Dave Brock
Encyclopedia
David Anthony "Dave" Brock (born 20 August 1941 in Isleworth
, Middlesex
, England
) 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
. Brock is the only member of the group to have been a constant throughout the band's history .
, Middlesex
attending the Longford Secondary Modern School (Now called Rivers Academy). It was his father's brother who introduced him to music giving him a banjo
at the age twelve, and a school art teacher who encouraged him in his learning. Influences at this time included Fats Domino
and Humphrey Lyttelton
.
After leaving school in 1959, he undertook several jobs including work as capstan setter, before moving to an animation company, Larkin Studios. He pursued his interests in music at night, although with no initial intentions of it becoming a career, attending clubs such as Eel Pie Island
, playing New Orleans trad jazz
and blues
and busking
with friends such as Eric Clapton
, Keith Relf
, Jeff Watson and Mick Slattery.
He formed a trio with pianist Mike King and harmonica player Luke Francis called the Dharma Blues Band, recorded versions of Sonny Boy Williamson II
's "Dealing with the Devil" and Pete Johnson
's "Roll 'Em Pete
" for Blues Anytime Vol. 2 (Immediate, IMPC015) in 1966, and backed travelling American blues singers such as Memphis Slim
and Champion Jack Dupree
. The band would continue without Brock, recording an album in 1967.
Quitting his daytime job, he travelled around Europe earning money by busking, sometimes with harmonica player Pete Judd. With guitarist John Illingworth, Brock and Judd formed The Famous Cure, touring in the Netherlands
, and again after Slattery had replaced Judd in 1967, also having a hit single with "Sweet Mary"/"Mean Mistreater". With the psychedelic
scene burgeoning in London and the band experimenting with LSD, their music changed with them starting to use electric instruments and effects units.
In 1968 he resorted to busking for a living and, on the back of the success of Don Partridge
's "Rosie", joined a band of buskers playing the Royal Albert Hall
, touring Britain on a double decker bus, and contributing "Bring It on Home
" to The Buskers album (Columbia, SX6356).
and Dik Mik were invited to join the band on saxophone and electronics respectively after the pair had originally offered their services as roadcrew.
From the outset, Brock's intentions for the band was to marry simple three-chord rock music with experimental electronic music. He cites his influences for the band at the time as The Moody Blues
, Steve Miller Band
and the krautrock
scene of Kraftwerk
, Neu!
and particularly Can
.
Brock remained Hawkwind's musical focus and primary songwriter throughout its existence. He has little interest in lyrics and much of the time has benefited from collaborating with lyricists such as Robert Calvert
and Michael Moorcock
. Although being the only ever-present member of band, there have been times, particularly in the early days when the line-up was fluid, when he would miss gigs such as the 1971 Glastonbury Festival
. On stage, his preference is to remain at the back and let others take centre stage and be the focus of attention, to the point where he will often employ dancers, mime artists and fire eaters to fill that space. At other times (particularly in their early days), the entire band is totally obscured by their light show, a tactic also employed by Pink Floyd
from their formation through 1969.
The band now operates as a cottage industry from his Devon home, where he and his wife, Kris Tait, manage the band and their merchandising, and the band rehearse and record in one of his barns, named Earth Studios.
Dave has used a variety of guitars over the years, but has steadfastly used Westone (guitars)
for over 25 years. A Westone Spectrum LX since 1985 (custom painted by Alan Arthurs, with a portion of the Space Ritual
LP cover), and previously had a Westone Paduak-1 from 1982 until 2008, custom painted by Guy Thomas after the St. Albans gig of the 1984 winter tour, with the Warrior on the Edge of Time
LP cover.
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He plays electric guitar
Electric guitar
An 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...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
group 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....
. Brock is the only member of the group to have been a constant throughout the band's history .
Early years
Brock's childhood was spent in FelthamFeltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
attending the Longford Secondary Modern School (Now called Rivers Academy). It was his father's brother who introduced him to music giving him a banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
at the age twelve, and a school art teacher who encouraged him in his learning. Influences at this time included Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
and Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
.
After leaving school in 1959, he undertook several jobs including work as capstan setter, before moving to an animation company, Larkin Studios. He pursued his interests in music at night, although with no initial intentions of it becoming a career, attending clubs such as Eel Pie Island
Eel Pie Island
Eel Pie Island is an island in the River Thames in England at Twickenham, in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London. It is situated on the Tideway and can be reached only by footbridge or boat...
, playing New Orleans trad jazz
Trad jazz
Trad jazz - short for "traditional jazz" - refers to the Dixieland and Ragtime jazz styles of the early 20th century in contrast to any more modern style....
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
with friends such as Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Keith Relf
Keith Relf
Keith William Relf , was a musician best known as the lead singer and harmonica player of The Yardbirds. After the Yardbirds broke up Relf formed the acoustic duo Together, with fellow Yardbird Jim McCarty, followed by Renaissance, which also featured his sister, singer Jane Relf, then hard rock...
, Jeff Watson and Mick Slattery.
He formed a trio with pianist Mike King and harmonica player Luke Francis called the Dharma Blues Band, recorded versions of Sonny Boy Williamson II
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...
's "Dealing with the Devil" and Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson was an American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist.Journalist Tony Russell stated in his book The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray, that "Johnson shared with the other members of the 'Boogie Woogie Trio' the technical virtuosity and melodic fertility that can make this the most...
's "Roll 'Em Pete
Roll 'Em Pete
"Roll 'Em Pete" is a rhythm and blues song originally recorded in 1938 by Big Joe Turner and pianist Pete Johnson. The recording is regarded as one of the most important precursors of what later became known as "rock and roll".-Original recording:...
" for Blues Anytime Vol. 2 (Immediate, IMPC015) in 1966, and backed travelling American blues singers such as Memphis Slim
Memphis Slim
Memphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other...
and Champion Jack Dupree
Champion Jack Dupree
William Thomas Dupree, best known as Champion Jack Dupree, was an American blues pianist. His birth date is disputed, given as July 4, July 10, and July 23, in the years 1908, 1909, or 1910. He died on January 21, 1992.-Biography:...
. The band would continue without Brock, recording an album in 1967.
Quitting his daytime job, he travelled around Europe earning money by busking, sometimes with harmonica player Pete Judd. With guitarist John Illingworth, Brock and Judd formed The Famous Cure, touring in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and again after Slattery had replaced Judd in 1967, also having a hit single with "Sweet Mary"/"Mean Mistreater". With the psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
scene burgeoning in London and the band experimenting with LSD, their music changed with them starting to use electric instruments and effects units.
In 1968 he resorted to busking for a living and, on the back of the success of Don Partridge
Don Partridge
Donald Eric Partridge was an English singer and songwriter, known as the "king of the buskers". He performed from the early 1960s as a busker and one-man band, and achieved unexpected commercial success in the UK in the late 1960s with the songs "Rosie" and "Blue Eyes".-Life and musical career:Don...
's "Rosie", joined a band of buskers playing the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, touring Britain on a double decker bus, and contributing "Bring It on Home
Bring It on Home
"Bring It On Home" is a song written by American bassist-songwriter Willie Dixon. The first known recording of the song was by Sonny Boy Williamson II in 1963...
" to The Buskers album (Columbia, SX6356).
Hawkwind
In 1969, Slattery and Brock continued jamming together and with whoever else was around. The genesis of Hawkwind was in their meeting with bass player John Harrison, who was also taking an interest in experimental music after stints in more conventional bands such as the Joe Loss Band. A music paper advert brought in teenage drummer Terry Ollis, while friends Nik TurnerNik 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...
and Dik Mik were invited to join the band on saxophone and electronics respectively after the pair had originally offered their services as roadcrew.
From the outset, Brock's intentions for the band was to marry simple three-chord rock music with experimental electronic music. He cites his influences for the band at the time as The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...
and the krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
scene of Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
and particularly Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
.
Brock remained Hawkwind's musical focus and primary songwriter throughout its existence. He has little interest in lyrics and much of the time has benefited from collaborating with lyricists such as 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...
and 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....
. Although being the only ever-present member of band, there have been times, particularly in the early days when the line-up was fluid, when he would miss gigs such as the 1971 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. On stage, his preference is to remain at the back and let others take centre stage and be the focus of attention, to the point where he will often employ dancers, mime artists and fire eaters to fill that space. At other times (particularly in their early days), the entire band is totally obscured by their light show, a tactic also employed by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
from their formation through 1969.
The band now operates as a cottage industry from his Devon home, where he and his wife, Kris Tait, manage the band and their merchandising, and the band rehearse and record in one of his barns, named Earth Studios.
Dave has used a variety of guitars over the years, but has steadfastly used Westone (guitars)
Westone (guitars)
Westone is a brand of guitars and basses started in the late 1970s. Saint Louis Music acquired an interest in the company in 1981 and began importing the brand to the USA as a replacement brandname for the Custom Kraft-brand instruments manufactured by Kay and Valco in the mid-1950s. Electra was...
for over 25 years. A Westone Spectrum LX since 1985 (custom painted by Alan Arthurs, with a portion of the Space Ritual
Space Ritual
The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London is a 1973 live double album recorded in 1972 by UK rock band Hawkwind. It is their fourth album, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #179....
LP cover), and previously had a Westone Paduak-1 from 1982 until 2008, custom painted by Guy Thomas after the St. Albans gig of the 1984 winter tour, with the Warrior on the Edge of Time
Warrior on the Edge of Time
Warrior on the Edge of Time is Hawkwind's fifth studio album. It reached #13 on the UK album charts and was their third and last album to make the US Billboard chart, where it peaked at #150...
LP cover.
Solo records
- 1982 – "Zones"/"Processed" one sided 7" (Hawkfan Records)
- 1983 – "Social Alliance"/"Raping Robots in the Street" 7" (Flicknife Records)
- 1984 – Earthed to the GroundEarthed to the GroundEarthed to the Ground is a 1984 debut solo studio album by the English space rock musician Dave Brock.It is essentially a collection of home demos Brock made for work with his group Hawkwind...
(Flicknife Records) - 1987 – The Agents of Chaos (Flicknife Records)
- 1995 – Strange Trips & Pipe Dreams (Emergency Broadcast System Records)
- 2001 – Memos and Demos (Voiceprint Records)
- 2003 – Earthed to the Ground and The Agents of Chaos (Voiceprint Records)
- 2007 – The Brock/Calvert ProjectCentigrade 232Centigrade 232 is an album of poems by English writer and musician Robert Calvert, recorded in 1986 and released in 2007. The poem Centigrade 232 was set to music by Spirits Burning in 2001...
– Robert Calvert and Dave Brock (Voiceprint Records)
Guest appearances
- 1974 – Robert CalvertRobert CalvertRobert 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...
– Captain Lockheed and the StarfightersCaptain Lockheed and the StarfightersCaptain Lockheed and the Starfighters was a 1974 satirical concept album by Robert Calvert, the former frontman of British space-rock band Hawkwind. It consists of a mixture of songs and comic spoken interludes....
– lead guitar on "Widowmaker" only - 1975 – Michael Moorcock & Deep FixMichael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
– New Worlds FairNew Worlds FairNew Worlds Fair is a 1975 concept album by UK rock group Michael Moorcock & Deep Fix.Moorcock was an established science fiction author who had contributed lyrics and occasionally performed with Hawkwind... - 2002 – Star OneStar OneStar One is a Dutch progressive metal supergroup/side-project of Arjen Anthony Lucassen of Ayreon fame. Unlike Ayreon, the band did not follow one storyline; instead, each song was a different story with a sci-fi concept, most of the tracks based on existing movies and series.-Origins and first...
– Space MetalSpace Metal (Star One album)Space Metal is an album by Star One released on the recording label Inside Out in 2002. It was issued in two versions, a standard version containing just the first CD and a limited edition version with more elaborate packaging and both CDs....
– vocals on "Hawkwind Medley"