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'The Sun Machine is coming down,
and we're gonna have a party'
Welcome to Geronimo
Starship
(and a very special warm welcome to those visitors who have followed the link
in 'The Complete David Bowie'*)
In 1970
Radio Geronimo broadcast to Europe via the 400Kw transmitters of
Radio Monte Carlo. Why? Because there was no other way to
legally transmit to discerning music enthusiasts in the UK and beyond. At night
the signal from the South of France bounced back from the ionosphere and
although sometimes the received signal was swirling and fading it was the ONLY
way to hear adventurous music. In 2021, with satellite radio, DAB, apps and
podcasts, that
may seem difficult to believe. But the poverty and paucity of decent music on
the radio was a great incentive to struggle to hear our broadcasts. We gained a contract with Pan American
Airways to provide their inflight entertainment and rebranded as 'Geronimo
Starship' - whereupon the programme at the top of this page was prepared for
broadcast on USA west coast Radio Pacifica.
Geronimo Starship recorded most of the
Glastonbury Fayre of 1971. This included the legendary performance by David
Bowie. This was before Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust. A triple album containing
some Glastonbury performances was released by Revelation in 1972 - although most
of the actual Glastonbury recordings remain unreleased. This website
celebrates Glastonbury 1971 and will include setlists, white labels, promo
booklets and more...
| Set lists compiled from the surviving and uncirculated tapes: |
| David Bowie at Glastonbury, dawn 23 June 1971
(unreleased) |
recorded in stereo. John & Frank of Geronimo Starship, as
mentioned in the Glastonbury Fayre booklet, already had authorised recording equipment set up under the
stage. |
| First song/songs unknown |
David finally appeared on stage at dawn. John
races down the hill to operate the recording equipment. One, maybe two
songs (or perhaps none) were missed... titles unknown. |
| The Supermen |
First few bars missing |
| Quicksand |
announcement recorded for Quicksand but sadly not on tape |
| Changes |
solo organ accompaniment. At the end David cannot believe
'how cold I am... plonking away at everything in sight whether it be white
or black''. |
| I'd like a big girl with a couple of melons |
The original lyrics to a song which eventually morphed
into 'Pretty Things'. Unintentional (and unwanted, but treated with great
respect) accompaniment from a spaced out Scandinavian lady. |
| Oh! You Pretty Things |
at this time the 'big hit' song had only been recorded by
Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits) |
| Kooks |
First bars only then tape reel ends... We do however hear
a lengthy intro referring to the recent baby... |
| It's Gonna Rain Again |
New tape reel, first few bars may be missing. Possibly the
only known recording of this song? |
| Memory Of A Free Festival |
'I just want to say that you've given me more pleasure
than I've had in a good few months of working, and I don't do gigs any
more because I got so pissed off with working and dying a death every time
I worked and it's really nice to have somebody appreciate me for a change' |
| Amsterdam |
.'..for my own liking, one of the best social observers of
his climate and the particular area that he lived in and he was doing
stuff like this 15, 20 years ago, and it still stands up now, and this is
one of those songs... and it was called The Port Of Amsterdam' |
| Song For Bob Dylan |
'this is where I pile audacity upon audacity' and 'you're
really making me drag through all me things that have been stored in
cupboards for months and yonks, all me skeletons' |
| Bombers |
'OK Bombers then'...
mid song, a short fault in the recording - somebody accidentally leans
against a moving tape spool/reel?
'Thank you very much and goodbye'.
Andy Dunkley (compere) then appears and mistakenly refers to David's
latest album as The Man Who Ruled The World. The audience correct him. |
.
| Glastonbury 1971
Tuesday Night into Wednesday Morning: TRAFFIC with Steve Winwood, Jim
Capaldi, Chris Wood, Dave Mason, Jim Gordon & Rebop Kwaku Baah
(unreleased) stereo |
| Medicated Goo |
chaotic start, vocals
missing, still finding the levels... |
| Shouldn't Have Took More
Than You Gave |
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| Glad/Freedom Rider |
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| Just A Song |
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| John Barleycorn Must Die |
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| (Roamin' Through The Gloamin')
with 40,000 Headmen |
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| Many A Mile To Freedom |
incomplete |
| Dear Mr Fantasy |
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| Look At You Look at Me |
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| Gimme Some Lovin' |
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| Glastonbury 1971
Monday Evening: MELANIE (unreleased) stereo |
| Levels high on
Melanie's vocals resulting in distortion but can be repaired with todays
technology |
| Close To It All |
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| The Good Book |
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| Ring The Living Bell |
Melanie says she has written
this song 'just that night' |
| Peace Will Come
(according to plan) |
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| Mr Tambourine Man |
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| What Wondrous Love |
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| Beautiful People |
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| Lay Down/Candles In The Rain |
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| Ruby Tuesday |
Melanie wonders what to play
next... someone in the audience shouts out 'Alexander Beetle' |
| Living Bell reprise |
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More setlists compiled from the
tapes to follow, including Terry Reid, Edgar Broughton, Fairport Convention,
Gong, Windf*****s etc
Glastonbury
1971 Collage and exclusive interviews have been aired
on the webmaster's radio show
'Toward The Unknown Region'
*Nice to see you all at Nicholas Pegg's 'The Complete David Bowie' book
launch on 24th September 2011 in London.
Chris Bent (webmaster) & John Lundsten (John recorded David Bowie at the 1971
Glastonbury Fayre)
Pyramid photo used by kind permission of the copyright
owner Paul Misso
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