Quark, Strangeness and Charm (song)

The title references quarks which are sub-atomic particles; "strangeness" and "charm" are playful terms used by physicists to refer to how many strange and charm quarks are within a particle. The lyrics take a humorous look at certain famous physicists' romantic failures.

1977 Single

It was released as a single in the UK (CB305) on 29 July 1977, being a slightly different version to the one on the album. Some European copies had a different B-side, such as Germany which featured "The Iron Dream" instead. The single version was subsequently included on the 1980 Repeat Performance compilation album.

At the time Hawkwind shared the same management as Marc Bolan and so were given a slot on the Marc Granada Television programme to promote it. For some reason Brock declined to appear either being unwilling to drive to Manchester for the filming or because he held a long time grudge against Bolan. For the pre-recording of the music on this show, Shaw played guitar whilst Calvert mimed playing guitar during the filming.^[1]

Track listings

"Quark, Strangeness and Charm" (Calvert/Brock) – 3:06
"The Forge of Vulcan" (House) – 3:05

Personnel

Robert Calvert – vocals, percussion, morse and strangeness
Dave Brock – guitar, synthesisers, sound FX, vocals and quark
Simon House – keyboards, violin, anvil, vocals and charm
Adrian Shaw – bass guitar, vocals and hand-claps
Simon King – drums, percussion and no-vocal

Credits

Recorded at Rockfield Studios, February 1977.
Produced by Hawkwind
Engineered by Dave Charles.

Live versions

The song only briefly featured in Hawkwind's live set in 1977 with one recording surviving, released on both the Hawkwind Anthology and Weird Tape Volume 2 albums. It was briefly resurrected at the end of 1993 for the tour of the It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous album and remained until the end of 1994.

1994 EP

"Quark, Strangeness and Charm"

Single by Hawkwind

from the album The Business Trip

B-side

"Black Sun"

Released

September 1994

Format

12" Vinyl record and CD

Recorded

1994

Genre

Space rock

Label

Emergency Broadcast System Records

Hawkwind singles chronology

Decide Your Future EP
(1993)

Quark, Strangeness and Charm
(1994)

Area S4 EP
(1995)

In 1994 Hawkwind recorded a new version of the song with significant rewriting of the music. This version was also included on the album The Business Trip.

Track listings

"Uncle Sam's on Mars" (Red Planet Radio Mix) – 2:43
"Quark, Strangeness and Charm" (Calvert/Brock) – 6:24
"Black Sun" – 9:34
"Uncle Sam's on Mars" (Martian Conquest Mix) – 6:53

Personnel

Dave Brock – guitar, vocals, keyboards, synthesisers
Alan Davey – bass guitar, vocals, synthesisers
Richard Chadwick – drums, percussion
Astralasia – remixes

Release history

Sep 1994 – UK – Emergency Broadcast Sysrem Records – 12" vinyl (EBT 110) and CD (EBCD 110)
Nov 1994 – USA – Griffin – CD (GCD 312-2)

Cover versions

The Stranglers Jean-Jacques Burnel has long been an admirer of the song, stating it was "a song I'd really fucking wish I'd written.". He has performed versions of the song with Three Men And Black.^[2]

References

↑ The Saga of Hawkwind, Carol Clerk, p.179
↑ The Saga of Hawkwind, Carol Clerk, p.176

Hawkwind

Dave Brock Tim Blake Richard Chadwick Mr Dibs Niall Hone Dead Fred Nik Turner Dik Mik Terry Ollis John Harrison Mick Slattery Huw Lloyd-Langton Thomas Crimble Del Dettmar Dave Anderson Simon King Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister Robert Calvert Simon House Alan Powell Paul Rudolph Adrian Shaw Harvey Bainbridge Paul Hayles Steve Swindells Martin Griffin Keith Hale Ginger Baker Andy Anderson Robert Heaton Rik Martinez Alan Davey Clive Deamer Danny Thompson Jr. Bridget Wishart Ron Tree Jerry Richards Jason Stuart

Studio albums	Hawkwind In Search of Space Doremi Fasol Latido Hall of the Mountain Grill Warrior on the Edge of Time Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music Quark, Strangeness and Charm 25 Years On PXR5 Levitation Sonic Attack Church of Hawkwind Choose Your Masques The Chronicle of the Black Sword The Xenon Codex Space Bandits Electric Tepee It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous White Zone Alien 4 Distant Horizons In Your Area Spacebrock Take Me to Your Leader Take Me to Your Future Blood of the Earth Onward Spacehawks

Live albums	Space Ritual Live Seventy Nine Live Chronicles Palace Springs The Business Trip Love in Space Hawkwind 1997 Yule Ritual Canterbury Fayre 2001 Spaced Out in London Knights of Space Space Ritual Live

Archive albums	The Weird Tapes Hawkwind, Friends and Relations The Text of Festival Zones This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic Bring Me the Head of Yuri Gagarin Space Ritual Volume 2 Hawkwind Anthology Out & Intake BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert The Friday Rock Show Sessions Hawklords Live California Brainstorm Undisclosed Files Addendum The 1999 Party Glastonbury 90 Choose Your Masques: Collectors Series Volume 2 Complete '79: Collectors Series Volume 1 Atomhenge 76 Live 1990

Compilation albums	Roadhawks Masters of the Universe Repeat Performance Angels of Death Spirit of the Age Stasis (The UA Years 1971 – 1975) Tales from Atom Henge Epocheclipse Future Reconstructions – Ritual of the Solstice Masters of Rock The Collection Spirit of the Age Anthology The Dream Goes On

Singles	"Hurry On Sundown" "Silver Machine" "Urban Guerrilla" "Psychedelic Warlords" "Kings of Speed" "Kerb Crawler" "Back on the Streets" "Quark, Strangeness and Charm" "Psi Power" "25 Years" "Shot Down in the Night" "Who's Gonna Win the War?" "Angels of Death" The Earth Ritual Preview EP "Needle Gun" "Zarozinia" Decide Your Future EP Quark, Strangeness and Charm EP Area S4 EP "Love In Space" "Spirit of the Age"

Associated acts	Sonic Assassins Hawklords Space Ritual Hawklords (2008)

Related articles	Discography Members Videography Barney Bubbles Liquid Len Stacia Hawkfest Michael Moorcock

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