HW:Paragong

[Scott Heller]

Hej,

>I just think that all of You out there who are Gong-freaks should get
>Paragong Live '73, it's such a wonderful bit of freak-music, but to shed
>some light on this affair I will quote the text from the booklet, O.K.
>(Yes, I should have done this from the start but I'd forgot about their
>existence, sorry).
>
I totally agree, this is a must hear! I really like the CD a lot.

>"It was March 1973, Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth, exhausted by the hectic
>1972 touring schedule, the recording of 'Flying Teapot', and occupied by
>their baby Tally, left Gong - the group they had founded in 1969 - and
>returned to Deya, Majorca. By this time 'Flying Teapot' drummer* and
>bassist Laurie Allen and Francis Moze had also decided that they had had
>enough, and had departed. Tim Blake, Steve Hillage, Didier Malherbe, Venux
>de Lux and the extended Gong family/tribe decided to continue. Paragong was
>born."
>
>[here follows a bit on how Mike Howlett and Pierre Moerlen joined the band,
>and then, something off interest for the discussion, I'll continue]
>
>"Paragong existed for only two short month, March and April '73**, and only
>ever played gigs in France. Up until now there has been no release to
>document the band's crucial role in the development of Gong. Paragong was
>in fact the vehicle in which the major players of the best-known Gong
>line-up first came together, and where to large measure the musical of the
>'classic' Gong sound first manifested."
>
This suprises me a bit as i have a tape of Paragong labeled:
PARAGONG- FREE TRADE HALL, MANCHESTER 4/27/73 55M VG+

Anyway, they were a great short lived band!

scott

ObMD- UFO- København 11/28/97


R. Scott Heller PhD
Hagedorn Research Institute
Niels Steensensvej 6
DK 2820 Gentofte Denmark
(45) 44 43 91 96  or 44 3 91 37 Phone
(45) 44 43 80 00 Fax
shll at hagedorn.dk  or  heller at hagedorn.dk
Http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/stage/7713