Can someone kindly explain Hawkwind to me?

[Seeker_UK]

Del put the the VCS3 through a Binson (not sure what the box on top of it is though) and DikMik put the oscillators through a CopyCat.

The Binson can be overdriven so adds that 'bite' you'd expect. Otherwise the VCS3 wouldn't be providing the desired mind-f**k to match the audio generators.

DikMik also has what looks like an HH IC100 amp (Hawkwind used to be name checked in their adverts) and that has Reverb and tremolo for additional effects. Before that he had a Vox Supreme which also had twin channel reverb and tremolo.

At other points he used a Wah (according to Lemmy), ring modulator and a lo-fi (possibly harmonica) microphone as an additional sound source - I think it's him saying "we have disasters up here every f****ng night" through it at the start of "Born to Go" from "Greasy Truckers Party".

 

[kasperhauser]

Ok, (1) I friggin’ love this and (2) I have to say, it doesn’t go very far toward explaining Hawkwind. Or maybe it does. I’m not even sure any more.

 

[Tony L]

Del put the the VCS3 through a Binson (not sure what the box on top of it is though) and DikMik put the oscillators through a CopyCat.

Couple of Vox heads in the pic with Del too, which would crunch up nicely.

PS The Copicat can sound pretty dirty and grungy, at least mine (same model as the lower pic) certainly did, though some of that would have been knackered heads!

 

[Nero]

I can’t explain Hawkwind, but their gig at Clacton Town Hall early 70’s was only my second ever concert (the first being Pink Fairies at Sheepen Road Colchester I think). They had a nice girl with big bazoomas on stage, which caused all sorts of chemical reactions in my teenage loins.
Happy Days

 

[Seeker_UK]

Couple of Vox heads in the pic with Del too, which would crunch up nicely.

Yes - they look like Vox Supremes (or possibly Defiants) too. Ideal for driving the home-made cylinder speakers. And yes, they go a bit crunchy

PS The Copicat can sound pretty dirty and grungy, at least mine (same model as the lower pic) certainly did, though some of that would have been knackered heads!

I suspect being exposed to loads of smoke and sweat and life on the road can leave their, ahem, signature on exposed tapes and heads.

Back to DikMik, this is a photo of him at about the time of the first album (before he left for the first time).

All he has in this setup is a different signal gen than in the '73 pic and a Selmer amp & speaker. At some point he acquired the VCS3 but then left. Del was the live sound engineer and took over the VCS3 to fill in. Del returned and went back to the audio generators.

[edit]

It would seem Del had an EMS and an AKS - this pic is from Windsor 73. Obviously there was a need for something a bit more robust on stage.

The whole article about Windsor 73 is worth a read as it focuses on Barney's artwork for the amps and drums: https://www.paulgormanis.com/?p=12896

 

[Seeker_UK]

I can’t explain Hawkwind, but their gig at Clacton Town Hall early 70’s was only my second ever concert (the first being Pink Fairies at Sheepen Road Colchester I think). They had a nice girl with big bazoomas on stage, which caused all sorts of chemical reactions in my teenage loins.
Happy Days

4 pages and we finally get to Miss Stacia.

 

[Wolfmancatsup]

It was Hall of the Mountain Grill that got me into the band. First saw them live at Hammersmith Odeon in ‘74 (supported by Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias - anybody remember them?) - last live sighting of any of them was seeing Nik Turner’s Space Ritual at my local music club (in the bar of Sutton United Football Club) a few years ago.
Like others here, my preference is for the early UA stuff, although there are highlights among later releases - my favourite later album is Electric Tepee, which I think harks back a fair bit to the early stuff.

Mick

 

[Tony L]

All he has in this setup is a different signal gen than in the '73 pic and a Selmer amp & speaker. At some point he acquired the VCS3 but then left. Del was the live sound engineer and took over the VCS3 to fill in. Del returned and went back to the audio generators.

It’s interesting stuff. I know Stockhausen used multiples of that kind of audio signal generator, though as a music source they are pretty crude. Really just a single oscillator but no filter and little modulation potential. The suggestion he maybe used a wah pedal makes a lot of sense as that would have brought a resonant filter and some grunge to it.

PS Hainbach’s YouTube channel is good on this sort of stuff:

 

[Seeker_UK]

It was Hall of the Mountain Grill that got me into the band. First saw them live at Hammersmith Odeon in ‘74 (supported by Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias - anybody remember them?)

That might explain the "Madrax Sunset Variations" (ffwd to 33:00)

"This is your captain speaking. This is your captain speaking. Your captain is knackered..."

 

[Seeker_UK]

It’s interesting stuff. I know Stockhausen used multiples of that kind of audio signal generator, though as a music source they are pretty crude. Really just a single oscillator but no filter and little modulation potential. The suggestion he maybe used a wah pedal makes a lot of sense as that would have brought a resonant filter and some grunge to it.

PS Hainbach’s YouTube channel is good on this sort of stuff:

He may have also had a wobbulator which would explain how he got those fast frequency shifts on "Electronic Number 1" / "Space" - faster than even a speed freak could turn the knob on the generator.

And just to geek out a bit, the generators in the Wentzell pic look like Tech TE-22s with the frequency knobs changed. You can get some interesting tones out of them w/out any modulation as they have square and sine outs and variable amplitude mid.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Anyway. Too many words, not enough music.

 

[Wolfmancatsup]

That might explain the "Madrax Sunset Variations" (ffwd to 33:00)

"This is your captain speaking. This is your captain speaking. Your captain is knackered..."

Good spot! I saw Alberto… a couple of times, but I’m fairly sure I never heard any of their recordings. There are a couple of their albums on Qobuz so I’ll give ‘em a listen.
(I’d forgotten it was ‘Lost’ rather than ‘Los’!, and I saw the tour early ‘75 rather than ‘74).
Mick

 

[FireMoon]

In case you're all wondering what we are wittering on about vis a vie synths and noise generators...

This is classic "Audio Generator"...

 

[molee]

In case you're all wondering what we are wittering on about vis a vie synths and noise generators...

This is classic "Audio Generator"...

Nope, over the past several decades I've heard this track (and others) in various states of enlightenment and I still haven't a clue what you are going on about.

 

[Andrew UK]

As stated. I picked up Space Ritual and Warrior on the Edge of Time. Haven't yet heard the former; currently listening to the latter, and think I could be missing something – relevant context or backstory, maybe – that's central to really "getting" it.

I'm coming at this from a position of complete ignorance, other than the constant urging from a friend long ago that I "really needed to get into it". (He was a Hawkwind purist at the time, who subsequently became a Dead Can Dance purist. He was also an Olympic-caliber fencer, if that helps explain anything.)

I'm not saying I don't like it, but I get the feeling it's trying to take me somewhere that I can't quite visualize. I've read a few threads here, but mostly they seem like appreciation posts from those already in the know.

(While you're at it, if you could explain Ozric Tentacles, that would be great. I have Afterswish and find it impenetrable.)

I think maybe you started with the wrong album, Warrior on the Edge of Time is a little patchy as can be said for many of Hawkwind’s studio albums. Space Ritual on the other hand is an amazing album, the simple driving riffs, the sci-fi electronic noises, the purely space fantasy lyrics, the poetry, Lemmy’s incredible bass. Don’t use it to test your hifi and don’t put it on in the background. Just prepare to be immersed for a full double album of loud, hard, stoned biker space rock. I listen to it without chemical assistance. It can be done. Unique.

 

[MotherSky]

My fave Hawkwind album is actually 'Levitation' (In Search of Space being a very close second) - the title track at full blast is a thing to behold... could be said that they cheated a bit by hiring a proper drummer though...

 

[boon]

Yes, you need to discover Hawkwind when you're young, and preferably dropping acid.

Or 1/2ounce of Afghanistan’s finest herbals!

 

[boon]

We used to see them and the Pink Fairies under the Westway on Portobello Road. Much preferred the Pink Fairies. And preferred Gong to either.

The Pink Fairies, now there’s a band that liked a farewell tour, think I went to about 2 or possibly 3 of them.
What about Stray, now they were a good live band.

 

[boon]

My memory of Nik Turner was he was a great guy, just really chilled out, friendly and free of any rockstar pretence. I suspect most of them were, but they went through a bewildering number of line-up changes. I’ve got a couple of books on the band and it really is a bonkers story with endless debate about who owns what, who has the right to release what etc. Their post UA & Charisma catalogue is just a total cluster* of dubious releases, things that are bootlegs in all but name, but were released by someone either once in or close to the band. It’s a really rather amusing seeing the most free and out-there counterculture band ripping itself apart as they are actually all capitalists at heart!

My sister used to knock about with Nick Turner in the sixties, his mum had a massive house down the road from us.

 

[Seeker_UK]

My fave Hawkwind album is actually 'Levitation' (In Search of Space being a very close second) - the title track at full blast is a thing to behold... could be said that they cheated a bit by hiring a proper drummer though...

And has Tim Blake on it too...

The live version of the title track originally on "Stonehenge" and then on the Atomhenge release is an absolute barnstormer.