Robert Calvert (1945 – 1988), was a fiercely creative, driven and multi-talented artist, a man that was never known for doing anything in half measures.
 
He became the resident poet, lyricist and frontman of Hawkwind, intermittently from 1972–1979.

“Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters”, a Space rock charge out with Monty Pythonistic skits, was a 1974 satirical concept album. It consists of a mixture of songs and comic spoken interludes.
The concept was based on the German Air Ministry's purchase of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, colloquially known as the Widowmaker. In German service these planes had a poor safety record, with 270 of almost 635 Luftwaffe Starfighters lost in accidents during the aircraft's time in service, which lasted from the early 1960s until the mid-1980s. 
 Musicians who appeared on the album include members of Hawkwind, The Pink Fairies, Brian Eno, Arthur Brown, and Adrian Wagner. The spoken sketches are primarily performed by Calvert, Viv Stanshall, and Jim Capaldi of Traffic.

GREAT STUFF! Well worth searching out.



Robert Calvert

 Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters

 1974

 2007 Remaster

 

 CD / 2007 / 320Kbps



 Tracklist:

 1 Franz Josef Strauss, Defence Minister, Reviews The Luftwaffe In 1958.
 Finding It Somewhat Lacking In Image Potential 

 2 The Aerospaceage Inferno 

 3 Aircraft Salesman (A Door In The Foot)

 4 The Widow Maker

 5 Two Test Pilots Discuss The Starfighter's Performance

 6 The Right Stuff 

 7 Board Meeting (Seen Through A Contract Lense)

 8 The Song Of The Gremlin (Part One)

 9 Ground Crew (Last Minute Reassembly Before Take Off)

 10 Hero With A Wing 

 11 Ground Control To Pilot 

 12 Ejection 

 13 Interview

 14 I Resign 

 15 The Song Of The Gremlin (Part Two)

 16 Bier Garten 

 17 Catch A Falling Star Fighter

Bonus Tracks:

 18 The Right Stuff (Extended Version)

 19 Ejection (Single Version)

 20 Catch A Falling Starfighter (Single Version)



Personnel:

 Robert Calvert - vocals

 Arthur Brown - vocals on "The Song of the Gremlin" parts 1 and 2

 Paul Rudolph - lead and rhythm guitar, bass guitar on "The Song of the      Gremlin" parts 1 and 2, "Hero with a Wing"

 Dave Brock - lead guitar on "The Widow Maker"

 Lemmy - bass guitar

 Nik Turner - saxophone

 Brian Eno - Synthesizer

 Del Dettmar - synthesizer

 Adrian Wagner - keyboards on "The Song of the Gremlin" parts 1 and 2

 Simon King - drums

 Twink Alder - Funeral drum on "Catch a Falling Starfighter"

 The Ladbroke Grove Hermaphroditic Voice Ensemble - back up vocalsActors:

 Vivian Stanshall - most leads (e.g. Ground Control, Bright Mechanic)

 Jim Capaldi - American Salesman, Recruiting Officer, Dim Mechanic

 Robert Calvert - Pilot

 Tom Mittledorf

 Richard Elen



Robert Calvert / Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters / 1974