Michael Moorcock: His Collaborations With Hawkwind and The Blue Öyster Cult

Introduction: On Michael Moorcock

I first came across Michael Moorcock in the seventies through listening to Hawkwind, and that brought me to the four-book Runestaff set, which then introduced me to so many Multiverse novels and the Celtic Mythology Books of Corum of The Silver Hand, and Elric The Albino Stealer of Souls with his Black Blade, Stormbringer.

Most of his books were less than two hundred pages but took me to worlds that absolutely amazed me and I have reread so many of his books and still enjoy them today.

He was not only a fantasy writer but also ventured into Science Fiction and psychological as well as nonfiction. In my opinion his “Warlord of the Air” part of his Nomad of Time series was the first Steampunk novel that I am aware of and was published in 1971. The look of steampunk was almost defined by Disney in their films such as the 1954 “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea” based on the Jules Verne novel.

This is a very short playlist featuring five songs or pieces by Moorcock collaborating with bands. He made a rock album with the band Deep Fix but that is not part of this so here we go.

Michael Moorcock and Hawkwind - “Sonic Attack” from “Space Ritual”

“Space Ritual” was an impressive live album drawing on material from their studio albums, though its full title is “The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London”. Two Michael Moorcock pieces are read out; “The Black Corridor” muses on the concept of Space and takes its title from his novel of the same name.

“Sonic Attack” is a warning against an imminent attack, a sort of public service announcement, filled with threat.

Michael Moorcock and Hawkwind - “Kings of Speed” from “Warrior on the Edge of Time”

Of this Moorcock says:

“Warrior On The Edge Of Time was a concept of mine. What Dave tends to do is he says 'Do us a concept' or 'I've got this rough concept, can you work it out?' I do it, then Dave has a different idea and the whole thing shifts away, so that's the way it works. It's a perfectly good way of working – it tends to give Dave a bit of a start or whatever. I was doing a lot of my 'Eternal Champion' stuff on stage, so it seemed automatic to do that because there were so many numbers I could fit into that. I was only in the studio about an hour to do the stuff I did, and it was one of those weird things I didn't get the session fee either”

Although the concept was Moorcock’s he was involved in writing for songs “The Wizard Blew His Horn” , “Standing On The Edge” , “Warriors” and “Kings of Speed”

Michael Moorcock and Blue Öyster Cult - “The Great Sun Jester” from “Mirrors”

“Mirrors” is not my favourite Blue Öyster Cult but it has grown on me over the years. “The Great Sun Jester” is based on the Fireclown (Orlando Sharvis) from “The Shores of Death”

Michael Moorcock and Blue Öyster Cult - “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” from “Fire of Unknown Origin”

This is written from the point of view of The Eternal Champion (Elric, Corum , Hawmoon and many more are aspects of this and this very militaristic song lets the singer and writer muse on this.

Michael Moorcock and Blue Öyster Cult - “Black Blade” from “Cultosaurus Erectus”

This is my favourite of these songs, taking on the character of “Stormbringer” Elric’s soul-stealing black blade and the album cover is rather excellent too. I still love the way this smashes into your audio system.

The album cover features the central part of the painting "Behemoth's World" by British artist Richard Clifton-Dey.

Concluding Michael Moorcock's Musical Collaborations

There are probably many songs that I have missed but I hope this piece whets your appetite for the books and the music.