Hawklords
Encyclopedia
Hawklords were an English music group active between 1978 and 1979. They were borne from the disbanded Hawkwind
(Robert Calvert
– vocals, Dave Brock
– guitar and Simon King
– drums) and a local Devon group named Ark (Harvey Bainbridge
– bass and Martin Griffin – drums) with the addition of former Pilot
keyboardist Steve Swindells
.
The use of the name Hawklords instead of Hawkwind may have been due to legal reasons concerning their former management company or may simply have been due to the band wishing to give the impression that this was a new musical venture.
In 1978, the band released their only full studio album 25 Years On
.
The band have now reformed,
The present line-up of the Hawklords is: Nik Turner - sax, flute, vocals / Ron Tree - vocals / Alan Davey - bass, vocals / Adrian Shaw - bass, vocals / Jerry Richards - guitar, vocals / Meurig Griffiths - drums / Steve Swindells - keyboards, vocals / Harvey Bainbridge - keyboards, synths, vocals.
although this is not technically a reformation of the original Hawklords, just a grouping of ex-Hawkwind members calling themselves Hawklords (with only two original members, Swindells and Bainbridge)
was promoted with a 41 date UK tour during October and November 1978. The stage show was designed by Barney Bubbles
and was based on a Metropolis
/Mao Tse-tung
dystopia theme, featuring a projected film based light show, dancers in drab clothing performing mundane tasks, and spotlight towers creating an oppressive internment camp atmosphere. During the course of the tour the show was cut-back due to financial constraints, sufficiently upsetting Bubbles enough for him to refuse to work with Brock again. Some of the musicians felt that this action lightened the atmosphere resulting in the shows becoming more powerful. For the Hammersmith Odeon gig on 13 October, Lemmy guested on "Silver Machine
".
The Brunel University
, Uxbridge concert (24 November) was professionally filmed by Charisma Records
, but to date only snippets have been aired on UK television. The Plymouth Polytechnic concert (23 November) was professionally recorded, and subsequent archive albums have included portions from it.
A tour programme was sold at this gig detailing the weird science behind the '25 Years' project. It outlined the aims and achievements of Pan Transcendental Industries and its programme for the industrialisation of religion. It described the construction of the first 'Metaphactory' staffed in part by car crash victims whose function was to generate new forms of social behaviour through the transformation of private into public fantasies. The nine million workers who populated this giant factory complex are described in the song 'The Age Of The Micro Man' wherein it is shown that they have no idea what they are working for. In fact the new rulers of this dark industrial age received contact from aliens that they believed were actually angels. These 'angels' said they would provide enlightenment, but at a price. The payment was nonsensical but nevertheless the human race was enslaved.
and The Softees.
before returning to Hawkwind for the 1982 Sonic Attack
album. Swindells recalls the five members spending time at Rockfield "where we rehearsed and jammed and wrote... Calvert was suffering definite mental problems when we were there. I think he was going through a divorce from his novelist wife, Pamela, and he was very unstable." Calvert left the band going on to write the novel Hype and recording an accompanying album, and he never appeared on any of the recordings released from these sessions.
" at these sessions, and the band considered it ideal for single release, but with the band having no record contract Swindells departed when offered a solo deal, resulting in the album Fresh Blood. The remaining three members were joined by Huw Lloyd-Langton
(lead guitar) and Tim Blake
(synthesizers), choosing to revert to the name of Hawkwind and embarking upon a UK Winter 1979 tour resulting in the album Live Seventy Nine. Swindells' studio version and Hawkwind's live version of "Shot Down in the Night
" were released as singles simultaneously in 1980, both curiously featuring Lloyd-Langton and King.
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
(Robert Calvert
Robert Calvert
Robert Calvert was a writer, poet, and musician.-Biography:Born Robert Newton Calvert in Pretoria, South Africa, Calvert's parents moved to England when he was two years of age and later attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street...
– vocals, Dave Brock
Dave Brock
David Anthony "Dave" Brock is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He plays electric guitar, synthesizer, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock group Hawkwind...
– guitar and Simon King
Simon King (musician)
Simon King is an English drummer most noted for his work with Hawkwind. He was described in 1985 by British rock magazine 'Sounds' as 'definitive rock drummer.'...
– drums) and a local Devon group named Ark (Harvey Bainbridge
Harvey Bainbridge
Harvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind....
– bass and Martin Griffin – drums) with the addition of former Pilot
Pilot (band)
Pilot was a pop rock musical group, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland by the former Bay City Rollers members, David Paton and Billy Lyall.-Career:...
keyboardist Steve Swindells
Steve Swindells
Steve Swindells is an English singer-songwriter, keyboardist, party organiser, club promoter and journalist.Swindells grew up in the Bath and Bristol area, dropping out of art college to play keyboards with the rock band Squidd. Relocating to London in 1973 and living in squats, he recorded his...
.
The use of the name Hawklords instead of Hawkwind may have been due to legal reasons concerning their former management company or may simply have been due to the band wishing to give the impression that this was a new musical venture.
In 1978, the band released their only full studio album 25 Years On
25 Years On
Hawklords is the eighth studio album by Hawkwind, released in 1978. It released under the name Hawklords for legal reasons, as there was a dispute over ownership of the name "Hawkwind" at the time. It reached #48 on the UK album charts. It was originally titled 25 Years On and the first 25000 were...
.
The band have now reformed,
The present line-up of the Hawklords is: Nik Turner - sax, flute, vocals / Ron Tree - vocals / Alan Davey - bass, vocals / Adrian Shaw - bass, vocals / Jerry Richards - guitar, vocals / Meurig Griffiths - drums / Steve Swindells - keyboards, vocals / Harvey Bainbridge - keyboards, synths, vocals.
although this is not technically a reformation of the original Hawklords, just a grouping of ex-Hawkwind members calling themselves Hawklords (with only two original members, Swindells and Bainbridge)
Live
The release of the album 25 Years On25 Years On
Hawklords is the eighth studio album by Hawkwind, released in 1978. It released under the name Hawklords for legal reasons, as there was a dispute over ownership of the name "Hawkwind" at the time. It reached #48 on the UK album charts. It was originally titled 25 Years On and the first 25000 were...
was promoted with a 41 date UK tour during October and November 1978. The stage show was designed by Barney Bubbles
Barney Bubbles
Colin Fulcher aka Barney Bubbles was a radical English graphic artist, whose work primarily encompassed the disciplines of graphic design, painting and music video direction. He is most renowned for his distinctive contribution to the graphic design associated with the British independent music...
and was based on a Metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
/Mao Tse-tung
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
dystopia theme, featuring a projected film based light show, dancers in drab clothing performing mundane tasks, and spotlight towers creating an oppressive internment camp atmosphere. During the course of the tour the show was cut-back due to financial constraints, sufficiently upsetting Bubbles enough for him to refuse to work with Brock again. Some of the musicians felt that this action lightened the atmosphere resulting in the shows becoming more powerful. For the Hammersmith Odeon gig on 13 October, Lemmy guested on "Silver Machine
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 #3 on the UK singles chart. The single was re-issued in 1976, 1978 reaching #34 on the UK singles charts, and in 1983 reaching #67 on the UK singles charts...
".
The Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
, Uxbridge concert (24 November) was professionally filmed by Charisma Records
Charisma Records
Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
, but to date only snippets have been aired on UK television. The Plymouth Polytechnic concert (23 November) was professionally recorded, and subsequent archive albums have included portions from it.
A tour programme was sold at this gig detailing the weird science behind the '25 Years' project. It outlined the aims and achievements of Pan Transcendental Industries and its programme for the industrialisation of religion. It described the construction of the first 'Metaphactory' staffed in part by car crash victims whose function was to generate new forms of social behaviour through the transformation of private into public fantasies. The nine million workers who populated this giant factory complex are described in the song 'The Age Of The Micro Man' wherein it is shown that they have no idea what they are working for. In fact the new rulers of this dark industrial age received contact from aliens that they believed were actually angels. These 'angels' said they would provide enlightenment, but at a price. The payment was nonsensical but nevertheless the human race was enslaved.
Set-list
The following set-list is that from the Hammersmith Odeon, 13 October 1978 performance. The set-list would slightly change during the course of the tour, significantly "Flying Doctor" being dropped half way through.| Track | Weird Tape 4 | Hawklords Live | Live '78 | Friends and Relations Hawkwind, Friends and Relations The Hawkwind, Friends and Relations series of albums was released in the early 1980s containing live and studio performances by Hawkwind and related bands.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Automoton" [introduction tape] (Robert Calvert Robert Calvert Robert Calvert was a writer, poet, and musician.-Biography:Born Robert Newton Calvert in Pretoria, South Africa, Calvert's parents moved to England when he was two years of age and later attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street... , Dave Brock Dave Brock David Anthony "Dave" Brock is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He plays electric guitar, synthesizer, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock group Hawkwind... ) |
1.1 | 1. (1:37) | ||
| "25 Years" (Brock) | 1.2. (7:24) | 2. (6:38) | ||
| "High Rise" (Calvert, Simon House Simon House Simon House is a composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind. His arrival in 1974 introduced a new element to the band's style... ) |
2. (5:00) | 3. (5:00) | ||
| "Death Trap" (Calvert, Brock) | 1. (6:21) | 3. (8:46) | 4. (5:37) | |
| "The Age of the Micro Man" (Calvert, Brock) | 2. (3:40) | 5. (3:51) | ||
| "Spirit of the Age" (Calvert, Brock) | 3. (9:20) | 4. (6:48) | 6. (9:20) | |
| "Urban Guerrilla" (Calvert, Brock) | 4. (5:18) | 7. (6:12) | ||
| "Sonic Attack" (Michael Moorcock Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels.... ) |
5. (6:23) | 8. (7:09) | ||
| "Flying Doctor" (Calvert, Brock) | Volume 3 | |||
| "Steppenwolf" (Calvert, Brock) | 5. (9:07) | |||
| "Psi Power Psi Power Psi Power is a 1978 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single in the UK on 6 October 1978, being a slightly different version to the one on the album Hawklords.... " (Calvert, Brock) |
9. (6:08) | |||
| "Brainstorm" (Nik Turner Nik Turner Nik Turner is a British musician, best known as a founding member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer... ) |
10. (8:20) | |||
| "Freefall" (Calvert, Harvey Bainbridge Harvey Bainbridge Harvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind.... ) |
6. (5:28) | |||
| "Uncle Sam's On Mars" (Hawkwind) | 7.1. (6:28) | |||
| "The Iron Dream" (Hawkwind) | 7.2. (2:05) | |||
| "Master Of The Universe" (Turner, Brock) | ||||
| "Robot" (Calvert, Brock) | ||||
| "Silver Machine 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 #3 on the UK singles chart. The single was re-issued in 1976, 1978 reaching #34 on the UK singles charts, and in 1983 reaching #67 on the UK singles charts... " (Calvert, Brock) |
||||
Releases
- Weird Tape 4
- Recorded at Plymouth Polytechnic, 23 November 1978
- June 1981, Weird Tapes, WEIRD104, UK cassette
- September 2000, Voiceprint RecordsVoiceprint RecordsVoiceprint Records is a company and record label based in England, founded in 1990 by Rob Ayling. They specialise in re-releasing old material, especially progressive rock, but also have new releases, all under the Voiceprint and other imprints....
, HAWKVP9CD, UK CD
- Hawklords Live
- Recorded at Brunel University, Uxbridge, 24 November 1978. Also includes the additional track "Over The Top" from the Sonic AssassinsSonic AssassinsSonic Assassins were a UK band formed in 1977, composed of members from Hawkwind and local Devon band Ark.-Formation:Hawkwind main writers Robert Calvert and Dave Brock were living in Devon towards the end of 1977 and had befriended local band Ark, who had often supported Hawkwind at some of...
concert - 1992, Dojo Records, DOJOCD7, UK CD
- May 1992, Griffin Records, GN03921-2, USA CD
- Recorded at Brunel University, Uxbridge, 24 November 1978. Also includes the additional track "Over The Top" from the Sonic Assassins
- Live '78
- Recorded at Brunel University, Uxbridge, 24 November 1978
- 29 June 2009, Atomhenge (Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
) Records, ATOMCD1014, UK CD
Tour dates
The band undertook a 42 date UK tour in October and November 1978, with support from Patrik FitzgeraldPatrik Fitzgerald
Patrik Fitzgerald is a singer-songwriter. The son of working-class Irish immigrant parents, he began recording and performing during the punk rock movement in 1977, after working briefly as an actor.-Early recordings:His early songs were generally short, sarcastic efforts, recorded with just an...
and The Softees.
- 6 October – Oxford, New Theatre
- 7 October – Manchester, Apollo
- 8 October – Liverpool, Empire
- 9 October – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
- 10 October – Newcastle, City Hall
- 11 October – Middlesbrough, Town Hall
- 13 October – London, Hammersmith Odeon – guest appearance from Lemmy
- 14 October – Milton Keynes, Leisure Centre
- 15 October – Croydon, Fairfield Halls
- 16 October – Portsmouth, Guild Hall
- 17 October – Birmingham, Odeon
- 18 October – Dunstable, Queensway Hall
- 19 October – Blackburn, King George Hall
- 20 October – Bristol, Colston Hall
- 21 October – St. Albans, City Hall
- 22 October – Ipswich, Gaumont
- 23 October – Leicester, De Montfort Hall
- 24 October – Sheffield, City Hall
- 25 October – Bradford, St. Georges Hall
- 26 October – Leeds, Queens Hall
- 27 October – Stoke On Trent, Victoria Hall
- 28 October – Paignton, Festival Theatre
- 29 October – Poole, Wessex Hall
- 2 November – Malvern, Winter Gardens
- 3 November – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
- 4 November – Ilford, Gants Hill Odeon
- 5 November – Reading, Hexagon
- 6 November – Cardiff, University
- 8 November – Gloucester, Leisure Centre
- 9 November – Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall
- 10 November – Derby, Assembly Rooms
- 11 November – Nottingham, Rock City
- 13 November – Hemel, Pavilion
- 15 November – Glasgow, Apollo
- 16 November – Carlisle, Market Hall
- 17 November – Lancaster, University
- 18 November – Oldham, Queen Elizabeth Hall
- 19 November – Blackburn, King George Hall
- 22 November – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
- 23 November – Plymouth, Polytechnic – professionally recorded
- 24 November – Uxbridge, Brunel University – professionally filmed
- 25 November – Hastings, Pier Pavilion
Rockfield Studios, 1979
After the tour, the band were to tour North America but Calvert, wishing for the return of King, dismissed Griffin who then concentrated on his studio business and playing for Richard StrangeRichard Strange
For the Jesuit, see Richard Strange Richard "Kid" Strange is an English writer, actor, musician, curator, teacher, adventurer, and the founder and front man of seminal mid-seventies protopunk art rock band Doctors of Madness.-Music:Strange's first band was Doctors of Madness, formed in 1975,...
before returning to Hawkwind for the 1982 Sonic Attack
Sonic Attack (album)
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....
album. Swindells recalls the five members spending time at Rockfield "where we rehearsed and jammed and wrote... Calvert was suffering definite mental problems when we were there. I think he was going through a divorce from his novelist wife, Pamela, and he was very unstable." Calvert left the band going on to write the novel Hype and recording an accompanying album, and he never appeared on any of the recordings released from these sessions.
- "Who's Gonna Win The War?" (Brock) 5:55
- One of the few titles that was worked into a complete track for LevitationLevitation (album)Levitation is the tenth studio album by English rock group Hawkwind, released in 1980. It peaked at #21 on the UK Albums Chart.At the time of its release, band leader Dave Brock stated: "with Levitation we’ve come full circle back to the style of our debut album...
, this was released as "live". It may well have been recorded without overdubs, but it wasn't recorded in front of an audience. Available on: Weird Tape 1; Hawkwind, Friends and Relations Volume 1Hawkwind, Friends and RelationsThe Hawkwind, Friends and Relations series of albums was released in the early 1980s containing live and studio performances by Hawkwind and related bands....
; 7" (FLS209) A-side; LevitationLevitation (album)Levitation is the tenth studio album by English rock group Hawkwind, released in 1980. It peaked at #21 on the UK Albums Chart.At the time of its release, band leader Dave Brock stated: "with Levitation we’ve come full circle back to the style of our debut album...
2009 re-master.- "Valium 10" (Brock/Bainbridge/Swindells/Smith) 7:51
- Drums on this track were played by Mick Smith of The Softees, who were the support for the Hawklords tour. Available on: Weird Tape 2; Hawkwind, Friends and Relations Volume 1Hawkwind, Friends and RelationsThe Hawkwind, Friends and Relations series of albums was released in the early 1980s containing live and studio performances by Hawkwind and related bands....
; 7"&12" (FLS205) B-side; Levitation 2009 re-master.- "Douglas In The Jungle (Ode to a manager)" (Brock/Bainbridge/Swindells/King) 6:53
- This track is a tribute to their manager Douglas Smith. Available on: Weird Tape 2; Hawkwind AnthologyHawkwind AnthologyThe Hawkwind Anthology series of records were originally issued mid-1980s containing live and outtake material from Hawkwind's career to that date....
; Levitation 2009 re-master.- "Time of the Hawklords" (Brock/Bainbridge/Swindells/King) 4:07
- This track is named after the title of the Michael ButterworthMichael ButterworthMichael Butterworth is a British author and publisher who has written many novels and short stories, particularly in the genre of science fiction...
novel, although often abrreviated to "Time of...", and some times erroneously titled "Time Off". Available on: Weird Tape 2; 7" (FLS209) B-side; Levitation 2009 re-master.- "British Tribal Music" (Brock/Bainbridge/Swindells/King) 3:57
- Available on: Hawkwind AnthologyHawkwind AnthologyThe Hawkwind Anthology series of records were originally issued mid-1980s containing live and outtake material from Hawkwind's career to that date....
; Levitation 2009 re-master.- "Motorway City" (Brock)
- Available on: Hawkwind Family Tree
Return to Hawkwind
Swindells wrote "Shot Down in the NightShot 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...
" at these sessions, and the band considered it ideal for single release, but with the band having no record contract Swindells departed when offered a solo deal, resulting in the album Fresh Blood. The remaining three members were joined by Huw Lloyd-Langton
Huw Lloyd-Langton
Huw Lloyd-Langton is an English guitarist, best known as the guitarist for Hawkwind. He also had his own band, the Lloyd Langton Group with bass player Kenny Wilson and drummer John Clark , and is the session lead guitarist for UK band The Meads of Asphodel.As a member of Hawkwind he appeared on...
(lead guitar) and Tim Blake
Tim Blake
Timothy 'Tim' Blake , keyboards, vocalist instrumentalist and composer with both Gong, and Hawkwind. Blake is best known for his Synthesizer and Light performances as Crystal Machine, with the French Light Artist Patrice Warrener...
(synthesizers), choosing to revert to the name of Hawkwind and embarking upon a UK Winter 1979 tour resulting in the album Live Seventy Nine. Swindells' studio version and Hawkwind's live version of "Shot Down in the Night
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...
" were released as singles simultaneously in 1980, both curiously featuring Lloyd-Langton and King.