GONG The Last Spotted Pixies
Live in 1975 - 3 soundboard shows
Artwork and info included in the first part of each volume.
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Volume 1
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Disc 1
* Live at the Marquee, London, UK, 10 September 1975
1. Introduction 0:54
2. Aftaglid 16:11
3. Oily way 3:56
4. 6/8 4:29
5. Solar musick suite 20:28
I) Sun song - II) Canterbury sunrise - III) Hiram Afterglid meets the dervish - IV) Sun song reprise
6. Bambooji [early version] 9:56
7. The isle of everywhere 10:27
8. Get it inner 3:18
9. Wingful of eyes 7:13
Disc 2
* Live at the Marquee, London, UK, 10 September 1975 (end)
1. The salmon song 9:57
# Live at La Celle St Cloud festival, France, 9 June 1975
2. Master builder 10:18
3. Solar musick suite 11:32
I) Sun song - II) Hiram Afterglid meets the dervish
4. Cat in Clark's shoes [early version - cut] 8:00
5. Aftaglid 17:52
6. The isle of everywhere 11:37
7. Get it inner [cut] 0:49
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Volume 2
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@ Live at Guilford Civic Hall, UK, 9 November 1975
Disc 1
1. Introduction (2:08)
2. The salmon song (11:56)
3. Chandra (8:45)
4. Untitled new piece (16:51)
themes later known as : Lunar musick suite & Electrick gypsies
5. Cat in Clark's shoes (12:52)
Disc 2
1. I'm beginning to see the light (5:29)
2. Aftaglid (15:06)
3. Bambooji (8:54)
4. The isle of everywhere (11:32)
5. Wingful of eyes (4:26)
6. Shamal (11:52)
including Searching for the spark riff
7. Master builder [cut] (3:11)
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*#@ DIDIER MALHERBE (sax, flute, voice)
*#@ STEVE HILLAGE (guitar, voice)
*#@ MIQUETTE GIRAUDY (dancing, voices, occasional synthesizer)
*#@ MIKE HOWLETT (bass, voice)
*@ MIREILLE BAUER (percussion)
*@ PATRICE LEMOINE (keyboards)
# DAVE STEWART (keyboards)
* PIERRE MOERLEN (drums)
# BRIAN DAVISON (drums)
@ LAURIE ALLAN (drums)
During the second half of 1975, GONG was in a transition phase: Daevid Allen had left the group, and Steve Hillage was seen as the new leader of the band, true to the spirit of its founder and its Pot Head Pixies . However, Gong was already moving towards a more instrumental music and a sophisticated jazz-rock. Many new songs were created on stage during these few months, but when it came to record them for the album Shamal, Steve Hillage had decided to quit.
This is what makes live recordings of this short pre-Shamal period with Hillage all the more fascinating.
La Celle St Cloud, France, June 1975:
With a line up including keyboardist Dave Stewart (ex Hatfield and the North) who remained in the group only a week, and drummer Brian Davison (ex Nice), who stayed only six months, this recording is a rare document, sadly incomplete.
Of other interest is an embryonic version of Cat in Clark's shoes, very different from the one eventually recorded for the album Shamal, and an abridged version of Solar Musick Suite.
technically speaking, this is a soundboard recording (sadly incomplete) with excellent sound. I only removed some hiss, and did a bit of equalization.
The concert at the Marquee in London in September 1975:
The three concerts at the Marquee 8, 9 and 10 September were professionally recorded and excerpts were released on the album "Live Etc.". The concert presented here is not complete: at the end of the show, "The Salmon Song" was originally segued with "Master builder" which is missing here.
At the Celle St Cloud concert from June, it was "The Salmon Song" (missing) which started the concert, followed by "Master Builder".
So we restored the segue between these two pieces, as they were originally played, even if they are from different sources. So much for the chronology : on the CD, the September concert is presented prior to the June concert.
Of interest is an early version of Bambooji, and the rarely played 6/8 theme at the conclusion of Oily way, instead of the traditional Outer Temple / Inner Temple suite.
Problems that had to be corrected with this show :
The Guilford concert, November 1975:
This concert is a rare document too, in many ways.
- Pierre Moerlen, absent because of multiple musical activities is replaced exceptionally by Laurie Allan.
- The band plays a lot of pieces not yet released on album. In addition to the future Shamal titles, they play an early version of "Lunar Musick Suite and "Electrick Gypsies", which would be later recorded by Steve Hillage for his solo album "L" in 1976. This first version played by Gong is quite exceptional.
- Similarly, the song "I'm Beginning to See The Light" played here, remains unreleased to this day.
- The isle of everywhere is not completed by the theme "get it inner" as was the case for all other Gong concerts from this period (including the officially released "Live at Sherwood Forest" recorded November 25, 1975)
- Finally, we note the presence of an unusual riff in "Shamal", which Steve Hillage would later use for "Searching for the Spark" in 1977.
Problems that had to be corrected with this tape:
All the recordings are soundboards. Sound quality is very high throughout.
The Marquee and Guiford show were remastered from a lossless source (Flac).
The Celle St Cloud show was only originally available in mp3 format (@320 kbps). After the remastering work, I share the whole collection in Flac, to avoid further compression.
volume 1 part 1 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3ROXSBQ8
Volume 1 part 2 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=93094MWQ
Volume 2 part 1 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZI3HO0IK
Volume 2 part 2 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JKE4JJ81
Live in 1975 - 3 soundboard shows
Artwork and info included in the first part of each volume.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Volume 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc 1
* Live at the Marquee, London, UK, 10 September 1975
1. Introduction 0:54
2. Aftaglid 16:11
3. Oily way 3:56
4. 6/8 4:29
5. Solar musick suite 20:28
I) Sun song - II) Canterbury sunrise - III) Hiram Afterglid meets the dervish - IV) Sun song reprise
6. Bambooji [early version] 9:56
7. The isle of everywhere 10:27
8. Get it inner 3:18
9. Wingful of eyes 7:13
Disc 2
* Live at the Marquee, London, UK, 10 September 1975 (end)
1. The salmon song 9:57
# Live at La Celle St Cloud festival, France, 9 June 1975
2. Master builder 10:18
3. Solar musick suite 11:32
I) Sun song - II) Hiram Afterglid meets the dervish
4. Cat in Clark's shoes [early version - cut] 8:00
5. Aftaglid 17:52
6. The isle of everywhere 11:37
7. Get it inner [cut] 0:49
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Volume 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
@ Live at Guilford Civic Hall, UK, 9 November 1975
Disc 1
1. Introduction (2:08)
2. The salmon song (11:56)
3. Chandra (8:45)
4. Untitled new piece (16:51)
themes later known as : Lunar musick suite & Electrick gypsies
5. Cat in Clark's shoes (12:52)
Disc 2
1. I'm beginning to see the light (5:29)
2. Aftaglid (15:06)
3. Bambooji (8:54)
4. The isle of everywhere (11:32)
5. Wingful of eyes (4:26)
6. Shamal (11:52)
including Searching for the spark riff
7. Master builder [cut] (3:11)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*#@ DIDIER MALHERBE (sax, flute, voice)
*#@ STEVE HILLAGE (guitar, voice)
*#@ MIQUETTE GIRAUDY (dancing, voices, occasional synthesizer)
*#@ MIKE HOWLETT (bass, voice)
*@ MIREILLE BAUER (percussion)
*@ PATRICE LEMOINE (keyboards)
# DAVE STEWART (keyboards)
* PIERRE MOERLEN (drums)
# BRIAN DAVISON (drums)
@ LAURIE ALLAN (drums)
During the second half of 1975, GONG was in a transition phase: Daevid Allen had left the group, and Steve Hillage was seen as the new leader of the band, true to the spirit of its founder and its Pot Head Pixies . However, Gong was already moving towards a more instrumental music and a sophisticated jazz-rock. Many new songs were created on stage during these few months, but when it came to record them for the album Shamal, Steve Hillage had decided to quit.
This is what makes live recordings of this short pre-Shamal period with Hillage all the more fascinating.
La Celle St Cloud, France, June 1975:
With a line up including keyboardist Dave Stewart (ex Hatfield and the North) who remained in the group only a week, and drummer Brian Davison (ex Nice), who stayed only six months, this recording is a rare document, sadly incomplete.
Of other interest is an embryonic version of Cat in Clark's shoes, very different from the one eventually recorded for the album Shamal, and an abridged version of Solar Musick Suite.
technically speaking, this is a soundboard recording (sadly incomplete) with excellent sound. I only removed some hiss, and did a bit of equalization.
The concert at the Marquee in London in September 1975:
The three concerts at the Marquee 8, 9 and 10 September were professionally recorded and excerpts were released on the album "Live Etc.". The concert presented here is not complete: at the end of the show, "The Salmon Song" was originally segued with "Master builder" which is missing here.
At the Celle St Cloud concert from June, it was "The Salmon Song" (missing) which started the concert, followed by "Master Builder".
So we restored the segue between these two pieces, as they were originally played, even if they are from different sources. So much for the chronology : on the CD, the September concert is presented prior to the June concert.
Of interest is an early version of Bambooji, and the rarely played 6/8 theme at the conclusion of Oily way, instead of the traditional Outer Temple / Inner Temple suite.
Problems that had to be corrected with this show :
- The original recording had a lot of hiss, which thankfully could be easily filtered out.
- The mix for "Oily way" was hardly listenable, vocals being very prominent. This problem was corrected with EQ.
- Some other mix problems with vocals and guitar on "Solar Musick Suite" were treated as best as possible.
- A cut at 15'55 in "Solar Musick Suite" has been repaired, and is now undetectable.
- Singing in Wingful of eyes is almost inaudible, but there was nothing I can do to solve the problem.
The Guilford concert, November 1975:
This concert is a rare document too, in many ways.
- Pierre Moerlen, absent because of multiple musical activities is replaced exceptionally by Laurie Allan.
- The band plays a lot of pieces not yet released on album. In addition to the future Shamal titles, they play an early version of "Lunar Musick Suite and "Electrick Gypsies", which would be later recorded by Steve Hillage for his solo album "L" in 1976. This first version played by Gong is quite exceptional.
- Similarly, the song "I'm Beginning to See The Light" played here, remains unreleased to this day.
- The isle of everywhere is not completed by the theme "get it inner" as was the case for all other Gong concerts from this period (including the officially released "Live at Sherwood Forest" recorded November 25, 1975)
- Finally, we note the presence of an unusual riff in "Shamal", which Steve Hillage would later use for "Searching for the Spark" in 1977.
Problems that had to be corrected with this tape:
- A lot of hiss, once again easily filtered out.
- Re-equalization necessary to boost the treble and reduce the bass, very upfront on the original recording.
- A huge number of digital clicks have been removed using a software used for cleaning of vinyl crackles.
- Many cuts in the following tracks were repaired "properly" : Lunar Musick Suite (at 7'45), I'm Beginning to see the light (at 4'03), Isle of Everywhere (at 0'02 and 6'51), Wingful of Eyes (at 2'22)
- A duplicated section in the introduction of Bambooji was removed (which means that this piece was too long of about 2 minutes in the original file).
All the recordings are soundboards. Sound quality is very high throughout.
The Marquee and Guiford show were remastered from a lossless source (Flac).
The Celle St Cloud show was only originally available in mp3 format (@320 kbps). After the remastering work, I share the whole collection in Flac, to avoid further compression.
volume 1 part 1 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3ROXSBQ8
Volume 1 part 2 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=93094MWQ
Volume 2 part 1 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZI3HO0IK
Volume 2 part 2 : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JKE4JJ81
