Amazing, my favourite Hawkwind song. Bought the album when it first came out and this song got thrashed while out cruising the freeways. That guitar work, perfection, RIP Hugh Lloyd-Langton
Ginger Baker did an album, "Sunrise on the Sufferbus", in 1992, with the group Masters of Reality. That record has one of the best produced drum sound I've ever heard. And Bakers playing is top notch and so much fitting in every song. A criminally underrated album.
Guitarist is Huw Lloyd-Langton, one of my favourite Hawkwind guitarists - he was in the band for their first album, left, then rejoined just before Levitation… And also Tim Blake on keyboards - better known for his work in Gong, of course, as well as his solo albums - again, a favourite of mine! PS another Ginger Baker to check out - the Masters of Reality album ‘Sunrise on the Sufferbus’. You could do a lot worse than the first track, ‘She Got Me (When She Put Her Dress On)’, although there’s also ‘TUSA’ which features Ginger on vocals, ranting about how he can’t get a decent cuppa tea in the US 🤣
i saw the tour and on brainstorm his solo was amazing i,m glad i had the privilege of seeing a brilliant artist live, love hawkwind but thank you ginger baker RIP.
This was one of the first albums to be recorded digitally (most of us didn't even know what that meant back then!) Although Baker was a very talented drummer many Orkwind fans (me included) thought he didn't really fit in with the band's sound. Ginger fell-out with The Hawks shortly after this LP and left. He then went on a tour of Italy with a new band that he called... "Hawkwind" :-D so the solicitors had to get involved. Motorway City was a live staple for many years, although sounding much heavier than the studio version with Brock's rhythm guitar being much choppier and to the fore.
He didn't fit at all because of his misplaced overconfidence and ego, he often slagged off hawkwind as he thought they were beneath him, this is a dreadful ego driven drum performance and not Faithful the song at all
I feel Ginger did a good job playing with Hawkwind, however, he didn't like the format. I agree, he was not a good fit and he was not connected or committed to the band, it didn't last long. I think Eric Clapton had a similar experience. I went to several Hawkwind performances and had all the albums. They ended up with a "rotation" of players, you never knew who would be in the band (with the exception of Dave Brock).
So good to hear this Hawkwind reaction. Ginger was in the band for this album and one tour. I did see him with them and he did a drum solo during Brainstorm which was unusual for a Hawkwind show as never had solos.
This song was played first on the live 79 album . Simon King was on the drums . He played it in a straighforward, minimalistic way .Ginger Baker did the complete opposite . The robotic way of King suits more to the meaning of this song . But there are many songs on "Levitation" where the fluidity of Ginger Baker is totally relevant , and they are the best ( the 5th second of forever, Who's gonna win the war, Space chase and many more, this album is a jewel).
@kippsguitar6539 ginger never under or overplayed anything....gigantic ego and an old miserable sod....yes....but a good musical drummer in his day....
I saw him do this album on tour with the band in 1980. He was hitting the drums so hard he lost a stick, that flew off at a tangent, and without missing a beat, he picked up a new drum stick and carried on as if nothing happened. Never seen any other drummer do that.
@@AndrewRooneyDrums If you like classic rock drummers you need to reacted to this best known track by Cozy Powell th-cam.com/video/NO_fx1WshCA/w-d-xo.html "Dance with the devil"
RIP Mick Slattery, original guitarist and founder member who left in 1969. This album is neo-prog, a cross between prog and and post-punk, great to drive to on journeys at night. The first drummer was Terry Ollis, replaced by Simon King early on - King was the drummer up until 1980, the first album sessions for Levitation had King on drums but he left and Ginger came in, so some continuity by Hawkwind standards (1972-1980). You'll find Ginger on this album and the tracks Running Through the Back Brain and Dangerous Visions from the 'Zones' compilation from 1983 (they were recorded live and mixed at the end of 1980 - Ginger was kicked out shortly afterwards, after trying to get Brock to sack the bassist!). Doing the album and the extra tracks is worth doing, maybe try something from Hall of the Mountain Grill or Astounding Sounds like D-Rider or Steppenwolf.
Hawkwind is my favourite band of all time and this album is worth listening to the whole album. Chronicle of the black sword is another great album and there is a live version. Also early 70s space ritual live is great. There are plenty of albums to choose from. Enjoy
Perhaps more than jazz, his Africa connection defines a lot of what he goes for. He's talked about it in many interviews and it makes sense. Have a listen to Fela Kuti with Ginger Baker from 1970.
He was kidding himself, this is a dreadful drum performance and Andrew is too polite to say it but he does actually say it between the lines , just bewildering overplaying and out of context for the song, ego ego
@@kippsguitar6539 I was not talking about this performance specifically. I wouldn't have called this one overplaying, but rather unprepared. Not a fan of him, but I did read his autobiography and I do believe he was artistically motivated (at least at times). I think there are redeemable qualities to some of his work. If anything his stuff aged poorly compared to a lot of others.
Hello Andrew...Alright more Hawkwind..Ginger Baker is a very dangerous man.. Any project he does he just kills it and plays exactly what the song calls for.. He plays like a painter works a canvas..✌️🤘
@@kippsguitar6539 I agree it didn't seem to resonate with him but Ginger's overall body of work is incredible and that's coming from a Metal drummer who doesn't listen to much classic rock ✌️🤘
Hawkwind are the greatest band most mainstream have never hear of , fun fact they played the royal albert hall last weekend and they were incredible. I’m a kiwi too and hawkwind are my favourite band 😊
I saw the tour with ginger at Hammersmith Odeon I think it may have been 1980. Ginger was on fire and added a great dimension to Hawkwind. What a great original band they were and they would play Stonehenge every year with Roy Harper for free. We saw Hawkwind play a gig for motorcycle action group in a field in Somerset , SW England. A great rally and party too for many of us. One of the greatest uncommercial bands ever and they were with Lemmy, Rob Calvert, Michael Moorcock reading poetry and Nik Turner on sax and Stacia dancing naked and the audience having some enjoying all this with mind blowing altered consciousness and much hash
Apparently Ginger Baker didn’t enjoy his experience in Hawkwind and particularly didn’t get on with the bass player Harvey Bainbridge. I think it’s a great album, particularly the title track.
Because he thought he was above rock music which of course he wasn't , he didn't like anyone, especially himself and for good reason, sounds like a wreckless pub drummer
Check out Ginger Baker's Air Force with the awesome 12 Keys to the City from the early 1970s. It also features Graham Bond (with whom Baker and Jack Bruce played before Cream. He died tragically in 1974.
Ginger always derided Rock/Prog music, yet a vast majority of the music he played and performed was just that... Wild! Definitely one of a kind, and Beware of Mr. Baker!! Bless you Ginger...
One of the best shows I've ever seen was this line up of Hawkwind in Treforest, Wales in 1980. Ginger was fantastic, as were the whole band. Great LP an' all!
Hi Andrew, enjoyed this Hawkwind reaction, thank you. This album is probably their most prog one ever - you might also enjoy the title track. The lead guitarist here is Huw Llloyd-Langton, whereas there was no real lead guitar in much of their history, including Lord of Light era stuff. You should also check out something when the vocalist Robert Calvert was in the band in the late seventies - Damnation Alley or Steppenwolf, perhaps. But enjoy your channel, thanks!
It sure sounds like you're not in the Ginger Baker is God camp. Nor am I. Live I think he always overplayed but I must say I think his slightly more reserved style on this album actually suited the more relatively subtle material on display
I really love the video Levitation with Ginger Baker and Hawkwind!The video shows Ginger Baker smiling and appears to enjoying himself.The video of the band really rocks!!✌🏼🏃♀️🏃🏻😀❤️
Saw him play with them @ stonehange free festival that year, what a surprise that was, didn't even know beforehand he'd joined them for this brief time. Love his early work with fela kuti.
By this album all members of the band have changed apart from Dave Brock (who is still in charge to this day) from the Lord of Light reaction. There have been many, many line up changes over the last 50 plus years
The band went into the studio to do this album with Simon King, but evidently Simon was ill. So Ginger came in at the last minute. This album was supposedly the first record made entirely digitally. Ginger toured the album with the band. Then fell out with the bass player and wanted the band to fire the bass player. They refused, so Ginger went and toured as "Ginger Baker's Hawkwind." The live recordings of the real Hawkwind with Baker were really good. FYI, the guitarist in Hawkwind, Dave Brock, was mates with Eric Clapton back in 1963. Clapton showed up to play with Hawkwind on their 50th anniversary tour in 2019.
So much great Hawkwind music out there! I prefer the early music. Great music for road trips and other "trips" oh, the memories of tripping while listening to Hawkwind
I love this song. The band sound great. Also, Levitation is one of the first digitally recorded albums. Ginger came in to do the drum parts to replace the already recorded drums on this album after it was finished if I remember right? Also I had a chat with Huwy Lloyd Langton many years ago about this record and he told me it was his favourite Hawkwind line up. As difficult as Ginger was personally he made the band something else. Huwy really liked that.
It might happen one day, but I cannot wait for you to listen to the Mars Volta. Specifically the songs with Jon Theodore on drums. I say it every time, but it will blow your mind.
I was a Hawks fan for many years before this album came out. I saw them on this tour 3/4 times but one clear memory stands out. At Brunel (Middlesex) Uni I managed to get front row (mosh as would now be termed). Motorway City was a personal favourite. I knew Gingers drumming was what made this song so different and I kept my eyes on him and his technique, especially during the bridge and Huw's solo. He just fixed me with his intense stare for a full minute. It was threatening but equally compelling. I felt he was simultaneously totally fucked (he was trying to get of off H at the time), was he looking at me or through me? or was he saying 'my kit, my rhythm, my rules'. He was way too big a character for Dave Brock - hence only one album. But can you just imagine Hawkwind's melody backed by Gingers outrageous beats post 1980? It could have been immense. He was a rhythm gold. I also saw him with Jack Bruce and Gary moore and his 100 yard stare was equally in evidence.....
Ginger...Jack....and Gary. Sheeez Louise. I bet that was a memorable gig. And i bet your ears rang for days afterwards lol. I was lucky enough to catch Brucey live before he died during his Shadows In The Air gig. Seemed to be a consistently beautiful soulful melodist.
Levitation is in my top 5 favorite albums all time! The only Hawkwind studio album that Baker played on. For other interesting tracks from this album from a drumming standpoint, I recommend: 1) the title track - a faster paced rocker where he lets loose. 2) World of Tiers - a proggy instrumental where he employs kind of a syncopated beat that works well, and he adds some nice fills too. 3) The Fifth Second of Forever/Dust of Time suite, a variety of feels and tempos for him to play around with. Listen to the studio tracks for these. While Baker toured with them for this album, recordings are not only scarce, but probably have poor sound quality.
had p.x.r.5 and quark....when LEVITATION came out....I couldn't believe it when I read the cover and found out GINGER was on drums....he should have stayed until xenon codex....GINGER really lifted the group musically and there was a chemistry between him and HUW LLOYD-LANGTON....
Thanks for checking out abother Hawkwind track. It was an interesting tour when he was playing drums live with them. Hawkwind at one time about 1976 had two drummers of course this is not that impressive when I've seen King Crimson playing live with three - you should check it out - there is video of a concert in Japan I think.
Ginger did one album and one tour with Hawkwind then fell out with them big time. Not quite right for Hawkwind, but it was a cracking album and tour. I saw the tour and sat in the balcony above Ginger. He was amazing. Barefoot if I remember correctly and with a roadie making sure he always had a drink and a lit cigarette.
Hawkwind... amazing in their day, but you have to hear their logical successor, the always excellent Ozric Tentacles! Check out one of their early tracks "Dissolution (The clouds disperse)" here: th-cam.com/video/TzxrmIwjI8M/w-d-xo.html Enjoy!
Interesting...I say do some proper live Ginger with Cream? Also, I would really enjoy you diving into a live Keith Moon/Who video. Lots of good ones. Rock and Roll Circus, Woodstock and Isle of Wight are probably the best.
Hadn't listened to this album before until I saw you posted the song. Really enjoyed it! Ginger fits in really well with that band imho. It's a shame Ginger only spent short stints in his many various bands after Cream, I think his 'colourful' character limited his chances. Bill Ward was a huge Cream fan, not sure what Ginger thought of Sabbath though? He probably hated them like most things lol.
Great song... Levitation and chronicles of the black sword. Warrior on the Edge of Time would be third to my ears. Levitation... Best album ever Huw loyd RIP sir
I saw them on that tour. I think it was 1980. DeMontfort Hall in Leicester. It was amazing, loved Ginger's drumming although it was quite different as you say to their earlier stuff. Ginger insisted on a long, long drum solo every night. The band hated it and tried to cut it short leading to big arguments They're all about collective improv with no space for egos... so Ginger only lasted a year or so 😂
Wow..... someone checking out Hawkwind makes a change, Ginger is great on this which is a brilliant album.....so underrated, I totally agree with the Keith Moon parallel there's definitely a similarity here.....I recommend hearing some more of the album, loved your reaction Andrew thanks. BTW I have a suggestion for you there's a drummer called Paco Séry from the french band Sixun and he also played with the Joe Zawinul Syndicate too..... he's incredible and I think you would really dig hearing him. Here's a link to a Sixun concert "Live a la Cigale" and some other links from some years ago, not the best quality but perfectly watchable (I recommend headphones): th-cam.com/video/lnSMDmtOx4s/w-d-xo.html
HUw loyd langton man had some great guitar riffs He played with many bands like budgie and steve swindells even bowie gave him a good rap if he's/her input worth anything Chronicles of the black sword with hawkwind was his last recording as far as i know
I think Ginger Baker had a lot of freedom to play how he wanted with Hawkwind, Dave Brock was a great arranger of music, so credit to him bringing Ginger's jazz style in for this album it worked perfectly. Quote me wrong but I think Simon King might have rejoined briefly after Ginger was fired, so I can imagine the likes of Motorway City would have sounded somewhat different on the drums when they toured.
You can hear Simon King's version on The "Live 79' " album. Imho a far better version all around and VERY different drumming. Really worth checking out.
@@stevensabella7287 I do have that album, vinyl of course. This is the album with the cut off performance of Silver Machine? To be honest i'm with you on Simon King, I think he was the most definitive British rock drummer of the time.
Baker was a horrible person he slagged off everyone who worked with him especially Gary Moore. I saw Baker several times and was not impressed. Cozy Powell and Neal Peart were much better.
@@Southbound63 yep he was a total A hole. Remember that incident he smacked that reporter dude in the face with a walking stick? He was a great drummer regardless
Love this album and period but hawkwind needs the driving snares on every beat style with high repetition to get to that hawkwind trance state! You can hear all the instruments get into that groove in the extended instrumental sequence but the drums dont really back it up. Still its up there as one of my favourite hawkwind songs, mainly down to the peerless Huw Lloyd Langton.
I remember seeing them @ Glastonbury 1981 with Ginger. He had a complete strop and walked off stage, swearing and gesticulating wildly. Plus ça change, eh? In spite the `free form’ of space rock as evidenced on previous albums, it was not HIS free form! Simon and Terry and other drummers were able to slide easily into the Hawkwind ethos. Namely, take eye watering amounts of drugs and wing it. As has been stated elsewhere, he was on different drugs. That may at least partially explain his bad fit.
Hawkwind are my all time favourite band but Rush come a close second and I recommend that you listen to Neil Peart on drums playing the track kid gloves...... possibly the best drummer of all time and that's really saying something!!! Just my opinion though folks please don't shoot me!!!
I never saw the fuss about Ginger Baker. Let alone a mention with the greats-until I sat down and listened. A literal cornucopia of tricks up his sleeve and variety of styles. That being said, the ego has always been off-putting to me.
Not sure where I heard the comment, but Ginger Baker said upon his exit from Hawkwind....."World's greatest drummer sacked by the worlds worst bassest!".
I feel Ginger did a good job playing with Hawkwind, however, he didn't like the format.Ginger openly stated how he felt about playing with Hawkwind (it wasn't flattering). Further, I do not think he was not a good fit and he was not connected or committed to the band. Even though it didn't last long and even though he said he didn't feel the group was his "cup of tea" he keep a professional approach that complemented the band. I feel he did a stand up performance and adopted to the band's music as a true professional. I think Eric Clapton may have had a similar experience when he played a concert with Hawkwind. I haven't seen experience with
Mmm..nahh man. Hawkwind began late '60s, still going, and they sailed right thru the 80s as though it never existed. It's a very dense mix on this track, and it was probably decided to make Brock's guitar sound (Iassume you meanty the rhythm guitar) that trebly just so it sat okay amongst everything else.
Amazing, my favourite Hawkwind song. Bought the album when it first came out and this song got thrashed while out cruising the freeways. That guitar work, perfection, RIP Hugh Lloyd-Langton
Ginger Baker did an album, "Sunrise on the Sufferbus", in 1992, with the group Masters of Reality. That record has one of the best produced drum sound I've ever heard. And Bakers playing is top notch and so much fitting in every song. A criminally underrated album.
Top notch! Oh dear
AGREE 100% !!!
Masters of Reality is one of my favourite bands; I'll have to look out for this album.
The yanks can't make tea 😅 now listen 😂
@@malekmo64 only Ginger could've sang it
Guitarist is Huw Lloyd-Langton, one of my favourite Hawkwind guitarists - he was in the band for their first album, left, then rejoined just before Levitation…
And also Tim Blake on keyboards - better known for his work in Gong, of course, as well as his solo albums - again, a favourite of mine!
PS another Ginger Baker to check out - the Masters of Reality album ‘Sunrise on the Sufferbus’. You could do a lot worse than the first track, ‘She Got Me (When She Put Her Dress On)’, although there’s also ‘TUSA’ which features Ginger on vocals, ranting about how he can’t get a decent cuppa tea in the US 🤣
i saw the tour and on brainstorm his solo was amazing i,m glad i had the privilege of seeing a brilliant artist live, love hawkwind but thank you ginger baker RIP.
Nice one! This whole album is amazing.
Andrew, you should really check out Hawkwind's instrumental Spiral Galaxy 28948. It's in 6/8, spacey and swings like crazy!
This was one of the first albums to be recorded digitally (most of us didn't even know what that meant back then!)
Although Baker was a very talented drummer many Orkwind fans (me included) thought he didn't really fit in with the band's sound.
Ginger fell-out with The Hawks shortly after this LP and left. He then went on a tour of Italy with a new band that he called... "Hawkwind" :-D so the solicitors had to get involved.
Motorway City was a live staple for many years, although sounding much heavier than the studio version with Brock's rhythm guitar being much choppier and to the fore.
He didn't fit at all because of his misplaced overconfidence and ego, he often slagged off hawkwind as he thought they were beneath him, this is a dreadful ego driven drum performance and not Faithful the song at all
I feel Ginger did a good job playing with Hawkwind, however, he didn't like the format. I agree, he was not a good fit and he was not connected or committed to the band, it didn't last long. I think Eric Clapton had a similar experience. I went to several Hawkwind performances and had all the albums. They ended up with a "rotation" of players, you never knew who would be in the band (with the exception of Dave Brock).
At the time of his leaving the music headlines were 'the worlds worse bassist sacks the worlds best drummer'. Funny ole times
Ginger got kicked because he was demanding they sacked hue and harvey .plus the number of in band fights he started.
the levitation album is a master piece from start to finish, needs to be heard all the way through, the title track levitation needs looking at next
So good to hear this Hawkwind reaction. Ginger was in the band for this album and one tour. I did see him with them and he did a drum solo during Brainstorm which was unusual for a Hawkwind show as never had solos.
This song was played first on the live 79 album . Simon King was on the drums . He played it in a straighforward, minimalistic way .Ginger Baker did the complete opposite . The robotic way of King suits more to the meaning of this song . But there are many songs on "Levitation" where the fluidity of Ginger Baker is totally relevant , and they are the best ( the 5th second of forever, Who's gonna win the war, Space chase and many more, this album is a jewel).
Yes king was faithful to the song and served the song in a much more appropriate way without bakers sky high ego and overplaying
@kippsguitar6539
ginger never under or overplayed anything....gigantic ego and an old miserable sod....yes....but a good musical drummer in his day....
I saw him do this album on tour with the band in 1980. He was hitting the drums so hard he lost a stick, that flew off at a tangent, and without missing a beat, he picked up a new drum stick and carried on as if nothing happened. Never seen any other drummer do that.
Great memories!
@@AndrewRooneyDrums If you like classic rock drummers you need to reacted to this best known track by Cozy Powell th-cam.com/video/NO_fx1WshCA/w-d-xo.html "Dance with the devil"
Not seen many drummers then.
RIP Mick Slattery, original guitarist and founder member who left in 1969. This album is neo-prog, a cross between prog and and post-punk, great to drive to on journeys at night. The first drummer was Terry Ollis, replaced by Simon King early on - King was the drummer up until 1980, the first album sessions for Levitation had King on drums but he left and Ginger came in, so some continuity by Hawkwind standards (1972-1980).
You'll find Ginger on this album and the tracks Running Through the Back Brain and Dangerous Visions from the 'Zones' compilation from 1983 (they were recorded live and mixed at the end of 1980 - Ginger was kicked out shortly afterwards, after trying to get Brock to sack the bassist!). Doing the album and the extra tracks is worth doing, maybe try something from Hall of the Mountain Grill or Astounding Sounds like D-Rider or Steppenwolf.
Hawkwind is my favourite band of all time and this album is worth listening to the whole album. Chronicle of the black sword is another great album and there is a live version. Also early 70s space ritual live is great. There are plenty of albums to choose from. Enjoy
Great to hear Rob! I'll check out more
the drums on chronicle are awful 80's programmed beats , the live chronicle album has Danny Thompson playing real drums
Perhaps more than jazz, his Africa connection defines a lot of what he goes for. He's talked about it in many interviews and it makes sense. Have a listen to Fela Kuti with Ginger Baker from 1970.
He was kidding himself, this is a dreadful drum performance and Andrew is too polite to say it but he does actually say it between the lines , just bewildering overplaying and out of context for the song, ego ego
@@kippsguitar6539 I was not talking about this performance specifically. I wouldn't have called this one overplaying, but rather unprepared. Not a fan of him, but I did read his autobiography and I do believe he was artistically motivated (at least at times). I think there are redeemable qualities to some of his work. If anything his stuff aged poorly compared to a lot of others.
Ginger was bought in at the last minute for this album and laid down the whole drum track for the it in 3 days!
It sure sounds like it
Huffing bostick
Hello Andrew...Alright more Hawkwind..Ginger Baker is a very dangerous man.. Any project he does he just kills it and plays exactly what the song calls for.. He plays like a painter works a canvas..✌️🤘
I don't think Andrew agrees with that
@@kippsguitar6539 I agree it didn't seem to resonate with him but Ginger's overall body of work is incredible and that's coming from a Metal drummer who doesn't listen to much classic rock ✌️🤘
HAVE TO AGEE 100%
Hawkwind are the greatest band most mainstream have never hear of , fun fact they played the royal albert hall last weekend and they were incredible. I’m a kiwi too and hawkwind are my favourite band 😊
He was with Hawkwind from 1980 to 1981 for this album and tour.
Then he slagged them off for being below him, typical baker, overrated and without class
I saw the tour with ginger at Hammersmith Odeon I think it may have been 1980. Ginger was on fire and added a great dimension to Hawkwind. What a great original band they were and they would play Stonehenge every year with Roy Harper for free. We saw Hawkwind play a gig for motorcycle action group in a field in Somerset , SW England. A great rally and party too for many of us. One of the greatest uncommercial bands ever and they were with Lemmy, Rob Calvert, Michael Moorcock reading poetry and Nik Turner on sax and Stacia dancing naked and the audience having some enjoying all this with mind blowing altered consciousness and much hash
They still are a great band. Saw them a few months ago and they're still epic.
Ive heard they are still writinh great music and live wow, always such a great gig to see but its not £2.50 now for a ticket but always amazing.
Apparently Ginger Baker didn’t enjoy his experience in Hawkwind and particularly didn’t get on with the bass player Harvey Bainbridge. I think it’s a great album, particularly the title track.
I'd read that Baker said he hadn't enjoyed playing in a band as much since Cream .
Because he thought he was above rock music which of course he wasn't , he didn't like anyone, especially himself and for good reason, sounds like a wreckless pub drummer
@@richybatty234 listen again, he slagged off hawkwind as being beneath him, what a prat
Harvey was a lovely bloke,ginger was an exellent drummer but a pisshead & bit of a knob.
Baker, great drummer that he was, was a fucking prima donna who thought everyone was beneath him. He just wasn't that good!
Check out Ginger Baker's Air Force with the awesome 12 Keys to the City from the early 1970s. It also features Graham Bond (with whom Baker and Jack Bruce played before Cream. He died tragically in 1974.
I've always loved the drums on this song, from the first snap into that cool space galloping beat
🤘🤩🤘
Please watch the documentary Beware of Mr. Baker. He has been in like 15 bands and has done so many different projects that it’s almost unfathomable.
Unfathomable how overrated he was as Andrew is kind of telling us without upsetting his fans
My favourite Hawkwind LP and I always thought it was Gingers playing that makes it so different. Just a class of its own.
Ginger always derided Rock/Prog music, yet a vast majority of the music he played and performed was just that... Wild! Definitely one of a kind, and Beware of Mr. Baker!! Bless you Ginger...
This is the album that got me into Hawkwind back in 1980. For me it's a masterpiece. 👍
The drums on Levitation make the album along with HLL amazing guitar work.
One of the best shows I've ever seen was this line up of Hawkwind in Treforest, Wales in 1980. Ginger was fantastic, as were the whole band. Great LP an' all!
You should hear World of Tiers off this album. Almost manic drumming from Ginger Baker. Excellent. 👍🏻
His drumming on the Levitation album is brilliant throughout. Shame he was such an arse.
Simon king was a great drummer also ..underestimated
Great allbum . Great drummer .
Hi Andrew, enjoyed this Hawkwind reaction, thank you. This album is probably their most prog one ever - you might also enjoy the title track. The lead guitarist here is Huw Llloyd-Langton, whereas there was no real lead guitar in much of their history, including Lord of Light era stuff. You should also check out something when the vocalist Robert Calvert was in the band in the late seventies - Damnation Alley or Steppenwolf, perhaps. But enjoy your channel, thanks!
I completely forgot that Ginger played on this album. He did a decent job of spicing up the typical Hawkwind groove imo.
It sounds like he wrecked the drum part and typically overplayed to suit his ego, a terrible performance
It sure sounds like you're not in the Ginger Baker is God camp. Nor am I. Live I think he always overplayed but I must say I think his slightly more reserved style on this album actually suited the more relatively subtle material on display
I really love the video Levitation with Ginger Baker and Hawkwind!The video shows Ginger Baker smiling and appears to enjoying himself.The video of the band really rocks!!✌🏼🏃♀️🏃🏻😀❤️
one album one tour. Good to hear a drummer tell us about drumming
🙌
Andrew, you must cover Kung Crimson's, "21st Century Schizoid Man."
Jake E Lee loved Huw Lloyd-Langton and that solo is notorious in Ozzy Osbourne and Jake's career!!!
Saw him play with them @ stonehange free festival that year, what a surprise that was, didn't even know beforehand he'd joined them for this brief time. Love his early work with fela kuti.
By this album all members of the band have changed apart from Dave Brock (who is still in charge to this day) from the Lord of Light reaction. There have been many, many line up changes over the last 50 plus years
Saw this tour. Was great having the chance to see ginger baker
I just luv this album great song bought this vinyl had it on blue vinyl i highly recommend listening to brainstorm live absolutely brilliant
The band went into the studio to do this album with Simon King, but evidently Simon was ill. So Ginger came in at the last minute. This album was supposedly the first record made entirely digitally. Ginger toured the album with the band. Then fell out with the bass player and wanted the band to fire the bass player. They refused, so Ginger went and toured as "Ginger Baker's Hawkwind." The live recordings of the real Hawkwind with Baker were really good. FYI, the guitarist in Hawkwind, Dave Brock, was mates with Eric Clapton back in 1963. Clapton showed up to play with Hawkwind on their 50th anniversary tour in 2019.
YES! :) This is the most sedate track on the album. Check out the title track for ACTUAL Ginger Baker.
I agree !! 👍👍
So much great Hawkwind music out there! I prefer the early music. Great music for road trips and other "trips" oh, the memories of tripping while listening to Hawkwind
I love this song. The band sound great.
Also, Levitation is one of the first digitally recorded albums. Ginger came in to do the drum parts to replace the already recorded drums on this album after it was finished if I remember right?
Also I had a chat with Huwy Lloyd Langton many years ago about this record and he told me it was his favourite Hawkwind line up. As difficult as Ginger was personally he made the band something else. Huwy really liked that.
It might happen one day, but I cannot wait for you to listen to the Mars Volta. Specifically the songs with Jon Theodore on drums. I say it every time, but it will blow your mind.
Always loved the production on this album. One of my favourite HW line ups too
I was a Hawks fan for many years before this album came out. I saw them on this tour 3/4 times but one clear memory stands out. At Brunel (Middlesex) Uni I managed to get front row (mosh as would now be termed). Motorway City was a personal favourite. I knew Gingers drumming was what made this song so different and I kept my eyes on him and his technique, especially during the bridge and Huw's solo. He just fixed me with his intense stare for a full minute. It was threatening but equally compelling. I felt he was simultaneously totally fucked (he was trying to get of off H at the time), was he looking at me or through me? or was he saying 'my kit, my rhythm, my rules'. He was way too big a character for Dave Brock - hence only one album. But can you just imagine Hawkwind's melody backed by Gingers outrageous beats post 1980? It could have been immense. He was a rhythm gold. I also saw him with Jack Bruce and Gary moore and his 100 yard stare was equally in evidence.....
Ginger...Jack....and Gary. Sheeez Louise. I bet that was a memorable gig. And i bet your ears rang for days afterwards lol. I was lucky enough to catch Brucey live before he died during his Shadows In The Air gig. Seemed to be a consistently beautiful soulful melodist.
Isn't it a small world ... I too was at Brunel in 1980
Fantastic choice, 53yrs of back catalogue to choose from. The ultimate anti heroes of British tribal music. Enjoy the trip. Onwards flies the bird.
Great Hawkwind album and truly one of the great headphone albums.
HLL stars driven by Baker's loudening DRIVE - as below criminally underrated!
I adore Motorway City, Levitation album is great. Not Ginger's biggest fan (sue me) but he does a really good job
Saw them on this tour with ginger,very odd man.
There's a great promo video of Levitation with Ginger on the drums, he's actually smiling, in parts 😅
th-cam.com/video/1-QEpRgs9sM/w-d-xo.html
Levitation is in my top 5 favorite albums all time! The only Hawkwind studio album that Baker played on. For other interesting tracks from this album from a drumming standpoint, I recommend:
1) the title track - a faster paced rocker where he lets loose.
2) World of Tiers - a proggy instrumental where he employs kind of a syncopated beat that works well, and he adds some nice fills too.
3) The Fifth Second of Forever/Dust of Time suite, a variety of feels and tempos for him to play around with.
Listen to the studio tracks for these. While Baker toured with them for this album, recordings are not only scarce, but probably have poor sound quality.
I'll also add the song Who's Gonna Win The War from Levitation, a somber piece that has militaristic styled drumming, and some more nice fills.
Still got the vinyl.
Must put it on.
Also like the live version. From a non drummer love your work
Check out Ginger's drumming on the PiL album with Steve Vai and Johnnie Lydon. I consider it some of his best work.
had p.x.r.5 and quark....when LEVITATION came out....I couldn't believe it when I read the cover and found out GINGER was on drums....he should have stayed until xenon codex....GINGER really lifted the group musically and there was a chemistry between him and HUW LLOYD-LANGTON....
Hawkwind's best Drummer was Simon King. Ginger Baker's reign was very short because of his ego.
You should check out the title track!
Thanks for checking out abother Hawkwind track. It was an interesting tour when he was playing drums live with them. Hawkwind at one time about 1976 had two drummers of course this is not that impressive when I've seen King Crimson playing live with three - you should check it out - there is video of a concert in Japan I think.
Ginger did one album and one tour with Hawkwind then fell out with them big time. Not quite right for Hawkwind, but it was a cracking album and tour.
I saw the tour and sat in the balcony above Ginger. He was amazing. Barefoot if I remember correctly and with a roadie making sure he always had a drink and a lit cigarette.
I'm a Jazz Drummer.... the late Peter Ginger Baker 😢
Hawkwind... amazing in their day, but you have to hear their logical successor, the always excellent Ozric Tentacles!
Check out one of their early tracks "Dissolution (The clouds disperse)" here: th-cam.com/video/TzxrmIwjI8M/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy!
Hey Andy... not sure you did this one... might consider? Baard Kolstad - Illuminate - Leprous drum playthrough
Have you seen beware of me baker? The film about ginger?
Yeah, He's kind of a mental patient...
Something from the first album, when Terry Ollis was the drummer would be a good contrast, Mirror Of Illusions maybe ....
Interesting...I say do some proper live Ginger with Cream? Also, I would really enjoy you diving into a live Keith Moon/Who video. Lots of good ones. Rock and Roll Circus, Woodstock and Isle of Wight are probably the best.
Hadn't listened to this album before until I saw you posted the song. Really enjoyed it! Ginger fits in really well with that band imho. It's a shame Ginger only spent short stints in his many various bands after Cream, I think his 'colourful' character limited his chances. Bill Ward was a huge Cream fan, not sure what Ginger thought of Sabbath though? He probably hated them like most things lol.
You've gotta check out Matt Halpern's playthrough of Dracul Gras!
Great song... Levitation and chronicles of the black sword. Warrior on the Edge of Time would be third to my ears. Levitation... Best album ever Huw loyd RIP sir
I saw them on that tour. I think it was 1980. DeMontfort Hall in Leicester. It was amazing, loved Ginger's drumming although it was quite different as you say to their earlier stuff. Ginger insisted on a long, long drum solo every night. The band hated it and tried to cut it short leading to big arguments They're all about collective improv with no space for egos... so Ginger only lasted a year or so 😂
Wow..... someone checking out Hawkwind makes a change, Ginger is great on this which is a brilliant album.....so underrated, I totally agree with the Keith Moon parallel there's definitely a similarity here.....I recommend hearing some more of the album, loved your reaction Andrew thanks. BTW I have a suggestion for you there's a drummer called Paco Séry from the french band Sixun and he also played with the Joe Zawinul Syndicate too..... he's incredible and I think you would really dig hearing him. Here's a link to a Sixun concert "Live a la Cigale" and some other links from some years ago, not the best quality but perfectly watchable (I recommend headphones): th-cam.com/video/lnSMDmtOx4s/w-d-xo.html
Underrated? He's the most overrated drummer in history and wouldn't make a decent pub band audition
@@kippsguitar6539 I was referring to the band Hawkwind being underrated not Ginger Baker.....
HUw loyd langton man had some great guitar riffs He played with many bands like budgie and steve swindells even bowie gave him a good rap if he's/her input worth anything Chronicles of the black sword with hawkwind was his last recording as far as i know
Love the new set, Andrew. Well,, you were there for Sabbath and now Hawikwind, so I assume this is a new set, yes?
I think Ginger Baker had a lot of freedom to play how he wanted with Hawkwind, Dave Brock was a great arranger of music, so credit to him bringing Ginger's jazz style in for this album it worked perfectly. Quote me wrong but I think Simon King might have rejoined briefly after Ginger was fired, so I can imagine the likes of Motorway City would have sounded somewhat different on the drums when they toured.
You can hear Simon King's version on The "Live 79' " album. Imho a far better version all around and VERY different drumming. Really worth checking out.
@@stevensabella7287 I do have that album, vinyl of course. This is the album with the cut off performance of Silver Machine? To be honest i'm with you on Simon King, I think he was the most definitive British rock drummer of the time.
You should listen to Space Chase off the same album,excellent drumming from Ginger Baker 👍
Putting ginger baker with hawkwind is like putting a farrari engine in a Fiat
Baker was a horrible person he slagged off everyone who worked with him especially Gary Moore. I saw Baker several times and was not impressed. Cozy Powell and Neal Peart were much better.
@@Southbound63 yep he was a total A hole. Remember that incident he smacked that reporter dude in the face with a walking stick? He was a great drummer regardless
Thank you so much!! Andrew you are Unic. Please compare white room and sunshine o your love, with Sabbath bloody sabbath.....
Love this album and period but hawkwind needs the driving snares on every beat style with high repetition to get to that hawkwind trance state! You can hear all the instruments get into that groove in the extended instrumental sequence but the drums dont really back it up. Still its up there as one of my favourite hawkwind songs, mainly down to the peerless Huw Lloyd Langton.
I loved this album but Warrior on the Edge of Time is my favourite
If you wanted to look at Ginger on this album, the title track is even better, faster, wilder.
React to Rob Brown UV2 drum solo
Sack Harvey Bainbridge and I'll make this band huge, so what did they do? Sack Ginger 😅
🎉
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Baker predates b I th Ward and Moon, does he not?
Sneaky green screening it Andrew?
Go on Andrew, say it like it is, the emperor had no clothes on! Great diplomacy but your face says it all,class act (you,not baker)
This is Andrew saying subtly they baker is a better Thrasher than jazzer and that he was overrated
I remember seeing them @ Glastonbury 1981 with Ginger. He had a complete strop and walked off stage, swearing and gesticulating wildly. Plus ça change, eh? In spite the `free form’ of space rock as evidenced on previous albums, it was not HIS free form! Simon and Terry and other drummers were able to slide easily into the Hawkwind ethos. Namely, take eye watering amounts of drugs and wing it. As has been stated elsewhere, he was on different drugs. That may at least partially explain his bad fit.
Either that, or he was much of a tosser as Jack Bruce has stated voluminously!
Tim Blake ex Gong made his name known here!!!
He wasn't a better a drummer with Hawkwind than Simon King!
Hawkwind are my all time favourite band but Rush come a close second and I recommend that you listen to Neil Peart on drums playing the track kid gloves...... possibly the best drummer of all time and that's really saying something!!! Just my opinion though folks please don't shoot me!!!
I never saw the fuss about Ginger Baker. Let alone a mention with the greats-until I sat down and listened. A literal cornucopia of tricks up his sleeve and variety of styles. That being said, the ego has always been off-putting to me.
All time legendary drummer - all time legendary gobshite
@@TheGalantHamburger absolutely well said, full of his own importance and people were scared to tell him he was average
Your first impressions were spot on, a self publicizing and overrated drummer who bullied everyone he worked with in Cuckoo land
and again, we have people admitting that they don't like his drumming because of his PERSONALITY.
Not sure where I heard the comment, but Ginger Baker said upon his exit from Hawkwind....."World's greatest drummer sacked by the worlds worst bassest!".
I feel Ginger did a good job playing with Hawkwind, however, he didn't like the format.Ginger openly stated how he felt about playing with Hawkwind (it wasn't flattering). Further, I do not think he was not a good fit and he was not connected or committed to the band. Even though it didn't last long and even though he said he didn't feel the group was his "cup of tea" he keep a professional approach that complemented the band. I feel he did a stand up performance and adopted to the band's music as a true professional. I think Eric Clapton may have had a similar experience when he played a concert with Hawkwind. I haven't seen
experience with
he spoke glowingly of playing with them before he quit.
Check out World of tiers(Promo) I assure you won't be disappointed,Huw Lloyd Langton on guitar too,totally amazing👍🎵🎶🎶❤️
much more not stepping on everybody's toes while playing the arrangement and making it great.
Egads, that's an 80's song alright. That glassy guitar tone 🤢
Mmm..nahh man. Hawkwind began late '60s, still going, and they sailed right thru the 80s as though it never existed. It's a very dense mix on this track, and it was probably decided to make Brock's guitar sound (Iassume you meanty the rhythm guitar) that trebly just so it sat okay amongst everything else.
Just known about Hawkwind ??..who have you been listening to Justin Bieber and Adele ??
Plenty of bands we don't know about. Don't worry about that
@@AndrewRooneyDrums ..there may just be something lacking in a person who had not heard of HAWKWIND.