Robert Calvert (Hawkwind)

Robert Newton Calvert (9 March 1945 – 14 August 1988)[1] was a South African-born, English writer, poet, and musician. He is principally known for his role as lyricist and member of the rock band Hawkwind.

Calvert was born in Pretoria, South Africa and moved with his parents to England when he was two. He attended school in London and Margate. Having finished school he joined The Air Training Corps, where he became a corporal and played the trumpet for the 438 squadron band.[2] He then went on to college in Canterbury. After leaving college, and having been denied his childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot he slowly acquainted himself with the UK's bohemian scene. Calvert began his career in earnest by writing poetry. In 1967 he formed the Street Theatre group, Street Dada Nihilismus.

At the end of the 1960s he moved to London and joined the flourishing 'psychedelic' subculture. He soon became one of its most active members; joining, amongst other activities, Frendz, one of the leading underground magazines of the time. During that time he acquainted himself with the "New Wave" of Science Fiction writers. Acclaimed author Michael Moorcock, winner of several Science Fiction literary awards and publisher of the influential New Worlds magazine, became a lifelong friend. Calvert's poems were published in New World and other magazines. Although he was influenced by the New Wave, Calvert developed a distinct style of his own. His ability to change fluently between poetry, music and theatre allowed him to develop into a multimedia artist. Calvert then became acquainted with Dave Brock, and became the resident poet, lyricist and frontman of Hawkwind, intermittently from 1972–1979. Calvert co-wrote Hawkwind's hit single "Silver Machine", which reached No. 3 in the UK singles chart. Although Lemmy sings on the single version, this is an overdub of a live recording taken at the Roundhouse in London, with Calvert on vocals. "They tried everyone else singing it except me", Lemmy later said.[3] Calvert also directed Hawkwind's live opus, the Space Ritual Tour.

Calvert suffered from bipolar disorder, which often caused a fractious relationship with his fellow musicians. At one point he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Despite his sometimes debilitating mental health, Calvert remained a fiercely creative, driven and multi-talented artist. During periods away from Hawkwind duties, he worked on his solo career; his creative output including albums, stage plays, poetry, and a novel. His first solo album, Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters, was released in 1974. The record is a concept album; an amalgam of music and theatre focused around the Lockheed bribery scandals. In 1975 Calvert won the Capital Radio poetry competition with his poem "Circle Line". In 1975, musician and producer Brian Eno produced and played on Calvert's second solo album, Lucky Leif and the Longships, a concept album, which looked at the history of the US and the Vikings, who crossed the Atlantic to reach America before Columbus.

As well as Michael Moorcock and Brian Eno, Calvert's collaborators included Arthur Brown, Steve Peregrin Took, Jim Capaldi, Steve Pond, Inner City Unit, Vivian Stanshall, Nektar, John Greaves, Adrian Wagner, Amon Düül II and, posthumously, Spirits Burning, Dave Brock, and Krankschaft.

Aged 43, Calvert died of a heart attack in 1988 in Ramsgate, England[1][4] and was buried in Minster Cemetery near Margate. His gravestone is engraved with the line "Love's not Time's fool", from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 116.

 

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters is a 1974 satirical concept album by Robert Calvert, the former frontman of British space-rock band Hawkwind. It consists of a mixture of songs and comic spoken interludes.

The concept was based on the German Air Ministry's purchase of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, colloquially known as the Widowmaker. In German service these planes had a poor safety record, with 262 out of 916 Luftwaffe Starfighters lost in accidents during the aircraft's time in service, which lasted from the early 1960s until the mid-1980s.[2]

Musicians who appeared on the album include members of Hawkwind, The Pink Fairies, Brian Eno (although not credited as Eno), Arthur Brown and Adrian Wagner. The spoken sketches are primarily performed by Calvert, Viv Stanshall and Jim Capaldi.

Musicians

• Robert Calvert - vocals
• Arthur Brown - vocals on "The Song of the Gremlin (Parts 1 and 2)"
• Paul Rudolph - lead and rhythm guitar (all), bass guitar on "The Song of the Gremlin (Parts 1 and 2)", "Hero with a Wing"
• Dave Brock - lead guitar on "The Widow Maker"
• Lemmy - bass guitar
• Nik Turner - saxophone
• Brian Eno (as Brian Peter George St John La Baptiste De La Salle) - Synthesizer
• Del Dettmar - synthesizer
• Adrian Wagner - keyboards on "The Song of the Gremlin (Parts 1 and 2)"
• Simon King - drums
• Twink Alder - Funeral drum on "Catch a Falling Starfighter"
• The Ladbroke Grove Hermaphroditic Voice Ensemble - backing vocals

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters - Right stuff

4. The Widow Maker

Enjoy!!!

 

Lucky Leif and the Longships is a 1975 record album by Robert Calvert, produced by Brian Eno.

It is a concept album dealing with how American culture might have been different had the Vikings managed to colonise the continent. The album is a tour through various styles of American music ("The Lay of the Surfers" is a Beach Boys parody), filled with references to modern American culture and ancient Norse myths and legends.

Personnel

• Robert Calvert - vocals, trumpet, piano, harmonica
• Andy Roberts - organ, guitars, backing vocals
• Paul Fraser Rudolph - guitars, bass guitar, backing vocals
• Michael Moorcock - banjo
• Simon House - violin
• Nik Turner - saxophone
• Sal Maida - bass guitar
• Brian Turrington - bass guitar & piano
• Mike Nicholls - drums, percussion
  
  
  

4. Voyaging To Vinland

9. Storm Chant Of The Skralings

 

Except his first two solo albums he got this one single:





And this is best work of him in his solo projects. Later in 80's he started to do two or three albums more with one live album I think, but without this personel and without big succes. So, basicly, his first two albums and this single is must have. Everything else if you are die hard fan.

One more great tune:

 

Test Tube Conceived is a great album as well:

Test Tube Conceived - YouTube

 

'Captain Lockheed and the Strarfighters'. A bonkers but decent LP!

 

This is thread about Calvert and all his work, not just one album. So dont understand your link...
However, yes, that album is madness in positive way.

 

Just pointing out that there has been some discussion of Calvert on the Forum before.

 

A great lyricist, here is a favorite of mine:

I would've liked you to have been deep frozen too
and waiting still as fresh in your flesh for my return to Earth
But your father refused to sign the forms to freeze you
Let's see you'd be about 60 now,
and long dead by the time I return to Earth
My time held dreams were full of you,
as you were when I left; still underage
Your android replica is playing up again, it's no joke
When she comes she moans another's name
But that's the spirit of the age,
That's the spirit of the age
Ah, the spirit of the age

I am a clone, I am not alone
Every fibre of my flesh and bone is identical to the others
Everything I say is in the same tone
as my test tube brother's voice
There is no choice between us,
If you had ever seen us,
You'd rejoice in your uniqueness
and consider every weakness something special of your own
Being a clone, I have no flaws to identify
Even this doggerel that pours from my pen,
has just been written by another twenty telepathic men,
Oh, word for word, it says:
"Oh, for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen".
That's the spirit of the age
It's just the spirit of the age

 

Big fan of Lucky Leif and the Longships. I got into Hawkwind big time six years ago this summer and quickly gravitated towards this wacky concept album of sorts, also being a fan of both history and alternate history its theme hooked me immediately. Enjoy the parodies of American pop culture interspersed with Viking nomenclature and allusions. That's an album that is just... Truly unique in some way.

Earlier this year I acquired and listened to (for the first time) Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters. Absolutely brilliant... The Right Stuff is wonderful, but Robert's German parodies are just as much worth it. He also did a similar voice on another favorite group of mine, Nektar's Down to Earth. Brilliant man. 30 years since he passed just two weeks from now... Wow.

 

Robert Calvert was a great lyricist his involvement with Nektar as the ringmaster on Down to Earth was one of Nektar's weaker efforts unfortunately.

 

I know I'm an outlier, but I absolutely LOVE Nektar's Down To Earth and think Calvert' s contribution is very funny -particularly during Nelly The Elephant.

 

I have 'Hype,' the record - used to have the book too, maybe it's still in a box somewhere. Robert's finest moments on record imo are on Over The Top.
(The Sonic Assassins, not Hawkwind)

 

I would definitely add Hype to his best work. If you get the book as well then it all adds to the experience. The album was a result of the book, Bob was imagining the type of music of Tom Mahler would play and he came up with these songs. I love Hype.

I wish there was more of that Sonic Assassins gig. Technically it's not Hawkwind, like the Hawklords weren't, but it is really. Wasn't Over The Top ad-libbed by Calvert.

I never saw Calvert when he was an official member of the band, but saw him a couple of times joining the band for one off performances and Hawkwind were always better when he was about, they had a spark with him.

 

'Freq' is my favourite. Not original, but definitely a reflection of the times with its subject matter. Good use of his Hawkmates.
A talented man, much missed.

 

Replaced by the Boeing 737 Max 8.

 

Calvert also appears on the album "Die Lösung (The Solution) by Amon Düül UK
(credited as "Amon Düül" ) which was recorded in 1988 and released on DemiMonde label (DMLP 1015) in 1989. The album also features a couple of original members of Amon Düül II, John Weinzierl on guitar and bassist Dave Anderson, the latter also ex-Hawkwind. Guy Evans from Van der Graaf Generator is the drummer. Most of the songs were co-written by Calvert and have him on vocals except two songs have lead vocals by Julie Wareing. The CD reissue on Thunderbolt (CD TB115) includes an alternate version of Drawn to the Flame. The original album version of the song is named "Drawn to the Flame (part 1)" and the bonus track is named "Drawn to the Flame (part 2)".

 

(continued from previous post)
The album is a bit on the high-end production wise, which gives it a slightly "thin-ish" sound on the CD. Subsequently, (and unfortunately) Youtube's low bit rate mp3 conversion only magnifies and increases the thin-sounding result. Take this into consideration here - the vinyl LP will be a noticeable improvement to what this sounds like :

 

"G for Germany?"

 

This is Hari, my nephew's boy. Seriously channelling Robert C I reckon.... Anyone got a spare trumpet....?