Urban Guerrilla by Hawkwind

"Urban Guerrilla" by Hawkwind was released on 27th July 1973 and reached number 39 in the UK charts. It would quite probably have reached a higher position, as the single was selling very well, but the single was withdrawn after only 3 weeks.

Why?

Well, the opening lyrics of "Urban Guerrilla" are 'I'm an urban guerrilla, i make bombs in my cellar" and Hawkwind had the misfortune to release the single just as the IRA started a bombing campaign in London. The lyrics and subject matter were felt to be in bad taste and the BBC refused to play the song on the radio.

Apparently, it was considered trying to promote the singles B Side, "Brainbox Pollution" instead, as a way of getting around the problem. But, possibly, because "Brainbox Pollution" is a song about drug abuse, "Urban Guerrilla" was withdrawn from sale.

Ironically, the lyrics of  "Urban Guerrilla" were written by band member Bob Calvert a couple of years prior to the songs release.

So, "Urban Guerrilla" joins that long and illustrious list of records that have been banned, or effectively  banned. Either because somebody decides that the content is offensive (think "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood), or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I can still remember there being a list of songs not suitable to be played on the radio during the first Gulf War in 1990/91. That list included songs such as "Give Peace A Chance" by Plastic Ono Band, with John Lennon and, possibly not suprisingly, "Killing An Arab" by The Cure.
There have of course been many other situations like this, but this is the one that sticks in my mind.

The main reason that i included "Urban Guerrilla" in this series of blog posts, was because of the controversary surrounding the song. That and also because it may well have some value as a rarity, because of its withdrawal from sale.

'Urban Guerrilla" can now be found on the re-issued version of the Hawkwind album "Doremi Fasol Latido" and on various compilations of the bands work.

Looking at the scribbling, that i did at the time, on the record sleeve i can tell you that i bought "Urban Guerrilla" on 19th September 1974. So, i didn't buy it at the time of its original release.
I did own at least one Hawkwind album by this time, so would have known about the song. I can only presume that i couldn't find the record, due to its being deleted so quickly?

It is not the only vinyl single that i still own by Hawkwind. I have three more, including the obligatory "Silver Machine". Which was the bands only real hit single and got to number 3 in the UK charts in 1972. My version, from 1972, even has a nice picture sleeve and i would probably have written about that record instead, if not for the aforementioned controversary.

The other two singles i still have are "Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)" from 1974 and "Kings of Speed" from 1975. "Kings Of Speed" has, as its B Side, the original version of the song "Motorhead". "Motorhead" was written by then bass player Ian "Lemmy" Kilminster, who went on to form the band "Motorhead", after being sacked from Hawkwind in 1975.


Even if you know nothing about Hawkwind, apart from what you've read here, the bands song titles may well give you some idea of what the band, who are still going, are all about. They have been called a "space rock" band, amongst other things and have their origins in the hippie era of the late 1960's.

I vividly remember seeing Hawkwind live a few times in the mid 1970's.
There is a track on their classic 1973 live album, "Space Ritual", called "Sonic Attack" written by the science fiction and fantasy author Michael Moorcock, who was a friend of the band. The title of that song sums up very well what a Hawkwind gig was like, especially back in those days.

For a young man, who was attending one of his first ever gigs, my first Hawwind concert was quite an initiation into the world of live music.
Hawkwind had a pretty revolutionary light show back then. They were also sometimes joined by a rather buxom young female dancer called Stacia. Stacia was renowned for taking all of her clothes off and dancing around the stage in a kind of musically induced trance. For some strange reason, this is something i remember very well!
Couple all of that with the wall of sound coming from the band on stage, in a small venue and it really was a complete audio/visual experience.

Hawkwind are one of those bands that command an almost fanatical following amongst their many fans, i know several myself. Forming in 1969 and still gigging and recording in 2012 means that they have now accumulated many legions of dedicated fans across the years.
Long may that continue.