Daevid Allen and Gong

6-10-09 Gong / Daevid Allen

Nothin’ like a snappy new set of Japanese re-issue CD’s in paper sleeves to get me thinking about another old favorite: Daevid Allen and Gong. They were recommended to me in the early 70’s by a guy that I knew. At that time, you could still find original (horrible) French Byg label pressings of some of these! My modern-day Gong collection consists of:

Daevid Allen:

CD ABOUT TIME CHARLY UK CDLIK 73

1979 9 TRKS

LP ABOUT TIME CHARLY UK CRL 5021

1979 9 TRKS

LP BANANA MOON BYG FR 529 345

1971 9 TRKS 1^st cover (2^nd cover is all green)

CD BANANA MOON VICTOR JPN VICP-70077

1971 8 TRKS ('09 issue) SHM-CD, kami sleeve (1^st cover)

LP DIVIDED ALIEN PLAYBAX 80 CHARLY UK CR 30218

1980 13 TRKS

CD GOOD MORNING ESOTERIC UK ECLEC 2004

1976 9 TRKS ('07 issue) (1 x bonus track) re-mastered

LP N'EXISTE PAS CHARLY UK CRL 5015

1979 14 TRKS

LP NOW IS THE HAPPIEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE TAPIOCA FR TP 10017

1977 9 TRKS

Gong:

LP ANGEL'S EGG VIRGIN UK V 2007

1973 14 TRKS single sleeve cover, booklet

CD ANGEL'S EGG JVC JPN VICP-61173

1973 14 TRKS ('00 issue) kami sleeve; booklet(s)

LP CAMEMBERT ELECTRIQUE BYG FR 529 353

1971 11 TRKS inserts

CD CAMEMBERT ELECTRIQUE VICTOR JPN VICP-70071

1972 11 TRKS ('09 issue) SHM-CD, kami sleeve

CD CONTINENTAL CIRCUS (O.S.T.) MANTRA FR MANTRA 089

1972 4 TRKS ('94 issue)

LP CONTINENTAL CIRCUS (O.S.T.) PHILIPS FR 6332 033

1972 4 TRKS

LPx2 GONG EST MORT, VIVRE GONG TAPIOCA FR TP 10002

1977 10 TRKS Live '77

LPx2 GONG LIVE ETC. VIRGIN FR 2676 713

1977 16 TRKS Live + studio

LP LIVE FLOATING ANARCHY 1977 LTM FR LTM 1002

1977 6 TRKS Live '77

LP MAGICK BROTHER BYG FR 529 305

1970 12 TRKS original French pressing

CD MAGICK BROTHER VICTOR JPN VICP-70070

1969 12 TRKS ('09 issue) SHM-CD, kami sleeve

LP OBSOLETE (by Dashiell Hedayat) SHANDAR FR SR 83512

1971 5 TRKS with William S. Burroughs

LP RADIO GNOME INVISIBLE Part 1 BYG FR 529 027

1973? 6 TRKS original cover

CD RADIO GNOME INVISIBLE Part 1 JVC JPN VICP-63274

1973 6 TRKS kami sleeve ('06 issue)

LP YOU VIRGIN JPN VIP-6925

1974 8 TRKS insert ('78 re-issue)

CDx2 YOU (Remixed - Phase 1 & Phase 2) GLISS UK GLISSCD001

1997 16 TRKS The Orb, System 7 (i.e. Steve Hillage) etc.

CD YOU VIRGIN UK 66552.2

1974 9 TRKS ('04 re-master) (1 x bonus track) re-mastered

Yes, I’ve got a few more titles than this; some variants, a few singles etc. Been trying to find original LP’s of the latter day Daevid Allen solo titles – I don’t think I’m finished just yet. And I never exactly know what to do with a Gong minus Daevid Allen (i.e. “Shamal”).

About 30 years ago, my band shared a bill with a version of Gong that played their L.A. debut at the “Manifestival” in downtown Los Angeles. Thank you, Tony Harrington. Tony told me that Daevid Allen & Gilly Smythe stayed at his home in Hollywood at the time of the “Manifestival”, and that they ran up a big telephone bill!

Another reason that I’m writing about Gong today, is the recent passing of Hugh Hopper, the Soft Machine bassist. I wrote about National Health / Hatfield & The North last week…so writing about Gong today is fitting. Same family.

Also presently somewhat interested in Gong’s guitarist, Steve Hillage. Always been a fan of “Fish Rising”, his debut solo work. And I only recently got a new CD issue of the album by Khan, which is basically Steve Hillage and Dave Stewart (of Egg).

And I have always picked up French jazz LP’s / CD’s that featured Gong members, such as sax player Didier Malherbe.

I remember writing to Virgin Records in England asking for a catalogue, circa ’73 – ‘74 – and the thing I was sent was a large 2-sided poster for “Angel’s Egg” by Gong! I still have it (I think!). For the ”Radio Gnome Trilogy” (1. “Radio Gnome Invisible” 2. “Angel’s Egg” 3. “You”), I was always fondest of “Angel’s Egg” – probably for this poster-y reason. Also, it seems to me to be the most coherent of the three albums. I had been such a fan of the first 3 Gong albums – listening despite poor pressings (warped, tons of surface noise) by Byg France.

So, merci pour la musique, Daevid-san. You kept a whole branch of the Soft Machine family tree alive and kicking for a lot longer than anyone would’ve guessed. But if you’re at all interested in Gong, what may be in your local CD store might not be ‘the good ones’, so be careful with any modern-day Gong CD purchases. The ones to go for are:

1. Magick Brother 2. Banana Moon 3. Camembert Electrique 4. Radio Gnome Invisible 5. Angel’s Egg 6. You.

Camembert Electrique!