Top 10 Gong Songs

Photo: By Tim Duncan (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Gong Songs list takes a look at a progressive rock band formed in France in 1967. The band developed a cult following of loyal listeners who fell in love with bands mixture of various genres that they formulated into their own unique progressive rock sound. The band’s debut album featured musicians Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Didier Malherbe, and Rachid Houari. The album entitled Magick Brother was released in 1970. One year later in 1971, the band Gong released the album Camembert Electrique. That album has been hailed as the band’s masterpiece.

Gong continued to release albums throughout the 1970’s. The band released seven albums form 1970 to 1978. At the end of the 1970’s the band split up into various offshoots that would make your head spin if we tried to explain all the band’s different lineups and names. Our Top 10 Gong songs list will focus on the seven albums released during their 1970’s Glory Years when Gong was Gong.

# 10 – Mystic Sister / Magick Brother

There is no better way to open up our Top 10 Gong Songs list than with the opening one/two punch of “Mystic Sister / Magick Brother,” from the band’s debut album. The two connected tracks opened up side one of the band’s debut album.

# 9 – Other Side of the Sky

Continuing our Top 10 Gong Songs list we turn to the Angel’s Egg album. Angel’s Egg was the bands fourth album. It was released in 1973. The Gong song “Other Side of the Sky,” was the album’s opening track. It was written by Daevid Allen and Tim Blake.

# 8 – Radio Gnome Invisible

The track “Radio Gnome Invisible,” was released on the band’s Flying Teapot album. That great progressive album was released in 1973. The song was written by Daevid Allen. It was the first time Steve Hillage appeared on a Gong album.

# 7 – Flying Teapot

The Gong track “Flying Teapot,”was released in the band’s 1973 album of the same name. I really don’t know how to describe this music. I worked in a factory in the 1970’s when I was in high school and the people who worked there used to blast this music the loudspeakers and drive Elton John / Beatles fans like me crazy. After a while I started to like it. It took away the pain of having to work in a factory.

# 6 – You Can’t Kill Me

We could probably fill up this entire top 10 Gong songs list with tracks from the band’s two masterpieces You and Camembert Electrique. The song You Can’t Kill Me was released in the latter album.

# 5 – Esnuria

In 1976, Gong released an album entitled Gazeuse! In the U.S. the album was called Expresso . Renegades of album title, this killer track featured the legendary guitarist Alan Holdsworth. Enough said.

# 4 – The Isle of Everywhere

The Gong classic “The Isle of Everywhere,” was released on their legendary You album in 1974.

# 3 – Fohat Digs Holes In Space

The incredible piece of music entitled “Fohat Digs Holes In Space,” was released on the album Camembert Electrique. That iconic Gong album was released in 1971.

# 2 – A Sprinkling Of Clouds

Gong’s “A Sprinkling of Clouds,” was released ion the 1974 You album. The piece was written by Daevid Allen, Tim Blake, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Didier Malherbe and Pierre Moerlen. No other band ever sounded like this.

# 1 – Master Builder

It’s hard to argue against this incredible Gong track coming in at number one on our top 10 Gong Songs list. The spectacular recording of “Master Builder,” was released on the You album. The legendary album was released in 1974.