Steve Hillage

Stephen Simpson Hillage (London, August 2, 1951) or Steve Hillage is a British musician, guitarist and singer in the early days, nowadays more producer. Steve grew up in Epping.

Hillage bought his first guitar when he was nine years old, trying his blues-examples after doing so. A visit to one of the first concerts by Jimi Hendrix made him excited. At school he met Dave Stewart, Mont Campbell and together with the drummer Clive Brooks searched through an ad they formed Uriel.

Uriel was not a huge success, Hillage resumed his studies in 1968 (philosophy and history) in Canterbury. There he came in contact with the members of the local bands such as Spirogyra and Caravan. Along with his old colleagues of Uriel (which is now played in Egg ) played Hillage (published under pseudonym) on the album Arzachel .

Beginning 1971 stops Hillage with its study and forms his own band, Khan (band). It played beside Dick Henningham (organ), Hillage Nick Greenwood (vocals, bass) and Eric Peachey (drums, he was the substitute of Pip Pyle). An album was made, which strengthen the keyboard section came Dave Stewart . It was a classic album in the progressive rock, but not commercially successful. The band falls apart, Hillage plays after this short time along with Egg. In 1972 he can with Kevin Ayers' band Decadence on a tour through Europe. At a jam session with Didier Malherbe, Hillage and Gong to come to strengthen.

Hillage supplied at this band a great contribution to the Radio Gnome trilogy and also plays on the first album that the band are recording without founder Daevid Allen,Shamal. After this he goes solo.

While he was still in Gong had already Hillage played his first solo album, Fish Rising. He had the help of several great musician friends, including, again Dave Stewart.Beginning in 1976 running Hillage briefly in National Health, but half way through the year, it leaves to the us to record a second solo album, L. This album was produced byTodd Rundgren, and his band Utopia assisted in the recordings. The album is a success in England, and is touring with a new band with Hillage as members Clive Bunker(drums, former member of Jethro Tull), Colin Bass (bass guitar), Christian Ann Baldwin (guitar), Phil Hodge (keyboards), Basil Brooks (synthesizer) and Miquette Giraudy(synthesizer, vocals). In 1977 they toured together with the Electric Light Orchestra across America, resulting in the success of L in the charts.

The third solo LP, Motivation Radio, makes Hillage in 1978 in Los Angeles under the supervision of Malcolm Cecil, of the synthesizer band Tonto's Expanding Head band. He goes again touring with a new band, Joe Blocker (drums) and Curtis Robertson Jr. (bass), plus Miquette Giraudy, who ever him would continue. This group also made the album Green in 1978, produced by Nick Mason. Later that year, Live Herald from, consisting of many live recordings from that year plus some new songs. In 1979, he released a Open, that a more funky character got. The next album, Rainbow Dome Musick was an experiment.

In the 1980s, Hillage itself makes little music he tackles producing the music of others, inter alia, by Robyn Hitchcock and the Simple Minds.

A meeting with The Orb 's Alex Paterson made that Hillage picks up the thread again. In 1991, he started again with gig, this time under the name System 7. This band was loose-fixed, several members were at times involved, including Alex Paterson, disk jockey Paul Oakenfold and Mick MacNeil of the Simple Minds. System 7 makes music in the ambient dance-style. System 7 has multiple releases in the 1990s, and continues to do in the new century. ==Discography[ Edit] == The list of all the albums on which Hillage played a role (let alone he produced) has is much longer than the following, lists only the most important albums.