The band was formed in 1969 by visionary Dave Brock and although it has been subject to numerous line-up changes it is still led by him. The early line-up featured Dave Brock on vocals and rhythm guitar, Huw Lloyd-Langton on lead guitar, Terry Ollis on drums, Thomas Crimble on bass, Nik Turner on Saxophone and Dik Mik on synthesizer.
The band became established as a space-rock underground band with their renowned concert at the Glastonbury Rock Festival 1970 when they set up in an alternative field and played a free concert, pulling crowds away from the main event. Their debut album, the self titled ‘HAWKWIND’, was released by EMI and to this day still sells steadily. In 1970 they appeared at the Isle of Wight Festival where Jimi Hendrix was spotted in the audience. He was asked to get up and join the band and he replied ‘No I don’t want to spoil it!’ Huw Lloyd-Langton remained with them until late 1971. The band shot to fame in 1972 with their hit record ‘Silver Machine’ featuring Lemmy (now of Motörhead fame) on vocals. (This record featured in the soundtrack of a recent TV Mazda advert in the UK). In 1973 Simon House (Electric Violin) joined, and throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, the renowned World famous Sci-fi author, Michael Moorcock often recorded and appeared with them.
Lemmy was sacked from the band in 1975 after a drugs bust in USA, and went on to form ‘MOTORHEAD’, named after the last track he wrote for the band, a slang term for speed freak. Huw Lloyd-Langton joined Leo Sayer in 1974 and then in 1975 went on to form supergroup ‘WIDOWMAKER’ WITH Steve Ellis (Love Affair), Luther Grosvenor (Mott The Hoople), Paul Nicholls (Lindisfarne) and Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osborne). In 1977, Simon House joined David Bowie. Dave Brock and poet Bob Calvert tour as ‘HAWKLORDS’, performing the stage show ‘METROPOLIS’. Throughout the 70's, Hawkwind released a series of classic albums; ‘IN SEARCH OF SPACE’, ‘DOREMI FASOL LATIDO’, ‘SPACE RITUAL’,
‘HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL’, ‘WARRIOR ON THE EDGE OF TIME’, ‘ASTOUNDING SOUNDS, AMAZING MUSIC’, ‘QUARK STRANGENESS & CHARM’ and ‘PXR 5’. In 1979, Dave formed another nucleus with Huw Lloyd-Langton on lead guitar, Simon King on drums, Harvey Bainbridge (from Hawklords) on bass and Tim Blake from ‘Gong’ on keyboards.
Their live album ‘LIVE 79’ went straight into the national top ten charts chart. In 1980 Ginger Baker replaced Simon King on drums and they recorded their classic album ‘LEVITATION’. Once again, the release went straight into national top ten album chart. Tim Blake and Ginger Baker remaied with the band until after the Christmas Tour 1980. From 1979 to 1985 the band’s singles and albums were never out of the national, independent and heavy metal charts, with albums such as ‘SONIC ATTACK, ‘CHURCH OF HAWKWIND', 'CHRONICLE OF THE BLACK SWORD, 'LIVE CHRONICLES' AND 'XENON CODEX'. Nik Turner who left the band in 1975 briefly rejoined the band 1982-1983 for the ‘CHOOSE YOUR MASQUES’ tour. In 1984 Alan Davey replaces Harvey Bainbridge on bass and Harvey moved over to keyboards and synths. In 1985 the band tour with the spectacular ‘CHRONICLES OF THE BLACK SWORD’, a stageshow portraying music and images based on Michael Moorcock’s epic saga, ‘ELRIC’. During this period the band reached a new audience with the emergence of ambient acts such as The Orb openly acknowledging Hawkwind’s influence.
Huw Lloyd-Langton remained with the band throughout the end of the 80s, departing in 1989 followed
shortly after by Harvey Bainbridge. The band continued to perform live throughout the nineties, and had
some noteable album releases such as, 'SPACE BANDITS', 'PALACE SPRINGS', 'ELECTRIC TEPEE',
'IT IS THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE TO BE DANGEROUS', 'THE BUSINESS TRIP', 'ALIEN 4',
'LOVE IN SPACE' and 'DISTANT HORIZONS'. During their entire existence the band have performed numerous free concerts, notably STONEHENGE and have supported various charities, which include SHELTER, when in 1977 at the Blackheath Concert Halls they raised thousands of pounds for the homeless, and even released a charity single version of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" with Samantha Fox guesting on vocals. N.A.S.A. in the USA have also used sound tracks from the ‘LOVE IN SPACE release. In 1997 they headlined the ‘1ST SPACEROCK FESTIVAL USA’. In 2000, the band staged the highly successful ‘HAWKESTRA’ event at the London Brixton Academy, which saw many past members reunited on stage with a nucleus of Dave Brock, Ron Tree, Jerry Richards, Hugh Lloyd-Langton, Simon House, Richard Chadwick, Alan Davey and Tim Blake. In 2001 they were voted the 8th top progressive band in the country on Channel 4 TV. The band have recently released a double live cd recording of their Xmas 2000 'Yule Ritual' show at the London Astoria, as well as the Arthur Brown helmed 'Out of the Shadows' in 2007.The concept of a Hawkestra, a reunion event featuring appearances from all past and present members, had originally been intended to coincide with the band's 30th anniversary and the release of the career spanning Epocheclipse – 30 Year Anthology set, but logistical problems delayed it until 21 October 2000. It took place at the Brixton Academy with about 20 members taking part in a 3+ hour set which was filmed and recorded. Guests included Samantha Fox who sang Master of the Universe. However, arguments and disputes over financial recompense and musical input resulted in the prospect of the event being restaged unlikely, and any album or DVD release being indefinitely shelved.The Hawkestra had set a template for Brock to assemble a core band of Tree, Brock, Richards, Davey, Chadwick and for the use of former members as guests on live shows and studio recordings. The 2000 Christmas Astoria show was recorded with contributions from House, Blake, Rizz, Moorcock, Jez Huggett and Keith Kniveton and released as Yule Ritual the following year.
In 2001, Davey agreed to rejoin the band permanently, but only afiter the departure of Tree and Richards.
Meanwhile, having rekindled relationships with old friends at the Hawkestra, Turner organised further Hawkestra gigs resulting in the formation of xhawkwind.com, a band consisting mainly of ex-Hawkwind members and playing old Hawkwind songs. An appearance at Guilfest in 2002 led to confusion as to whether this actually was Hawkwind, sufficiently irking Brock into taking legal action to prohibit Turner from trading under the name Hawkwind. Turner lost the case and the band now perform as Space Ritual.
An appearance at the Canterbury Sound Festival in August 2001, resulting in another live album Canterbury Fayre 2001, saw guest appearances from Lloyd-Langton, House, Kniveton with Arthur Brown on "Silver Machine". The band organised the first of their own weekend festivals, named Hawkfest, in Devon in the summer of 2002. Brown joined the band in 2002 for a Winter tour which featured some Kingdom Come songs and saw appearances from Blake and Lloyd-Langton, the Newcastle show being released on DVD as Out of the Shadows and the London show on CD as Spaced Out in London.
In 2005 the long anticipated new album Take Me to Your Leader was released. Recorded by the core band of Brock/Davey/Chadwick, contributors included new keyboardist Jason Stuart, Arthur Brown, tabloid writer and TV personality Matthew Wright, 1970s New Wave singer Lene Lovich, Simon House and Jez Huggett. This was followed in 2006 by the CD/DVD disc Take Me to Your Future.
The band were the subject of an hour-long television documentary entitled Hawkwind: Do Not Panic that aired on BBC Four as part of the Originals series. It was broadcast on 30 March 2007 and repeated on 10 August 2007. Although Brock participated in its making he did not appear in the programme, it is alleged that he requested all footage of himself be removed after he was denied any artistic control over the documentary.. In one of the documentary's opening narratives regarding Brock, it is stated that he declined to be interviewed for the programme because of Nik Turner's involvement, indicating that the two men have still not been reconciled over the xhawkwind.com incident.
June 2007 saw the departure of Alan Davey, who left to perform and record with two new bands: Gunslinger and Thunor. He was replaced by "Mr Dibs", a long-standing member of the road crew and bassist for the bands Spacehead and Krel (who had supported Hawkwind during 1992). The band performed at their annual Hawkfest festival and headlined the US festival NEARfest and played gigs in PA and NY. At the end of 2007, Tim Blake once again joined the band filling the lead role playing keyboards and theremin. The band played 5 Christmas dates, the London show being released as an audio CD and video DVD under the title Knights of Space.
The band's official Website is to be found at www.hawkwind.com
HAWKWIND and solo projects: Dave Brock, Nik Turner, Inner City Unit, Lemmy, Motorhead, Huw Lloyd Langton Group, Robert Calvert, Alan Davey, Bedouin, Michael Moorcock Deep Fix, Harvey Bainbridge, Agents Of Chaos ,Space Ritual, Spiral Realms,ect.A truly prolific act !
Moonglum
Hawkwind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moonglum, friend without a cause
Embarrassed by a show of love
But would stand by the man of the feeble blood
This bond meant much more to him
Than a kingdom offered by a queen
No words for this silent trust
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
See them travel through open skies
See the amazing steel bird fly
Armies stand, soon to fall
Sorcery is the tune they call
Pitting wit against flesh and gall
Timeless searching in timeless halls
Wandering out to meet his death
To find this was no release
Searching for some sort of ease
Denying feelings that made him weak
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
See them travel through open skies
See the amazing steel bird fly
In "Moonglum," Hawkwind tells the tale of a loyal friend, Moonglum, who follows the singer, Elric of Melniboné, on his quest to hunt down the sorcerer, Theleb K'aarna. The lyrics describe Moonglum as a "friend without a reason" and "friend without a cause," expressing his unconditional loyalty to Elric despite the lack of any logical explanation. Moonglum's love for Elric is so strong that he is embarrassed by it but still stands by him even when his own blood is feeble.
The bond between Moonglum and Elric is stronger than any kingdom offered by a queen. There are no words to describe their silent trust, and their journey to hunt Theleb K'aarna is depicted as a battle between wit and sorcery. Despite the armies standing against them and the timeless halls they have to search, Moonglum remains fiercely committed to his friend until they meet their eventual death.
The song's lyrics are based on the Elric saga, a popular series of fantasy novels written by Michael Moorcock. The character Elric of Melniboné first appeared in Moorcock's novel "The Dreaming City," published in 1961. The book was later revised and expanded into a series that spans over multiple books, including "The Stealer of Souls," "Stormbringer," and "The Weird of the White Wolf." Hawkwind frequently drew inspiration from Moorcock's works for their music, and "Moonglum" is not the first song based on Elric's narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
Moonglum, friend without a reason
Moonglum was a loyal friend without any motive, who stuck by his companion Elric through thick and thin.
Moonglum, friend without a cause
Moonglum was a selfless friend who didn't need a reason to stand by Elric, even if it meant putting himself in danger.
Embarrassed by a show of love
Moonglum was uncomfortable with expressing his emotions openly, but his actions spoke louder than words.
But would stand by the man of the feeble blood
Moonglum would remain loyal to Elric despite his frailties, even when others would abandon him.
This bond meant much more to him
Moonglum valued his friendship with Elric above all else, even more than material wealth or power.
Than a kingdom offered by a queen
Moonglum didn't care about the allure of royalty or authority, as long as he had Elric by his side.
No words for this silent trust
Moonglum and Elric had an unspoken bond of loyalty and trust that transcended verbal communication.
As the Sword goes on to sate its lust
Elric wielded his magical sword to destroy their enemies, but Moonglum stood by him even when he was consumed by his bloodlust.
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Moonglum and Elric were on a quest to pursue and defeat their common enemy, the sorcerer Theleb K'aarna.
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
Myshella had taken the place of Queen Yishana in their travels, as the latter was no longer with them.
See them travel through open skies
Moonglum and Elric were traversing the skies on their mystical steel bird, searching for their next target.
See the amazing steel bird fly
The steel bird was an awe-inspiring sight to behold, a symbol of the incredible adventures Moonglum and Elric had embarked on.
Armies stand, soon to fall
Their enemies had amassed armies to face them, but Moonglum and Elric knew that they would ultimately be defeated.
Sorcery is the tune they call
Their enemies relied heavily on dark magic to achieve their goals, which Moonglum and Elric battled with their wits and their own mystical abilities.
Pitting wit against flesh and gall
Moonglum and Elric used their cleverness and their courage to fight their enemies, who were armed with brute force and wickedness.
Timeless searching in timeless halls
Their quest had taken them through mysterious and ancient places, where time seemed to have stood still.
Wandering out to meet his death
Moonglum left on a journey that was sure to be deadly, but he went willingly, knowing that it was the right thing to do.
To find this was no release
Moonglum's death would not bring him the peace he was seeking, as it was just another step in their dangerous adventure.
Searching for some sort of ease
Moonglum was fighting for a cause that was greater than himself, hoping to bring about some kind of positive change in the world.
Denying feelings that made him weak
Moonglum had to suppress his emotions and focus on his mission, even if it meant ignoring his own vulnerabilities.
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael Garland
Class act in so many ways. We were blessed. Lyrics pure poetry ->
Moonglum, friend without a reason
Moonglum, friend without a cause
Embarrassed by a show of love
But would stand by the man of the feeble blood
This bond meant much more to him
Than a kingdom offered by a queen
No words for this silent trust
As the Sword goes on to sate its lust
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
See them travel through open skies
See the amazing steel bird fly
Armies stand, soon to fall
Sorcery is the tune they call
Pitting wit against flesh and gall
Timeless searching in timeless halls
Wandering out to meet his death
To find this was no release
Searching for some sort of ease
Denying feelings that made him weak
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
See them travel through open skies
See the amazing steel bird fly
blookyblops and the tinfoil hat gang
Moonglum, friend without a reason
Moonglum, friend without a cause
Embarrassed by a show of love
But would stand by the man of the feeble blood
This bond meant much more to him
Than a kingdom offered by a queen
No words for this silent trust
As the Sword goes on to sate its lust
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
See them travel through open skies
See the amazing steel bird fly
Armies stand, soon to fall
Sorcery is the tune they call
Pitting wit against flesh and gall
Timeless searching in timeless halls
Wandering out to meet his death
To find this was no release
Searching for some sort of ease
Denying feelings that made him weak
Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna
Myshella now replacing Queen Yishana
See them travel through open skies
See the amazing steel bird fly
mattthetoadlicker
Brings tears to these old eyes, watching this. What a shining light he was. R.I.P. HLL never forgotten while we Hawkfans draw breath.
mattthetoadlicker
@Michelle K 6th December 2012
Michelle K
Didn't know HLL left this world. He was part of some of the best Hawkwind ever.
Big S Country Game
Outstanding! Forever missed! 😎😞
mike robinson
@neld cammock Cheers , Live Chronicles is timeless .
neld cammock
@mike robinson your very welcome
sky is clear
The best I can say of Huw is that when I re-read the Elric books I hear him sing and play. He is part of the poetry of that world
gazzertrn
Awsome books too.
TheOmanJam
I always loved Huw's guitar sound. Nothing like it. Brock is smiling. He knows they sound good.
Elizabeth Essex
Alan looks over a couple times like "Damn, this guy can play".