daevid allen guitar+vocals Daevid Allen Quartet
robert wyatt drums Daevid Allen Quartet
hugh hopper bass guitar Daevid Allen Quartet

briefly became a quartet... Hu and Robert went on to form Wilde Flowers and Robert to form Soft Machine with Daevid.

daevid allen guitar+vocals Mr. Head
robert wyatt drums Mr. Head
hugh hopper bass guitar Soft Machine 3
mike ratledge piano Soft Machine 1
pete brown poetry
mike horowitz poetry

 

daevid allen bass+vocals Soft Machine 1
robert wyatt drums+vocals Soft Machine 1
kevin ayers guitar+vocals Soft Machine 1
larry nolan lead guitar

Lasted until Daevid was refused entry into the UK after French trip.

daevid allen guitar 'Protogong'
robert wyatt drums+vocals Soft Machine 2
kevin ayers bass+vocals Soft Machine 2
mike ratledge keyboards Soft Machine 2

played a colourful season at 'La Vielle Grille' in Paris - "everyone would jam away for hours around nothing..." - Gilli and Ziska developed the concept of space whisper which Daevid accompanied on glissando guitar.

they appeared on one track of Dreaming the Magic of Your Maya by Princess Flower and the Moonrays (Akashic 22) before being blown apart by the '68 student revolution.

daevid allen guitar+vocals; Bananamoon Band
gilli smyth vocals Bananamoon Band
ziska baum vocals back to US
loren standlee flute. back to US
tanner celensu electronics.
natch depoit flute.
don cherry trumpet. at museum of modern art, Stockholm, only
george andrews poetry sat in
and many others poetry/lightshow etc.

this was Daevid's rock'n'roll alter ego prototype band, they appeared in Jerome Laperrousaz's film; Nightmares of Mr Respectable toured the South of France and recorded the material that was released as Je ne Fume pas des Bananes (demos). folded due to youth and inexperience.

daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 1
gilli smyth vocals. Gong 1
mark blanc drums
patrice fontaine bass guitar

recorded Magic Brother/Mystic Sister (BYG vol5 529029) '69 - which becomes pop album of the week on French radio - played first gig at Amougies Festival - spent two months hard gigging around Paris - Bob Benamou and Jaques Fivel take over as managers - the band move into, live and rehearse at Chateau du Thiel, Normandy - record Es que je Suis...?/Hyp-hypnotise ya 7" single (BYG 129021) early'70

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 2
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 2
gilli smyth vocals. Gong 2
raschid houari drums (ex Claude François) Gong 2
christian tritsch bass guitar (ex Claude François) Gong 2
daniel laloux percussion+vocals left mar '70
dieter geweissler violin/double bass guitar left end '69
burton greene piano guest on album
earl freeman double bass/piano guest on album
bare phillips double bass guitar (ex George Russell)
tasmin smyth vocals. forms the Lovebeats when she grows up...

recorded sessions later released as Camembert Eclectique (GAS CD001) - toured and raided radio stations - moved to Montalieu

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 3
daevid allen guitar+vocals Bananamoon 2
gilli smyth vocals. Gong 3
raschid houari drums Gong 5
christian tritsch bass guitar Bananamoon 2
michael brown vocals, fx. sat in briefly oct '70

recorded daevid's solo lp Banana Moon (BYG/Actuel vol45 529 345) jan'71 - never gigged

daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 3
christian tritsch bass guitar Gong 3
pip pyle drums (ex Delivery) Gong 3
archie leggett bass guitar
robert wyatt drums+vocals
hugh hopper bass guitar
bridget st john vocals
maggi bell vocals Stone the Crows
nick evans trombone.
gerry fields violin.
gary wright piano (ex Spooky Tooth)

recorded Camembert Electrique (BYG vol45 529 553 - '71) - Continental Circus (Phillips 6332003) '71 - Obsolete with Dashiell Hedayat (Shandar SR10009) '71 - performed at Glastonbury Festival - Kevin Ayers almost joins for a while but perfers a more cosmopolition lifestyle

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 4
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 4
gilli smyth vocals Gong 4
pip pyle drums Hatfield and the North
christian tritsch bass guitar Gong 4
kevin ayers bass+vocals july '71-jan '72
lol coxhill saxophone sat in on 'section with didier
gerry fitzgerald guitar (ex Mouseproof); 747, Radar Logic, Lol Coxhill

toured extensively with Magma - cut first session for John Peel - some of the material on Glastonbury Fayre (Revelation REV 1/2/3) was actually recorded by this lineup in a Belgian nunnery and not at the Festival!

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 5
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 5
gilli smyth vocals Gong 5
christian tritsch bass guitar; Gong 5
laurie allen drums (ex DC and the MB's) left in April
mac poole drums april-may (ex Warhorse)
charles heyward drums june-july (ex Quiet Sun); High Tide, This Heat, others

Gilli gives birth to a son Taliesin 4/7/72 - Gomelski and Benamou encourage Daevid to meet Richard Branson in the UK - tour cathar country in France

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 6
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 6
gilli smyth vocals. Gong 6
christian tritsch bass guitar Gong 6
raschid houari drums Gong 6
francis moze bass guitar (ex Magma) Gong 6
rob tait drums (ex Battered Ornaments, Piblokto)
di bond vocals.

Flying Teapot LP recorded at manor studios in Oxfordshire jan/feb'73

didier malherbe saxophone, flute 'Paragong'
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 7
gilli smyth vocals Gong 7
christian tritsch guitar+vocals left by the end of '72
raschid houari drums left by the end of '72
francis moze bass guitar
laurie allen drums The Monster Band
steve hillage guitar ex Kevin Ayers joins jan'73 'Paragong'
tim blake synthesisers, vocals, harmonica 'Paragong'

performed very spacey interpretations of Soft Machine numbers and R'n'B instrumentals - Live '73 (GAS CD002)

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 7
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 7 (ex Quadrille, Highway)
didier tibault bass guitar Moving Gelatine Plates
pierre moerlen drums Gong 7
steve hillage guitar. Gong 7
tim blake synthesisers+vocals Gong 7

the 'classic' lineup - recorded Angel's Egg (Virgin V2007) nov'73 - they also appear on Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls (Island GT4997) and recorded the fated Ooby Scooby Doomsday... single - engaged on first Virgin backed tour of record stores and parking lots then a few gigs without Gilli due to pregnancy difficulties

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 8
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 8
gilli smyth vocals Gong 8
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 8
pierre moerlen drums went off to study with Stockhausen
steve hillage guitar Gong 8
tim blake synthesisers+vocals Gong 8

Camembert Electrique rereleased by Virgin for the price of a single and reaches 5 in the album charts - toured north of England - Gilli gives birth to a second son, Orlando 28/1/74 - recorded second (and finest) Peel session for Radio 1

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 9
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 9
gilli smyth vocals. Gong 9
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 9
rob tait drums
di stewart vocals, percussion
steve hillage guitar Gong 9
tim blake synthesisers+vocals Gong 9

the band move to Middlefield farm near Oxford and are almost immediately busted for dope - record You (Virgin V2019) oct'74 - tour Holland and South of England

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 10
daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 10
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 10
pierre moerlen drums Gong 12
steve hillage guitar Gong 10
tim blake synthesisers+vocals Gong 10
gilli smyth vocals
chris cutler drums guested when pierre wasn't available
arthur brown vocals guested live

the band polarise into factions - Steve Hillage begins work on Fish Rising with most of the members of Gong - the musical emphasis starts to shift towards percussion driven instrumentals

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 11
daevid allen guitar+vocals Euterpe
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 11
brian davison drums joined jan '75. (ex The Nice, Refugee, David Essex) Gong 11
bill bruford drums joined nov '74 (ex Yes, King Crimson); National Health, UK, Bruford
laurie allen drums busted on french border nov '74
steve hillage guitar Gong 11
tim blake synthesisers+vocals went solo march '75. Crystal Machine/Hawkwind/Gong 15
miquette giraudy vocals Gong 11

the band continues in a more instrumental vein

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 12
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 12
brian davison drums
steve hillage guitar Gong 12
miquette giraudy vocals Gong 12
dave stewart keyboards (ex Hatfield and the North) joined in France, June '75

dispensed with the arcane loonery and brought in Pink Floyd's Nick Mason to produce Shamal (Virgin V2046) feb'76 - marked a shift towards a more polished jazz-rock sound

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 13
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 13
pierre moerlen drums Gong 13
steve hillage guitar Steve Hillage Band
miquette giraudy vocals Steve Hillage Band
patrice lemoine keyboards Gong 13
jorge pinchevsky violin. joined in dec. Gong 13
mireille bauer percussion. joined in september. Gong 13
laurie allen drums helped out when pierre wasn't available

pierre becomes a full time member of the prestigious percussion de Strasbourg whilst not with gong

didier malherbe saxophone, flute Gong 14
mike howlett bass guitar Penetration/Strontium 90/Illegal Records
pierre moerlen drums Gong 14
patrice lemoine keyboards Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes
jorge pinchevsky violin. busted with a violin case full of grass on the way into the uk
mireille bauer percussion. Gong 14

gazeuse (V2074)

didier malherbe saxophone, flute pierre moerlen drums Gong 16
mireille bauer percussion Gong 16
benoit moerlen percussion Gong 16
francis moze bass guitar Naissance
alan holdsworth guitar (ex Nucleus, Soft Machine, etc.); UK, Bruford
mino cinelou percussion; Miles Davis, Weather Report

the 'classic' lineup - reunited four years later - Gong Est Mort... (Tapioca TP 10002/3)

didier malherbe saxophone, flute
daevid allen guitar+vocals resumed solo career
gilli smyth vocals
mike howlett bass guitar
pierre moerlen drums went off to study with Stockhausen
steve hillage guitar
miquette giraudy vocals
tim blake synthesisers+vocals

first gig was at the Paris '77 Gong reunion

hansford rowe bass PM Gong 1
pierre moerlen drums PM Gong 1
jorge pinchevsky violin. only for french gigs in may-june
mireille bauer percussion PM Gong 1
benoit moerlen percussion PM Gong 1

Formed "re-union" band for Bedrock TV show Gong Live on TV (Code 90 NINETY 1 - 3/'93)

daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 18
keith th' bass bass+vocals Gong 18
didier malherbe saxophone, flute, wx7 Gong 18
pip pyle drums; Gong 18
gilli smyth vocals Gong 19
steffe sharpstrings guitar+vocals Gong 19
twink electron flo synths (ex Here & Now)

dropped the 'maison' tag, tightened up and fleshed out the sound - recorded Shapeshifter (Celluloid 669142) - the first proper Gong studio album since many years

daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 19
keith th' bass bass/vocals Gong 19
didier malherbe saxophone, flute, wx7 Gong 19
pip pyle drums Gong 19
graham clark violin. Les Poissons d'or Perdus
shyamal maïtra percussion Les Poissons d'or Perdus

 

daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 20
keith th' bass bass+vocals Here & Now
rob calvert saxophone
pip pyle drums Gong 21
steffe sharpstrings guitar+vocals Gong 20
gilli smyth vocals Gong 20

25th birthday party line-up - captured live on double CD (VP/GAS CD101CD)

daevid allen guitar+vocals Gong 21
tim blake synthesisers+vocals 25th concerts only.
mike howlett bass guitar Gong 21
didier malherbe saxophone, flute, wx7 Gong 21
pip pyle drums
steffe sharpstrings guitar+vocals Gong 21
gilli smyth vocals Gong 21

Ah! More to come soon as we bridge this gap...soon

Radical new band to start the year. Existed for for one month, one gig (in Australia) and some fraught but highly exciting recording sessions.

daevid allen guitar+vocals; Acidmothersgong
kawabata makoto guitar+vocals; Acid Mothers Temple Acidmothersgong
cotton casino synthesisers+vocals; Acid Mothers Temple Acidmothersgong
gilli smyth vocals; Acidmothersgong
josh pollock guitar+vocals; University of Errors Acidmothersgong
dharmawan bradbridge bass+vocals
orlando allen drums

Even more radical ine-up for one explosive gig at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 21.10.03

daevid allen guitar+vocals
kawabata makoto guitar+vocals Acid Mothers Temple
cotton casino synthesisers+vocals Acid Mothers Temple
gilli smyth vocals
josh pollock guitar+vocals University of Errors