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
Selene
Gong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spirit of the moon
Selene
Spirit of the moon
My mind is made of you
Tell me what to do
Selene
queen of my dreams i see you there
she's come to be me
now i can see her everywhere
Mother of the earth
Mother of the sea
mooooo.....ooooon in the sky
i'm your reflection oh
deep down in the sea
turn on slowly…
The lyrics of Gong's song Selene express a profound acknowledgment of the moon goddess and the powerful influence she has on the singer of the song. The first chorus of the song introduces Selene as the spirit of the moon and the queen of dreams. The singer claims that their mind is made of Selene and asks her to guide them, to tell them what to do. The lyrics suggest that the singer is seeking spiritual direction and connection through Selene, and that she holds a sacred place in their heart and mind.
The second chorus of the song describes Selene as the mother of the earth and the sea, emphasizing her divine feminine energy and connection to the natural world. The lyrics mention the moon in the sky and the singer's reflection in the sea, suggesting a connection between the singer, Selene, and the universe as a whole. The final line of the song, "turn on slowly," could be interpreted in various ways but could possibly refer to the singer surrendering to Selene's guidance and allowing themselves to be transformed by her energy.
Overall, the lyrics of Selene are a tribute to the power of the moon goddess and a call for spiritual guidance and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Selene
Addressing the spirit of the moon
Spirit of the moon
Referring to Selene as the essence or embodiment of the moon
My mind is made of you
Having Selene as a predominant thought or inspiration
Tell me what to do
Desiring guidance from Selene
i love selene
Expressing affection towards Selene
queen of my dreams i see you there
Seeing Selene as the ruler or leader of one's subconscious thoughts
she's come to be me
Feeling a connection to Selene or identifying with her in some way
now i can see her everywhere
Finding Selene's presence or influence in all aspects of life
Mother of the earth
Associating Selene with the origins or creation of the earth
Mother of the sea
Associating Selene with the origins or creation of the sea
mooooo.....ooooon in the sky
Mimicking the sound of a cow in reference to Selene
i'm your reflection oh
Seeing oneself reflected in Selene or identifying with her
deep down in the sea
Implying a hidden, subconscious connection to Selene
turn on slowly…
Ending the song with an ambiguous phrase that could be interpreted as a call to Selene or simply a poetic phrase meant to evoke emotion
Contributed by Addison F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris Ellis
Angel's Egg . . Gong's masterpiece . . 'She is the mother of everything . .and you are her egg' . .
Jean-Pierre MARCHAL
Funny !!
Alex
its...so beautiful! very relaxing and another triumph for Daevid and Gong! keep psyching us all out with your multicoloured vibes! :P
Burt472
Angels Egg...Awesome album
Jean-Pierre MARCHAL
The best of "Radio Gnome Trylogy" (2nd)
Burt472
Gong = Genius
Nick Madness
Great stuff
Matty Dread
I did my first acid trip to Gongs Angel egg. Actually Angels egg was a French acid in the early 1970`s. Me and my wife later named our dear pussy cat Selene, as Selene is the spirit of the moon and cats and the moon have a deep connection.
Pat Kelly
The tab was called angels egg, or just special Egg
Frodo Lives
I never knew Angel's egg was a kind of LSD. That's awesome man!