Goldmine's obituary on Simon House.

I want to bring to your attention a very good and touching obituary about Simon House published in the last hours on the Web.

It was written by journalist Dave Thompson for Goldmine and it is available here: 

https://www.goldminemag.com/obituaries-news/simon-house-born-august-29-1948-died-may-25-2025

Thompson writes: "Depending upon which side of the rock spectrum you stand, Simon House's name usually invokes one of two memories — the majesty with which he has graced some of the greatest Hawkwind albums, or the haunting violin which dominated his time with David Bowie.

But House's own career reaches way beyond either of those two highs. As a prodigiously gifted teen, he was a member of High Tide, one of the most creative, if sadly unsung, bands to emerge from the post-psychedelic Sixties."

Hawkwind, May 1974. Left to right: keyboard player Simon House, guitarist Dave Brock, keyboard player Del Dettmar, bassist Lemmy, drummer Simon King and saxophonist Nik Turner. 

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images

"He was thus present at the birth of Hawkwind — staged on House’s twenty-first birthday, Group X’s All Saints Church Hall show saw them opening for High Tide (The two bands would also share the same management company, Clearwater Productions)."

After summarising House's long, glorious musical career, Thompson concludes the piece by quoting the words of Brian Perera, whose Cleopatra Records released several of House’s later recordings:

"It’s with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our dear friend and brilliant collaborator. Simon wasn’t just a musician — he was a sonic architect who helped shape the sound of a generation.

He shared the stage with legends: David Bowie, Lemmy-era Hawkwind, and Nik Turner, always leaving his unmistakable mark. From the art-rock brilliance of Bowie’s “Boys Keep Swinging” era to the boundary-pushing tours with Nik and Cleopatra in the ’90s, Simon’s electrifying violin and cosmic keyboard work lifted every track, every show, every moment.

His vision brought depth, texture, and soul — he simply made everything better.

We miss you deeply, Simon.

Rest easy, my friend. Your sound lives on."

no©2025LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first).

Violinist Simon House passed away yesterday at 76.

Bad news for all of us!

Great violin and keyboard player Simon House, a true giant of the underground, old collaborator of the Third Ear Band (1971-1974), passed away yesterday at 76 (the bad news HERE and HERE or HERE).

A founder with guitarist Tony Hill and bass player Peter Pavli of the seminal band High Tide at the end of Sixties, he was a permanent member of the Hawkwind, between 1974 and 1978, playing with David Bowie on his albums "Stage" (1978) and "Lodger" (1979). 

Apart two solo albums (1994 and 2000), one with Rod Goodway (2002), and two with Spiral Realms (2004 and 2005), he worked with a lot of musicians including  Robert Calvert, Japan, David Sylvian, Thomas Dolby, Mike Olfield, Judy Dyble, Nik Turner, Adrian Shaw, Nektar, Spirits Burning, Magic Muscle...

Through Glen Sweeney, I met him two times in London, where he lived, and he seemed to me a shy and reserved person, interested only in playing music and refractory to any self-indulgence and protagonism typical of the rock environment. 

We later did an interview by phone, but he was very tight-lipped and not very willing to recall the past.... You can read it here:

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2010/01/brief-phone-conversation-with-simon.html

 

Other files in this Archive related to Simon House:

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2012/03/italians-like-weird-stuff-old-interview.html

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2020/09/extraordinarly-amazing-teb-tv.html

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2024/11/four-rare-1972-photos-of-simon-house-on.html

https://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2019/10/peter-pavli-interviewed-on-its.html

 

   Simon House performing live with DanMingo at DAYUM Club, London, December 2005.

 no©2025LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

"It's more about wishes, never about regrets". The second part interview with DON FALCONE.

 

This is the second of a two-parts interview with Don Falcone who involved Ursula Smith on Spirits Burning's record "Evolution Ritual". Here he talks about TEB's influences, music, the record market, COVID-19 lockdown, his gear, and future projects.

You can find the first part of the interview HERE

 

 

Don with a Spirits Burning album in January 2021

10. Do you think TEB music is still actual? Have they inspired your poetics in some ways?

"Third Ear Band fits in a category of music output that I describe as being timeless. Usually, I use that category to describe electric-based artists: Jimi Hendrix and Electric Ladyland, Can’s Landed in terms of its synth sounds, maybe something like Vangelis’ Blade Runner. While TEB used a VCS on occasion, they were essentially an acoustic-based band, and yes they were rich in a coat of folk, and medieval sounds. However, like those other artists and bands, they also sounded ahead of their time, putting out music that was very different than their contemporaries. And most importantly, the music has aged well. That’s what being timeless is to me.
Has this inspired my musical voices? Of course. That’s why I would mention them to invites during the early days of “Evolution Ritual.”

11. If it's so, have you taken something from their experiences? What?

"I would be remiss to not mention TEB and their improvisational approach to music. There is a continuous winding, uncharted path in many TEB songs, and that can be exciting for the musician, and for the listener. All the while, the entire band, seems like they are simultaneously heading in the same, and different direction. It’s quite exciting. It is this sense of acoustic arpeggios, movement, mystery, and otherworldliness that feeds into the possibility of a Spirits Burning album being an acoustic space rock album.

While "Evolution Ritual" took other turns, and Spirits Burning more often is not as complicated as some TEB songs, I’m always looking for the mystery in a song, and in its sounds. Plus, there is a hidden improv approach that has been there from the first album to the most current one. For example, when musicians like Daevid Allen or Nik Turner recorded at my home studio over the years, I would present the song, press record, and they would improv on the spot. It was rare that they would work out their musical performance ahead of time. In fact, one of the most interesting recordings was Daevid eyeing my music room bookcase, picking up my college thesis (a book of poems), and then randomly choosing lines to read and emote against the musical landscape. That sense of improv is even there when I do keyboard solos. Or, some of my piano-based ideas. For those ideas, I tend to not overthink things, and just dive in, to see where it leads me.
 

Going back to what I said before about TEB being timeless: We can say that TEB helps to remind me that the best music can simultaneously be of the past, present, and future."

 

 

12. How do you manage to integrate the working method used for "Ritual" and the traditional way of working in the studio with the band? The dimension of working remotely and the urgency of playing live? What is the relationship between the two dimensions? How do you feel about them?

 

"I treasure my time with live bands long ago, and all the practice time in practice spaces. Well, the spaces weren’t always great. But the people, and the ability to play off of one another was often special. It taught me a lot, and ingrained in me some important skills and concepts.

It prepared me mentally to try to apply the same energy and interaction to local or remote recording sessions in the here and now, and even to how I choose to play my own parts, or how I choose to mix. It’s always with the sense that we are in the same room, interacting, even if we are not. My hope is that many of the contributing musicians are doing the same thing on a certain level. If they ask for guidance, I try to keep that approach in mind as I provide what I would provide verbally if we were in the same room. At the end of the day, I want Spirits Burning to sound like a band, and not a solo album with guests; to sound like a band of equally contributing members.

I have to admit that I clearly miss playing with musicians in the same room. Especially a live drummer, as it can totally shape and reshape how you play a song, or even how you write a song. That said, I do not miss the actual rooms we used to rehearse in, or the cost of the room, or parking in sketchy parts of town, or lugging equipment around, or getting home late when you have to work the next day. Those factors cover some of the reasons why that part of my life closed long ago. Before the pandemic happened, I did have a few occasions to use the music room at Dolby to jam with a few co-workers, and it brought back some good memories. Especially when I played bass guitar, and visually and sonically played off of the drummer."

 

 

13. Usually, which instruments you play? Can you tell me which is your gear?

 

"I’m a keyboardist, who was originally a bass player.
My keyboard options include a mix of virtual instruments (plug-ins that you trigger via a MIDI controller) and physical keyboards. I use a Kurzweil K2000 as my controller, as it is a larger keyboard, and I like the feel of the keys.

I record and mix on a Pro Tools system, and use Avid and AIR plug-ins that run on that system. There is a great Hammond organ, acoustic and electric pianos, and a number of synths, including Virus Indigo. I also have the Structure sampler plug-in, which lets me trigger acoustic sounds, from orchestral to ethnic to pianos (like a Bösendorfer). I used Structure for some of the pitched and unpitched percussives that you hear on “Evolution Ritual.”

 

I probably have more physical keyboards than I need. I might not touch one for many months, and then make a decision that today I’m going to touch this one or that one. Each does have something unique about it. I have a Mellotron that a friend loaned to me. I have a pre-MIDI Roland Juno 60 that is great for spacey ambient patterns, swells, and pads. I have an old Sequential Circuits Six-Trak that always surprises me with new life, especially when mixed with modern verbs or delays. I have an M-Audio Venom and Waldorf Q, both underused. Writing songs and producing albums (and the day job) have eaten into my time for digging deeper into these keys. I did use the Venom as a controller for my 2017 live gigs… it was smaller and easier to take on a plane trip. Although the airport security did open my keyboard case on the tarmac while I was seated on the plane, to make sure it wasn’t a weapon.
 

I have a Carvin 5-string bass that has a great sound. I average writing and recording a song a year with it. I like playing it through an Avid Eleven Rack with an MXR Phase 90 effect, or to create parts that sound more like a guitar. The one album that features me on bass for a whole album is by a band I was in called Fireclan.

I’m also fond of capturing found sounds for use in songs. For “Evolution Ritual,” these were unaffected, to stay true to the acoustic premise of the album. For example, there were DaVinci devices that I recorded at a museum in Albuquerque. In San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, there was a giant box that had giant strings in it, like being inside of a piano, and I recorded plucks and strums within it. For other albums, I’m more likely to process or affect a found sound. For instance, on the Grindlestone “Tone” album there is sample from one of my MRIs that is heavily effected.

I guess I consider all the effects in Pro Tools to be instruments, as least from a production standpoint, or when doing something more experimental. Of those tools, I’m quite fond of the ReVibe reverbs and TL Space’s convolution reverbs, and I’ve been playing with distortion a lot lately. Plus, I have a wonderful Eventide Harmonizer rackmount that I typically use for vocals. However, with the instrumental “Evolution Ritual,” I didn’t use the Eventide at all, or any distortion. I only used the plug-in reverbs that sounded natural. It’s probably the one Spirits Burning album that had touches of natural reverb added during mastering."

 

14. In this controversial era of looking more to the past than to the future, with a discography clogging the sales channels with retrospective boxes and anthologies of past phenomena, how do you see the future of music?
 

"Challenged. And Interesting. I’m not convinced the retro clog is entirely new. I remember buying every Hawkwind best of album and live album in the 70s and onward. Even bootleg cassettes. I remember getting a great gift of a Jethro Tull box set in the 90s, and buying a Sandy Denny box set around the same time. I also remember how many of us bought CD versions of all the vinyl albums we owned. It was the music circle of life. And none of it prevented us from searching for new music.

15. You think it's a false issue...

 

"I’m also not convinced that the retro clog is the root cause of a problem. It’s more indicative of a deeper issue, at least for those who create new music. It points to a potential disinterest in new music, regardless of who it is by. When we were young, we had the initial sparks of hearing new music, and wanted to be at one with it. As the decades moved on, some of us continued that search and find of new sounds, and re-experienced getting excited. That’s not the case for everyone.

 

Some people did relatively hard stops in their listening habits, or continued listening but let the radio or later, streaming services and playlists dictate their music experience. I saw this with family and friends in the 80s, 90s and so on. It’s not a new phenomenon for some people to be disinterested in what is new, or what is essentially changing. Add to that new generations who for whatever reason are not looking in this direction for music, or have created an entirely different definition for new music, and you suddenly find a world where it is difficult — challenging — for musicians be remain part of the dialogue. Maybe it’s always been this way."
 

16. So is the challenge greater now? 

 

"Sure. It does seems like there is less time to listen to music, and more competition for hours that we used to devote to listening to music, and even the money that we used to save and spend on new music.

In that sense, those expensive boxed sets, or those possible last tours (some of which I’ve attended, like Black Sabbath and The Who) do not inherently serve new music. If I were to look for a silver lining, it would be that the past can continue to influence and teach the present. Plus, well, it is fun to see and hear your favorite band of old one last time.

 

I do think that the future of music will be fine. It’s the future of the musician that is more uncertain. Especially, if you are trying to make a larger mark."

 

17. Do you think there will still be room for research into open musical forms like yours?

"There is always room. What isn’t as assured is the size of the room, or the number of people in that room.

 

It’s also an interesting question, considering that Spirits Burning is built on the past (musicians and styles), with the hope of creating a new music for the musicians involved and the people who listen. To that effort, and given my personal tastes, it’s definitely good for me to understand that I’m not involved with music that is commercial in the pop sense, and that it can sometimes challenge the listener. Basically, each album has a risk factor.

 

That doesn’t change my belief that the best music is a celebration on some level. Or, that music is inherently about passion and joy; a joy that can be inviting, and contagious in a good way. There is the joy of the journey (creating the music), and the joy of the destination (sharing and listening to the music). Yes, I do believe that the world has room for the music I am part of. That’s a big reason why I continue the journey, and invite people to collaborate on that journey. That said, it’s definitely healthier for me to see the reward in each mark the music makes, as opposed to grading success on the level of fame.
 

Looking ahead… When I hear soundtracks from some of the newer episodic series and films, I find a certain, extra hope. I like the creativity in what I’m hearing. Sometimes, when my wife and I are listening to these sounds, we hear a bit of me and something close to what I’ve done in the past, and smile. Or, I hear something that feels like a good roadmap for something new that I should try next. There seems to be an openness with these soundtracks, one that is… inviting, and contagious in a good way. This might be another place for my music. We shall see..." 

 

Spirits Burning at Kozfest in 2017 (photo by Jack Gold Molina)

 

18. Apart working on this record, what have you done during the long pandemic lockdown? Did you played some gigs on the web?

 

"I’ve spent a lot of time promoting Spirits Burning. First, there was promotion for the previous Spirits Burning release, “The Hollow Lands,” which was released on Purple Pyramid Records in December of 2020. Then, Karen (my wife) and I released “Evolution Ritual” on our Noh Poetry Records label. Self-releasing it meant relearning how best to announce its release, upload it for sales and distribution, get it reviewed, register it as a real release, and set up interviews. We’ve also been rolling out photo collages of the crew for each song on Facebook and elsewhere.

Don singing on stage at Kozfest in 2017 (photo by Michal Skwarek)

 

On most days, I’m a technical writer for Dolby Laboratories. I write documentation about tools for Dolby Atmos content creators. I’m overdue to start some immersive songs using these tools.

Ongoing, on the music side… Most of the sessions and mixing for “Evolution Ritual” overlapped with two Spirits Burning & Michael Moorcock albums. There was the completion of “The Hollow Lands,” and the development of “The End Of All Songs,” which I hope to complete in mid-2022. Over the last year, most of the songs for “The End” were written and initial parts recorded, and then I began inviting musicians. Some of the returning crew include Al Bouchard and Donald Roeser from Blue Öyster Cult, and Hoshiko from Tangerine Dream. In the queue, and with fingers crossed are some first-time Spirits Burning contributors: David Cousins of The Strawbs and Paul Rudolph of the Pink Fairies.

Most of the songs still need lyrics and vocals. Al (Bouchard) is transcribing Mike’s text to create lyrics and vocal lines like he did for the previous SB & MM albums, when he isn’t working on his own music projects. At some point during the pandemic, I was honored to play keys on a track for his next solo album — Imaginos II, Bombs Over Germany (Minus Zero and Counting). This one has an October, 2021 release date, and is now shipping".

I also just finished an uptempo Spirits Burning song for a future Flicknife Records compilation. The song is titled “Purse (You For A Day).” It’s a fun punky, new wave song that might surprise some people. I wrote it back in the 80s, and started to resurrect it a few years ago. Nik Turner plays sax on it, and my wife did the lead vocals. To compete the song, I set up a long-distance guitar session by Joe Diehl, who was one of the guitarists who played the song back in the day. He did multiple parts this time, and it’s actually quite intricate. I’m definitely excited about it."

 

Spirits Burning at Kozfest in 2017 (photo by Michal Skwarek)

 

19. I wish to close with a question straight to the heart: do you have any regrets when you look back on your now long career?

"It’s hard to have regrets when you’ve done more than you could have imagined when the journey started. When I was listening to music in the 70s, or when I first picked up a bass guitar, or when I joined my first band, there was no way I could have imagined that I would someday be collaborating with some of the musicians I was listening to.

I’m really proud of most of what I’ve been involved with over the years. Yes, there is a small handful of songs that I wish I would have mixed differently, or approached slightly differently. But those are few and far between. Recently, I was listening to songs on shuffle mode, and I was amazed at how well some Spirits Burning songs sounded next to songs by other established artists (like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hawkwind, and even Kate Bush). As I continued to listen, Spirits Burning, as well as my work with Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix and the Daevid Allen Weird Quartet sounded so fresh. In fact, I had forgotten some of the wonderful things the line-ups for a given piece had done.

I can see where I might wish one band or another had survived longer. I was in an incredible ambient-ethno experimental band called Thessalonians. They kind of had more in common with TEB than any band I’ve ever been in, given that they were tabla-based rhythmically, as opposed to rock drums. The line-up for our “Soulcraft” album did one album and gig. I would have loved to have done more gigs and albums with that line-up.

Overall, though, it’s never about regrets. It’s more about wishes, and what you did, or decide to do with those wishes. That can mean keeping a wish in place, and being patient until the time is right. “Evolution Ritual” is a great example of this, as it took me a few years to get to my dream of doing an acoustic Spirits Burning album."

 

Don relaxing with a glass of wine in beginning 2021

DON FALCONE/SPIRITS BURNING info

official web site:

https://spiritsburning.com/

Spirits Burning video archive:  https://spiritsburning.com/sbvids.html

Wikipedia page: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirits_Burning

no©2021 LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first).

URSULA SMITH played in Spirits Burning's latest album. A two-parts interview with DON FALCONE!

 

"Evolution Ritual", SPIRITS BURNING's latest album, is a true masterpiece, a brilliant collection of free-form tracks played and recorded with many inspired musicians (read the press release HERE). One could classify it as a "prog" album, but that would be very reductive because Don's sound open vision makes it much more than that. A real alchemical work, in its letteral meaning. Believe me: in a record market that invests almost all its ideas and resources in retrospectives and theme compilations, an album full of new ideas like this is a real godsend!

As we know, Don, a very talented multi-instrumentalist playing quite everything,  involved Ursula Smith in a wonderful piece and the fact was so intriguing (and unusual) for me that I was prompted to ask him a few questions.

This is the first of a two-parts interview: the first is about Ursula's involvement on the record, the second one is about music, market and future projects.

 

1. How did your latest record come about?

"I wanted to do an instrumental Spirits Burning album between the second and third Spirits Burning & Michael Moorcock albums, both of which have lots of lyrics. Generally, I like to alternate between instrumental and vocal albums.
I also like to approach each album with some sense of newness or change. I had been talking to people like Bridget (Wishart) for maybe a decade, telling her that I wanted to do an acoustic-based Spirits Burning album. Now was the time."

 

2. What was the original concept?

"The original idea was to create an acoustic space rock album. As I invited people, I usually mentioned Third Ear Band as a targeted influence. I felt their sense of folk, primitiveness and otherworldliness were a good starting point. In my head, I could imagine acoustic instruments sometimes creating sounds that had more in common with a Hawkwind audio generator or synth, or percussives and rhythms that had a spacey tribal edge to them. However, some of the earliest invites who tend towards a more avant-garde approach were not available for the album, and as songs began to take shape and I worked on newer invites, I started to ease up on pushing the space rock part of the concept. Instead, I concentrated on keeping everyone focused on being acoustic or sounding like they were acoustic."

 

  Don at the keyboards in his home studio (Fall 2020).

                                       

3. Why did you even think of involving Ursula?

"Since the day I turned Spirits Burning into a collective, I’ve made an effort to invite and collaborate with musicians who I have listened to and admired throughout my life. As Spirits Burning has grown, I’ve been lucky to connect with musicians from Third Ear Band, Hawkwind, Van Der Graaf Generator, and many other bands that are close to my heart.

Of the Third Ear Band family, both Simon House and Pete Pavli had contributed to Spirits Burning in the past, and they were unfortunately unavailable for “Evolution Ritual.” As I was planning songs, and thinking about how to keep things acoustic, I took a good look at other violinists, cellists, and bassists. It seemed like a natural move to review other members of the Third Ear Band family, specifically, the string players, and then see if I could interest any of them in contributing.

It was around this time that I discovered Ghettoraga and reached out to you Luca, to see if you could help me connect with Ursula."

 

 

4. What was her reaction when you contacted her?

 
"Ursula wasn’t sure she could contribute, due to not having a clear way to do a recording. After an exchange or two of emails, she was receptive to try.
 

She didn’t really have any questions about the music or the project. I had given her info on the band, and what I was trying to accomplish with the new album. I had uploaded two pieces to Dropbox for her to consider, picking two pieces that I thought she would like, and that would be conducive to cello. I also gave her a link to a YouTube teaser video of a Spirits Burning & Clearlight instrumental album.

The two candidate tracks were “Strolling Into The Future” and “Your Better Angels.” The former had a clear arrangement, and she felt comfortable contributing to that one. The latter song was in its early stages, probably pitched and unpitched percussion only. Ursula decided that her cello part wasn’t working, and that’s how she ended up on just “Strolling.”

Coincidentally, each piece eventually ended up having a Steeleye Span violinist. Jessie May Smart would play with Ursula on “Strolling.” Peter Knight played on “Angels.”"

 

5. How did you work on the tune?

"Ursula’s first concern was how to do the recording. Not everyone is set up with a home recording studio, or has access to a large studio. Plus, this was during pandemic times, so having someone come to her and do a remote recording, or putting her in touch with a recording studio were not an option.

We established early on that she had Audacity, and could use that program to record. I provided some encouragement and recording tips. Ursula practiced a little with each piece, and then sent me a mix of her playing alongside “Strolling.” I reviewed it, and gave her a long-distance thumbs up to provide just her parts when she had them finalized.

Within a week of us initially connecting, Ursula provided the final cello performance, and it was great. She had some concerns about the quality of the recording, including a couple of places where it sounded like her cello moved. I told her not to worry, as I felt that I could apply EQ to help reduce any noise, and some incidental sounds might not even be noticeable in the context of the mix. Plus, I cut out the parts of the audio where she wasn’t playing, which is something that I normally do."

 

Ursula on cello during a rehearsal at St Andrew's Hall (Norwich) in 2008.

          

6. Did you ask her to play something specific (such as with a score) or did you leave her free to decide what to play?

"I rarely tell anyone what to play, unless they ask for some level of guidance. However, this song was atypical. Usually someone starts a song with one or two parts, and I manage a queue of musicians and their instruments that builds upon the starter material. For “Strolling,” Andy Dalby (once of Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come) had actually worked out and arranged a full song, including some string parts. For this song, we would be replacing some of Andy’s parts, one by one, and adding new parts too.

I gave Andy’s version to Ursula, and told her to consider adding cello anywhere in the song where she felt inspired, which she did. In some places, her part would replace one of Andy’s. In other parts, she provided something new that helped provide energy and spice to the piece, which is exactly what I had hoped."
 

7. How did she react to the track done?

 
"I think Ursula was happy with it. She did note that it had a quirky feel, in context with the rest of the album. I would agree with that. It’s kind of where the album takes a couple of turns, before reverting back to its roadmap.

She also had an experience that many Spirits Burning musicians have when they are only part of the early stages of a song. Basically, she didn’t actually get to hear the final mix, with all the new musicians and performances until the album came out. So, it probably felt like a different piece on a certain level.

In terms of the whole album, Ursula felt that "the tracks covered a wonderful range of moods, landscapes from the feeling of ritual dances and feasts to reflective spaces and scenes.” She also mentioned that some of the other tracks reminded her of what the old Third Ear Band was trying to do, but with different resources."

8. Are you satisfied with the way the piece came out and with the record in general?
 

"Absolutely. For “Strolling,” I set out to build a band that took Andy’s initial score to a new level, and we did. The ramp up for the song went from Andy to Ursula, to Gabe (Monticello), who did acoustic bass pizzicato and bowed parts that were initially tricky to isolate and weave with Ursula’s parts. Next was Jessie May Smart, who provided a wonderful collection of violin parts, which became an additional lead instrument. Then, I replaced Andy’s faux accordion part with my melodion performance, and last, and most special, the drum parts were by original Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard. It’s a great song by a great ensemble, which is how I hope to describe every song on an album.

I am quite happy with the album as a whole. Most of the early listeners and reviewers have understood the attempt at creating new sounds and musical adventures through an acoustic-based focus. It definitely brings a smile to my face when I see the album being described as contemporary folk, or a review mentions that there is an avant-garde element."

9. Do you plan to present it live when possible (maybe with Ursula)?

"Once upon a time, I would have told you that a Spirits Burning live show was an impossibility. Given the hundreds of musicians involved with the band, and that they are scattered through many parts of the globe… it’s kind of mind-boggling to even consider who would be in the band, what songs from over 15 studio albums would we do, when would be a good time to play post-pandemic and without affecting day jobs, and where would this gig be, given where everyone lives?

 

Don in his home studio (Fall 2020).

However, once upon a time, I did add to my bucket list the desire to play live in England with Bridget, and then we checked it off. We did two gigs in 2017 (in a club in Bath, and then at Kozfest). We created a seven-piece band that had three Hawkwind family members, and did a one-hour set that featured three different lead vocalists and a couple of instrumentals.

The key to making the line-up work was that we created a core band in a single location (Bath area), where they could practice once a month or more over half a year. I would then practice with their practice recordings, and provide recordings of how my parts fit in. The key to the set-list was that Bridget and I worked out what Spirits Burning & Bridget Wishart songs we should do, and then Steve (Bemand) and I worked out a best-of SB set.
 

All of which means: I don’t know if Spirit Burning will play live again. It was a lot of work. If we did, I’d like to think that at least one song from "Evolution Ritual" would be in the set. And, I would love it if we had one or more acoustic-based string instruments in the ensemble. That would be quite special."

 

(end of part one - to be continued)

 

no©2021 LucaChinoFerrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first).

TEB at 1973 Windsor Free Festival.

Related to an obscure period in TEB's story, I've found on line this references to their appearance at the second edition of Windsor Free Festival, played from August 25th to 28th, 1973 in West London at Windsor Great Park. Probably one of the last of their first artistic phase.

Here's some stuff for the promotion of the festival:

 

One could ask how a group as TEB could be on the same bill with Hawkwind (the stars of that edition), Pink Faires, Skin Alley, Camel... but we know at that time, after the attempt to record "The Dragon Wakes" and the  recordings of "Macbeth", the band was trying to develop a new form of "electric raga rock".

A photo by Dave Walking with the Hawkwind on stage: (L-R) Michael Moorcock, Robert Calvert, Simon King and Lemmy.

The very good portal of UK festivals at the page about the Windsor Free festival editions (http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/windsor-menu.html) shows memories and pictures about the event, even if nothing about the TEB.

Any memories by Ghettoraga readers will be well accepted!

no©2017 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)    

Tracked down the shots of the "Atomic Sunrise" festival: what about that with the Third Ear Band playing?

The festival was shot by an unknown underground director and the (33 hours! of) footages was missed for around 20 years, until a guy called Adrian  Everett tracked down them and tried to edit. 

All the long story was reported by The Indipendent on January 25th, 2013 (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/atomic-sunrise-a-rare-glimpse-of-david-bowie-genesis-and-hawkwind-on-the-brink-of-stardom-8466113.html). 

Here's an excerpt of the article written by Tim Cumming:

"Atomic Sunrise: a rare glimpse of David Bowie, Genesis and Hawkwind on the brink of stardom
It’s the missing film that captures David Bowie’s transition from acoustic to electric star; the emergence of Genesis and Hawkwind; and the musical birth of the Seventies with the rise of glam, prog and heavy rock.
The Atomic Sunrise festival, held at the Roundhouse between 9 and 15 March 1970, was the direct consequence of the murderous events at Altamont the previous December. The Grateful Dead not only pulled out of that gig: they also withdrew from a scheduled appearance at the Roundhouse the following March, which left a week free to mount what was billed as “Seven Nights of Celebration” in a “Living Theatre Environment”.

Three bands were scheduled to play each night, many of them regulars at the Roundhouse’s Sunday Implosion gigs, with The Living Theatre – officially the oldest experimental company in the world – moving among the crowd like the counter- cultural equivalent of a flash mob, but with social/political consciousness-raising rather than marketing as the intent. They were the resident artistes at Atomic Sunrise, on a bill that included many names welded firmly to that time: Graham Bond (whose presence deterred the billed but absent Black Sabbath), Brian Auger, Third Ear Band, Fat Mattress, Gypsy. But none of these are what gives the film to be premiered at the Roundhouse on 11 March its cachet. That lies with the unique, thrilling footage of Bowie, Genesis, and Hawkwind at formative stages of their careers. There is nothing else like it on film. 

(...) The film’s director-producer, Adrian Everett, first heard of the footage in the late 1970s. Who actually placed the cameras in those communal, countercultural early days is not on record, but the stock was being held against a film-processing bill of several thousand pounds. Everett tracked it for years, until, in 1990, he was told it was to be destroyed unless the bill was paid. He put down the money hours before the film was to be trashed, and with the film and the rights secured, his next task was to see exactly what it contained. He spent the next three days watching 33 hours of rushes.

“It was adding the sound and seeing the film come to life that made me realise how important it is,” he remembers. “Until then I just thought it might be interesting, but now I knew it was amazing. That’s why I felt I had to get it out there.”
A deal with a record store owner provided a small budget to begin a first cut, and a chance encounter put him in touch with the original sound man at the gig, who helped him put music to the silent film footage.

“I developed a method of playing and replaying the footage – spotting the start of a song and then looking for clues such as an opening word of the lyric or an instrument.” He was working after-hours in a friend’s cutting room, but progress stalled when Everett’s backer pulled out during the early 1990s recession. Aside from a few assembled performances, the rushes remained just that, sequestered in boxes for the next 20 years, largely unedited and virtually unseen.
Efforts to secure a broadcast slot on the BBC or on Sky came to nothing, and in the meantime, the original participants were heading for that great gig in the sky. Mick Ronson was the first to go, in 1993. In 2010, when Everett heard of the passing of original Genesis drummer John Mayhew, he determined to get a cut of the film into circulation. “Not only so that people could see it at last,” he says, “but as a sort of tribute to those who had gone, some of them unrewarded and almost unknown.”
Taking time out from editing an hour-long first cut of a film that has travelled with him for more than 30 years, Everett admits that it’s “nerve-wracking wondering if people will be pleased with the result”.

“But I can only do the best I can with the resources I have,” he says. “The music and images are amazing, and my plan is to do a book and DVD of the final edit. There are so many strands to this story. It’s a great story to tell.”

‘Atomic Sunrise’ is screened at the Roundhouse, London NW1 (0844 482 8008; roundhouse.org.uk) 11 & 12 March".

If it's clear the projected film does not include footages with the Third Ear Band in, it seems quite possible the live set the band played it's included on the 33 hours shot.
It would be important having some infos by Mr Everett and for this we've sent an email at sunrisefest@yahoo.com... 

no©2013 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)   

"Italians like weird stuff...". An old interview with Simon House from the Web.

Hi, Third Ear's addicts. Here's another old interesting stuff from the Net related to the TEB where the great violinist Simon House talks about his career. 

It's from "Starfarer's Hawkwind Page" (http://www.starfarer.net/shintv97.html) and it was done by Dane Carlson to be published on "Expose" magazine in the Summer of 1997.

"Simon House was born in Nottingham. His father was a musician, playing sax, clarinet, banjo and cello. So Simon got into music at a very early age. He was raised on the Big Band sound; Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Johnny Hodges, people like that. At the age of 11 Simon entered secondary school and it was here he took up the violin. With the violin Simon was introduced to Classical music and until four mop top lads from Liverpool arrived it was his sole interest.

Any reason why you picked the violin?

"No, I really can't remember. At the time I just seemed to get on with it okay."

Simon studied the violin for 7 years. He played in several orchestras, including one with his father, The Mansfield and District Light Orchestra. Simon continued onto a University, but got caught up in the essence of the 60's and dropped out. The result of this was a few crappy jobs and very little money. Simon lived in a flat with Wayne Bardell and Tony Hill. In 1968 Simon and Hill, together with Pete Pavli and Roger Hadden formed High Tide. Simon actually started out on bass, but soon got back to playing the violin. Wayne Bardell was their manager, and they soon signed up with Doug Smith's Clearwater Productions.

What was your first band?

"High Tide, I was 20."

High Tide seemed like a pretty high energy rock band. You got to really cut loose, a fair amount of solo time?

"Yeah, quite complicated structures but there was a lot of jamming going on. We put out a couple albums and then just sort of burned out."

High Tide released "Sea Shanties" in 1969, and "High Tide" in 1970. They also toured with other Clearwater artists, like Hawkwind. In 1971 High Tide ended. Simon heard that the Third Ear Band was looking for a Violinist, he got the job on his reputation alone, no auditions.

"I joined the Third Ear Band for a time. About a year. We did quite a lot of stuff, the Polanski Macbeth soundtrack, a lot of concerts. They're still around. They did well, especially in Italy. As far I know, they played there a lot, they [the Italians] like weird stuff".

After a brief but productive time with Third Ear Band, Simon played with Magic Muscle in 1972 and Barclay James Harvest in 1973. After brief stints nothing quite worked so Simon took a break from bands and got a day job. In 1974 Simon went to see Hawkwind at the Edmonton Sundown. He joined the band soon after.

So you knew Hawkwind, High Tide had gigged with them before?

"Hawkwind's very first gig, they were called Group X at the time. High Tide played there as well. At All Saint's hall in [Ladbroke Grove] in London. They were a pretty far out band. We all had the same management then, High Tide and Hawkwind. So we all knew each other. That was a long, long time ago, about 30 years ago. I played Violin, Mellotron, the VCS3 synthesizer. Which was one of the first synthesizers to come out in England. They were wonderful machines, there were things you could do with them that you just can't do nowadays."

Simon joined Hawkwind on the eve of their US Tour. There was no time to obtain a work permit for him, but he went along anyway, and did manage to play with them a few times. Upon returning to the UK, Hawkwind went to Clearwell Castle, near Wales and began recording "Warrior on the Edge of Time."

Were you involved with the production of the albums? Was Hawkwind a more advanced band in the studio than any you had previously worked in? There is lots of stereo crossovers, interesting effects and such.

"No. Not really. It was pretty basic in those days, but, then I haven't heard any of those albums for a long time. It would be interesting to sit down and listen to them one day."

Simon also did some side jobs. He worked with Michael Moorcock on the "New World's Fair" LP where he was reunited with another ex-High Tide player, Pete Pavli. He appeared on Bob Calvert's "Lucky Leif and the Longships."

You worked with the late Bob Calvert; to me he seems like someone who was very interesting to be around. What was he like?

"He was a very creative guy and very funny as well. I guess he did go over the edge a few times, but he would always come back. I think his lyrics are really wonderful. He was very underrated."

Simon survived the 1976 house cleaning. Nik Turner, Alan Powell and Paul Rudolph all got sacked as Dave Brock reclaimed his band.

So how did you get on with Dave Brock? With all the people coming and going, you get the Impression he's hard to work with.

"We got on really well, I've never had any arguments with Dave. Um, and all the times I've been with the band he's been very easy to work with."

1977 saw the release of "Quark, Strangeness and Charm." Ex-Magic Muscle bassist Adrian Shaw was playing. Hawkwind toured a lot, and were at the top of the form. The UK and European tours were all well received. A small US tour followed.

On the 1978 American Quark, Strangeness and Charm tour, you left in the middle of it?

"Yeah, that when I joined Bowie."

Rumors have that tour not working out too well, were you relieved to leave?

"Well, it's hard to say. I had planned to leave Hawkwind already and going to Bowie was such a change anyway."

With Hawkwind you're playing these very small clubs and then you instantly moved to Bowie's 'Stage' tour, where you're playing in large arenas. How did that go? Did if take long to adjust to?

"Well the first concert was a bit scary, that was in San Diego. But once you start playing, and everything's going okay, then you can start to relax. But yes, it was a big change. We first went to Dallas for two weeks of rehearsals."

Two weeks? You had a pretty wide range of Bowie songs to learn.

"That's right. It was a great tour to do, great set, playing all those good Bowie songs and lot of instrumental things as well. It was really enjoyable to play. It was a great band as well. An excellent band."

How did you get involved with David Bowie?

"Well that was through High Tide originally, the very first time I met David was when I was rehearsing for High Tide. High Tide's guitarist, Tony Hill, used to play with David. And I met him a couple of times. And High Tide did a couple of gigs with David Bowie, before he was famous. And that's where it started really. He phoned up one night and asked if I wanted to do a tour. I just couldn't believe it. He phoned back a couple of days later, I had a couple of days to think about it. And yeah, I jumped at it."

Simon had intended to return to Hawkwind after the Stage tour, but after the US tour, Hawkwind was in shambles. So he stayed with Bowie and went to the studio to work on "Lodger".

"We had a few weeks in Montreux, Switzerland . Working in the studio with Eno and Bowie, and the rest of the guys. That was great. It was great fun to work with Eno, he was always coming up with weird ideas. Trying the thing out, just a lot of fun, very interesting to work with the guy."

Did you learn anything from them? To me, It seemed Eno/Bowie were writing very good music at the time for pop songs. Really stretching it out.

"They were both just very gifted guys, very intelligent and willing to try anything and not being afraid to make mistakes. Coming out with some really good ideas at the same time."

After his 4 years in Hawkwind, Simon became more of a free-agent. He appeared on David Bowie's 1978 "Stage" and 1980 "Lodger" albums. He also contributed to the Hawklords sessions and rejoined with Robert Calvert on his 1980 album, "Hype." Session man Simon then played on Japan's 1980 release "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and their 1981 release "Tin Drum". He played on Bruce Wolley & the Camera Club's 2nd (not the Video Killed the Radio Stars) album and then on ex-Camera Club member Thomas Dolby's "The Golden Age of Wireless". In 1981 Simon formed Turbo with Simon King, Andy Colqhuon, Ian Henderson and Tom Jackson. Turbo recorded a demo and when nothing came of it, broke up. So in 1982 he began work on his solo album, "House of Dreams." He completed the album but it never was released.

Do you listen any other music, other artists?

"Not really. I listen to classical music a lot. I guess I am a bit out of touch, there seems to be so many different kinds of music around, it's hard to keep up with it all."

In 1983 you toured with Mike Oldfield?

"Yes, the tenth anniversary of Tubular Bells. And he got a band together to do a European tour. Playing Tubular Bells and a lot of other things as well. Apart from playing violin I played keyboards and mandolin. And a bit of percussion as well."

I guess Mike likes having people do different things, his music has so many sounds going on.

"Yes, it's very technical. But very good, I really love his music."

How was he to work with, was he very precise or...?

"Yeah, he's very demanding. Not particularly pleasant to work with on a personal level. But I have great respect for him, he's obviously extremely talented, but he's not a genius. The music was enjoyable to play and that's the main thing. The music."

So that was 83, what next?

"After the Oldfield thing I tried to get a band together called the Famous Scientists. Which never actually got anywhere but we did some gigs and did some recording but nothing really happened."

The Famous Scientists were House, Andy Colqhuon, Ian Henderson and drummer Chris North. TFS gigged about London quite a bit but never released any material.

During that period you tried a few things but nothing quite worked out?

"Yeah. Then I started getting into computers. Midi. And I just kinda pursued that really."'

Simon appeared on releases by The Associates and Vitamin Z in 1985. However the House's daughter Holly was born and Simon once again went to work. In 1986 he and Tony Hill reunited for what was called a High Tide album, "Interesting Times". Later on Simon can be found on albums by The Tryp, The Jellymonsters and in 1987 he was back in Magic Muscle. Simon attended the Benefit concert for Robert Calvert, who had just passed away; there he played with Nik Turner's All Stars and Hawkwind, and before long Simon House was once again a member of Hawkwind. He played on their 1991 release "Space Bandits" and toured the UK with them. Sadly medical problems with his daughter force him to say no to the US tour.

For the Space Bandits album, you got back together with Dave and joined Hawkwind again?

"Yes, we did a couple of tours and the album, Space Bandits. That was a good album.'

I was really hoping to finally see you perform on the US Space bandits tour, but you didn't make it, what happened?

"Well I couldn't. My daughter had taken ill. With Leukemia. So I stayed home and did my own stuff, my own albums. Which is what I've been doing ever since really."

Somewhere along the way Simon has hooked up with Nik Turner and in 1993 plays on the "Prophets of Time" album. It is here he meets up with Len Del Rio of Pressurehed. Simon returns to London and records the first Spiral Realms, "Trip to G9". In 1994 Simon joins Nik Turner's Space Ritual, with old Hawks Alan Powell and Del Dettmar. The San Francisco show was recorded and released as "Past or Future."

"We toured the States and Japan. Nik rang me up and asked if I wanted to go to the states and play some gigs, make some money, which we didn't, anyway. It was during that heatwave a year and a half ago. It was just incredibly hot. I don't think people could move."

Was there any difference in performing for Nikwind or Hawkwind?

"Sure, different band, different people, playing in slightly different ways. It did feel a bit, different. I was a lot of fun, hard to say what it was. More people on stage, a bit more intense."

What about the Spiral Realms part of the show?

"Well it was Brian Perrara's (sp?) idea, and I really wanted to play with Del again, and Len Del Rio makes some interesting space effects, and the first album was out, the second was just coming out, so it seemed like a good way to plug it a bit. I recorded the backing tape, which just left the violin and Len and Del to play over the top. With a bit of a light show as well, it was good."

I missed your show here [in San Francisco].

"Well the Spiral Realms part was recorded" [and released as "Solar Winds")

Tell me about your solo album Yassassim. Is It like Spiral Realms?

"Well, it's more varied. It's more complex in structure than Spiral Realms. More music and less space. Space sounds. Less "ambient" I guess, it's hard to define what "ambient" is. I think it just means a lot of reverb. Slow. Which I am into, laid back spacey stuff. I got another album coming out as well, which is, well most of it is, old instrumental tracks I did with Hawkwind. Hall of the Mountain Grill, Spiral Galaxy, Forge of Vulcan, stuff like that. Which I have redone."

Is Spiral Realms going to continue?

"Yes, I enjoy doing that kind of music. As well as Yassassim, which is more of what I really want to do."

Any other projects in the works?

"The next thing that might be happening is trying to reform Hawkwind as it was in 1974. As near as possible. Maybe even Lemmy. There is an album coming out of one of the gigs, I believe it was Chicago. Recorded live in 1974. Someone has found the tape and it sounds pretty good apparently."

Well I can't wait to hear that.

"Well me too actually. I can't remember what that might sound like."

Well Simon, How do you feel you career has gone?

"Gone? Hmm. Well there has been some interesting moments, a lot of up and down, but I guess that's the way life is really. The music is the most important thing really, I can't see myself ever not playing or writing."

Okay, Simon thanks a lot for taking the time to talk, and I hope to see you play sometime.

no©2012 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)