Tag Archives: Pierre Moerlen

Pierre Moerlen’s Gong: Downwind

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On February 9, 1979, “Arista” label released “Downwind”, the third Pierre Moerlen’s Gong album (it was the first to be released under that name, the previous two having been released as Gong albums for contractual reasons). It was recorded June – September 1978, and was produced by Pierre Moerlen.

Personnel:

  • Pierre Moerlen– lead vocals, drums, vibraphone, marimba, concert toms, timpani, organ, synthesizer, electric piano, assorted percussion
  • Mike Oldfield- guitar, solina strings, bass, Irish drum
  • Mick Taylor- guitar
  • Ross Record – vocals, guitar
  • Steve Winwood– synthesizer
  • Hansford Rowe– bass
  • Benoît Moerlen– vibraphon
  • François Causse – percussion
  • Didier Malherbe– saxophone
  • Terry Oldfield– flute
  • Didier Lockwood– violin

Track listing:

All tracks by Pierre Moerlen, except where noted.

  1. Aeroplane – Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O’Lochlain
  2. Crosscurrents
  3. Downwind
  4. Jin-Go-Lo-Ba – Babatunde Olatunji
  5. What You Know – Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O’Lochlain
  6. Emotions
  7. Xtasea

Brand X: Manifest Destiny

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On February 5, 1997, “Cleopatra” label released “Manifest Destiny”, the eight, and final Brand X album.. It was recorded February 1996, and was produced by Shawn Ahearn and Sami Kaneda.

Personnel:

  • John Goodsall – narrator, guitar, rhythm guitar, MIDI guitar,  orchestra, organ, sampling, sitar, synthesizer, tubular bells, wah wah guitar
  • Percy Jones – fretless bass, wah wah bass, keyboards, sequencing, sound effects, special effects
  • Pierre Moerlen– drums
  • Franz Pusch – vocals, bass, fender rhodes, keyboards, percussion, programming, sampling, sequencing, sound effects, synthesizer
  • Marc Wagnon – bass, MIDI vibes, synthesizer, vibraphone
  • Frank Katz – vocals, drums, sampling
  • Danny Wilding – flute
  • Ronnie Ciago –”Virus”, rainstick,  shaker,  tamtam, udu
  • David Hentschel– engineer
  • Keith Lewis – technical assistant
  • Mark Tessler – photography

Track listing:

  1. True to the Clik – John Goodsall, Franz Pusch
  2. Stellerator – Percy Jones
  3. Virus – John Goodsall, Franz Pusch
  4. XXL – John Goodsall
  5. The Worst Man – Percy Jones
  6. Manifest Destiny – John Goodsall, Percy Jones, Frank Katz, Marc Wagnon
  7. Five Drops – Marc Wagnon
  8. Drum Ddu – Percy Jones
  9. Operation Hearts and Minds – John Goodsall
  10. Bubble Goes to Hollywood – Percy Jones, Frank Katz
  11. Disco Suicide (live) – Robin Lumley
  12. Bass and Drum Solo Improvisation (live)

Gong: Shamal

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On February 13, 1976, “Virgin” label released “Shamal”, the sixth Gong studio album. It was recorded in December 1975, at “Basing Street Studios” and “Olympic Studios” in London, and was produced by Nick Mason.

Personnel:

  • Steve Hillage– acoustic and electric guitar
  • Patrice Lemoine – organ, piano, synthesizer
  • Didier Malherbe– tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, bansuri, gongs
  • Mireille Bauer– marimba, glockenspiel, xylophone, percussion, gongs
  • Mike Howlett– vocals, bass guitar
  • Pierre Moerlen– drums, vibraphone, tubular bells
  • Miquette Giraudy, Sandy Colley – vocals
  • Jorge Pinchevsky – violin
  • Phil Ault, Dave Hutchins, Ben Tavera King, Rick Curtain, Ben King –  engineer
  • Clive Arrowsmith: artwork, photography

Track listing:

  1. Wingful of Eyes – Mike Howlett
  2. Chandra – Patrice Lemoine
  3. Bambooji – Didier Malherbe
  4. Cat in Clark’s Shoes – Didier Malherbe
  5. Mandrake – Pierre Moerlen
  6. Shamal – Mike Howlett, Didier Malherbe, Patrice Lemoine, Mireille Bauer

Slapp Happy / Henry Cow: Desparate Straights

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desperate-straights

In February 1975, “Virgin” label released “Desperate Straights”, album by Slapp Happy and Henry Cow. It was recorded in November 1974, at “The Manor” in Oxfordshire, England, and was produced by  Dagmar Krause, Peter Blegvad, Anthony Moore, Tim Hodgkinson, Fred Frith, John Greaves, Geoff Leigh and Simon Heyworth.

Personnel:

  • Dagmar Krause– voice, Wurlitzer
  • Peter Blegvad– voice, guitar, cover art
  • Anthony Moore– piano
  • Tim Hodgkinson– clarinet, piano
  • Fred Frith– guitar, violin
  • John Greaves– bass guitar, piano
  • Chris Cutler– drums
  • Pierre Moerlen– percussion
  • Geoff Leigh– flute
  • Mont Campbell– French horn
  • Mongezi Feza– trumpet
  • Nick Evans– trombone
  • Lindsay Cooper– bassoon, oboe

Track listing:

  1. Some Questions About Hats – Anthony Moore, Peter Blegvad
  2. The Owl – Anthony Moore
  3. A Worm is at Work – Anthony Moore, Peter Blegvad
  4. Bad Alchemy – John Greaves, Peter Blegvad
  5. Europa – Anthony Moore, Peter Blegvad
  6. Desparate Straights – Anthony Moore
  7. Riding Tigers – Peter Blegvad
  8. Apes in Capes – Anthony Moore
  9. Strayed – Peter Blegvad
  10. Giants – Anthony Moore, Peter Blegvad
  11. Excerpt from The Messiah – Handel, arr. by Peter Blegvad
  12. In the Sickbay – Dagmar Krause, Peter Blegvad
  13. Caucasian Lullaby – Chris Cutler, Anthony Moore

Mike Oldfield: Platinum

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mike-oldfield-platinum

On November 23, 1979, “Virgin” label released “Platinum”, the fifth Mike Oldfield album. It was recorded in 1979, at “Blue Rock”, “Electric Lady” in the US; and “Througham”,  “Denham”, and “The Manor” in UK, and was produced by Tom Newman.

Personnel:

  • Mike Oldfield– vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, marimba, piano, synthesizers, vibraphone
  • Peter Lemer– keyboards
  • Nico Ramsden – keyboards
  • Sally Cooper – tubular bells
  • Wendy Roberts – vocals
  • Francisco Centeno – bass guitar
  • Neil Jason– bass
  • Hansford Rowe– bass
  • Pierre Moerlen– drums, vibraphone
  • Morris Pert– drums
  • Demelza – congas
  • Allan Schwartzberg– drums
  • David Bedford– vocal arrangements
  • Peter Gordon – horn arrangements
  • Michael Riesman– horn arrangements
  • Kurt Munkacsi – engineer
  • Tom Newman- engineer
  • Richard Manwaring – engineer assistant
  • Renate Blauel– engineer assistant

Track listing:

  1. Platinum Part One: Airborne
  2. Platinum Part Two: Platinum
  3. Platinum Part Three: Charleston
  4. Platinum Part Four: North Star/Platinum Finale
  5. Woodhenge
  6. Into Wonderland
  7. Punkadiddle
  8. I Got Rhythm

Mick Taylor: Same

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Mick Taylor

On June 22, 1979, “CBS” label released the self – titled, debut, Mick Taylor album. It was recorded 1976 – 1979 and was produced by Mick Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Mick Taylor- vocal, guitar, piano, bass guitar, electric piano, synthesizer, strings
  • Lowell George- slide guitar
  • Norman Mighell – tambourine
  • Jean Roussel– piano
  • Kuma Harada – bass guitar, double bass, strings
  • Alan Spenner- bass guitar
  • Mike Driscoll – drums, bass drum
  • Pierre Moerlen- drums
  • Richard Bailey – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Mick Taylor except where noted:

  1. Leather Jacket
  2. Alabama – Colin Allen, Mick Taylor
  3. Slow Blues
  4. Baby I Want You
  5. Broken Hands
  6. Giddy-Up
  7. W.5
  8. Spanish / A Minor

 

Mike Oldfield: Crises

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Crisis

On May 27, 1983, “Virgin” label released “Crises”, the eighth Mike Oldfield album. It was recorded November 1982 – April 1983, and was produced by Mike Oldfield and Simon Phillips.

Personnel:

  • Mike Oldfield – vocals, guitars, Fairlight CMI, Roland string synthesizer, Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer, Farfisa organ, piano, Prophet 5 synthesizer, bass guita, acoustic bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, electronic drums, bells, tambourine, shaker, Oberheim DMX drum machine, Oberheim DSX digital polyphonic sequencer, Quantec Room Simulator reverb unit
  • Simon Phillips– acoustic drums, special effects, shaker, finger-snaps, bells, tambourine, boots
  • Ant (Ant Glynne) – guitars
  • Rick Fenn– guitar
  • Phil Spalding– bass guitar
  • Pierre Moerlen– vibraphone
  • Maggie Reilly– vocals
  • Jon Anderson– vocals
  • Roger Chapman– vocals
  • Terry Ilott – cover art

Track listing:

  1. Crises – Mike Oldfield
  2. Moonlight Shadow – Mike Oldfield
  3. In High Places – Mike Oldfield, Jon Anderson
  4. Foreign Affair – Mike Oldfield, Maggie Reilly
  5. Taurus 3 – Mike Oldfield
  6. Shadow on the Wall – Mike Oldfield

Steve Hillage: Fish Rising

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Steve_Hillage_Fish_Rising

On April 11, 1975, “Virgin” label released “Fish Rising”, the debut Steve Hillage solo album. It was recorded at “Manor Studio” in September 1974 and, “Manor Mobile” in January 1975, and was produced by Steve Hillage and Simon Heyworth.

Personnel:

  • Steve Hillage (listed as Steve Hillfish) – lead vocals, electric guitar
  • Miquette Giraudy (listed as Bombaloni Yoni) – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
  • Dave Stewart– organ, piano
  • Tim Blake (listed as Moonweed) – synthesizers, tamboura
  • Mike Howlett– bass
  • Pierre Moerlen– drums, marimba, darbuka
  • Didier Malherbe (listed as Bloomdido Glid de Breeze) – sax, flute
  • Lindsay Cooper– bassoon

Track listing:

All lyrics by Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy, all music by Steve Hillage.

  1. Solar Musick Suite
  2. Sun Song (I Love its Holy Mystery)
  3. Canterbury Sunrise
  4. Hiram Afterglid Meets the Dervish
  5. Sun Song (reprise)
  6. Fish
  7. Meditation of the Snake
  8. The Salmon Song
  9. Salmon Pool
  10. Solomon’s Atlantis Salmon
  11. Swimming with the Salmon
  12. King of the Fishes
  13. Aftaglid
  14. Sun Moon Surfing
  15. The Great Wave and the Boat of Hermes
  16. The Silver Ladder
  17. Astral Meadows
  18. The Lafta Yoga Song
  19. Glidding
  20. The Golden Vibe / Outglid

Gong: Angels Egg

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Angels Egg

On December 7, 1973, “Virgin” label released “Angels Egg”, the fifth Gong album. It was recorded August 1973, at the “Manor Mobile” in France, and was produced by Gong. ”Angels Egg” is the second of the Gong’s “Radio Gnome” trilogy of albums, following “Flying Teapot” and preceding “You”.

Personnel:

  • Bloomdido Bad De Grass (Didier Malherbe) – bi-focal vocal, tenor and soprano  saxophone , floot
  • Shakti Yoni (Gilli Smyth) – space whisper, loin cackle
  • Being esq. (Mike Howlett, spelled Howlitt on composer credits) – basso profundo
  • Capt. Hillage (Steve Hillage) – lewd guitar
  • Hi T. Moonweed (the favourite) (Tim Blake) – Cynthia “size a”, lady voce
  • Pierre de Strasbourg (Pierre Moerlen, spelled Moerlin on composer credits) – bread and batteur drums, vibes, marimba
  • Mirielle de Strasbourg (Mireille Bauer) – glockenspiel
  • Dingo Virgin (Daevid Allen) – local vocals, aluminium croon, glissando guitar

Track listing

  1. Other Side of the Sky – Tim Blake, Daevid Allen
  2. Sold to the Highest Buddha – Mike Howlett, Daevid Allen
  3. Castle in the Clouds – Steve Hillage
  4. Prostitute Poem – Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage
  5. Givin My Luv to You – Daevid Allen
  6. Selene – Daevid Allen
  7. Flute Salad – Didier Malherbe
  8. Oily Way – Daevid Allen, Didier Malherbe
  9. Outer Temple – Tim Blake, Steve Hillage
  10. Inner Temple – Daevid Allen, Didier Malherbe
  11. Percolations – Pierre Moerlen
  12. Love is How u Make It – Pierre Moerlen, Daevid Allen
  13. I Niver Glid Before – Steve Hillage
  14. Eat That Phone Book Coda – Didier Malherbe