Van Der Graaf Generator

Van der Graaf Generator - An Epidemic of Father Xmas

An Epidemic of Father Christmasses (Top Gear session, first broadcast 29 December 1971).

Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriter Peter Hammill and Chris Judge Smith and the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much commercial success in the UK, but became popular in Italy during the 1970s. In 2005 the band reformed, and continue to perform as of 2013. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel

(Please add)

Festive Fifty Entries

• None.

Sessions

Eight sessions. Official releases:
- #5, #6, #7 on Maida Vale / Maida Vale BBC Sessions (CD, 1994 / 1998, Band Of Joy / Strange Fruit).
- #2 and tracks from #1 and #4 on The Box '(4xCD, 2000, Virgin).
- #7 on World Record (CD reissue, 2005, Virgin).

1. Recorded 1968-11-18. First broadcast 29 December 1968. Repeated

• People You Were Going Too / Afterwards / Necromancer / Octopus

2. Recorded 1970-01-27. First broadcast 07 February 1970. Repeated

• Darkness / After The Flood

3. Recorded 1970-10-12. First broadcast 24 October 1970. Repeated

• Lost / Killer

4. Recorded 1971-12-14. First broadcast 29 December 1971. Repeated 15 February 1972.

• An Epidemic Of Father Christmasses / Lemmings / Refugees

5. Recorded 1975-07-03. First broadcast 10 July 1975. Repeated

• Scorched Earth / Sleepwalkers

6. Recorded 1976-04-01. First broadcast 20 April 1976. Repeated

• Still Life / La Rossa

7. Recorded 1976-11-11. First broadcast 22 November 1976. Repeated

• When She Comes / Masks

8. Recorded 1977-10-24. First broadcast 1977-11-02. Repeated

• (Fragments Of) A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalker's End / Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running) / The Sphinx In The Face

(Please correct mistakes and add any missing info)

Other Shows Played

(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and is far from complete. Please add more information if known.)

1970

• 28 March 1970: Refugees (LP - The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other) Charisma
• 11 April 1970: Darkness (LP - The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other) Charisma
• 30 May 1970: Refugees (LP – The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other) Charisma

1972

• 28 January 1972: Theme 1 (single) Charisma

1976

• 27 April 1976: Still Life LP (side 1).

1978

• 14 July 1978: Last Frame (2xLP – Vital) Charisma
• 31 July 1978: Sci-Finance (2xLP-Vital) Charisma

1980

• 09 September 1980: Refugees (unknown release but possibly the 1980 UK rerelease of Repeat Performance) Charisma

1981

• 02 June 1981: Refugees (LP - The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other) Charisma

1991

• Peel Late Summer 1991: Theme 1 (7") Charisma

1993

• 08 October 1993: Refugees (single version)
• 24 September 1993: Refugees (album - I Prophesy Disaster) Virgin Universal
• 08 October 1993 (BFBS): Refugees (comp album - I Prophecy Disaster) Virgin

See Also

• Record Collection: V
• Peter Hammill
• Gigography 1969

External Links

• Wikipedia
• V is for... Van Der Graaf Generator (John Peel Archive, via YouTube)