1. Page 13. The reference attributed to Pettinger as 2027 should be 2017 as per the bibliography.
2. Page 25. 'been' on the top line should, of course, be 'being'.
3. Page 64. Ode To Toxteth has the bracketed subtitle (A Last Outpost of British Civilisation).
4. Uncle Sam's on Mars.
The line 'two cars in the garage' (1) from Uncle Sam's on Mars could have its origins in accusations made against Henry Hoover in 1932!
In the 1932 presidential election Hoover's opponents sought to embarrass him by claiming that in 1928 he had 'promised voters a chicken in every pot and two cars in every garage' (2). Actually the 1928 Republican ad claimed that the Republicans had 'put the proverbial 'chicken in every pot'. And a car in every backyard, to boot' (3). Hoover lost the election to Roosevelt (4).
More evidence of what an extraordinarily well researched and knowledgeable lyricist Robert Calvert was!
Thanks to a Facebook conversation 27-7-24 for alerting me to this.
References.
(1) Calvert, Robert. 1979. Uncle Sam's on Mars, PXR5, Charisma Records.
(2) "A Chicken for Every Pot" Political Ad, October 30, 1928 | State Historical Society of Iowa
(3) history-education-pss-depression-chicken-source.jpg (1000×1154) (iowa.gov)
(4) 1932 United States presidential election - Wikipedia
5. Politics.
Robert Calvert - The Action Man Explains, originally published in August 1989 and republished in 2008 by Zephyr Hawkfrendz has some fascinating content!
In a letter dated May 1985 Robert again positions himself in opposition to capitalism commenting that 'I have no desire at all to become a capitalist but I think I deserve to earn at least the average working wage for the work I do. I need a bit of money to buy time in order to produce more work, because my life is my work and vice versa' (1). Robert continues to explicitly reject the capitalist position and then moves on to describe his work in terms that can be considered 'unalienated'. The Marxist concept of 'alienated labour' describes the experience of workers under industrial capitalism. Under industrial capitalism the worker is thrown into competition with other members of the working class, forced into wage labour by commodification, reduced to performing repetitive tasks and forced to expend their labour on adding value to someone else's property. All of this means that the worker is alienated from themself, from others and from their work (2). Robert's observation on his work that, 'I need a bit of money to buy time in order to produce more work, because my life is my work and vice versa' is a succinct description of unalienated labour, of an integrated life that has managed, to a large degree, to side step the imperatives and alienations of industrial capitalism.
Regarding a second book of poetry he writes that,
...'The poems are all written but just need sorting out. As I said, I would rather be published in a reputable format; but this, in the light of the present establishment's attitude to what is regarded as subversive (which I don't think is a strong enough word for my activities) this is hardly likely for some time.
To be circulated in mimeographed pamphlets would be appropriate; this is how the Russian dissidents get their work disseminated...' (1).
In line with his most recent album Freq in this section of the letter Robert positions himself as a 'subversive' artist engaged in counter hegemonic 'activities'. He then compares his work with that of Russian dissidents. Although in 1982's 'Ramblings at Dawn' he was reluctant to identify himself as a political writer in this 1985 letter Robert has no qualms about describing his work/'activities' as 'subversive'.
References.
(1) Calvert, Robert. 1985. Letter reprinted in Robert Calvert - The Action Man Explains, HFZ 007/02. September 2008, Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com. Originally published August 1989.
(2) Guy-Evans, Olivia. 2024. 'Marx's Theory of Alienation in Sociology', SimplyPsychology, https://www.simplypsychology.org/marx-alienation.html
6. Politics/Ethics/ Persona
The poems 'The Action Man Explains' and 'The Sad Ballad of a Soldier' continue the anti militarist position referred to in the above chapters. In 'The Action Man Explains' Robert critiques the role of the soldier describing the 'Action Man' soldier as 'Empire made' and able to 'kill and maim and bless 'em all'. By referring to 'Empire' in his description of the 'realistic plastic man' he relates the activities of the soldier to the role of the soldier; that is violence to preserve and extend the interests of a capitalist state (1).
'The Sad Ballad of a Soldier' is a sympathetic account of the remaking of a civilian into a soldier as the new recruit exchanges the markers of their old identity for markers of the new. The last two lines of each stanza are 'To be worn at all times' followed by either 'Save for when the last bugle is blown' or 'Save for when the last bugle blows', a reminder that a soldier may not be able to exchange their identity again due to the nature of their role (2).
This anti militarist position is confirmed in an interview from 1981, in it Robert comments on the film 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' and observes that historic wars have been 'the play things of a small minority of individuals with their private armies' and 'started by chieftains originally...dragging people into their private disputes'. He then states 'I've a feeling that it's something we might've outgrown now, although it has a fascination, it is a good subject to make movies about. But I can't really imagine a lot of my generation jumping into uniform and wanting to go out and fight wars with each other. I fucking know I wouldn't do it!' (3)
References.
(1) Calvert, Robert. No Date. 'The Action Man Explains', Robert Calvert - The Action Man Explains, HFZ 007/02. September 2008, Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com. Originally published August 1989. (The poem originally appeared in Cheesecake 1981.)
(2) Calvert, Robert. No Date. 'The Sad Ballad of a Soldier', Robert Calvert - The Action Man Explains, HFZ 007/02. September 2008, Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com. Originally published August 1989. (The poem appeared with kind permission of Jill Calvert.)
(3) Cheesecake and Calvert, Robert. 1981. 'Robert Calvert: The Action Man Explains', Robert Calvert - The Action Man Explains, HFZ 007/02. September 2008, Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com. Originally published August 1989. (The interview originally appeared in Cheesecake 1981.)
7. Politics/Ethics.
In a letter that seems to date from 1985 Robert refers to clashes between the police and hippies and then goes on to quote from 'the sort of history texts we had at school'. In the letter he quotes from Makers of the Realm by Arthur Bryant, which was published in 1953. His quotes argue that historically England had generally had an unusual tradition of tolerance for dissent and non conformity. Robert then concludes 'All this in the past has been true. it seems now that England is in the hands of a foreign power. Something I have instinctively felt for some time. Before this present government even. Is it just paranoia?' (1).
Robert's observations were extremely pertinent and relate to the the political developments outlined in the book's Introduction. James Callaghan became Prime Minister in 1976 and can be seen as a transitional figure in the UK's shift to the right. The move away from social democracy was completed in 1979 with the election of Margaret Thatcher who over her three terms as Prime Minister restructured Britain according to neoliberal ideology. Neoliberalism has its origins in the writings of economist Friedrich Hayek and was championed by American economist Milton Freidman and The Chicago School of Economics. Robert's sense that there had been a fundamental shift at some point in the previous years would have been confirmed by Thatcher's framing of the miners as 'the enemy within', the police actions at the Battle of Orgreave in 1984 and the Battle of the Beanfield in 1985.
The recent increased suppression of climate protest referred to in the chapter 'Ethics' shows that Robert's concerns were valid and remain relevant.
References.
(1) Calvert, Robert. No Date. Letter reprinted in Robert Calvert - The Urban Guerilla HFZ 024 Published September 2008 by Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com.
(2) Wikipedia. No date. Friedrich Hayek, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek [accessed 9 September 2024 via bing].
8.Collaborations.
In an advert for Pentameters Theatre in Hawklords - 30 Years On - 2009 A Space Odyssey it comments that 'the early-1960s surreal set' for the1976 production of Robert's play, The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice, was designed by Barney Bubbles! (1)
References.
(1) Hawklords - 30 Years On - 2009 A Space Odyssey HFZ 035, March 2009, Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com.
9. 25 Years On.
In Hawklords - 30 Years On - 2009 A Space Odyssey there is an article on Hawklords that confirms John Appleby's recollection of reading in the music press of the time that the image on the front cover of the album 25 Years On was of a PTI worker; 'The image is made more concrete by designer Barney Bubbles' album cover, which represents a Pan Transcendental brochure design. The black and white photo illustration of a worker holding a light...'(1).
References.
(1) Hawklords - 30 Years On - 2009 A Space Odyssey HFZ 035, March 2009, Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com.
10. Post Hawkwind Recordings.
In 1993 there was a 4 track Hawkwind release Spirit of the Age (Solstice Remixes) on 4 Real Communications. The remixes were by Astralasia and retained Robert's vocals. The EP was released in the USA in 1995 by Griffin Music.
References.
Robert Calvert Discography. https://aural-innovations.com/issues/issue18/04_disco.html
Spirit of the Age. (No Date) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_the_Age
Hawkwind - Spirit of the Age (Solstice Remixes), www.discogs.com https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/6629795?ev=rb
Hawkwind - Spirit of the Age (Solstice Remixes), www.discogs.com
https://www.discogs.com/release/806908-Hawkwind-Spirit-Of-The-Age-Solstice-Remixes
11. Post Hawkwind Recordings.
In January 2022 5 Day 5 Waltz featuring Cpt Bob Calvert by StATe CoNTrOL was posted on YouTube (1). This track includes parts of Robert's 1982 interview 'Ramblings at Dawn' (2).
Thanks to Facebook post 31-7-24.
References.
(1) StATe CoNTrOL - 5 Day 5 Waltz feat. Cpt BoB Calvert (youtube.com)
(2) Robert Calvert - Ramblings at Dawn, 1982 Interview (youtube.com)
