The Chronicle of the Black Sword

The Chronicle of the Black Sword is the fourteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1985. It spent two weeks on the UK Albums Chart peaking at #65.^[3] The album is based upon the adventures of Elric of Melniboné, a recurring character in the novels of science fiction author Michael Moorcock, a long-standing associate of the group, who contributes lyrics to one track on the album.

The Chronicle of the Black Sword
Studio album by Hawkwind
Released	11 November 1985
Recorded	August–September 1985
Studio	Rockfield Studios
Genre	Space rock
Length	37:12
Label	Flicknife Records, Griffin Music
Producer	Hawkwind
Hawkwind chronology
This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic (1984) The Chronicle of the Black Sword (1985) Live Chronicles (1986)
Alternative cover
Griffin release, North America 1994

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]

Background

After two years of constant line-up changes, guitarist Dave Brock (the only member who has remained since the band's formation) settled on a line-up of himself, guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton, keyboardist Harvey Bainbridge, bassist Alan Davey, and drummer Danny Thompson (son of Pentangle's bassist Danny Thompson).

Though the album is largely inspired by Elric, "Needle Gun" is a reference to Jerry Cornelius, another of Moorcock's fictional characters. In keeping with the album's title, the track's inclusion refers to the wider Multiverse created by Moorcock, in which the characters Elric of Melniboné and Jerry Cornelius are both incarnations of The Eternal Champion, and the Needle Gun is the form in which the Black Sword manifests itself to Cornelius. The lyrics for "Needle Gun" were ghostwritten by Roger Neville-Neil.^[4]

The outer cover was designed by John Coulthart, the last work he would do for the group, and the inner by Bob Walker. The album was originally intended to be titled after the name of the sword Stormbringer, but was changed due to it having been used by both Deep Purple as well as John and Beverley Martyn.^[5]

Prior to the recording of the album, the group appeared on Channel 4's ECT on 26 April and recorded a session for BBC Radio 1 on 19 July.^[6] They headlined an anti-heroin festival at Crystal Palace on 24 August, with a guest appearance from Lemmy and a final sing-song of "We'll Meet Again" led by Vera Lynn.^[7]

The group undertook a 29 date UK tour in November and December to promote the album, with support from Dumpy's Rusty Nuts.^[8] The Hammersmith Odeon shows on 3 and 4 December were filmed and recorded, released as the video The Chronicle of the Black Sword and album Live Chronicles, and featured a guest appearance from Moorcock.

It has been issued on CD multiple times, each with differing bonus tracks. The latest issue in 2009 includes 1984's The Earth Ritual Preview EP.

Track listing

Side 1

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Song of the Swords"	Dave Brock	3:25
2.	"Shade Gate"	Harvey Bainbridge	3:01
3.	"The Sea King"	Huw Lloyd-Langton	3:23
4.	"The Pulsing Cavern"	Bainbridge, Alan Davey	2:33
5.	"Elric the Enchanter"	Davey	4:51

Side 2

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Needle Gun"	Brock	4:13
7.	"Zarozinia"	Brock, Kris Tait	3:21
8.	"The Demise"	Bainbridge, Brock	1:02
9.	"Sleep of a Thousand Tears"	Brock, Michael Moorcock	4:09
10.	"Chaos Army"	Bainbridge, Brock	0:53
11.	"Horn of Destiny"	Brock	6:21

Flicknife CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Arioch"	Davey	3:26
13.	"Assault and Battery" (Live)	Brock	3:39
14.	"Sleep of a Thousand Tears" (Live)	Moorcock, Brock	4:41

Dojo and Griffin CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"The War I Survived" (Live)	Brock, Davey, Neville-Neil	4:00
13.	"Voice Inside Your Head" (Live)	Bainbridge, Brock	4:57

Atomhenge CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Arioch"	Davey	3:24
13.	"Night of the Hawks"	Julian Bishop	5:06
14.	"Green Finned Demon"	Calvert, Brock	6:05
15.	"Dream Dancers"	Brock, Bainbridge	1:28
16.	"Dragons & Fables"	Lloyd, Langton	3:21

Personnel

Hawkwind

• Dave Brock – guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Huw Lloyd-Langton – guitar, vocals
• Harvey Bainbridge – keyboards, vocals
• Alan Davey – bass guitar, vocals
• Danny Thompson Jr. – drums
• Dave Charles – percussion

Credits

• Recorded at Rockfield Studios, August/September 1985. Produced with Dave Charles.
• "The War I Survived" and "Voice Inside Your Head" recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, 22 April 1988.
• Outer sleeve by John Coulthart, inner sleeve by Bob Walker.

Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
UK Albums (OCC)[9]	65

Release history

• November 1985: Flicknife Records, SHARP033, UK vinyl, first 10000 with inner sleeve including typed lyrics
• 1986: Flicknife Records, SHARP033D, UK CD
• August 1992: Dojo, DOJOCD72, UK CD
• May 1994: Griffin Music, GCDHA 0142-2, USA CD
• 29 June 2009: Atomhenge (Cherry Red) Records, ATOMCD1012, UK CD

External links

• Atomhenge Records

References

1. AllMusic review
2. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
3. "Hawkwind". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
4. Abrahams, Ian (2004). Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins. SAF publishing. ISBN 0-946719-69-1.
5. John Coulthart (9 October 2015). "The Chronicle of the Cursed Sleeve". Retrieved 16 June 2019.
6. "Hawkwind: Dreamworkers Of Time – The BBC Recordings 1985-1995, 3CD Box Set". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
7. Leonie Cooper (18 June 2020). "Remembering the time the late Dame Vera Lynn played an anti-heroin gig with Hawkwind and Lemmy". NME. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
8. Youles, Steve. "Gig and Set Lists 1985". Starfarer's Hawkwind Page. self-published. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
9. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2023.