In 2017 multi-instrumentalist synth pop icon, producer and radio presenter Paul Hardcastle instructed Prog how he’d began out as a boy racer with a ardour for Hawkwind.
“In about 1972 or 73 I used to go to Macari’s in Charing Cross Street each Saturday to muck about on the Korg 700S. I’d drive the man within the store mad – he’d kick me out after half an hour. However I did discover that if I held this one key down I might make the sound at the beginning of Silver Machine.
“I assumed I used to be nice, so I took my mate in there sooner or later saying, ‘Look, I can do Silver Machine…’ then I couldn’t get the sound! However I discovered a wind noise, so I instructed him fairly confidently, ‘That is the beginning of One Of These Days by Pink Floyd!’
I noticed Hawkwind play rather a lot. As quickly as an album got here out I’d be down Kingsland Street, Dalston, to get it. I turned a large fan, and discovered all about Bob Calvert. I might recite every thing from House Ritual to Sonic Assault.
“I had a white MkIII Cortina by this level with the poster to Warrior On The Edge Of Time pasted to the again like a mural. Anybody who acquired in that automobile, Hawkwind was all I’d ever play and I’d recruit buddies to return to the gigs – seeing Atomhenge was like, ‘woah!’
Hawkwind have been the primary individuals to make me take into consideration synthesisers – considered one of my earliest was a monophonic synth that Simon Home used. I even considered sampling Bob. I had a band in 1987 underneath the pseudonym LFO, and the primary monitor we put out was Lord Of Gentle – I even known as others Brainstorm and Sonic Assault. A bit cheeky, eh?
After 1990, Hawkwind weren’t the identical for me. I missed Del Dettmar and Dik Mik. Our paths by no means crossed aside from assembly Lemmy in a membership in Piccadilly within the 90s, the place I talked to him in regards to the bass line on Orgone Accumulator. I feel he was a bit shocked, however impressed!
You possibly can hear bits of Floyd and Hawkwind in my music. I can nonetheless hearken to their albums – a short time in the past I re-bought House Ritual on vinyl, and an previous Ferguson stereogram to play it on. It’s simply nice to have that cowl once more – it’s one of many biggest albums ever made.”