Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Giorgio Gomelsky R.I.P

  1. #1
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Copenhagen, Denmark
    Posts
    7,264

    Giorgio Gomelsky R.I.P

    http://dangerousminds.net/comments/t...5rPY45kFoCU.01

    "Giorgio Gomelsky died of cancer earlier today. He was 82.

    Gomelsky opened London’s Crawdaddy Club in 1963 where he booked bands like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin. He briefly managed both The Stones and The Yardbirds. Later, he nurtured groups like Gong, Magma and Soft Machine. When he arrived in New York City in 1978 he leased a mid-town loft which became a gathering place for rock and rollers, artists and punks. "

  2. #2
    Member Paulrus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    The Left Coast
    Posts
    2,170
    Holy crap. Can we have a break between all these RIP threads please?

    To quote The Donald, "He was YUUUUUUGE!"

    RIP
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

  3. #3
    Without him, no Volume Two or any Kobaďan to speak of as such.

    Thank you for bringing the music out!
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Without him, no Volume Two or any Kobaďan to speak of as such.
    Neither of this is ttrue, actually. True, Giorgio was insistent that Soft Machine make an album rather than a single in 1967, thus the fabled "Gomelsky demos" which sadly came to nothing. He got the band a residency at the Speakeasy club in the process but that's about the extent of his involvement with Soft Machine.

    Giorgio got involved with Magma in 1971, by which time they were already a going concern. He did then manage them until 1976. Among other things, he claims to have originated the idea of a trilogy as a marketing ploy, to ensure that the band would make at least three albums on a given label. It didn't work with Magma, but it did with Gong.

    There are of course many things to say about Giorgio. I was lucky to spend a day with him in NYC 15 years ago. I had been in touch with him by e-mail in months prior, and already had material for a long interview, but thought a meeting in person would be nice. We made vague arrangements for me to visit, but when I turned up, he was about to start watching a match of the European football (soccer) cup. Despite my total lack of interest in the matter I had no choice but to watch it with him. We then did a long interview, and then he took me out to an Indian restaurant. In the process he told me many anecdotes. Some of them it seemed he probably told every visitor in case the high points of his career were ignored (he did care about his legend), so I heard a lot about Clapton, Page etc. But we also discussed progressive music, the Canterbury Scene, the Zu Manifestival etc. It was a long interview (about 3 hours) which I don't think I transcribed in its entirety but I hope to make it available at some point in the future on a blog that I am putting together.

    I saw Giorgio again at the party he threw for Magma at his place in 2003 after he'd played NEARfest, and infrequently by e-mail thereafter.

    RIP Giorgio, a true legend, a maverick and also a nice & funny guy.
    Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
    Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
    My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
    Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos

  5. #5
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    in a cosmic jazzy-groove around Brussels
    Posts
    6,091
    RIP Giorgio,

    if only for your mid to late 60's activities, you were a giant

    Wikipedia says:
    He hired The Yardbirds as a replacement and managed them. He was also their producer from the beginning through 1966. In 1967, he started Marmalade Records (distributed by Polydor), which featured "Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity", The Blossom Toes, and early recordings by Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who became 10cc. The label closed in 1969. Gomelsky was also instrumental in the careers of The Soft Machine, Daevid Allen and Gong, Magma, and Material.


    To think I once confused (a loooong time ago)Gomelski with another Giorgio (Moroder), I'm still crawling under a carpet
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by calyx View Post
    Neither of this is ttrue
    Ok.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  7. #7
    Among the other people he helped start their careers were John McLaughlin, who recorded "Extrapolation" for Giorgio's Marmalade label in January 1969, up to which point he was still an obscure session player (he had played on Jack Bruce's "Things We Like" but that was only released in 1970).

    Also, Keith Tippett, whose Group recorded their debut album in September 1969 for Marmalade, which sadly went bankrupt soon after, and the album took a year to be released as a result.
    Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
    Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
    My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
    Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos

  8. #8
    Condolences to family and friends. Sad day, he pulled a lot of strings which was positive to us all.

  9. #9
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fluffy Cloud
    Posts
    5,635
    He was aware of his legend and he cultivated his legend and he was indeed truly legendary.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  10. #10
    Sad, I see his name mentioned in many key events in progressive rock history and in music in general.
    I seem to remember seeing him on one of the newsgroups and even interacting with him a little (I think he was in Steve`s Avant prog NG? dont remember exactly)

    Here are the very entertaining sleevenotes he wrote for the Nico compilation Do or Die:

    http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...l=1#post406752

  11. #11
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fluffy Cloud
    Posts
    5,635
    Quote Originally Posted by flytomars View Post
    I seem to remember seeing him on one of the newsgroups and even interacting with him a little (I think he was in Steve`s Avant prog NG? dont remember exactly)
    He did post there a little bit, as well as on the FB version now run by Udi.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  12. #12
    Yet another loss... RIP, Giorgio. Reading about his life, I guess his start was filming Chris Barber... which really is the beginning of "progressive"....

    Don't forget the Blossom Toes! Vangelis! Aphrodite's Child!
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  13. #13
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Divided Snakes of America
    Posts
    1,981
    Adieu Giorgio. Damn all these deaths are getting a bit depressing... I'm still grieving for David Allen

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate View Post
    http://dangerousminds.net/comments/t...5rPY45kFoCU.01

    "Giorgio Gomelsky died of cancer earlier today. He was 82.

    Gomelsky opened London’s Crawdaddy Club in 1963 where he booked bands like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin. He briefly managed both The Stones and The Yardbirds. Later, he nurtured groups like Gong, Magma and Soft Machine. When he arrived in New York City in 1978 he leased a mid-town loft which became a gathering place for rock and rollers, artists and punks. "
    I remember him introducing one of the bands (the Muffins?) at ProgDay the year it was moved to the high school auditorium due to rain. I had no idea who he was at the time, but his intro turned into a long, rambling and amusing speech. If I'm remembering right, there were a couple attempts to get him off the stage so the band could start playing, but he just kept telling stories and telling us how lucky we were to have prog festivals to attend.

    Seemed like a great guy.
    --
    The internet was better before Berners-Lee let the riff-raff in.

  15. #15
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fluffy Cloud
    Posts
    5,635
    ^ ^ ^

    It was the Muffins. He knew them from back when they played the ZU Festival that he sponsored, in 1978!
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  16. #16
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    4,485
    I first knew of him through his links with The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones. The former band, he wrote a long sleevenote about within a Charly box set (still available as 'The Yardbirds' Story').

    Marmalade was short-lived but as mentioned, it had its share of lasting work; John McLaughlin (his first release, 'Extrapolation'), Brian Auger/Julie Driscoll and the Trinity, Blossom Toes etc.

  17. #17
    Giorgio was a true influential, uinknown 'legend' in the genesis of rock as we know it, and somehow moved from that into being equally influential in the 70s prog scene. Wiki the guy and his resume will blow your mind.
    Quite chatty and eccentric. At "Progschool" he collared me and we had a long rambling conversation, about everything from the Yardbirds to Gong to Frabjoy And Runcible Spoon. One of those "Gee, I never pictured this conversation" moments.
    And I had the honor of introducing him, to introduce The Muffins...! Such a nice guy, and totally enthusiastic that day.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •