The first line-up was Sam Gopal on tabla, Mick Hutchinson on guitar, Pete Sears (ex-Les Fleur de Lys) on bass guitar and keys, and later towards the end, Andy Clark on organ and vocals. On 28 April 1967, the band performed at The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a UK Underground event organised by the International Times at Alexandra Palace. Other performing bands included Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things, Savoy Brown, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Soft Machine and The Move. The band (then called Sam Gopal's Dream) played at the UFO Club (their first headline show), The Electric Garden in Covent Garden (later to become Middle Earth), The Roundhouse, and Happening 44. They later played the Christmas on Earth Show at Olympia in London with Traffic, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Jimi Hendrix later sat in with them at London's Speakeasy Club. At some point in 1967 the band recorded a few tracks for Screen Gems with Gus Dudgeon as engineer.
Andy Clark later joined on organ and keyboards and they soon changed their name to Vamp with the addition of Viv Prince on drums, and released a single called, "Floatin", on Atlantic. After the original band broke up in 1968, Sears went on to session work and formed his own band Giant, while Hutchinson and Clark recorded three albums as Clark-Hutchinson.
Gopal formed a new line-up with vocalist-guitarist 'Ian Willis' (better known as Lemmy), Roger D'Elia and Phil Duke. The album "Escalator" was recorded in late 1968 and released in March 1969. Managed by Robert Stigwood, the band released a single "Horse" / "Back Door Man". Lemmy went on to be the bassist of Hawkwind and, in 1975, the founder, singer and bassist of Motörhead. Roger D’Elia (the grandson of the actress Mary Clare) later turned up in a mid-1970s band called Glider, which included Twink (ex-Pink Fairies), Andy Colquhoun and Chas McKay. A further line-up of the band featured Alan Mark, Mox Gowland, Mickey Waller (also known as Mickey Finn) and Freddie Gandy (ex-Pink Fairies).
In 1969 a new line-up with Alan Mark (vocals), Mox Gowland (harmonica & flutes), Micky Finn Waller (guitar), and Freddie Gandy (bass) recorded a few tracks for Stable including "Somebody stole the Sun".
Following this, Gopal spent some time in Amsterdam and changed the name of the band from to "Cosmosis". Managed by R.Cole/Peter Grant, and brought in Bernie Holland (guitar). Recorded a few tracks for the Led Zep people. Around this time in '71, Gopal had a bad motor accident and sidelined for a couple of years. During this period, recorded an album "Building B".
In 1976 went to Paris, and there recorded for Radio France "Feedback" and "Backfeed" with Didier Malherbe (sax) and Patrice Lemoine (piano).
From 1981 to 1988, Gopal spent time in Nepal where he had been studying Tablas the previous years, and to continue further, and also allowing his own music to come through.
In 1988, Gopal moved to Berlin and started in 1989 his next "one off" band "SANGIT" with a live recording at the Berlin/Philharmonie /Kammermusiksaal. "SANGIT" recorded the soundtrack for "The Great Moghuls", six documentary films for Channel Four.
In 1990 Gopal recorded an album "Soap Opera" with Andy Clark (Keyboards & vocals) in Berlin. In 1991, he recorded the next album "Not For Sale" (working title) with Andy Clark (Keyboards & vocals) and studio musicians, also in Berlin.
In the 90s Gopal extended his music into the 12-tone Tabla direction.
Gopal self-released another album Father Mucker in 1999 (GPS CD 001, Munchen, Germany). Songs from that album were recorded in 1990 (many with Andy Clark) but not mixed and overdubbed until 1999, in which year he recorded one more song for the album. There are as many as six albums recorded with professional musicians and mastered that remain unreleased.
Other recordings:
In 1980 recorded in Olympic Studios London, few tracks including "Sell out Joe" (Vocals), "Falling In" and "Showdown".
In 1989 recorded an album "Largo" in Zurich.
In 1992, a Live Recording of Sam Gopal's one-off Band "Brain Tonic", also called Brain Tonic.
In 1993, recorded an album "Blind Man's Movie" in Munich.
The Dark Lord
Sam Gopal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bring the nightfall
Winds wide around the stars black riders call
Light fading, times wasting
Hell's waiting for the Dark Lord
Towers leading glowing red eyes
In their walls watching the roads that lead
Eyes flashing, rain lashing
Death in the name of the Dark Lord
Oh, yeah
Doom stands astride the plains
Watched by the eye
Lit by the dying rain from the dead sky
Dust swirling, smoke curling
Burning the name of the Dark Lord
Tunnels of darkness yearn the
Moment draws nigh
Too late the black rains beat
Too late to cry death flying, light dying
Tearing the veil of the Dark Lord
In Sam Gopal's song "The Dark Lord," the lyrics paint a picture of a dark and ominous world ruled by a malevolent being. The song begins with the imagery of black rain falling from the sky, symbolizing an impending sense of doom and darkness. The nightfall brings a sense of foreboding, as the winds carry the call of black riders, representing the menacing forces at the Dark Lord's command. The lyrics suggest that time is running out, and Hell eagerly awaits the Dark Lord's arrival, indicating the imminent arrival of destruction and chaos.
The song then introduces towering structures with glowing red eyes, which symbolize the watchful gaze of the Dark Lord's influence. These structures are watching the roads that lead to their own demise, implying that those who oppose the Dark Lord will ultimately be defeated. The lyrics describe the flashing eyes and lashing rain, signifying the imminent death and destruction that occurs in the name of the Dark Lord.
The chorus punctuates the song with a declaration of doom and the all-encompassing presence of the Dark Lord. The lyrics describe him as standing astride the plains, observed by an eye, and lit by the dying rain from a dead sky. This imagery enhances the sense of desolation and despair, as dust swirls and smoke curls, burning everything in the name of the Dark Lord.
As the song progresses, the lyrics depict tunnels of darkness yearning for the moment when the Dark Lord will rise. It becomes clear that it is too late for anything to stop the impending catastrophe. The black rains beat relentlessly, and it is too late to cry out in fear. Death is flying, light is dying, and the veil of the Dark Lord is torn apart, representing the complete overthrow of all that is good and pure.
Overall, the song "The Dark Lord" conveys a sense of impending doom, using dark and atmospheric imagery to evoke a world under the control of a malevolent force. The lyrics depict a world consumed by chaos and destruction, where the power of the Dark Lord cannot be stopped.
Line by Line Meaning
Black rains across the sky
Storm clouds cover the heavens
Bring the nightfall
Bringing darkness and obscurity
Winds wide around the stars black riders call
Strong gusts entwine the celestial bodies at the summoning of ominous figures
Light fading, times wasting
Brightness dwindles, opportunities slip away
Hell's waiting for the Dark Lord
The realm of eternal damnation anticipates the arrival of the malevolent ruler
Towers leading glowing red eyes
Imposing structures with fiery, vigilant gazes
In their walls watching the roads that lead
Observing the paths leading to downfall from within their fortified walls
To their downfall
Towards their ruin and destruction
Eyes flashing, rain lashing
Eyes shining with intensity, rain striking with force
Death in the name of the Dark Lord
Taking lives as a tribute to the Dark Lord's authority
Doom stands astride the plains
A sense of impending catastrophe looms over the open landscapes
Watched by the eye
Under the surveillance of a vigilant presence
Lit by the dying rain from the dead sky
Illuminated by the fading rain falling from lifeless heavens
Dust swirling, smoke curling
Particles whirling, smoke coiling
Burning the name of the Dark Lord
Setting ablaze the reputation and power of the Dark Lord
Tunnels of darkness yearn the
The obscure passages crave
Moment draws nigh
The approaching instant
Too late the black rains beat
The onslaught of the dark rain arrives without warning
Too late to cry death flying, light dying
No time to grieve as death approaches swiftly, light fading rapidly
Tearing the veil of the Dark Lord
Ripping apart the barrier that shields the Dark Lord from vulnerability
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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