Bill Bruford and Gong

(with a little more on Holdsworth's career with Gong and Bruford.)

A number of references in books and cd liner notes have implied that Bruford recorded with Gong, though no recordings aside from audience tapes of concerts are known to exist. The only audience tape I'm aware has so much hiss it's not possible to distinctly tell if it's really Bruford or to contrast his style to Pierre Moerlen or other Gong drummers. During the period that Bruford subbed in the band Gong went through many drummers as Pierre Moerlen came and left a few times between lps. Eventually after Allen and Hillage departed Moerlen took over leadership of the band.

Allan Holdsworth joined up later, joining Moerlen's group after Bruford departed, a few years before Holdsworth and Bruford joined forces in the band U.K. Curiously enough, Holdsworth played with Jamie Muir briefly in a band around 1971 with keyboardist Alan Gowen, before any of these artists had recorded their most significant studio works. Muir left to join King Crimson briefly, leaving a notable influence on Bruford. Bruford later played briefly with Gowen in National Health, and then after King Crimson dissolved Holdsworth took the guitar seat in U.K., playing with three band-mates who had worked with Robert Fripp in King Crimson. Will this doesn't relate much to Gong directly I find it interesting how closely Holdsworths and Brufords careers have intertwined over the years before they connected to record together in U.K. and Bruford's band.

Gong must have been quite a contrast for Bill Bruford after working with Robert Fripp. The band had a crazy farmhouse in France and my impression is that the craziness of gong was too much for Bill. Here's a poem by Daevid Allen to Bill Bruford based on memories of those times:

Poem To Bill Bruford

`You look quite young,
 except your hands.
 You have old hands. '

 I look at my hands...
 They look like I died last Saturday.

`I couldn't stay in this band,
 you all think differently than me,
 you drive me mad. ha ha ha.'
`I just couldn't do it' he added joyfully.

 Bloomdido says, hopefully, last angle,
`We are a community of hermits' *

`I like your playing' he said, gay-ly zooming in on Bloom,
`It's binging fantastic!' " **

By Daevid Allen, as read 8/91

** it sounded like "binging" but may have been some other word...