Gong Eugene review : Pause Record


Interviews

Acid Attack Gong band interview 2000-11-27 : The Foundry, Birmingham

daevid allen interview : All About Jazz For Whom the Gong Tolls?