They were formed in 1967, after Allen - then a member of Soft Machine - was denied entry to the United Kingdom due to a visa complication. Allen remained in France where he and a London-born Sorbonne professor, Gilli Smyth, established the first incarnation of Gong. This band fragmented during the 1968 student revolution, with Allen and Smyth forced to flee France for Deià in Majorca.
They found a saxophonist, Didier Malherbe living in a cave in Deià, before film director Jerome La Perrousaz invited the band back to France to record the soundtracks to his movies. They were subsequently approached by the newly formed independent label BYG and signed up for two albums (Magick Brother/Mystic Sister, Camembert Electrique and Allen's solo album Bananamoon.
Gong played at the first Glastonbury Festival and were subsequently one of the first acts to sign to Virgin Records, getting first pick of the studio-time ahead of Mike Oldfield. By 1971, a regular line-up had established itself, and Gong released their Camembert Electrique album. The UK release, put out by Virgin Records subsidiary Caroline Records in 1974, was priced at 49p (i.e. the price of a typical single rather than an album), ensuring that sufficient numbers were sold for the album to chart (had it not been barred from the charts for being so cheap).
Between 1973 and 1974 Gong, now augmented by bass player Mike Howlett and guitarist Steve Hillage, released their Radio Gnome Trilogy — three records that expounded upon the (previously only hinted at) Gong mythology — starting with Flying Teapot and Angel's Egg both released in 1973, and You in 1974. At a gig in Cheltenham, in 1975, Allen refused to go on stage, claiming that a "wall of force" was preventing him. He left the band, as did Smyth, who wanted to spend more time with her two children. The band also lost keyboard player Tim Blake, replaced by Patrice Lemoine.
The band continued under the control of drummer Pierre Moerlen in order to fulfil contractual obligations, touring the UK in November 1975 (as documented on the 2005 release Live in Sherwood Forest '75) and working on their next album Shamal, but Hillage and Miquette Giraudy left before Shamal was released in 1976. (They re-joined the band briefly for a 1977 live reunion.) Gong morphed into a jazz rock outfit, renamed Pierre Moerlen's Gong after the departure of Didier Malherbe in 1976. This group reformed without Moerlen in the early 1990s as Gongzilla.
The Gong mythology, however, continued from the late seventies up until the nineties in Allen's solo work, and with bands such as Euterpe and Planet Gong (a collaboration with Here & Now), while Smyth formed a separate band, Mother Gong.
In 1992, Allen and Malherbe reformed Gong and released the album Shapeshifter, subsequently dubbed "Radio Gnome, Part 4". In 2000, a 5th installment: Zero to Infinity was released, featuring Smyth, and classic line-up bassist Mike Howlett. However 2004 saw a radical new Gong line-up including current member Kawabata Makoto and former member Cotton Casino from Acid Mothers Temple. Allen and Smyth's son Orlando Allen joined on drums for the album Acid Motherhood.
Gong (Gong Ge) is a Chinese pop artist. Use 宫阁
Master Builder
Gong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
MA-I MA-O
TA-I TA-O NOW
Q: Master Builder, tell me how you make a temple ?
A: Tools and moon stones,
you don't really need them, you know...
Q: Master Builder, tell me what the temple's made of ?
you can build an invisible temple in your own imagination
if you will
At first glance, the lyrics to Gong's song "Master Builder" may seem obscure and almost nonsensical. However, upon closer inspection, the lyrics contain a deep message about the power of imagination and the ability to create something from nothing. The chanting at the beginning of the song, "IAO ZA-I ZA-O, MA-I MA-O, TA-I TA-O NOW," is likely based on ancient mantras and serves to create a meditative atmosphere. The lyrics that follow, in which the Master Builder is asked to reveal the secrets of building a temple, are metaphorical in nature. The Master Builder responds that tools and stones are not necessary to create a temple, suggesting that the true source of creative power lies within oneself. By tapping into one's own imagination, one can build an "invisible temple" that can exist only in the mind but has the potential to inspire and uplift others.
The message of "Master Builder" is one that transcends time and place. It speaks to the universal human desire to create something of value and to leave a positive impact on the world. While the song may have been inspired by the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 70s, its message is just as relevant today. In a society that places great emphasis on material possessions and instant gratification, "Master Builder" is a reminder that true creativity and fulfillment come from within.
Line by Line Meaning
IAO ZA-I ZA-O
Asking the Master Builder for guidance and knowledge
MA-I MA-O
Questioning the need for tools and materials to build a temple
TA-I TA-O NOW
Urging the Master Builder to share the secret of building a temple
Master Builder, tell me how you make a temple ?
Asking the Master Builder for specific instructions
Tools and moon stones, you don't really need them, you know...
Revealing that the key to building a temple lies within oneself and not in external resources
Master Builder, tell me what the temple's made of ?
Seeking knowledge about the nature of the temple
Deep inside you, you can build an invisible temple in your own imagination if you will
Revealing that the temple is metaphorical and can be built within one's mind through the power of imagination
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAEVID ALLEN, DIDIER MALHERBE, GILLIAN SMYTH, MIKE HOWLETT, PIERRE MOERLEN, STEVE HILLAGE, TIM BLAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mikereiss4216
You know it's a good song when a band builds their whole career around it(Ozric Tentacles).
@DansGotGroove
Thank you for mentioning this band! Had you not made your comment, I don't know that I ever would've come across that band (or at the very least, you allowed me to enjoy their music sooner than if I had happened to stumble on them at some point). I almost instantly fell in love with their style. Many thanks
@ronniewall1481
DON'T UNDERSTAND THEY HAD TONS OF STUFF
@lindyrm
also, acid mothers temple made a whole album out of this
@dafyddroberts2391
Gong definitely weren’t one song wonders!! When they had Steve Hillage and Daevid Allen together magic happened ✌️
@hackalacka
Hehe, My favorite with Ozric Tentacles is: Strangeitude and Waterfall Cities and Hidden Step ^^
@MrBmorsch
I have heard this piece hundreds of times and it still gives me the chills every single time.
@daevidetallien1414
Of course allien! YOU
@tobarrr
Pierre has an incredible drum style. He has to be one of the most underrated, if not unrecognized drummers of the 20th century.
@BolterTUBE
7 guys was so high so they clicked the dislike mistakly...