Alan Gowen

A Chronology: taken from the insert of the National Health album D.S. al Coda.

1971

Alan Gowen (keyboards) joins 'Assegai'

1972

Alan, Jamie Muir (drums) and Laurie Baker (bass) form 'Sunship', with Allan Holdsworth (guitar) and Lyn Dobson (saxophones & flute).

1973

After various combinations of musicians, including Dick Morcombe (guitar), Alan Wakeman (saxophones), Jeff Clyne (bass) and Richard Sinclair (bass), 'Gilgamesh' is formed with Phil Lee (guitar), Mike Travis (drums) and Neil Murray (bass).
November. Gilgamesh and Hatfield & the North do double quartet gigs in Leeds and London, playing special arrangements by Alan Gowen.

1974

Neil Murray leaves Gilgamesh and is replaced by Steve Cook (bass); {eter Lemer (keyboards) joins.
Gilgamesh BBC Radio broadcasts.
Peter Lemer leaves

1975

Steve Cook leaves and is replaced first by Neil Murray, then by Jeff Clyne.
May. Gilgamesh - Alan Gowen, Phil Lee, Jeff Clyne and Amanda Parsons (vocals) record their first album (Caroline Records).
After the disbanding of Hatfield & the North, Alan and Dave Stewart (keyboards) form National Health with Phil Lee, Phil Miller (guitars), Mont Campbell (bass), Bill Bruford (drums) and Amanda Parsons.
Phil Lee leaves National Health.

1976

National Health tour U.K.
Bill Bruford leaves and John Mitchell (percussion) joins National Health.
Mont Campbell and John Mitchell leave National Health.
National Health tour U.K. with Bill Bruford and Neil Murray.
Bill Bruford leaves and is replaced by Pip Pyle (drums). National Health tour Holland and France.

1977

Amanda Parsons leaves National Health.
April. First National Health album is recorded - Alan Gowen, Dave Stewart, Phil Miller, Neil Murray, Pip Pyle, with Amanda Parsons, John Mitchell and Jimmy Hastings (clarinets & flute) (Affinity).
Alan Gowen leaves National Health.

1978

April. Alan Gowen, Elton Dean (saxophones), High Hopper (bass) and Dave Sheen (drums) tour France as 'Soft Head' and record Rogue Element (Ogun).
National Health: John Greaves (bass) replaces Neil Murray and they tour Belgium and France.
June. Alan Gowen records second Gilgamesh album Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into with Phil Lee, Hugh Hopper and Trevor Tomkins (drums) (Charly Records).
June. Second National Health record Of Queues And Cures (Dave Stewart, Phil Miller, John Greaves and Pip Pyle) (Charly Records).
October. Soft Heap album is recorded (Alan Gowen, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper and Pip Pyle) (Charly Records).
National Health: Georgie Born (cello) and Lindsay Cooper (bassoon and saxophone) join.
Dave Stewart, Georgie Born and Lindsay Cooper leave National Health.

1979

Alan Gowen rejoins National Health (Phil Miller, John Greaves and Pip Pyle). They tour Scandanavia, Spain, France and America.
Soft Heap (Alan Gowen, Elton Dean, John Greaves and Pip Pyle) tour North of England and Scotland.

1980

February. National Health tour Scandanavia for the second time.
March. Alan Gowen leaves National Health and the band splits up.
June. Alan Gowen and Hugh Hopper record Two Rainbows Daily (Red Records/re-released by Europa Records).

1981

April. Alan Gowen, Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair and Trevor Tomkins record Before a Word is Said (Europa Records).
On May 17th Alan Gowen dies from leukemia.
October. National Health in the form of Phil Miller, Dave Stewart, John Greaves and Pip Pyle (with Richard Sinclair, Elton Dean, Jimmy Hastings, Amanda Parsons, Barbara Gaskin, Annie Whitehead and Ted Emmett) record D.S. al Coda (Europa Records).