GONG – LOVE FROM THE PLANET GONG: THE VIRGIN YEARS 1973-75

Stuart Kirkham
Sep 27, 2019
3 min read

GONG – LOVE FROM THE PLANET GONG:

THE VIRGIN YEARS 1973-75

13 DISC BOX SET CELEBRATING THE VIRGIN YEARS WITH OVER 70% OF RARE, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDINGS

CURATED BY GONG’S STEVE HILLAGE

MIXED BY GONG BASSIST, PRODUCER, MIKE HOWLETT

REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL VIRGIN MASTERS BY ORIGINAL GONG TRILOGY ENGINEER

SIMON HEYWORTH

RELEASED BY UMC 27th September 2019

Curated by Steve Hillage and released with the full involvement of original members, legendary psychedelic surrealists Gong are the subject of a new Box Set with the release of Love From The Planet Gong: The Virgin Years 1973-75 on September 27th 2019 (UMC)

Released to coincide with Gong’s 50th Anniversary, the Box Set covers the band’s classic years in a stunning package that includes: their seminal first four Virgin studio albums plus bonus tracks; previously unreleased, multi-tracked full gigs, the complete John Peel Sessions from 1973 and 1974; previously unreleased quad Pye and Westlake mixes of ‘You’ re-formatted to 5.1 surround-sound, and artwork including rare and previously unseen work by the late Daevid Allen.

Under the visionary guidance of Daevid Allen, Gong raised the bar for psychedelic rock in the 1970s. The first three albums Gong recorded for the Virgin label—Flying Teapot, Angel’s Egg & You—introduced the listener to the invisible mythyological universe of Pot Head Pixies, Zero The Hero, The Octave Doctors and The Good Witch Yoni. Featuring sublime virtuoso guitar from Steve Hillage, Gong’s intoxicating, space-rock inflected compositions such as ‘Radio Gnome Invisible’ ‘The Isle Of Everywhere’, ‘Master Builder’, ‘Inner Temple/Outer Temple’ ‘Shamal’, ‘Flying Teapot’ and ‘Oily Way’ are all an absolute joy to experience, re-mastered by original engineer Simon Heyworth and sounding as crisp and inventive as ever.

Love From The Planet Gong: The Virgin Years 1973-75 brings together Gong’s finest years in an exceptionally presented Box Set.

BOX SET HIGHLIGHTS

The First 4 Virgin Records studio Albums plus Bonus Tracks
First CD release of the original ‘Flying Teapot’ masters. Beautifully remastered with previously unreleased bonus mixes.
First CD release of ‘Shamal’ from the original masters. Superbly remastered with previously unreleased bonus mixes.
The complete John Peel sessions from BBC Radio One from 1973 and 1974
2 CDs of full gig at Club Arc En Ciel, Roanne in 1973
1 CD of full gig at the renowned free concert in Hyde Park, London in 1974
2 CDs of full 1975 gig at the London Marquee Club including first live recordings of tracks from ‘Shamal’ and Steve Hillage’s debut solo LP, ‘Fish Rising’.
2 CDs entire gig at The Bataclan, Paris in 1973
2 tracks recorded at the Edinburgh Festival in 1973
Includes the previously unreleased quadrophonic Pye and Westlake Studio mixes of ‘You’.
Notes by Gong archivist Jonny Greene of the Gong Appreciation Society and artwork including rare and previously unseen artwork by Daevid Allen.
Also contains 64-page illustrated lyric booklet that includes Angel’s Egg’s famously quirky and informative ‘Blue Book’ and a new companion to Flying Teapot ‘Green Book’.

FULL TRACKLISTING & PRODUCT INFO HERE: https://umusic.box.com/s/x5rbpzabakrd2tty2q8aefkl998nasti

ALBUM PRE-ORDER LINK: https://Gong.lnk.to/LFTPG

Steve Hillage w/Gong 2019 UK TOUR DATES:

November 14: Southampton Engine Rooms November 15: Aylesbury Waterside Theatre November 16: London Islington Assembly Hall November 17: Glasgow SWG3 November 18: Sheffield O2 Academy 2 November 20: Bristol O2 Academy November 21: Birmingham O2 Institute 2 November 22: Cardiff Tramshed November 23: Liverpool O2 Academy November 24: Brighton Concorde 2.