The Gomelsky Recordings

Table of Contents & Intro (start here)

Table of Contents & Introduction (a list)

[Chapters completed so far: 0]

I. LONDON

I.1 Pre-Yardbirds

I.2 The Yardbirds

I.3 Eddy Offord

I.4 Marmalade Records

II. FRANCE

II.1 Gong

II.2 Magma

II.3 The French Touring Circuit

III. NEW YORK CITY

III.1 Bill Laswell

III.2 The Zu Manifestival

III.3 Material

III.4 Post-Material

Introduction

Is Giorgio Gomelsky the most important person in your record collection that you’ve never heard of? He was for me. He died January 13, 2016. I first became aware of his name in 2017 even though it was all over my record collection for decades. I needed to know more. I became obsessed. I started this book. (As I’ve mentioned before, along the way I helped a friend of Gomelsky publish his book which you can find here.)

Why do a book on substack? Many reasons, but a big one is YOU! I want to include your Gomelsky stories and editorial suggestions. As I publish chapters, they can evolve with your help.

Below is a list of artists that recorded with Gomelsky. It’s sorted in approximate chronological order of the time of recording (not the time of the release, if any), with links to Wikipedia and elsewhere. See something missing? Let me know.

It should be noted that one of the early bands Gomelsky worked with was The Rolling Stones. He was their first manager from about Feb to May of 1963, and he may have recorded a couple of demo songs with them for a promo film he was making for his live music club, but there is scant evidence of this.

Also, during his time in France he was very helpful to the band Henry Cow, but they never recorded together. Some of the band members would later be recorded at The Zu Manifestival (see below).

1. Sonny Boy Williamson with Jimmy Page / Brian Auger / Joe Harriott / Alan Skidmore / The Yardbirds / The Animals 1963

2. The Yardbirds with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck 1964-67

3. Graham Bond + Jack Bruce + Ginger Baker + Dick Heckstall-Smith ‎– Faces And Places Vol. 4 (recorded live at Klook’s Kleek Club in London) 15th October 1964

4. Gary Farr & The T-Bones (with Keith Emerson) 1964

5. The Brothers William 1965

6. Steampacket (formerly The Ingoes) with Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger 1965-66

7. Susie Klee 1966

8. Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll And The Trinity 1967-69

9. Chris Barber & His Band 1967-69

10. Johnny Hallyday 1967

11. Serge Gainsbourg 1967

12. Normie Rowe 1967

13. Blossom Toes 1967-69

14. Soft Machine 1967

15. The Savage Rose 1968

16. Kevin Westlake & Gary Farr 1968

17. Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon (aka Godley & Creme, formerly The Mockingbirds) 1969

18. Robert Lelievre 1969

19. Keith Meehan 1969

20. Ottilie Patterson 1969

21. Gordon Jackson 1969

22. John McLaughlin (Extrapolation; first solo album) 1969

23. John Stevens Spontaneous Music Ensemble 1969-71

24. The Keith Tippett Group 1970

25. Gong 1971-73

26. Alpha Beta (with Vangelis) 1971

27. Vangelis / Aphrodite's Child 1971

28. Magma 1971-76

29. Supersister 1973

30. Albert King 1977

31. The Clifton Chenier Band 1977

32. Michael Blaise And Cheater with Bill Laswell 1978

33. The Zu Manifestival (unreleased live recordings of many bands including Daevid Allen’s NY Gong with Bill Laswell, The Muffins, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, several other Progressive and No Wave bands) 1978

34. Material with Bill Laswell (aka Zu Band, engineered by Eddy Offord) 1979

35. Brian Cullman & Scattered Light 1980

36. A Blind Dog Stares 1981

37. TTT featuring A.R. Penck 1984

38. None Of The Above 1984

39. False Prophets (on Alternative Tentacles) 1987

40. Inner Circle 1990

41. 101 Crustaceans 1990

42. Kanda Bongo Man, Michel Godzom 1990