Galactic Zoo (was Re: HW- 1 of 211)

[Alan Troup]

Oh man!  This is about the most amazing thing I've read in a while!
Thanks for this info!

>the club they performed at,
>One Step Beyond in Santa Clara which is next to San Jose.

Yep!

>I asked Stan (owner) if I could open for Hawkwind, and he asked me if I had
a
>band. I said I'd create one and that we'd be a good opener, and he agreed.

That's amazing - didn't Hawkwind have any say in it?  I got there on time,
but my friend, who had the tickets, arrived late.  I was listening to you
guys from outside, fuming, thinking it was Hawkwind and that I was
missing them!  But I'd not heard any of the songs, and the more I listened,
the more I realized you weren't Hawkwind.  Still, very nice!

>we managed to learn 'Steppenwolf' and have my
>girlfriend (a real singer) sing in Robert Calvert's place.

I was amazed at that one - she must be a very interesting person!  She
had on that half-wolf/half business suit costume, and was prancing around
turning sideways so she looked completely like one or the other from
the right angle.  I think I remember the glowing earrings, but I think I
also
remember the bass player in a top hat who seemed either asleep or
completely zoned, but was doing a great job.

>I think it went quite well all things considered

Me too - so much so that I kept asking around and looking at stores
for Galactic Zoo albums, you &^%$#!   :-)

>and I had it captured on video for historical sake.

Did you get Hawkwind too, or just you guys?  Either way, any chance of
getting
a copy of that tape???

>it is a fond memory for me to know I opened for Hawkwind.

I can imagine...   Little tho I knew of them, I knew they kept changing
bass players - and being one m'self, I always wanted to throw my hat
in the ring to play with them for  a while.   Opening for them would be
the next best thing tho!

>Harvey was quite gracious, because he ended
>up with oil from the smoke machine all over his keyboards and he didn't get
>mad about it!!

Wow.   Perty amazing.

>There you have all the secrets about Galactic Zoo. The name,
>by the way, came from a 1972 album title by Arthur Brown.

Ah - I could have sworn it was because one of Hawkwind's earlier
names was "Hawkwind Zoo" and you guys were a "wannabe" band.

Very interesting stuff!  Thanks!  (And if ever you get the inclination, let
me know about that tape!)

Alan