Stephen Simpson Hillage (born 2 August 1951) is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s. Besides his solo recordings he has been a member of Khan, Gong and System 7.
He started with the band Uriel then left for college and they continued on as Egg. They reunited to record under the pseudonym Arzachel, then Hillage ended up with Kevin Ayers, then into Gong where he picked up on Daevid Allen's glissando guitar techniques that Allen had evolved from watching Syd Barrett play with a butter knife bowing strings.
Hillage became a virtuoso and the guitar sound evolved with echoes and reverb blending with synthesizers. He had a solo band after Gong and did some session work, and was a pioneer in new age ambient music and retired from recording for a while as he went on to be a prominent producer in the early 1980's, most known for his work on the Simple Minds albums of that era.
Some years later he was in a club and heard the Orb sampling his music and hooked up with them, and resurfaced with his duo with his longtime partner to record as System 7, aka 777 due to concerns from Apple over their operating system 7.
He reunited with Gong circa 2008 and toured with them in 2009 and 2010.
Links to Peel[]
Peel was aware of Steve Hillage's bands that he played for and continued supporting him by playing his solo material, as well as his work with the Orb and System 7. Steve Hillage also made the list of the Longest Gaps Between Peel Session Appearances between March 1976 with the National Health, where he was featured guitarist on the band's first session and 1990 with the Orb.
Sessions[]
- No sessions as solo artist.
- 2 sessions with Gong (1973, 1974), 1 with National Health (1976), 1 with Orb (1990).
Shows Played[]
- 06 February 1975: Pentagramaspinn (v/a 2xLP - V) Virgin
- 17 April 1975: The Salmon Song (LP - Fish Rising) Virgin
- 1977
- 03 June 1977: The Salmon Song (LP - Fish Rising) Virgin
- 12 October 1977: Hello Dawn (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V2777
- 12 October 1977: Motivation (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V2777
- 12 October 1977: Light In The Sky (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V2777
- 12 October 1977: Radio (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V2777
- 22 September 1977: Wait One Moment (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V 2777
- 22 September 1977: Saucer Surfing (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V 2777
- 22 September 1977: Searching For The Spark (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V 2777
- 22 September 1977: Octave Doctors (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V 2777
- 22 September 1977: Not Fade Away (album - Motivation Radio) Virgin V 2777
- PM018: It’s All Too Much (7" EP - Six-Pack : Six-Track) Virgin SIXPACK 2
- PM018: The Golden Vibe (7" EP - Six-Pack : Six-Track) Virgin SIXPACK 2
- 1978
- 12 April 1978: Crystal City (album - Green) Virgin V 2098
- 12 April 1978: Activation Meditation (album - Green) Virgin V 2098
- 12 April 1978: The Glorious Om Riff (album - Green) Virgin V 2098
- 06 September 1978 (Paul Gambaccini): 'Not Fade Away (Glid Forever) (LP-Motivation Radio)' (Virgin)
- 1979
- 22 January 1979: Salmon Song (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 22 January 1979: The Dervish Riff (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 22 January 1979: Castle In The Clouds / Hurdy Gurdy Man (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 24 January 1979: Searching For The Spark (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 29 January 1979: Its All To Much/The Golden vibe (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502n
- 31 January 1979: Talking To The Sun (LP - Live Herald) Virgin
- 26 February 1979: Talking To The Sun (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 27 February 1979: New Age Synthesis (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 06 March 1979: Electrick Gypsies (album - Live Herald) Virgin VGD 3502
- 08 October 1979: Day After Day (LP - Open) Virgin
- 22 November 1979: Getting Better (7") Virgin
- 1992
- 15 August 1992: Pentagramaspinn (v/a 2xLP - V) Virgin
- 1993
- 30 January 1993: Saucer Surfing (7" - Not Fade Away (Glid Forever)) Virgin