Mother Gong

Mother Gong was an offshot band of Gong, first imagined by Gilli Smyth in 1978 to promote her album Mother. In 1979, Gilli Smyth met Harry Williamson, and Mother Gong became the vehicle for musical projects together, with several distinct line-ups of musicians over the next 15 years. In 1994 Harry left and Gilli continued to use the name with a completely different group, until 2006. There were 6 periods : proto-Mother Gong #1 -1978 - band assembled to promote the Mother album Members : Gilli Smyth, Jerry Hart (dr), George Bishop (sax), Paul Sanchez (bass), François Bessac (gtr), Jean-Paul Vivini (synth), Janno (perc), Patrick Meadows (keys), Ax Genrich (gtr)... This proto-Mother Gong band consisting of French and UK musicians briefly toured in Spain and UK in the second half of 1978. Mother Gong #2 -1978-79 in USA. Gilli Smyth & Harry Williamson with musicians: George Bishop, Bill Laswell, Bill Bacon, Mark Kramer... Participated to the first New-York Manifestival in Oct.1978 then returned in Spring 1979 for a US tour promoted by Giorgio Gomelski. Although billed as "Mother Gong", this was really Gilli and Harry backed by members of New York Gong (soon to become Material). Period documented on 5782231 and on several bootlegs. They performed material from Fairytales as well as selected items from Mother and new pieces by Harry. Mother Gong #3 -1979-80 Members : Gilli Smyth, Harry Williamson, Didier Malherbe, Trevor Darks, Mo Vicarage, Ermanno Ghisio Erba, Eduardo Niebla... Recorded the album Fairy Tales, and played at Glastonbury festival 1979 on the new Pyramid Stage. Mother Gong #4 - 1981-83 Members : Gilli Smyth, Harry Williamson, Didier Malherbe, Yan Emeric, Dane Cranenberg, Guy Evans This is the Robot Woman Trilogy period, with a consistent line-up of musicians around Gilli and Harry. Played festivals in Norway and UK, and headlined at Glastonbury 81, where Robot Woman was partly recorded. Harry and Gilli emigrated to Australia with their family in 1982. The last part of the Robot Woman trilogy was recorded in Australia, with different local musicians instead of the UK band. Mother Gong #5 - 1986-1992 in Australia and UK Members : Gilli Smyth, Harry Williamson, Robert Calvert, Conrad Henderson, Robert George In '86 Harry built a studio for the band. This was the longest, most stable, and most prolific period for Mother Gong. They developed a "spontaneous composition" method, resulting in a unique and successful blend of jazz, rock and ambient music. This period ended when Harry and Gilli parted ways. Concerts in Australia and a stripped down tour of USA in '91. In '89 Harry traveled to the UK to produce Daevid's Australia Aquaria / She and Gongmaison, toured with them and was later joined by Gilli and Mother Gong to record . Mother Gong #6 - 2005-2006 Members : Gilli Smyth, Didier Malherbe, Gwyo Ze Pix, Orlando Allen, Tim Hall, Graham Clark Final resurrection of the band at the occasion of Gong's conventions in 2005 and 2006. They did also a few other gigs in UK and Norway.