Robert Calvert: Through His Work. Additions, corrections and miscellaneous stuff.

                                                  Photo courtesy of Oz Hardwick.

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.

Britain now stifles peaceful dissent like a repressive regime. It’s time to roll back our anti-protest laws | Linda Lakhdhir | The Guardian            

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. Politics.

Michael Hardt in The Subversive Seventies writes that US feminist journals in the '70s included images of 'a Black woman or a Vietnamese woman with a child in one arm and a rifle in the other' (p. 172). A little later he writes that these feminist groups 'were obviously not advocating taking up arms; instead for them, like for the students, the identification with armed revolutionaries marked their aspiration to translate such revolutionary activity into their own context, where it would, of course, have to be conducted by different means' (p.173). This may have parallels in Robert's referencing of Che Guevara in 'Days of the Underground'.

References.

Hardt, Michael. 2023. The Subversive Seventies (Oxford UK and New York NY: Oxford University Press). 

 

9.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. 

  

10. 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.    

11. 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

   

12. 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)

13. Post Hawkwind Recordings.

Having listened to 'Cafe des Illusions' which was released as a CDr in 2004 with 'Connection/Disconnection', under the name of Robert Calvert's Paranoid Android and appeared originally on the 1979 album Disco Dream and the Androids released under the name of The Androids, I doubt that Robert is involved in this track.

References.

The Androids – Disco Dream And The Androids (1979, Vinyl) - Discogs

The Androids – Disco Dream and the Androids (youtube.com)

Robert Calvert's Paranoid Android – Connection/Disconnection / Café Des Illusions (2004, CDr) - Discogs

 

 

Robert Calvert: Through His Work 4/4

 Screen shots from The Kid from Silicon Gulch on Youtube 

Robert Calvert - The Kid From Silicon Gulch Full Recording (Part 1) (youtube.com)

Centigrade 232

Krankschaft Poster courtesy of Gary Kidd.

Robert Calvert - The Urban Guerilla HFZ 024 Published September 2008 by Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com

Robert Calvert - The Urban Guerilla HFZ 024 Published September 2008 by Zephyr Hawkfrendz, www.hawkfrendz.com. The subject matter would seem to date it to 1985 (?).

Thanks to Andrew Hoaen.

'Time For Sale' lyrics from Hawkzine # 50 Nov. 1998. (Posted on Facebook 10-10-24.)

From Facebook Post 14-10-24.

Robert Calvert: Through His Work 3/4

 Screen shots from 'The Kid from Silicon Gulch' on Youtube 

Robert Calvert - The Kid From Silicon Gulch Full Recording (Part 1) (youtube.com)

Robert Calvert: Through His Work photos 2/4

Robert Calvert: Through His Work.

Below are the colour photos that were rendered b&w in the book due to print costs.

Tony Killeen Newcastle Riverside 1986.

Peter Zabulis Hawklords Leicester De Montfort Hall 1978.

Robert Calvert: Through His Work photos 1/4

Robert Calvert: Through His Work.

Below are the colour photos that were rendered b&w in the book due to print costs.

Melissa Joseph.

Commemorative Plaque, Margate.

Arlington House, Margate.

Robert Calvert. Queen Elizabeth Hall. 1986.

Oz Hardwick 1983-86

Rob Manson London Arts Centre 1981

Bill MacCormick. Making It Up As You Go Along: Notes From a Bass Imposter

Generally I don't read a lot of biographies and autobiographies, especially not ones on or by musicians. When I have too often I have come away wishing I hadn’t, disappointed by my new found knowledge. So, reading Bill MacCormick’s new autobiography Making It Up As You Go Along: Notes From a Bass Imposter was always going to be a gamble…except the subtitle gave me hope; A Short Social and Political History of Rock ‘N’ Roll In South London 1966-80.

Bill seems to have played and written with a long list of the interesting and innovative in British rock; Quiet Sun, Matching Mole, Gong (briefly), Eno, Phil Manzenera, 801, Random Hold

Thing is, although Bill doesn’t realise it, we go back a long way. In 1976, possibly ‘77 a workmate asked if I had heard 801 Live and lent me his copy. Soon I had my own copy. Such a sublime album of psychedelic tinged rock. All the musicians pictured on the cover assumed greatness in my eyes/ears. This included Lloyd Watson who I was amazed to discover played every Sunday night at a local pub! In 1977 801 were touring their second album, Listen Now, and a few of us went to a great gig, with Bill on bass. I subsequently bought their album.

Time moved on, as did Peter Gabriel, in 1980 on his third album tour the support band was Random Hold, at the night I attended he introduced the band before they played an impressive set with Bill on bass, as I remember, wearing a hooded top. In fact the set was impressive enough that I subsequently bought their album too, The View From Here.

The book traces Bill’s life from his time at Dulwich College and his first band ‘Pooh and the Ostrich Feathers’ with fellow students Dave Buckley, Phil Manzenera and Charles Hayward(!). His friendship with Robert Wyatt. The profound influence of early Soft Machine. A trip to the USA where he got to see an impressive number of bands including Quicksilver Messenger Service and Santana. His evolution from a singer/drummer to bassist.

The coming together of ¾ of ‘Pooh and the Ostrich Feathers’ with Dave Jarrett led, in 1970, to Quiet Sun, some of whose material was eventually released as the excellent 1975 album, Mainstream.

The book moves on to his time working with Robert Wyatt in Matching Mole, their demise after the second album, Little Red Record. Robert’s accident and the plans to reform the band being shelved. 

Reuniting with Phil Manzenera to record Diamond Head and Mainstream, the subsequent 801 project which bequeathed to the world 801 Live and then, with a new line up, Listen Now and then joining post punk art rock band, Random Hold, the record label apathy and then the media/record label feeding frenzy and subsequent tour with Peter Gabriel.

That is the very, very bare bones, the skeleton of Making It Up As You Go Along: Notes From a Bass Imposter, on top of this structure Bill creates an enthralling tale of the lived experience of being a working, touring musician in the 70s. He recounts, remembers, researches and intertwines a wonderful, entertaining, interesting, informative book of anecdotes, observations, character sketches and political points. If you are interested in the Canterbury scene, music, society, history, life then this is worth a read. Bill manages to weave them all together. 

Included in the book are periodic pointers to a great album or band you should check out. In fact he is intending to add youtube links to his web site for a lot of the music mentioned in the book (billmaccormick.co.uk).

I found Bill’s book fascinating, funny and interesting. Some real laugh out loud moments. His observations on contemporary British politics are accurate and amusing as are his frustrated comments on Brexit. But what I liked most about the book is the underlying vibe: his self-deprecating humour, his generosity of spirit, his appreciation of people.

If you want a big hearted, kind, amusing book that expands out from an easily neglected experimental, adventurous stream of music to discuss Britain now and in the 60s and 70s this could be the book for you.

 

Making It Up As You Go Along: Notes From a Bass Imposter is available here https://billmaccormick.co.uk/make-it-up-as-you-go-along/ and I am sure in lots of other places as well!

Also referenced.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_MacCormick

In Praise Of Learning: A Day Out In London 20/3/24

In these days of neoliberal commodification where erstwhile commons and public provision have been captured for private profit like some kind of latter day Enclosures Act it is encouraging that there are still events and activities that are a contribution to the common good, free to access and open to all. I managed to get down to London for a couple on March 20th. 

‘Torn Edges’, was organised by Russ Bestley and hosted by the London College of Communication, an afternoon and early evening conference focused on the ‘relationship between punk, art and design history’ with some extremely cool speakers.

About a week before going down another event popped up on my Facebook feed for the same day, ‘Conspiracies’, involving Chris Cutler, Yumi Hara and Guy Harries. It seemed to be an improvisational performance over lunch time at the University of East London near Stratford! As a big Henry Cow fan I was pretty sure I could fit a performance involving Chris Cutler into my day! 

So, I found my way to UEL looking forward to finding out what ‘Conspiracies’ is/was. On the door was a handwritten sign, ‘Conspiracies, BA Music, Performance and Production’. Inside Chris Cutler, Yumi Hara and Guy Harries plus seven students on an array of keyboards, guitar, 2 drum kits, a glockenspiel, flute, percussion and vocals started playing an approximately 40 minute piece with multiple changes of direction, tempo changes and, I guess, key changes. The nearest comparison would be prog rock! Like listening to an early rehearsal of ‘Supper's Ready’, complete with weirdness.

There was obviously some underlying structure and plan to it that I hadn’t quite worked out from the conversations going on around me but here, as far as I understand, is what was going on!

The students are allocated, by lottery, specific minutes within the forty that they are allowed to play in. These allocated minutes change for every rehearsal and performance. In those minutes the musicians can play whatever they want and ideally their contribution should be a new ‘idea’. However, each musician has a pre-arranged ‘conspiracy’ with several other musicians, pre-arranged material, and the lead conspirator can bring that pre-arranged material into play when and if they want within their allotted minutes. 

However, in minutes 22 to 26 all the musicians play musical phrases every so many seconds.

In minutes 33 and 34 everyone plays a continuous drone note of their choice.

In minutes 35 and 36 the musicians take up separate steady rhythmic beats, all trying not to converge on the same rhythm as anyone else.

The last three or four minutes are a time of responding to the conductor who will bring the various musicians in and out, when they rejoin after a three second rest they repeat the last phrase they played before they dropped out with three second silences between the repeated phrase.

Apparently 'Conspiracies' was devised by Chris Cutler and first performed at Angelica Festival in Bologna in 2015 and since then it’s been performed every year at UEL. I imagine it pushes the musicians out of their comfort zones into an unpredictable musical landscape of continuities and ruptures. If you get a chance to catch it next year, check it out, it's a completely intriguing performance!

Interview with Chris Cutler here Henry Cow – An Interview With Chris Cutler | Echoes And Dust

Then onto the tube to Elephant and Castle to arrive slightly late at ‘Torn Edges’. The programme comments that ‘ The relationship between punk, art and design history is a relatively new and emerging field within the broader theme of punk scholarship’ part of a ‘much deeper critical analysis of punk music, fashion, politics, philosophy and aesthetics…’

The conference had pulled together some great speakers, all authors, and here is a whistlestop tour of my possibly inaccurate and certainly sketchy notes on the day! Apologies to the speakers for any mistakes.

First up was Marie Arleth Skov on ‘Berlin Calling: the Dark, Dramatic and Dazzling Punk Art Praxis of a Divided City’. Unfortunately I got there late but I’ve written down ‘cornelia schleime, multidisciplinary artist who mixed genres, similarities with linder sterling’. 

Interview with Marie Arleth Skov here Marie Arleth Skov | Echoes And Dust

Gavin Butt spoke on ‘From Pork to Punk: Towards a cartography of the ‘cross-over’’. I’ve got  ‘wayne county, cross over between underground and popular culture, ‘ridiculous’ theatre and rock music in the 70s, hair, oh calcutta, pork, warhol, cherry vanilla and gender politics’.

Interview with Gavin Butt here No Machos Or Pop Stars: When The Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk. Interview with Gavin Butt. | Echoes And Dust

Rebecca Binns was up next with ‘Shouting Mortality as I Drown: The Intersection of Anne Bean’s Performance with Punk and Feminist Practice in the 1970s’. My notes were ‘anne bean, joseph beuys, fluxus, social sculpture, butler’s wharf art/squat area, migrated into punk, flow was both ways, anne bean resisted labelling, worked between subcultures, meat dress before lady gaga’. I should have also written ‘moody and the menstuators’.

Ana Raposo spoke on ‘Which Side Are You On? The Visual Representation of Politics in Punk and Post-Punk’. Ana’s presentation was on punk as a politically contested space, the appropriation and deployment of fascist imagery and symbols within punk and oi, RAR and anti-facism.

Ian Trowell was up next with an intriguing talk entitled, ‘Anarchy in the UK’, ‘Black Square’ and Pop Nihilism: Exploring the Links between punk, Nihilism, Suprematism and Situationism’. My notes say, ‘malevich, black square, sex pistols anarchy cover, anti flag, anarchism’s black flag, malevich white on white, beatle’s white album, rauschenberg’.

Simon Strange gave a presentation on ‘Blank Canvas: why did UK art schools produce such a stream of impactful popular musicians?’ I did a review of Simon’s book when it came out so I didn't really make any notes but check out the review of his excellent book on Echoes and Dust Simon Strange – Blank Canvas: Art School Creativity From Punk To New Wave | Echoes And Dust

Last up was Maria Elena Buszek on ‘Identity is the Crisis: Punk Feminisms’. My notes are a bit brief for such an important topic, just ‘slits, alex michon, linder sterling, hannah hoch’s collages’. (Sorry, I was a bit tired by then!)

As you can see my note taking needs a bit of working on (apologies to speakers) but there are names and ideas in there worth following up. ‘Torn Edges’ was excellent, the speakers contextualising and joining dots between punk art, punk artists and wider art and design history. Despite its Year Zero claims early punk and post-punk artists, many of whom had been through art college, drew on historical art resources in their practice. This conference explored some of those connections, alerting me, at least, to artists I had previously been unaware of.     

What to call this review? I decided on ‘In Praise of Learning’ after the Henry Cow album and because of the effect and role that some music, art, artists and musicians can have as they act as portals, challenging, make the familiar unfamiliar, reconfiguring our thinking, stretching us and showing us new things. Yesterday was one of those experiences.