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
Oily Way
Gong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you're back where you belong
Meet the wizard of the keys
And he'll reveal the mysteries
Of Angels' Eggs and Octave Doctors
Radio Gnome and Love Projectors
Then he'll point up in the sky
Down the Oily Way...
Down the Oily Way you slide
Through the inner space you ride
Lots and lots of Pot-Head Pixies
Ridin' round in Teapot Taxies
On the Planet Gong they say
If everything goes wrong today
Fill your Teapot up with tea
Come and take a ride with me
Down the oily way...
Oily Way
Oily Way - it's not the milky way
Oily Way - it's not the only way
Oily Way - it's not the English way
Stop !
Wait !
Hey !
Look !
High in the sky, the world you remember
Scenes that we dreamed of
Time for the end of
Hate !
War !
Death !
You big daddy in your big sick city
Gotta choose to loose your games now
Now you're here and now you're Gong
But this ain't me that sings this song
For we the Gong Band it's enough
To be the instruments of love
On which the Octave Doctors play
That we be one and all as one with Gong
On earth and find again
The joys of going around the bend
Down the oily way
Oily Way
Oily Way - not the only way
Oily Way - it's not the only way
Oily Way - it's not the English way
The lyrics of "Oily Way" are an invitation to join a mystical journey into the universe of Planet Gong, where the listener can be transported to new dimensions through the magical keys of a wizard. The song follows a narrative that includes references to various elements of the Gong mythology. The Angels' Eggs and Octave Doctors refer to two of the albums of the band, which are considered to be part of a trilogy known as Radio Gnome Invisible. The Love Projectors may refer to the "invisible light beams" that connect the characters of the Radio Gnome story. The lyrics also mention a phenomenon called the Teapots flying, which is a recurring element in the Gong universe, representing a form of transportation between different planets.
As the journey progresses, the listener encounters a strange species called Pot-Head Pixies, who seem to be having fun riding around in Teapot Taxies. The lyrics suggest that Planet Gong is a place where, even when everything goes wrong, one can find solace and escape by filling up a Teapot with tea and taking a ride down the Oily Way.
The song ends with a call for peace, love, and harmony, suggesting that the purpose of the journey is to find the joys of going around the bend of life, down the oily way.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you're here and now you're Gong
You have arrived and joined the band Gong
Now you're back where you belong
You have returned to the place or group where you are accepted
Meet the wizard of the keys
Introduce yourself to the talented musician who plays the keyboard
And he'll reveal the mysteries
He will disclose the secrets or enigmas of Gong's music
Of Angels' Eggs and Octave Doctors
Of Gong's albums named Angels' Eggs and Octave Doctors
Radio Gnome and Love Projectors
Gong's music-related references to Radio Gnome and Love Projectors
Then he'll point up in the sky
Then he will indicate the particular direction towards the heavens
You will see the Teapots flying
You will see the flying teapots, a mythical object in Gong's world
Down the Oily Way...
Descending along the slick path towards the unknown
Down the Oily Way you slide
You slip downward through the uncharted territory
Through the inner space you ride
You travel through the maze of the inner space
Lots and lots of Pot-Head Pixies
Many mischievous creatures with drug references in their name
Ridin' round in Teapot Taxies
Rushing around while riding in taxis in the shape of teapots
On the Planet Gong, they say
On Gong's mythical planet, it is said
If everything goes wrong today
If things are not going as planned today
Fill your Teapot up with tea
Prepare yourself with a cup of tea from the teapot
Come and take a ride with me
Join me on a wild ride through unexplored terrain
Oily Way
A expression used to represent the way of the unknown
Oily Way - it's not the milky way
The undetermined path is distinct from the milky way
Oily Way - it's not the only way
The undetermined path is not the solitary route
Oily Way - it's not the English way
The undetermined path is different from the traditional English way
Stop !
Halt the changes or the development happening around us
Wait !
Pause and reflect before any decision-making
Hey !
An interjection used to gain attention
Look !
An expression used to urge someone to gaze at something worth seeing
High in the sky, the world you remember
The world you nostalgically recall is up in the heavens
Scenes that we dreamed of
We all imagine those beautiful sceneries
Time for the end of
It is time for the closure of the unpleasant happenings
Hate !
Stop hating and spreading negativity
War !
Put an end to all the wars and battles
Death !
Eliminate the incidence of death and destruction
You big daddy in your big sick city
Addressing the powerful figures who rule their corrupt and ill-governed cities
Gotta choose to loose your games now
Choose to forfeit the manipulative games you have been playing so far
But this ain't me that sings this song
This is not my persona that is entertaining you with this melody
For we the Gong Band it's enough
It's enough for us, the Gong Band to delight you with our music proficiency
To be the instruments of love
To play our instruments, spreading love through our music
On which the Octave Doctors play
The instruments that we play are being played by skilled experts and healers
That we be one and all as one with Gong
We all must comply with Gong's vision of being one and united
On earth and find again
While we are on earth, we must find or recover
The joys of going around the bend
The happiness and satisfaction of going the unconventional way
Oily Way
The undetermined or unexplored way
Oily Way - not the only way
Oily Way is just one of the many ways to discover the unknown
Oily Way - it's not the only way
Oily Way is not the only means to seek the undiscovered
Oily Way - it's not the English way
Oily Way differs from or opposes the traditional English way
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BLAKE, HILLAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChoosyHereticsChoose CarnationRevolutionNow
This is some of the best stuff on Earth and it was so far ahead of its time.. and Timeless at the same time
The life of Hope
such memories of my teenage years!! what a band!!
mauro giovagnoli
I love gong
Bill Mayhew
Still have this vinyl in perfect condition from back in the day. Amazing band!
Cole Wheeler
The definition of groovy... Man, that chorus rules!
Rab km Quigley
Psychedelic jazz at it's best
Spillage66
The first Gong album I bought, (1982)... and was forever hooked on Pierre Moerlen and Steve (Spillage!) Hillage!
John Young
I love the Inner Temple glissando guitar. Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett taught Daevid Allen the technique. Steve Hillage learned glissando guitar from Daevid. Check out Hillage's song "New Age Synthesis" for Dave Stewart's glissando guitar and Hillage's amazing bass player too.
Tim Nicktion
everyone reading this is blessed beyond belief. by default. because you know who/what Gong is
David Forshaw
👍 Yes! Indeed we do, and so do you. 🍄🗝️