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
Sold to the Highest Buddha
Gong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my head has floated away in the sky, don't know why
And now this spaceship headin' for me
I thought I was lost in the spaces and now all these faces
And still I can't tell if it's really a spell
Or exactly what's happenin' to me
Look out, we're being invaded!
And Captain Capricorn, that's who's behind it
If nothing's there to find, you know he'll find it
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your head
It's a hassle you know to make rocket ships go to infinity
And I'm so sick of God and these bishops that talk of divinity
Now my head's feeling strange and my codpiece is starting to tremble
And that head in the sky there is starting to look like the devil
Look out, we're being invaded!
Hang on to your hat, we're being raided!
Demons of the mind coming to get you
Until you're clean, the devil won't forget you
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your head
The song "Sold to the Highest Buddha" by Gong is a psychedelic rock song that explores the theme of a cosmic voyage. The song starts with the singer introducing himself as "zero the hero" and describing how his head has floated away into the sky. This is a metaphor for being lost in space and not knowing where he is heading. He is then confronted with what seems like an alien invasion led by Captain Capricorn, who is determined to find something, even if there is nothing to find. This indicates an exploration of the unknown and the desire to discover something new.
The singer then talks about the difficulties of traveling through space and how he is tired of the talk of God and divinity. This signifies a departure from traditional beliefs and a focus on exploration and new experiences. The head in the sky starts to look like the devil, indicating a fear of the unknown and the possibility of danger or evil lurking in the shadows.
Overall, "Sold to the Highest Buddha" is a trippy exploration of cosmic voyages and the unknown. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be seen as a commentary on the human desire to explore and discover what lies beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm zero the hero
I am insignificant and powerless.
And my head has floated away in the sky, don't know why
I am feeling detached and disconnected from reality.
And now this spaceship headin' for me
I am being approached by something unknown and potentially dangerous.
I thought I was lost in the spaces and now all these faces
I believed I was lost and alone, but now I am surrounded by unfamiliar people or entities.
And still I can't tell if it's really a spell
I am uncertain if what I am experiencing is real or an illusion.
Or exactly what's happenin' to me
I am confused about the situation I find myself in.
Hang on to your head
Stay alert and focused, don't let yourself be overwhelmed.
It's a hassle you know to make rocket ships go to infinity
It is difficult and tedious to journey into the unknown.
And I'm so sick of God and these bishops that talk of divinity
I am tired of religious authority figures and their teachings.
Now my head's feeling strange and my codpiece is starting to tremble
I am experiencing strange physical sensations and emotional unease.
And that head in the sky there is starting to look like the devil
The unknown entity I am facing is becoming more menacing and sinister.
Demons of the mind coming to get you
Mental distress and turmoil may consume you.
Until you're clean, the devil won't forget you
You may be haunted by your mistakes or sins until you've fully addressed them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAEVID ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Corinne Frere
on Heavy Tune
♥