{"title":"Van Der Graaf Generator","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"van-der-graaf-generator-the-aerosol-grey-machine-50th-anniversary-edition-limited-edition-2-cd-gatefold-180-gram-lp-7-single-imported","title":"Van Der Graaf Generator - The Aerosol Grey Machine 50th Anniversary Edition (Limited Edition 2 CD-Gatefold 180 Gram LP-7\" Single - Imported)","description":"A RE-MASTERED SPECIAL 50th ANNIVERSARY DELUXE 2CD, 1 x LP AND 1 X 7-INCH SINGLE LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET OF THE CLASSIC 1969 DEBUT ALBUM BY VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR… FEATURING:\u003cbr\u003eA CD OF RARE \u0026amp; PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS INCLUDING TWO PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DEMOS FROM 1967, THE BBC TOP GEAR SESSION FROM 1968 (INCLUDING THE “LOST” PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED VERSION OF “OCTOPUS”) \u0026amp; THE SINGLE TRACKS ‘PEOPLE YOU WERE GOING TO’ \u0026amp; ‘FIREBRAND’\u003cbr\u003eA FACSIMILE 180 GRAM VINYL LP OF “THE AEROSOL GREY MACHINE” HOUSED IN THE WITHDRAWN UK GATEFOLD SLEEVE DESIGN (CUT AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS)\u003cbr\u003eA 7-INCH SINGLE OF THE VERY RARE WITHDRAWN RELEASE “PEOPLE YOU WERE GOING TO” b\/w ‘FIREBRAND”\u003cbr\u003eA BOOK WITH MANY PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN PHOTOS AND CUTTINGS AND AN ESSAY BY SID SMITH FEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PETER HAMMILL\u003cbr\u003eA 1968 POSTER DESIGNED BY PETER HAMMILL\u003cbr\u003eEsoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a new re-mastered limited edition boxed set of the classic debut album by VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, THE AEROSOL GREY MACHINE.\u003cbr\u003eVan Der Graaf Generator were true pioneers of so-called Progressive rock, and their impressive career spanning five decades features many ground-breaking works. Always progressing stylistically in the true sense of the word, Van Der Graaf Generator’s music remains inspirational. Formed in Manchester University in 1967, VDGG initially featured Peter Hammill (vocals, guitar), Chris Judge Smith (drums, vocals) and Nick Pearne (organ). The band signed to Mercury Records in May 1968 after the submission of a two-track demo tape. Nick Pearne departed the fold and Hammill and Smith relocated to London recruiting keyboard player Hugh Banton. By the Autumn of 1968 the band had signed a management contract with Tony Stratton-Smith and had recruited drummer Guy Evans and bassist Keith Ellis into the group. This line-up recorded the single ‘People You Were Going To’ \u0026amp; ‘Firebrand’ in 1968 and a session for BBC Radio One, before Chris Judge Smith departed. The ‘People You Were Going To’ single, issued in January 1969, was withdrawn just days after release due a contractual dispute with Mercury Records.\u003cbr\u003eAfter several months of touring, including a support spot for the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Royal Albert Hall, the band broke up after the theft of their equipment and on-going contractual difficulties. THE AEROSOL GREY MACHINE sessions began life as an intended solo album for Peter Hammill, featuring Banton, Evans and Ellis as session players. However, the album appeared in September 1969 in USA only credited to VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR as part of a contractual settlement which enabled the band to sign to Tony Stratton-Smith’s newly formed Charisma label later that year (for whom they would record a series of classic albums). A planned UK release by Mercury of THE AEROSOL GREY MACHINE (which featured a different and lavish gatefold sleeve design) was shelved after a handful of test pressings were made.\u003cbr\u003eThis deluxe set celebrates the 50th anniversary of the very first VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR release and features the re-mastered album, an additional CD of rare \u0026amp; previously unreleased tracks including two previously unreleased demos from 1967, the complete BBC Radio Top Gear session from 1968 (including the “lost” previously unreleased version of ‘Octopus’) \u0026amp; the single tracks ‘People You Were Going To’ and ‘Firebrand’, a facsimile 180 gram vinyl LP of “The Aerosol Grey Machine” (cut at Abbey Road Studios) housed in the impossibly rare unreleased British gatefold sleeve design, a 7-inch single of the very rare withdrawn release ‘People You Were Going To’ b\/w ‘Firebrand’, a lavish book with many previously unseen photos and cuttings and an essay by Sid Smith featuring an exclusive interview with Peter Hammill and a replica 1968 poster designed by Peter Hammill.","brand":"Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48648291090743,"sku":"ECLEC42661","price":74.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0868\/3379\/1287\/files\/ECLEC42661.jpg?v=1713013621"},{"product_id":"van-der-graaf-generator-vital-van-der-graaf-live-remastered-2-lp-gatefold-edition","title":"Van Der Graaf Generator: Vital - Van Der Graaf Live, Remastered 2 LP Gatefold Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe album was the final release of the 1970s by Van der Graaf Generator, who by 1977 had abbreviated their name to Van der Graaf and featured a line-up of Peter Hammill (vocals, piano, guitars), Guy Evans (drums), Nic Potter (bass), and Graham Smith (violin) who added Charles Dickie (cello) to the band mid-way through the year. Following a long year of touring and recording the album ‘The Quiet Zone \/ The Pleasure Dome’, the band greeted 1978 with two concerts at the Marquee Club in London on 15 and 16 January which were recorded. The concerts featured a guest appearance by former member David Jackson on saxophone and flute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Vital’ was a brutal sonic assault and featured Van der Graaf at their most powerful and impassioned. The record proved to be their swansong of the 1970s, as by the time of the album’s release in July 1978, the band had broken up due to financial difficulties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 class=\"page-title\"\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406168760631,"sku":"ECLECLP22865","price":39.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0868\/3379\/1287\/files\/vdg-vital-web_1.webp?v=1721761467"}],"url":"https:\/\/cleorecs.com\/collections\/van-der-graaf-generator.oembed","provider":"Cleopatra Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}