Hawkwind - some great (and under-appreciated) bass playing

[Clarky]

Was lying in sun this afternoon listening to 'Space Ritual'. Superb propulsive bass playing by Lemmy and very melodic lines too. For those of you who may think he's just about power chords on a Rick 4001 through distorted Marshalls, I would urge you to listen again. Check out 'Seven by Seven' for some super melodic bass playing: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqGKmLi4h4I&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqGKmLi4h4I...feature=related[/url]

Lemmy's main replacement, Alan Davy (was in band 1984-96 and 2000-07) is no slouch either. He is very similar in style to the Space Ritual-era Lammy and is at his best on the album 'Electric Tepee' (check out 'Sputnik Sam'). Well worth checking out too IMHO. He now fronts a hard rock trio called Gunslinger who are in the same genre as Motorhead

Edited May 22, 2010 by Clarky

[arsenic]

As a big Hawkwind fan for many years...I have to agree with the first part of your post - Lemmy was one of my main early bass influences.

from the multitude to follow, came some damn good bass lines - check out High Rise and PXR5 (from the PXR5 album), Freefall(25 years), hell, evern Harvey Bainbridge came up with one or two good ones.

I lost interest after the Xenon Codex, the whole style went way to self indulgent.

I must admit to not liking Alan Davey that much - way too far up his own arse for my liking - and just seemed like a poor mans Lemmy - and I am sure I read somewhere where he admitted the whole ricky thing was to be like lemmy.

During Alan's early period - The Chronicle Of The Black Sword was his crowning glory - I felt he never betterd what he delivered on that album (fantastic tour for that one)

I know there will be some who disagree with me, but from seeing them in the 70's, 80's and 90's, I have seen them with a few different line-ups, and Lemmy and Adrian Shaw stood out as the best of the bunch.

but none of them are as bad as the ex techie who took over - Mr Dibs - what a complete tit..poor sound, weak vocals, no stage persence at all and none of the memorable bass lines that had become synonymous with Hawkwind music over the decades.

70 to 80 was THE Hawkwind era - enough said.

Edited May 22, 2010 by arsenic

[Clarky]

I definitely agree with the bit about the last bass player - I saw Hawkwind in London at the end of 2008 and everything you say about him is spot on. Bit embarrassing really after everyone that gone before him.

[spike]

Lemmy's bass playing with Hawkwind was a big source of inspiration for me when I first took up the bass in the early 80s, especially the Doremi Fasol Latido album.

[RhysP]

Space Ritual era Lemmy was a huge influence on me when I started playing - my first band when I was in school used to play "Lord of Light". I liked Paul Rudolph & Harvey Bainbridge's playing too.
Alan Davey never really did it for me though - he was just a 3rd division Lemmy clone as far as I was concerned.

[johnnylager]

Classic Hawks -



New[ish] guiatrist Niall started life as a bass player & plays lead bass on a few tracks live. Stonking.

Edited May 22, 2010 by johnnylager

[BassJase]

I toured and played with Hawkwind in 2007 and their all great guys, Mr Dibs is an absolute gent and a really good bloke to have a beer with.

If you go to the Hawkwind website and watch the Hawkfest 2007 video you'll see my fugly mug bouncing around on stage with them whilst trying to play bass after a very heavy weekend.... ('nuff said really.)

[arsenic]

Just had a listen to a couple of tracks from their latest offering - seems like they have contiued in their recent vein, with traditional instruments taking second place to lots of keyboard "noises". (Seahawks), and it looks like they are having a hard time writing a full albums worth of material again - a new rendition of "You'd Better Believe It" - way too twee and far too musically removed from the original version, for me.

Edited May 23, 2010 by arsenic

[Clarky]

[quote name='BassJase' post='845612' date='May 23 2010, 11:38 AM']I toured and played with Hawkwind in 2007 and their all great guys, Mr Dibs is an absolute gent and a really good bloke to have a beer with.[/quote]
I don't doubt he's a decent bloke, just that Lemmy was on a completely different level bass-wise when he was in Hawkwind IMHO

Cool to have toured with them though!

[bottomfeed]

Lemmy on Space Ritual was the main reason I took up the bass....

It was by far the best Hawkwind line up & sound, in my view.

Although Hawkwind 1, Warrior on the edge, Hall of the mountain grill, Astounding sounds & Quark strangeness & charm were also albums I liked, Space ritual had the spirit & the right ingredients that captured the essence of what they were about, to me..

Unfortunately these days they seem to be more like a [i]Hawkwind tribute band[/i] ..but hats off to the guys for doing what they do, & for managing to do it for so long!

[molan]

I ran the on-stage monitor mix for them once about 7-8 years ago. Absolutely great fun & a really nice bunch.

I had a fascinating conversation with Dave Brock about rust problems on '70's Mercs and where to find the cheapest replacement parts, lol.

Excellent gig too, some really nice playing across the band, really liked the drummer (Richard Chadwick I think).

Huw Lloyd-Langton was on guitar & it turned out he lives really near me. I spot him around town now & then but I don't think he's very well these days.

[nick]

[quote name='Clarky' post='845254' date='May 22 2010, 06:20 PM']Lemmy's main replacement, Alan Davy (was in band 1984-96 and 2000-07) is no slouch either. He is very similar in style to the Space Ritual-era Lammy and is at his best on the album 'Electric Tepee' (check out 'Sputnik Sam'). Well worth checking out too IMHO. He now fronts a hard rock trio called Gunslinger who are in the same genre as Motorhead[/quote]

+1 Great album is Electric Tepee. 'Right to Decide' is another corker off that albam, Alan Davey really drives it along. My favourite Hawkwind bass player was Harvey Bainbridge though.

Edited May 23, 2010 by nick

[the_skezz]

I much prefer Lemmy's Hawkwind days in terms of his bass playing, in Motorhead he plays it too much like a guitar IMO (still a cracking band though).

[Gust0o]

Well, that is his background, as a guitarist - and it's fairly well reflected in his work.

[Stu-khag]

My old band always used to get compared to hawkwind. A lot!
I'd never really heard them other than silver machine. So at the grand old age of 24 I heard Warrior on the edge of time for the first time with some mates.
When Opa -Loka played and we heard the bass, everyone looked at me and said "that sounds like you playing".
I played a gig at a little festival in an afro jazz kind of band and was playing just after Nik Turner, I like to tell people he supported us.
Whenever I get asked to DJ at gigs, I always try to Opa Loka.

I've never been to see Hawkwind live as people have told me not to bother as they aren't sounding too great live and rely too much on sequencers live. People's views on them differ so much that I don't want to take the risk and be disappointed.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Was a huge Hawkfan, up until '87 . The Xenon codex being the last album I have.
Yeah,I agree with 97 or so % of people that Lemmy is/was the man.
Did like Harvey Bainbrdige and Adrian Shaws playing(High Rise). Lemmy on Orgone Accumulator rocks big time.

Somehow lost interest in Hawkwind after Codex. There was alot of overpriced,legal bootleg vinyl
in the '80s that was put in awful sleeves. The weird tapes were great tho'.

May try to hunt down the cd equivalent one day.

Recently met up with an old friend I haven't seen for years. He took a pic of my bass collection.
Then he asked me why I haven't got a Rick Bass. Don't really know to be honest.
I always remember an old Ricky of Lemmy's was for sale in the Record and tape exchange.
Never got it as I was too young and skint. Coulldn't play much then

Must say that the Sonic Attack tour was one of the best

[obi 2 kenobi]

Also big Hawkfan.

Saw them live on Black Sword tour in Glasgow in '84.

Harvey was the man for me, esp Levitation era...got it on blue vinyl....

Met Lemmy a few times in the Portobello Gold. Great pub

[arsenic]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='848876' date='May 26 2010, 08:20 PM'].....The weird tapes were great tho'.

May try to hunt down the cd equivalent one day.[/quote]

They are available direct from the Voiceprint label website for around a tenner each - been looking to get a new copy of these myself - my original tapes are knackered.

[doctor tweek]

What an interesting thread....yea Lemmy all the way. My god - I'm mainly a guitarist and he nearly turned me to the dark side (bass) LOL.

Saw them three times way back...hahaha..Calvert days. Fencking hell.

A girl stood next to me went into a fit as they entered the 7th minute of strobe work in brainstorm. She had one. I had my eyes closed but the pulsing even shone through my eyelids and then my hands...scary stuff!

Brill.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='arsenic' post='848954' date='May 26 2010, 09:46 PM']They are available direct from the Voiceprint label website for around a tenner each - been looking to get a new copy of these myself - my original tapes are knackered.[/quote]

Thanks for that

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='doctor tweek' post='848995' date='May 26 2010, 10:21 PM']What an interesting thread....yea Lemmy all the way. My god - I'm mainly a guitarist and he nearly turned me to the dark side (bass) LOL.

Saw them three times way back...hahaha..Calvert days. Fencking hell.

A girl stood next to me went into a fit as they entered the 7th minute of strobe work in brainstorm. She had one. I had my eyes closed but the pulsing even shone through my eyelids and then my hands...scary stuff!

Brill.[/quote]

Calvert? I met him years ago,and have a battered book signed by him (Hype). Think it was HMV . He was a great, smashing polite bloke.
He was gonna busk in the subway in Hammersmith telling people not to buy Hawkwind records i i r c . Don't know if he did.

Next day , we both walked past each other in green park. We were both scratching our heads in a 'haven't I seen you somewhere before?' moment.

Met Lemold many times, but I'm ramblin' too much as it is

[molan]

[quote name='molan' post='845816' date='May 23 2010, 03:47 PM']I ran the on-stage monitor mix for them once about 7-8 years ago. Absolutely great fun & a really nice bunch.

I had a fascinating conversation with Dave Brock about rust problems on '70's Mercs and where to find the cheapest replacement parts, lol.[/quote]

ooh - just remembered that 'Brocky' gave me a luminescent star that he had stuck on to the headstock of his guitar after the gig.

I still have it somewhere - will have to fix it on to one of my basses, the Bootsy is the most obvious candidate

[bottomfeed]

Stumbled across this band..... Litmus, they've got that early Hawkwind vibe ...me likey!
[url="http://www.myspace.com/litmusspacerock"]LITMUS myspace[/url]

Edited June 9, 2010 by bottomfeed

[RhysP]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='849819' date='May 27 2010, 09:21 PM']Calvert? I met him years ago,and have a battered book signed by him (Hype). Think it was HMV . He was a great, smashing polite bloke.
He was gonna busk in the subway in Hammersmith telling people not to buy Hawkwind records i i r c . Don't know if he did.

Next day , we both walked past each other in green park. We were both scratching our heads in a 'haven't I seen you somewhere before?' moment.[/quote]
Hawkwind were never the same without Calvert IMO. He was unique.
His solo stuff is great too - "Captain Lockheed & the Starfighters" is a long-time favourite of mine.

[Earbrass]

[quote name='RhysP' post='862241' date='Jun 9 2010, 03:56 PM']His solo stuff is great too - "Captain Lockheed & the Starfighters" is a long-time favourite of mine.[/quote]

Funnily enough I dug out my old vinyl copy of this the other day to play 'Ejection' to the rest of my band - one of our new tunes has a similar kind of feel.

Hawkwind were the first band I ever went to see play live - Harlow Town Park, summer 1974. I fear they were already past their best - would have loved to have seen them on the Space Ritual tour (as my elder brother did!).