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Nik Turner (born Nicholas Turner, 28 August 1940, in Oxford, Oxfordshire), is a British musician, best known as a founder of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer. While with Hawkwind, Turner was known for his experimental free jazz stylizations and outrageous stage presence, often donning full makeup and Ancient Egypt-inspired costumes. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... For space rocks, see asteroid. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece like the clarinet. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ...

Days with Hawkwind and personality conflicts

Despite his pleasant personality, as the years wore on Turner battled frequently with bandleader/guitarist Dave Brock, who felt that the former overplayed in a distracting fashion and used musical pretenses to disguise his allegedly poor playing. However, a cursory listen to Hawkwind's official and indeed unofficial recordings during this period confirms that Turner's playing was, by and large, entirely in keeping with the music. Turner's relationship with bassist Lemmy gradually disintegrated throughout the early 1970s, allegedly spurred on by a feature in New Musical Express that seemed to portray Lemmy as the sole frontman of the group.(No mention of this is made in either HW biogaphy... ) Fundamentally, Turner's "quintessential hippie" persona clashed with Lemmy's identification with bikers and use of amphetamines. Dave Brock (born David Anthony Brock, 20 August 1941, in Isleworth, Middlesex) is best known as the frontman of the English space rock group, Hawkwind. ... Lemmy (born Ian Fraiser Kilmister on December 24, 1945, also known as Ian Willis, Lemmy Kilmister, and Lemmy von Motörhead) is an English singer and bass guitarist, most famous for being the founding member of the heavy metal band Motörhead. ... The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a weekly magazine about popular music published in the UK. It is unlike many other popular music magazines due to its intended focus on guitar-based music and indie rock bands, instead of mainstream pop acts. ... Frontman (also front man) is a term referring to the lead singer or band leader of a music group. ... Amphetamine is a synthetic drug originally developed (and still used) as an appetite suppressant. ...

After Lemmy was arrested for illegal possession of amphetamines during a 1975 North American tour, Turner instigated the bassist's dismissal from Hawkwind (allegedly - in his autobiography, Lemmy states that it was Brock who dismissed him from the band). Other band members, namely Brock, came to regret the reluctant decision, and Turner began to be perceived as something of a manipulator (both Hawkwind biographies contest this). After 1976's Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music, a poorly received fusion-oriented release heavily influenced by Turner, he ceased playing with the group. (This is a rather contententious point of view, as Turner was responsible for only one out of seven tracks, whereas Brock co-wrote three... therefore Turner's "heavy influence" is unlikely). )This too was a bone of contention: while Brock and lead singer Robert Calvert claimed they had dismissed Turner (with two other members), the saxophonist characterized it as more of a band mutiny against the twosome. 1975 release by the band Hawkwind Track listing Reefer Madness (Brock, Calvert) Steppenwolf (Brock, Calvert) City of Lagoons (House) The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon (Rudolph) Kerb Crawler (Brock, Calvert) Kadu Flyer (House, Mandelkau) Chronoglide Skyway (Powell) One of the nices sounding albums of all time by any band. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Robert Newton Calvert (9 March 1945 - 14 August 1988) was the lead singer, poet and frontman of Hawkwind intermittently from 1972-1979, who went on to a less successful but intriguing separate career. ...

Later Years

Over the years Turner has played with many musicians and collaborations. Some of his output continued in the Hawkwind vein, but Turner has also explored other genres.

After leaving Hawkwind, Turner visited Egypt and recorded flute music inside the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid. These recordings, with help from, amongst others, Steve Hillage (Gong) and Alan Powell (Hawkwind) led to the formation of "Sphynx" and the album "Xitintoday". Sphynx toured, appeared on BBC television and recorded a further album's worth of demos which have not thus far been officially released, and a live album called Conscience of Hawkwind Live at the Deeply Vale Free Festival.

In 1979 Turner joined forces with "Judge" Trev Thoms and "Dead Fred" Reeves to form Inner City Unit. A reaction in many ways against the mystical leanings of the Sphynx project, this was a (very!) hard-hitting psychedelic punk band, as heard on their albums "Pass Out", "The Maximum Effect", "Punkadelic" and the ultra-bizarre "Ersatz", recorded under the pseudonym "The Imperial Pompadours". By 1982 certain ICU members were causing (drug-related) problems and Turner was invited to rejoin Hawkwind, at first as an occasional guest but later as full-blown frontman. The next two years saw some of the most colourful and outrageous HW gigs ever, as Nik was (and is) a consummate frontman. This did not sit well with some of the members, notably new bassist Alan Davey and (surprise!) Brock, and by 1985 he was again dismissed/left. A new line-up of ICU was then formed and produced one album and one EP(and occasionally featured Robert Calvert).

Turner's next project was "Nik Turner's Fantastic All Stars", a sax and Hammond organ-driven jazz/r'n'b band. They gigged for several years, eventually releasing the album "Kubanno Kickasso!"

Turner also worked with Twink under the name PinkWind, a group named by combining the monikers of the musicians' former groups: Turner's Hawkwind, and Twink and Steve Took's Pink Fairies. Mick Farren was also a member. PinkWind released two albums. Some line-ups also featured Judge Trev Thoms. John Charles Alder (born 29 November 1944), better known as Twink, is a British musician (drummer), singer and song writer) who was a central figure in the British psychedelic movement, and an actor. ... Steve Peregrin Took (1949–1980) was a British musician. ... The Pink Fairies were a British heavy/progressive/alternative rock group active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s . ... Mick Farren is a UK Underground/counterculture radical and anarchist. ...

In the early '90s Turner regularly toured the US performing a set of Hawkwind-centred material with members of Pressurehed and some old HW friends. Several live and studio CDs document this period well.

In 2001 Turner devised the idea of a reunion of the original Hawkwind lineup, or as near to it as possible. A handful of shows were played before the band settled on the name "xhawkwind"... this led Turner into open warfare with Brock - the result was a protracted court case and the tarnishing of the name "Hawkwind" and all it originally stood for.

The band continued as "Space Ritual" and have so far released an album, an EP and most recently a DVD.

Turner regularly plays with new and experimental musicians and also busks with his roadie Erv near his home in Wales. Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. ...

His current musical endeavours include the jazz/funk band Nik Turner's Galaktikos, Space Ritual, and an album & tour with American space rockers Spaceseed. In 2006 Inner City Unit was reformed with Judge Trev, Commander Jim Hawkman, Nazer Alikhan, Meurig Griffiths, and their dancer Angelflame.

What cannot be underestimated is Turner's importance and influence on a huge number of musicians in any number of genres over the last thirty or so years. He has guested and/or recorded with a myriad of musicians, such as punk legends The Damned and Sham 69, heavy rockers Thor and DRN, psychedelic spacerockers Five Fifeen and DarkSun (amongst others)and rock'n'roll band The Jalapenos, amongst many others. His warm, friendly personality and enthusiasm for his art continues to be an inspiration to many.

Discography

Hawkwind

Studio

• Hawkwind(1970)
• In Search of Space(1971)
• Doremi Fasol Latido(1972)
• Space Ritual(1973)
• Hall of the Mountain Grill(1974)
• Warrior on the Edge of Time(1975)
• Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music(1976)
• Choose Your Masques(1982)

Live Hawkwind, the self-titled debut psychedelic rock album by Hawkwind was released in 1970, originally on Liberty Records (catalogue no. ... In Search of Space is a 1971 album by Hawkwind. ... 1972 Release by the band Hawkwind Track listing Brainstorm (Turner) 11:33 Space Is Deep (Brock) 6:20 One Change (Dettmar)  :49 Lord of Light (Brock) 6:59 Down Through the Night (Brock) 3:04 Time We Left This World Today (Brock) 8:43 The Watcher (Kilmister) 4:09 Trivia... Space Ritual is a 1973 Hawkwind album of recordings taped live December 22nd (tracks 8-17) and December 30th, 1973 (tracks 1-7). ... Hall of the Mountain Grill (1974) is probably Hawkwinds most accessible album. ... Hall of the Mountain Grill is Hawkwinds fifth studio album. ... 1975 release by the band Hawkwind Track listing Reefer Madness (Brock, Calvert) Steppenwolf (Brock, Calvert) City of Lagoons (House) The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon (Rudolph) Kerb Crawler (Brock, Calvert) Kadu Flyer (House, Mandelkau) Chronoglide Skyway (Powell) One of the nices sounding albums of all time by any band. ... Choose Your Masques, is a 1982 studio album by Hawkwind. ...

• Weird Tapes Volume 3(1975-1977)
• Weird Tapes Volume 5(1976-1977)
• Weird Tapes Volume 6(1970-1973)
• Weird Tapes Volume 8(1966-1973)
• Text Of Festival(1970-1971)
• Bring Me The Head Of Yuri Gagarin(1973)
• Space Ritual Volume 2(1972)
• BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert(1972)
• The 1999 Party(1974)
• Atomhenge '76(1976)
• Zones(1980-1982)
• This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic(1980-1984)
• Out and Intake(1982-1986)
• Choose Your Masques: Collectors Series Volume 2(1982)

Michael Moorcock & Deep Fix Text Of Festival is an archive album by Hawkwind consisting of BBC sessions and live performances between 1970 and 1971. ... Bring Me The Head Of Yuri Gagarin is an archive album by Hawkwind released in 1985 consisting of a live performance from 1973. ... Space Ritual is a 1973 Hawkwind album of recordings taped live December 22nd (tracks 8-17) and December 30th, 1973 (tracks 1-7). ... BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert is a 1991 live album of a 1972 concert by Hawkwind. ... The 1999 Party is a live album by Hawkwind recorded at the Chicago Auditorium Theatre on 21 March 1974 released retrospectively in November 1997 by EMI. It was issued for the first time as part of EMIs re-releasing remastered versions of the Hawkwind back catalogue. ... Thrilling Hawkwind Adventures North America (Griffin, 2000) Atomhenge 76 is a 2000 live album release of part of a 1976 concert by Hawkwind. ... Zones is an album by Hawkwind released in 1983 consisting of studio demos from 1981 and live performances between 1980 and 1982. ... This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic is an album by Hawkwind released in 1984 consisting of live performances between 1980 and 1984. ... Out and Intake is a 1987 album by Hawkwind comprised of live recordings from 1982 and studio outtakes from 1982 and 1986. ...

• New World's Fair(1975)
• Rollercoaster Holiday(1975)

Robert Calvert

• Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters(1974)
• Lucky Leif and the Longships(1975)

Nik Turner's Sphynx Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters was a 1974 satirical concept album by the erstwhile frontman of acid-rock band Hawkwind, Robert Calvert. ... Lucky Leif and the Longships is a 1975 record album by Robert Calvert, and produced by Brian Eno. ...

• Xitintoday(1978)
• Live At Deeply Vale(1978)

Inner City Unit

• Pass Out(1980)
• The Maximum Effect(1981)
• Punkadelic(1984)
• Ersatz(1985)

Nik Turner's Fantastic All Stars

• Kubanno Kickasso(1985)

Space Ritual

• 2001 A Space Rock Odyssey(2001)
• Live At Glastonbury And Guildford Festival(2002)
• Live At The Venusian Electric Ballroom In The Cygnus 5 Galaxy(2005)
• Sonic Savages(2005)
• Satiricon(2006)

Note the Hawkwind Live albums are not dated from release, but on the year they where recorded.

Further reading

There are three biographies of Hawkwind which contain extensive contributions from and sections about Nik Turner.

• Kris Tait This is Hawkwind: Do not Panic (1984, published by the band but now out of print)
• Ian Abraham Sonic Assassins (Published by SAF publishing; ISBN 0-946719-69-1)
• Carol Clerk's Saga of Hawkwind (Publisher: Music Sales Limited ISBN 1-84449-101-3)

External links

• Nik Turner's official site
• Space Ritual's Official Site
• Official Spaceseed site
• Galaktikos
• JEZALAND - Original archive photos of Nik Turner, Here & Now, Gong, Free Festivals from Jeza

Online Videos

• Video's Nik Turner - Click Live Performance