Kevin Ayers

nick drake that is!!!

I have this ...

https://www.discogs.com/Kevin-Ayers-John-Cale-Eno-Nico-June-1-1974/master/23388

on vinyl. Bought it way back then because I was (and still am) a Velvet Underground fan, but it's a very enjoyable album

Is this rock?

ill have a lisaten degs

classified as experimental prog rock crisp

You might want to skip to the Kevin Ayers tracks .... Nico and John Cale can be tough listening sometimes !

Bananamour was released in 73, but is not in my opinion as good as the previous album Whatevershebringswesing OR the wonderful first album Joy of a Toy. You can get all his best stuff on "Banana Productions - Best of Kevin Ayers"   Nice to see him get a mention - I knew him quite well in his pomp - women used to throw themselves at him, almost literally!!

thanks blackbarn seemed a very interesting guy who led life to the full

Your search for new music to try will not be complete until you listen to Steve Hillage - Green

If you're listening on the interweb stick your headphones on, put 40 minutes aside and listen to the whole album, prepare to enter hyperspace.

thanks alapha c I will give it a whirl, amazingly my wife was out at a radio 1 show in Liverpool last night so I was up late just blipping on the tv, when Kevin Ayers came on singing on the old grey whistle test back in in 1973. he was very good . How amazing is that!!!

https://youtu.be/z4S2sFIDT6w?list=PL8a8cutYP7fpv0Ko4VX2vTt1BvA13VZFS very pink floydish

The Steve Hillage albums have stood the test of time. "Fish Rising" and "L" are well worth a listen too.

Palm trees - one of my favourite tracks of all time

Steve Hillage toured with the Kevin Ayers ensemble in about 1972.  They toured with a strange French band whose name escapes me.  I think Hillage joined them later for a while. Hillage was an amazing music producer (for Virgin!!) - The Skids, Simple Minds, Robyn Hitchcock etc.

Hillage was born in Chingford, London. Whilst still at school, he joined his first band, a blues rock band called Uriel, with Dave Stewart (the keyboardist), Mont Campbell and Clive Brooks. The band split up in 1968 with the other members going on to form Egg, but they briefly re-united under assumed names to record the album Arzachel in 1969. Hillage also guested on Egg's 1974 album The Civil Surface.[1]
In 1969, Hillage began studies at the University of Kent in Canterbury, befriending local bands Caravan and Spirogyra and occasionally jamming with them. Meanwhile, he wrote songs and, by late 1970, had accumulated enough material for an album. Caravan put him in touch with their manager Terry King, who got Hillage signed with Deram on the basis of a demo of his material recorded with the help of Dave Stewart of Egg. In early 1971, Hillage formed Khan with bassist/vocalist Nick Greenwood, formerly of Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Although future Gong and Hatfield and the North drummer Pip Pyle was involved in the early stages, the line-up finally settled with the inclusion of organist Dick Heninghem and drummer Eric Peachey, both of whom had recently collaborated on Greenwood's solo project Cold Cuts, recorded in California in 1970 but belatedly released in 1972.
Following a series of concerts throughout 1971, several of them supporting labelmates Caravan, Khan began recording their debut album in November, by which time Heninghem had left, forcing Hillage to bring in his former bandmate Dave Stewart to play the keyboard parts. By the time Space Shanty came out in May 1972, Canadian Val Stevens (formerly of Toronto's popular soul-rock band Grant Smith & The Power) had filled the vacancy, making his debut on a short European tour (including a televised appearance at the Montreux Festival) and continuing with a UK tour supporting Caravan in June.
By then, musical disagreements between Hillage and Greenwood culminated with the latter's departure. Hillage decided to form a new line-up with a slightly different direction, retaining the services of Peachey and asking Stewart back, and adding Nigel Griggs (later of Split Enz) on bass. New compositions by Hillage and Stewart were added to the repertoire, including "I Love Its Holy Mystery", which would form the basis of Hillage's later Solar Musick Suite. Hillage broke up the band in October 1972.


Hillage playing Hyde Park with Gong, 1974
Hillage promptly joined Kevin Ayers' new live band Decadence, participating in Ayers' 1973 album Bananamour (Harvest, May 1973) and touring the UK and France for two months. Having in the meantime become a fan of Gong, Hillage stayed in France after the tour to join the band. In January 1973 he took part in the sessions for Flying Teapot, the first instalment of the "Radio Gnome" trilogy, and soon after graduated to full-time membership. The 'classic' line-up of Gong was now in place, with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Didier Malherbe, Tim Blake, Mike Howlett and Pierre Moerlen, and recorded two further albums, Angels Egg and You, before disintegrating in 1975.[1]

Thanks Dragon - Those are the chaps - Gong!!   Only a bit french then

Angels Egg by Gong - a great album (and cover!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0AhjPHGbLU

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GONG-ANGELS-EGG-V2007-EX-VG-1973-UK-1ST-PRESS-VINYL-LP-B-W-LABEL-/282119580274?ha****m41afa32a72:g:I24AAOSwZ1BXdpeT

going for  £189 on ebay!!

Saw Gong a few times live over the years and the last tour with some of the 'older' members before Daevid Allen died, also Steve Hillage but his tour in 2009 doesn't compare with the 70's gigs.  I'd recommend Hillage live at Rock Palast and the 1979 Canterbury DVD's and Gong live on TV DVD featuring Steffi and Keith the Missile from Here and Now, it's superb.

an interesting fred for the drug squad to investigate

couldn't get into gong bit off beat but really enjoying listening to Kevin Ayres some great tunes! if you haven't listened to hm you should!!!

Kevin Ayers - Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes (Studio Version) this is worth a listen great tune with very clever lyrics

if you listen to Gene Clarks `White Light` album you may like it.

`One in a hundred` is a favourite track. and others, well I love it.

Kevin Ayers, check out the B side of Soft Machine’s first single (Feelin’ Reelin Squelin’) a delightful weird recording.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBPW73o4Wjc

Or Religious Experience (Singing A Song In The Morning), supposedly with Syd Barrett on guitar.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG1WB9qAm0Y

Though there’s better versions of it on Youtube.


Nothing to do with Kevin Ayres but David Crosby’s solo album from 1971 If Only I Could Remember My Name is in my opinion a great atmospheric album.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q18Tht5bBtg

check out Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum album

thanks guys will give them all a listen- still listening to KA even Mrs Dragon likes it!!!

Have you heard John Martyn - Solid Air?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX4O9-4VQfo

Worth a listen if not.

haven't gin but will do -thanks

stranger in blue suede shoes kevin ayers

this guy was ssooooooooooooooo good

Re the genius John Martyn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0DVynJD4jE - for those who haven't seen it

"Everything I've copped I've more or less deserved it"
"I chose the vehicle and I chose the road"

what can I say

genius

John Martyn-ah, memories. He was a standing dish all those years ago at Leeds Uni & there's a great (hilarious) story about him in a hotel room if anyone's ever heard it.

just bought strangers by blackfoot sue -- sounds good

may I - the company of your smile