Paul Rudolph (musician)

Paul Rudolph (born circa 1947, in Canada) is a guitarist, singer, and cyclist. He made his mark in the UK underground music scene, and then as a session musician, before returning to Canada to indulge his passion for cycling. He now resides in Vancouver.

Musical career

As a child he suffered from polio affecting his upper right arm and shoulder, and at the age of 10 he took up guitar playing which also served as physiotherapy for his condition. As a teenager he played bass in local bars for Blues and Boogie bands such as The Midnighters and The Pannix [http://pnwbands.com/pannix.html] .

At the recommendation of his childhood friend Jamie Mandelkau he relocated to London, England joining the Mick Farren led band The Deviants as guitarist. After recording their third album and contributing to Twink's "Think Pink" album, the band and singer parted company during a disastrous tour of the West Coast of North America.

Returning to England, the band hooked up with Twink forming The Pink Fairies, signing to Polydor and embarking upon a career centred around Ladbroke Grove, often hooking up with Hawkwind for sets as Pinkwind. Recording two albums, "Never Never Land" and "What a Bunch of Sweeties", Rudolph left immediately after the release of the second album to pursue other ventures, including sessions for Sparks and a stint in Uncle Dog with Carol Grimes.

It was at the final Uncle Dog gig that he met former Roxy Music musician Brian Eno which would lead to him contributing to four of his albums in between 1973 and 1977, namely "Here Come the Warm Jets", "Another Green World", "Music for Films" and "Before and After Science". At the same time he became the main musical interpretor for Hawkwind collaborator Robert Calvert, to which Eno also became involved, recording the concept albums "Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters" and "Lucky Leif and the Longships".

Rudolph joined Hawkwind during 1975 after they sacked their bass player Lemmy, and Robert Calvert soon joined him. They produced one album "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music" followed by a non-album single "Back on the Streets" before he and drummer Alan Powell were sacked for trying to broaden the scope of the band's music.

Powell and Rudolph formed the short lived Kicks with Cal Batchelor and Steve York, before the pair of them worked on Mick Farren's "Screwed Up" EP. The EP led to the offer of an album, "Vampires Stole My Lunch Money", but by then Rudolph had decided to return to his native Canada.

There have been archive releases and reunions for both Pink Fairies and Hawkwind which he has resisted, with the exception of a pair of albums "Pleasure Island" and "No Picture" recorded with Twink and released under the Pink Fairies name.

Cycling

During his time in England he discovered and indulged in another passion - cycling. He gained a racing licence and was taught by a master wheel builder, skills which he used to embark on a new profession which he still follows today.

Discography

*1969 - The Deviants - "#3"
*1970 - Twink - "Think Pink"
*1971 - Pink Fairies - "The Snake" (single)
*1971 - Pink Fairies - "Never Never Land"
*1972 - Pink Fairies - "What a Bunch of Sweeties"
*1972 - Various Artists - "Glastonbury Fayre"
*1973 - Brian Eno - "Here Come the Warm Jets"
*1974 - Robert Calvert - "Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters"
*1975 - Brian Eno - "Another Green World"
*1975 - Robert Calvert - "Lucky Leif and the Longships"
*1976 - Hawkwind - "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music"
*1976 - Hawkwind - "Back on the Streets (single)"
*1977 - Mick Farren - "Screwed Up" (EP)
*1977 - Brian Eno - "Before and After Science"
*1978 - Brian Eno - "Music For Films"
*1982 - Pink Fairies - "Live at the Roundhouse 1975"
*1996 - Pink Fairies - "Pleasure Island"
*1997 - Pink Fairies - "No Picture"
*1998 - Pink Fairies - "Mandies and Mescaline Round at Uncle Harry's" (live 1971)
*1999 - Pink Fairies - "Live at the Weeley 1971" (live 1971)
*1999 - Hawkwind - "Atomhenge 76" (live 1976)
*2008 - Pink Fairies - "Finland Freakout 1971" (MLP)

External links

* [http://www.momentumplanet.ca/?q=node/128 Momentum] - 2006 cycle press article
* [http://www.aural-innovations.com/robertcalvert/collab/collabmain/collpinkfairies.htm Aural Innovations] - Rudolph's work with Calvert