.jpg)
It was with immense sadness that I heard on Friday that legendary English multi-instrumentalist space best known as a member of
space-rock pioneers Hawkwind, Nik Turner had passed, I was literally in tears at the time. Alas have not has time to write about until today, apart from on social media that is.
Nik's Facebook page announced
the news : “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Nik
Turner – The Mighty Thunder Rider, who passed away peacefully at home on
Thursday evening. He has moved onto the next phase of his Cosmic
Journey, guided by the love of his family, friends and fans. Watch this
space for his arrangements.” Nik was 82
The Might Thunder Rider, space gypsy, was a true musical inspiration, who I've been a huge admirer of since my teenage years, to the present, who I've had the pleasure of dancing with on stage,who I've been fortunate over the years to see perform over the years more than any other musician,With Nik I have also had the pleasure of deep conversations about jazz, all sort of things, who I would consider a friend of such warmth and kindness . a free spirited angel in fact, with a heart full of love. Once when rather out of it at a wake for another friend he handed me a tambourine and asked me to play along with him even though I'm musically inept. Whenever I encountered him over the years with a twinkle in his eye would give me a wry wink and a smile. He will be truly missed,
Born Nicholas Robert Turner in Oxford on August 26 1940, Nik moved to the seaside town of Margate as a
teenager. Nik a former Chatham House student, trained in engineering at the University
of Kent, and left Margate for one voyage with the Merchant Navy. He
then travelled around Europe picking up menial jobs, and while with a
travelling music circus in 1967, he became friends with Dave Brock.
In Berlin, he developed an
interest in free jazz, which inspired him to pick back up the clarinet
and saxophone in the hopes of applying the genre’s ethos to rock ‘n’
roll.In 1969 when he began working as a roadie for a new band comprising Dave Brock, Mick Slattery and John Harrison. Turner and fellow roadie Michael "Dik Mik" Davies were soon promoted to band members, and the quintet adopted the name Group X, and ultimately Hawkwind. Nik became an
integral part of the lineup, pulling in friends such as ,poet Robert Calvert and graphic design genius Barney Bubbles, and involved the band in community and charity projects, sometimes to the chagrin of the others,
Taking copious amounts of different mind altering drugs, Hawkwinds lyrics combined high fantasy, psychedelica and occult wierdness,live or studio , to listen attentively to Hawkwind is to enter a trancelike state, Brock has spoken about wanting to create the aural equivalent of an acid trip,you definitely hear that. Combined with mind blowing visuals . their gigs were certainly far out, tinged with darkness, and anarchistic sensibilities, they animated the provincial underground and became a rallying point for freaks and heads everywhere.,
Nik would co-write songs
such as “Brainstorm” and “Master Of The Universe,” appearing on Hawkwind’s first seven albums, including
“Hawkwind” (1970), “Doremi Fasol Latido” (1972) and “In Search of Space”
(1971) before getting kicked
out in 1976 for routinely playing over his bandmates. He briefly
rejoined Hawkwind from 1982-1984.Personally the band were never quite the same without his mercurial presence, his outlandish costumes, his improvised sax and flute playing and general wild man persona. became iconic representations of the band. He was the “wind” in Hawkwind for the course-setting part of their existence – without him even the ensemble’s greatest album ' Warrior on the edge of time. would have sounded much less adventurous and had much duller character.
As one of the earliest psychedelic space-rock groups, Hawkwind was also Lemmy'’s band for four years, before winding up in Motörhead. When recalling
auditioning for Hawkwind at an open-air concert in 1971 at Powis Square
in Notting Hill Gatein, Kilmister remembered hoping to land a slot as
Hawkwind’s second guitarist. Instead, the band’s bassist didn’t show up
and Kilmister was thrown on stage with Turner. Never having played bass
in his life, the sax player told him, “Make some noises in E. This is called ‘You Shouldn’t Do That.'
Nik was name checked by Jimi Hendrix at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival who dedicated Foxy Lady to “the cat right there with the silver face”
Nik was also a friend and collaborator with UK Sci-Fi Legend Michael Moorcock. who would write Hawkwinds rather terryfying Sonic Attack.
Nik's tenure with Hawkwind was just the beginning of his journey to the outer reaches of the rock music universe though as he would go on to release an astoundingly adventurous and diverse catalog of solo albums as well.
Between his two Hawkwind stints. Nik, founded the brilliant psychedelic-punk hybrid band Inner City Unit, which released four albums between 1980 and 1985, followed by the great Nik Turner's Fabulous All Stars a saxophone and Hammond organ driven jazz and rhythm and blues band.His collaborations with everyone from UK Subs guitarist Nicky Garratt
to The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger to Todd Rundgren along with Steve
Hillage of Gong, Amon Dull founder John Weinzierl, Die Krupps leader
Jürgen Engler , Sham 39 frontman Jimmy Pursey, Psychic TV's Genesis P Orridge, rhe
Astronauts, the Blue Horses,Paradise 9, Sendelica, Youth and so many more along with his
expanding creative energy brought new generations of music fans into his
audience
Between his two Hawkwind stints, Nik also vacationed in Egypt in 1977 and recorded himself playing flute in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza. These recordings were later incorporated into a full album, recorded with a plethora of musicians under the moniker Sphynx. The resulting album, Xitintoday, was released in 1978 and featured lyrics Turner had adapted from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Many of the Sphynx musicians also appeared on the 1978 protest single "Nuclear Waste," featuring lead vocals from Sting.
Nik's death marks the end of an era for one of the most innovative , versatile and influential musicians in rock history. Nik Turner will be remembered as a
true pioneer whose contributions helped to shape the sound of Hawkwind
and countless other artists who followed in their wake.A man who never sold out, a counter cultural legend.
Nik a true man of the people in 1985 relocated to West Wales, to a fairly rural, isolated area near Whitland.where he lived and breathed music and immersed himself in nature, A sweet free spirited individual with a myriad of interests he was one of the key architects of psychedelia and a key presence on the music community.and a regular visitor to my hometown of Cardigan . A pivotal member of the UK Counter Culture through the ’60s to the present day.Nik also played at the first ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970 –
erecting a pyramid stage that became the inspiration for the current
main stage . He was
also instrumental in moulding and cultivating the modern free party and
festival scene, including Stonehenge and Glastonbury Festival, where he
onboarded Joe Rush and the Mutoud Waste Company art collective. Nik was
recognised for his contribution along side Andrew Kerr marking t the ‘Spirit of
‘71” at Glastonbury.
Nik played many Glastofests, both inside and outside at the alternative
'fringe' festivals with his own bands and friends' bands on as many
stages as possible, all-night with everyone welcome on stage, really
wild. And circus shows with all his kids and members of the Tibetan
Ukrainian Mountain Troupe.As well as putting up his stage at the Stonehenge Alternative Festival and playing on that with loads of bands, every year, when that was happening.
In 2001, Nik formed Hawkestra for a gig in London, and then toured as xhawkwind.com.
Other musicians using the Hawkwind name at the time took legal action
to prohibit Turner from trading under the name Hawkwind, a case which
Turner lost.
As well as contributing to the profound influence that his band Hawjwind has had
on rock and punk with its focus on community and grassroots
movements—including its many benefit shows and long-standing support of
England's free festivals, Turner may also be the first saxophonist to
effectively bring free jazz to rock music.
Arguably, no one embodied intrepid spirit of space rock more perfectly than Nik Turner,his influence spanned decades and he continued to play live up until the
last few years guesting with many bands, including Dark Sun and Space Mirrors, and with his own band Space Ritual.The veteran clearly didn’t want to stop, it was never on his agenda, and Turner’s latter-day slew of records – including the brilliant "Space Gypsy"" from 2013,"Space Fusion Odyssey" from 2015, 2017’s "Life in Space" and "The Final Frontier"" from 2019 and 2021's wonderful collaboration with my local psychedelic musical heroes Sendelica "I Do What I like" is a proof of that.
I last encountered Nik only a few weeks ago at Japanese, psychedelic band Acid Mother;s Temple gig at the wonderful Cellar bar here in Cardigan,sitting next to the loudspeakers his face beaming with joy and light. Nik's death marks the end of an era.The world already feels a little darker without him here, my thoughts go out to all his family and friends.Safe travelling Nik what an incredible trip you had, keep soaring high, blessed be RIP.
A Poem for Nik Turner
The Mighty Thunder Rider, space gypsy
Soaring into the vast sky
Floating freely where space is deep
His cosmic saxophone blowing notes
Releasing celestial tunes from the universe
Of peace, love and anarchy
Amplifying with magic and devotion
/From planet earth we catch the light.
Brainstorm - Hawkwind
Masters of the Universe - Hawkwind
Born to Go- Hawkwind
Watching the Grass Grow - Hawkwind
Ghost Dance- Hawkwind
Blood and Bone - Inner City Unit
Space Invaders - Inner City Unit
Epitaph for the Hippies featuring Captain Sensible - Inner City Unit
Nik Turner and the Fabulous All Stars p So What
Nik Turner - Fallen Angel
