A very important part of the Hawkwind sound during their classic years, both in terms of what he played and also in terms of who he brought in and his over-all influences.
A very important part of the Hawkwind sound during their classic years, both in terms of what he played and also in terms of who he brought in and his over-all influences.
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.
Fuck. Just fuck.
I saw him many times and got to chat with him more than once. He was a dear, kind human being.
He was booked to play ProgDay once. He pulled out at the last minute with no explanation given. Really too bad as I think he would have killed it on the Storybook stage.
In the end I never saw him live, but enjoy all of what he did with Hawkwind. RIP.
I remember seeing him at Baja Prog in 2001. Rest In Peace Nik.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF STUPID PEOPLE IN LARGE GROUPS!
Indeed...BajaProg 2001. Here's a story to go with that...Originally Posted by Shadow
Nik was scheduled to play there with the Finnish band Five Fifteen. He flew into LAX from Europe. As I was part of a 5 car caravan all driving down from Orange County/LA to Mexicali, one of us picked him up at the airport and we all drove down together. We made a stop on the way at a pizza place in Ontario. Nik (bless his heart) did not have any money...not a nickel. All he wanted was a cup of coffee. Of course we all chipped in and bought him that and lunch too. Then off to Baja.
At Baja he'd be "busking" with his sax in the lobby of the theater. I recall him playing the Pink Panther (da da dada) theme song repeatedly along with other tunes. While other bands were on-stage, there he was in the lobby...playing. During quiet parts of other bands songs you could faintly hear him in the background. He was there for the entire 4 days of the festival. I remember taking him in my car to dinner one night. He was a very sweet man...so appreciative of our help getting him from his hotel to the theater each night and back to LA as well. BTW, his playing with Five Fifteen was awesome!!!
Ah...such Baja memories!!! Rest In Peace, Mr. Turner.
"Frozen flaking fish raw nerve...In a cup of silver liquid fire" - Jethro Tull
Blasting Inner City Unit at the moment. A visionary artist with a well calibrated jazzy vibe in his playing. His latest album with the Trance Dimensionals is excellent, by the way.
Rest In Space!
Sorry to hear this. Been a Hawkwind fan since the early daze. Liked Nik's solo albums as well. Rest in peace.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
I was disappointed that he didn't play at ProgDay that year. Fortunately, I did see him with Hawkwind in Philly in 1974 as part of the "1999 Party." Nik played most of the two-hour set dressed as a Sleestak from the kids' show Land of the Lost.
Goodbye, Nik.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
Sad news, going to play Space Ritual in remembrance, one of the finest live albums of all time. I only saw him live once playing with Hawkwind at Newcastle City Hall on the Choose Your Masques tour. He was wearing a nude body sleeve it was quite disturbing though he sure wailed away.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Damn. Too many greats are leaving us. Shit. RIP Nik.
Very sad to hear this. I'm a big Hawkwind fan. Some of his solo or collaboration stuff is really great.
He was a character. I have memories of him playing his sax in the lobby at Bajaprog 2000 playing for tips like a busker.
A sad departure. I’ve taken so much pleasure from Space Ritual and those classic Hawkwind albums over the decades. Nick’s sax was such an important piece of their sound. By all accounts of those that spent time with him, he was a lovely bloke too RIP.
Saw him in concert several times during the 1990's. Also met him and talked to him a cuople times over the years. Very nice guy. So sorry he's gone.
Saw him with Hawkwind during the 1973 Space Ritual Tour (Lemmy was there too...).
RIP...Nik
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news...82/ar-AA1417Dv
I tend to think back to "Hall Of The Mountain Grill", when it comes to the greatness of Nik Turner. Not only did he play some outstanding Sax, flute and oboe on that timeless album, but he wrote D-Rider!!! He also provided vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZfXEJ0awyI
This.
Not really knowing who Nick was, this is how I met him. I knew Hawkwind by name only, maybe just a couple of tracks.
Got to talk to him in latter editions of BajaProg , a very nice and humble man. He will always be tied to my memories of the festival.
I have hope of talking to him again.
Thank you progcd54 for your words that echo my thoughts.
Yep. In a way I'm surprised he lasted this long, as he was initially the one vintage band member with the most infamously unhealthy habits; booze over beers, snortmorphine not hallucinogenics, saggy fatpork- and fish&chips-diets instead of salads and a biker's penchant for rage and stress. Even Lemmy was apparently amazed to begin with, attributing Turner's demeanours to his romantic jazz- and beat-bohemian ethos.
From what I understand his exemplary self-discipline saw him cleaned up already by the mid-70s, though, arguably due to leaving the Hawks or as an objective for doing so. I believe it was Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers who commented on how "straight" Turner appeared during stints on the punk/post-hippie festival circuit with Hawkwind during the early 80s, when Turner would appear on stage as special guest performer and part of the grander Hawk-clan. Everything is relative of course, seeing as Cornwell himself was a complete smackhead by then, and obviously one of Turner's best buds was always Steve Peregrine Took, Mr. Sound/Unsound in the flesh. The I.C.U. themselves weren't exactly angels either, introducing "tweakcrank" cosmetic chemicals to later repercussions in the Ladbroke community of the 80s.
And still, Turner reached 82 y.o.
A seminal component of what made Hawkwind a unique endeavour. I'll spin him tonight and thoroughly enjoy it.
"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
Did some fine solo albums too. I recently bought a couple.
Very sad news. A major figure in the history of rock music. Master of the Universe, Brainstorm, these are legendary tunes he has written. I believe the use of wah pedals in saxophone was quite innovative, just an impression I have, I am not a specialist on the subject.
You are so welcome!!! BajaProg was a very special festival!!! And IIRC, Nik attended 2002 and 2003 as well. I don't remember if he was featured in any bands those 2 years (like in 2001) but I do recall that he was there, busking in the lobby each year. He loved the festival and his presence there was a big hit for sure.
Rest In Space indeed, Nik
Ya know...come to think of it...Rest In Peace BajaProg too!!!!!!! Thank you Alfonso and gang for so MANY years of great music, great food and overall BIG FUN
"Frozen flaking fish raw nerve...In a cup of silver liquid fire" - Jethro Tull
I love that tune and ISoS is ny fave Hawk by mile, but even Turner himself admitted to having ripped it off from some band he'd hung out with in Cologne:
"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
If you want to see how influencial he was to other musicians just look at the lineup he had playing on his "Space Fusion Odyssey". I would argue some of his albums from the 10's rival his stuff with Hawkwind.
I love how he's work with young musians as well like having the German band Hederleben on a few of his album then moving on to other young up and comers.
"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
Sad Rain
Anekdoten
Crushing news on Friday, indeed. Both Quarkspace and Church of Hed played shows with the man.
That time Nik almost got us arrested in Alabama...
Quarkspace on Facebook
Church of Hed on Facebook
TabMuse -- an online resource dedicated to iOS, Android, hardware, and desktop music apps and synths
Church of Hed/Quarkspace on Bandcamp
The QuarkspaceHed YouTube Channel
A story that will bear the telling?
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