Pierre Moerlen

Pierre Moerlen, born in Colmar (Haut-Rhin) on 23 october 1952 and deceased in Strasbourg on May 3 2005 was a French drummer and percussionist, best known for his work with Gong and Mike Oldfield.

Biography

Pierre Moerlen was born in Colmar (Haut-Rhin) on 23 october 1952, third of five children. His father Maurice Moerlen was a famous organist (one of his teachers was Maurice Duruflé) and his mother was a music teacher. All five Moerlen children learned music with their parents and all became musicians. Pierre's younger brother, Benoît Moerlen, is also a percussionist (he worked also with Gong and Oldfield).

Pierre left Colmar for Strasbourg to learn percussions with Jean Batigne, founder of the Percussions de Strasbourg. He was also member of two rock and rock-jazz bands, where he met Gabriel Federow, later guitar player in Magma.

In 1973, Pierre joined Daevid Allen's Gong. The same year, he met Virgin's boss Richard Branson and agreed to play with Mike Oldfield for the premiere of "Tubular Bells". Steve Hillage, guitar player of Gong, was also on stage. Between 1978 and 1987, Oldfield would call Pierre to his side several times for his albums and his tours.

Gong being an unstable band, Pierre would leave and come back into the band several times. In 1978, after Gong disbanded, he founded Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Pierre would also work with Magma and the Swedish band Tribute.

Pierre Moerlen died unexpectedly on May 3, 2005 of natural causes. It is said that he was considering joining the members of Gongzilla and reforming Pierre Moerlen's Gong.

Discography

With Gong/Pierre Moerlen's Gong

*1973 - "Angel's Egg" (Radio Gnome trilogy, part 2)
*1974 - "You" (Radio Gnome trilogy, part 3)
*1975 - "Shamal"
*1977 - "Gazeuse!", also known as "Expresso"
*1977 - "Gong est mort, vive Gong!" (French live album)
*1977 - "Gong Live Etc" (UK live album)
*1978 - "Expresso II"
*1979 - "Downwind "
*1979 - "Time is the Key"
*1980 - "Pierre Moerlen's Gong: Live"
*1981 - "Leave It Open"
*1986 - "Breakthrough"

With Mike Oldfield

*1975 - "Ommadawn
*1978 - "Incantations
*1979 - "Exposed
*1979 - "Platinum
*1983 - "Crises
*1985 - "The Complete Mike Oldfield
*1987 - "Islands

Miscellaneous

*1973 - Supersister - "Iskander"
*1975 - Steve Hillage - "Fish Rising"
*1975 - Slapp Happy - "Desperate Straights"
*1977 - Pekka Pohjola - "Mathematicians Air Display"
*1978 - Thin Lizzy - "Live & Dangerous"
*1979 - Mick Taylor - "Mick Taylor"
*1980 - Sally Oldfield - "Celebration"
*1982 - Philip Lynott - "Philip Lynott Album"
*1983 - Sally Oldfield - "Strange Day In Berlin"
*1983 - Jean-Yves Lievaux - "Transformances"
*1988 - Bireli Lagrene - "Inferno"
*1995 - Project Lo - "Dabblings in the Darkness"
*1995 - Tribute - "Breaking Barriers"
*1997 - Brand X - "Manifest Destiny"

ee also

*Pierre Moerlen's Gong

References

* [http://calyx.club.fr/mus/moerlen_pierre.html Biography] at Calyx, the "Canterbury Website"
* [http://calyx.club.fr/interviews/pmoerlen.html Pierre Moerlen interview] at Calyx
*Allmusicguide|id=11:hifexqtgldse~T4