Robert Calvert & Nik Turner Releases

ECLECTIC DISCS NEW RELEASES

ROBERT CALVERT

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (ECLCD1056)

Lucky Lief and the Longships (ECLCD1057)

NIK TURNER

Xitintoday

(ECLCD1055)

All fully remastered reissues with bonus tracks and full repackaging

Release date:29^th January 2007

ROBERT CALVERT

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters

The first solo album by hawkwind poet, lyricist and frontman Robert Calvert was first released in 1974 to huge critical acclaim. Featuring Hawkwind and special guests Paul Rudolph (of the Pink Fairies), Vivian Stanshall, Brian Eno, Arthur Brown and Traffic’s Jim Capaldi, the album is a conceptual work of excellence and dark wit about fighter jets, death and political intrigue combining comedy sketches and rock music.

Remastered from the original master tapes and with fully restored artwork, this Eclectic Discs reissue features three bonus tracks including a previously unreleased extended version of “The Right Stuff” and is certain to appeal to the legions of Hawkwind fans throughout the land.

Tracklist

1.             Franz Joseph Strauss, Defence Minister, reviews the Luftwaffe in 1958, finding it somewhat lacking in image potential

2.             The Aerospaceage Inferno

3.             Aircraft Salesman (A Door in the Foot)

4.             The Widow Maker

5.             Two test pilots discuss the Starfighter’s performance

6.             The Right Stuff

7.             Board Meeting (seen through a contract lense)

8.             The Song of the Gremlin (part one)

9.             Ground Crew (last minute reassembly before take off)

10.           Hero with a Wing

11.           Ground Control to Pilot

12.           Ejection

13.           Interview

14.           I Resign

15.           The Song of the Gremlin (part two)

16.           Bier Garten

17.           Catch a Falling Starfighter

Bonus tracks:

18.           The Right Stuff (full version)

Recorded at Olympic Studios in October 1973 – Previously unreleased

19.           Ejection  (single version)

20.           Catch a Falling Starfighter (single version)

Robert Calvert

Lucky Lief and the Longships

Calvert’s second album was originally released by United Artists in 1975. Produced by Brian Eno, it was something of a departure for Calvert with a leaner sound that anticipated elements of the coming New Wave movement.  Another ingenious concept it takes a wry look at how world history and culture might have changed had the Vikings colonised America after being the first to discover it. 

The record features guest appearances from Hawkwind, the Pink Fairies and sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock as well substantial contributions from Eno himself.  The Eclectic Discs reissue features two previously unreleased bonus tracks. 

Tracklist.

1.             Ship of Fools

2.             The Lay of the Surfers

3.             Voyaging to Vinland

4.             The Making of Midgard

5.             Brave New World

6.             Magical Potion

7.             Moonshine in the Mountains

8.             Storm Chant of the Skraelings

9.             Volstead O Vodeo Do

(As performed by Whispering “Rude Boy” Broomfield and the Anti-Prohibition Jazz Sinfonia of Chicago on the night of their assassination, April 17th 1928)

10.           Phase Locked Loop

11.           Ragna Rock

Previously unreleased bonus tracks:

12.           Howzat!

13.           Cricket Lovely Reggae (Cricket Star)

"Robert Calvert – Brian Eno’s stranger cousin from outer space…"

• Calvert was born in South Africa in 1945 but moved back to the UK as a pre-school child. He became an active writer / performance poet in the London underground scene of the late 60s/ early 70s
• He joined space-rock legends Hawkwind as their “resident poet” in the early 70s contributing to their album In Search of Space and going on to pen their biggest hit, “Silver Machine”.
• After leaving Hawkwind in 1974 he released his first solo album, Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters and then Lucky Leif and the Longships in 1975.
• Brian Eno, late of Roxy Music and the visionary behind ambient music, produced Calvert’s second album whilst working on his own seminal work, Another Green World.
• Calvert rejoined Hawkwind in 1976.  When the band split up, he formed Hawklords with Dave Brock before eventually resuming a solo career which saw him write plays, theatrical revues, poetry and a novel, and experimental electronic music. 
• Robert Calvert who had suffered from manic depression during his career died in 1988 of a heart attack at the tragically young age of 43.

NIK TURNER’s SPHYNX:

“Xitintoday”

Eclectic Discs are proud to release this classic album, originally released by Charisma records in 1978. Featuring guests Steve Hillage (who also produced the album), Miquette Giraudy, Gong members Tim Blake and Mike Howlett and Hawkwind drummer Alan Powell, “Xitintoday” began life as a series of flute recordings made by Nik Turner (recently departed from Hawkwind) in the chamber of the Great Pyramid. These evolved into a stunning concept album, now regarded as a masterpiece of space rock. The Eclectic Discs reissue features a previously unreleased recordings made in the Great Pyramid, together with a fully restored 20-page booklet and additional liner notes by Nik Turner. Remastered from the original master tapes, “Xitintoday” has never sounded better.

Tracklist

1.             The Awakening (Life on Venus)

2.             The Pyramid Spell

3.             The Hall of Double Truth

4.             Anubis

5.             Thoth

6.             Horus

7.             Isis and Nephthys

8.             Osiris

9.             God Rock (The Awakening)

Previously unreleased bonus track

10            Flute music recorded in the Great Pyramid

• Nik Turner was born in 1940 and met future collaborator Robert Calvert when they grew up together in post-war Margate.
• Turner was a founder member of Hawkwind who released their first album in 1970.  Prior to Hawkwind he had worked in a psychedelic circus called The Mobile Freakout, which toured continental Europe.
• Turner got a lot of attention after painting his face silver during the Isle of Wight festival. Jimi Hendrix dedicated a number to Nik from the main stage. 
• Turner’s last record with the band was Amazing Sounds, Amazing Music released in 1976.  After leaving Hawkwind he formed Inner City Unit with whom he still tours as well as an Afro-Cuban outfit called Fantastic AllStars .