Gong (band)

Gong are a psychedelic rock band that incorporates elements of jazz and space rock into their musical style.[3] The group was formed in Paris in 1967 by Australian musician Daevid Allen and English vocalist Gilli Smyth. Band members have included Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, Pierre Moerlen, Bill Laswell and Theo Travis. Others who have played on stage with Gong include Don Cherry,[4] Chris Cutler, Bill Bruford, Brian Davison, Dave Stewart and Tatsuya Yoshida.

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Gong
Gong live in Tel Aviv, 31 October 2009 (left to right) Steve Hillage, Gilli Smyth, Chris Taylor, Dave Sturt, Daevid Allen
Background information
Origin	Paris, France
Genres	Psychedelic rock[1] progressive rock space rock[2] jazz rock
Years active	1967–1968 1969–1976 1977 1990 1992–2001 2003–2006 2007–present
Labels	BYG Actuel Charly Musea Snapper Virgin Kscope
Spinoffs	Mother Gong Pierre Moerlen's Gong Planet Gong New York Gong Gongmaison Strontium 90
Members	Fabio Golfetti Dave Sturt Ian East Kavus Torabi Cheb Nettles
Past members	See article
Website	www.planetgong.co.uk

Gong's 1970 debut album, Magick Brother, featured a psychedelic pop sound.[5] By the following year, the second album, Camembert Electrique, featured the more psychedelic rock/space rock sound with which they would be most associated.[1] Between 1973 and 1974, Gong released their best-known work, the allegorical Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy, describing the adventures of Zero the Hero, the Good Witch Yoni and the Pot Head Pixies from the Planet Gong.

In 1975, Allen and Smyth left the band, which continued without them, releasing a series of jazz rock albums under the leadership of drummer Pierre Moerlen. This incarnation soon became known as Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Meanwhile, Smyth formed Mother Gong while Allen initiated a series of spin-off groups, including Planet Gong, New York Gong and Gongmaison, before returning to lead Gong once again in 1990 until his death in 2015. With Allen's encouragement, the band decided to continue, releasing the album Rejoice! I'm Dead! in September 2016[6] and The Universe Also Collapses in 2019.