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Mother Gong ... Goddess Trance ... Glo
The History of Mother Gong began with the Mother album of l978, recorded and produced by Daevid Allen, which was a distillation of Gilli's political ideas and music written after she left the Gong band in l974. Charley Records who later brought out the sequel Fairy Tales, briefly promoted the band of musicians Gilli gathered around herself as "Mother Gong", and the name continues. In l978 Gilli travelled to the USA where she appeared at the New York Manifestival with Chris Cutler and Fred Frith. The next line-up in the U.K. was for the l979 Glastonbury Festival which included Didier Malherbe, Harry Williamson and Nick Turner who with Ermano Ghizio-Herba (drm), Trevor Darks (Bass) and Mo Vickarage (Kbds) had just finished recording Fairytales. Then a band was formed for the l979 U.S. Manifestival Tour with Harry Williamson and some of Daevid Allen's New York Gong musicians including Bill Laswell and Mark Kramer. Mother Gong also appeared at Glastonbury and at Trondheim Festival, Norway, in l98I with Didier, Jan Emeric (guitar) Jean-Philippe Rykiel (kbds), Dane Kranenburg (bass)and Guy Evans ex Van der Graff Generator drums). Recordings from Glastonbury and from Harrys North Devon Studio, together with a contribution from Hugh Hopper, were used in the first of the Robot Worman series. This LP Robot Woman 1 had its roots in a comic/music show Gilli and Harry had performed as a duo in the US earlier that year. Gilli Smyth and Harry Williamson had been living and working together since I978 (when Gilli had broken up with Daevid Allen). In l982 they left England for Australia and during the next few years Butt /Shanghai records released the rest of Robot Woman series. In 1986, Gilli, Harry and Daevid Allen recorded Magenta and Stroking the Tail of the Bird in Harry's Melbourne studio.
In l987 they began playing extensively with a new all Australian lineup:
Many of the apparently composed pieces on these recording were culled from "spontaneous composition " sessions. Gilli would present the group with some poetic ideas and images, and after a short discussion which would establish the parameters for the evening, tape would roll. Harry's classical affinity produced structures not often associated with jazz and Wild Child (soon to be available in U.S.A. in a new edition) is perhaps the epitome of this elegant and emotionally moving process, recorded in a few wild full moon days in a studio in Wales prior to the 1989 UK tour. This band is well known for its high level of musicianship and intricate musical structures, as well as for the extraordinary voice of Gilli Smyth. She somehow manages to draw together diverse treads of lyric, melody and pure sound into a resonant web that challenges and transforms. The Classic MG really understood Gilli's intentions, and made them part of the process. Although the band became separated "geographically" they still have occasional playing sessions together despite the various different directions its members have since taken. In 1991 Gilli Harry and Rob Calvert toured US and UK as Mother Gong, with Tom the Poet, and the CD Mother Gong Live 1991 was compiled from recordings made during the tour. In 1992 and 1993 Gilli did solo tours in the US and UK using backing tapes from Mother Gong sessions, and in 1994 played the first International Goddess Festival in Santa Cruz. She was later joined by Rob Calvert for another tour of the US and the UK. In l996 GAS Records released even as we GLO", the album of trance dance music recorded in London in l994 by Gilli Smyth and Steffe Lewry. Using remixes of this music they continue to do many live "rave" gigs togther. The Goddesses who inspire much of Gilli's work, are to her symbolic of life force, energy flowing through the invisible web of being that links all life. "Leave behind your old attitudes and celebrate being. You are always now and tomorrow afternoon.You unfold your life like a fresh newspaper and read whichever page you choose. Surf the far waves of emotion, explore myserious dimensions from the danger of your own head."
In l996 another ambient trance album Goddess Trance was recorded live on New Years Eve in Byron Bay with Daevid Allen and Taliesin as guests.
Gilli and Harry settle down in North Devon, set up Ottersongs, their own tape label - They began the half - completed "Robot Woman" show, described at the time as being '...like a circus show with a huge props box...' this tour included a memorable performance at Glastonbury festival - 80 - ' 81 Guy Evans was drafted in from the remains of Van derGraaf Generator _ Recorded "Robot Woman " (Butt 003) _ Played festivals in England and Norway including Trondheim and Glastonbury late '81 '' Words Fail Me" (OT9 _ '81) _ "Robot Woman '' " (Shanghai HAI100 _ '82) Gilli and Harry tour States with backing Tapes - Mother Gong has included too many guest musicians to mention them all, Hugh Hopper on RWi and Giles Perring, Toni and Chris on RWII will have to do for now - GILLI AND HARRY emigrated to Australia in 1982, Harry got into working as a studio engineer, writing musicals and playing with local Reggae bands _ Bought a share of a local recording studio and pressing plant which became Richmond Studios _ Harry designed and installed a foldback system that greatly facilitated recording live improvisations. This played a major role in many of their subsequent releases - "Robot Woman iii (Shanghai HAI 109) completing the trilogy _ "Buddha's Birthday" (OT 011 _ '88) - "Fish in the Sky" (OT 012) _ "She Made the World"/"Magenta" (Voiceprint VP134CD) _ "Live 1991"from US Tour without Henderson and George (Mother Music MM101 CD). "Tree in Fish" - "Wildchild" (Voiceprint VP 119 MC/LP/CD 1026 - '92) _ Plus - with Thom the Poet - "Living on the Brink (OS '83) _ - with Daevid - "The Owl and the Tree" (Demi-Monde CDTB 118 _ '90) _ "Stroking the Tail of the Bird" (AMP CD 011 _ '90) - In 1987 Williamson finally completed "Tarka Music" with Anthony Phillips also produced and arranged the music to "Milarepa" - a two and a half hour epic dramatization of the life and work of the founder of Tibetan Buddhism - for the Bantam Dance Company with the blessing of the Dalai Lama _ He has Since recorded and produced many Australian, Indian, Indonesian and South American Artists _ Now working as a duo with Liz van Dort, World singer extraordinaire - GILLI and HARRY ended their personal and musical relationship in 1991 Mother Gong Discography:
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