Church of Hawkwind
Encyclopedia
Church of Hawkwind is the twelfth studio album
by Hawkwind
, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offering rather than the usual heavy rock that the band were known for at the time.
Dave Brock resurrects the "Dr Technical" alias which he had previously used for production of the band's 1972 hit single "Silver Machine
". This is almost a Dave Brock solo album considering the heavy bias towards his work, and none of these tracks were performed live by the band, save "Looking In The Future" which was re-recorded as "Letting In The Past" on It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous
.
"The Phenomenon of Luminosity" features a sample of John Glenn
on the Friendship Seven spacecraft during the Mercury-Atlas 6
mission on 20 February 1962. An alternative version of "Experiment With Destiny" had appeared on the preceding year's Sonic Attack
album as "Virgin of the World".
Although credited to Dave Brock, the track "Some People Never Die" borrows much of its material from the track "They Call Me Gun" on an obscure LP "On The Seventh Day" (US Mercury Records 61248, 1970), right down to the Robert F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald
shooting commentaries. An alternative edit of "Some People Never Die" is on "SpaceBrock" (2000).
The CD bonus tracks were recorded in the 1990s and seem at odds with the overall feel of the album, and they were placed in the middle of a resequenced side 2 disrupting the flow of the album, for example the rowing that linked "Some People Never Die" with "Light Specific Data" now has 5 tracks in between.
with
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Hawkwind
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....
, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offering rather than the usual heavy rock that the band were known for at the time.
Dave Brock resurrects the "Dr Technical" alias which he had previously used for production of the band's 1972 hit single "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...
". This is almost a Dave Brock solo album considering the heavy bias towards his work, and none of these tracks were performed live by the band, save "Looking In The Future" which was re-recorded as "Letting In The Past" on It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous
It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous
It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous is the eighteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1993. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #75....
.
"The Phenomenon of Luminosity" features a sample of John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
on the Friendship Seven spacecraft during the Mercury-Atlas 6
Mercury-Atlas 6
Mercury-Atlas 6 was a human spaceflight mission conducted by NASA, the space agency of the United States. As part of Project Mercury, MA-6 was the successful first attempt by NASA to place an astronaut into orbit. The MA-6 mission was launched February 20, 1962. It made three orbits of the Earth,...
mission on 20 February 1962. An alternative version of "Experiment With Destiny" had appeared on the preceding year's 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 as "Virgin of the World".
Although credited to Dave Brock, the track "Some People Never Die" borrows much of its material from the track "They Call Me Gun" on an obscure LP "On The Seventh Day" (US Mercury Records 61248, 1970), right down to the Robert F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
shooting commentaries. An alternative edit of "Some People Never Die" is on "SpaceBrock" (2000).
The CD bonus tracks were recorded in the 1990s and seem at odds with the overall feel of the album, and they were placed in the middle of a resequenced side 2 disrupting the flow of the album, for example the rowing that linked "Some People Never Die" with "Light Specific Data" now has 5 tracks in between.
Side 1: Space
- "Angel Voices" (Dave BrockDave BrockDavid 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...
, Harvey BainbridgeHarvey BainbridgeHarvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind....
) 1:21 – Brock; Bainbridge - "Nuclear Drive" (Brock) 3:39 – Brock; Lloyd-Langton; Griffin
- "Star Cannibal" (Brock) 5:31 – Brock; Lloyd-Langton; Griffin
- "The Phenomenon of Luminosity" (Brock) 2:40 – Brock
- "Fall of Earth City" (Brock, Bainbridge, Huw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-LangtonHuw 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...
) 3:24 – Brock; Bainbridge; Lloyd-Langton; Griffin - "The Church" (Brock, Lloyd-Langton) 1:32 – Brock; Lloyd-Langton
Side 2: Fate
- "Joker at the Gate" (Brock, Bainbridge) 1:51 – Brock; Bainbridge; Griffin
- "Some People Never Die" (Brock) 3:52 – Brock; Sperhawk; Bodi
- "Light Specific Data" (Brock) 3:48 – Brock; Bainbridge; Griffin
- "Experiment With Destiny" (Brock, Bainbridge) 2:31 – Brock; Bainbridge; Griffin
- "The Last Messiah" (Brock, Bainbridge) 1:27 – Brock; Bainbridge; Madam X
- "Looking in the Future" (Brock) 4:03 – Brock; Bainbridge; Lloyd-Langton; Griffin
Atomhenge CD bonus tracks
- Angel Voices" [Extended Version]
- "Harvey’s Sequence"
- "Fall Of Earth City" [Alternate Version]
- "Water Music (Light Specific Data)"
- "Looking In The Future"
- "Virgin Of The World"
Griffin CD
- "Angel Voices" (Brock, Bainbridge) 1:21
- "Nuclear Drive" (Brock) 3:39
- "Star Cannibal" (Brock) 5:31
- "The Phenomenon of Luminosity" (Brock) 2:40
- "Fall of Earth City" (Brock, Bainbridge, Lloyd-Langton) 3:24
- "The Church" (Brock, Lloyd-Langton) 1:32
- "Identimate" (Brock) 3:45 – bonus track – Brock; Davey; Chadwick
- "Some People Never Die" (Brock) 3:52
- "Damage of Life" (Brock) 5:50 – bonus track – Brock; Davey; Chadwick
- "Experiment With Destiny" (Brock, Bainbridge) 2:31
- "Mists of Meridin" (Brock, Alan DaveyAlan Davey (musician)Alan Davey is best known as the former bassist with Hawkwind. He is now the bass player and vocalist for Gunslinger as well as Hawklords, Meads of Asphodel, and Thunor.-Early musical career:...
) 5:13 – bonus track – Brock; Davey; Chadwick - "Looking in the Future" (Brock) 4:03
- "Joker at the Gate" (Brock, Bainbridge) 1:51
- "Light Specific Data" (Brock) 3:48
- "The Last Messiah" (Brock, Bainbridge) 1:27
Personnel
- Dave BrockDave BrockDavid 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...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Huw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-LangtonHuw 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...
– electric guitar, vocals - Harvey BainbridgeHarvey BainbridgeHarvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboards, vocals - Martin Griffin– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
with
- Marc Sperhawk – bass guitar
- Capt Al Bodi – drums
- Alan DaveyAlan Davey (musician)Alan Davey is best known as the former bassist with Hawkwind. He is now the bass player and vocalist for Gunslinger as well as Hawklords, Meads of Asphodel, and Thunor.-Early musical career:...
– bass guitar - Richard Chadwick – drums
- Kris Tait (Madam X) – crying
Credits
- Recorded at Rockfield StudiosRockfield StudiosRockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
December 1981 to February 1982. - Produced by Dr Technical, engineered by Pat Moran and Ashley Howe.
- Cover by Andrew Christian and Partridge/Rushton. Booklet illustrations by John CoulthartJohn CoulthartJohn Coulthart is a British graphic artist, illustrator, author and designer who has produced book covers and illustrations, CD covers and posters...
and Tim.
Equipment listed
- Korg 700 Keyboard
- Korg Analogue Seq
- Korg MS20
- Korg Polyphonic
- Roland Jupiter 4
- Roland Sho9
- EMS Synthi
- 2 Roland 201 Space Echoes
- Koorlander Time Module
- Koorlander Multichorus Delay Module
- Pubison
- Westone Thunder HI Guitar
- Westone Padewak Guitar
- Westone Thunder 1Bass
Release history
- May 1982: RCA Active, RCALP9004 – initial copies came with a 12 page lyric book
- June 1994: Dojo, DOJOCD86, UK CD
- March 1994: Griffin MusicGriffin MusicGriffin Music was an independent record label created in 1989 in Toronto, Canada by author/publisher Robert Godwin. It was originally created to finance and record the second album of Led Zeppelin tribute act, Michael White & The White...
, GN0932-2, USA CD - April 2010: 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, ATOMCD1021, UK CD
External links
- Atomhenge Records
- Collectable Records – Original cover and booklet