Released in 1972 as Hawkwind’s second-ever single, Silver Machine made an immediate and permanent impact on the band. It spent two weeks No.3 in the UK charts and remained in the top 100 for three months, and sold more than a million copies around the world.
The song had started out with Robert Calvert singing, and even in its earliest form manager Doug Smith felt it had huge potential. He took a live recording from London’s Roundhouse venue in February 1972 and subjected it to a series of studio overdubs, with assistance from band leader Dave Brock (credited as Dr Technical).
