Hawkwind founder and bandleader Dave Brock has criticized the new BBC documentary “Paul McCartney: The Hunt For The Lost Bass” for suggesting that his band were anti-Beatles and stole Paul McCartney’s long-lost bass. This information comes from Louder Sound.
Brock expressed his frustration with the documentary’s portrayal of Hawkwind, particularly regarding claims about the band’s alleged involvement in the theft of McCartney’s bass guitar.
“I’d read about the film in the Radio Times. It mentioned the counterculture scene in west London but I didn’t realise we were going to be in it. I was pissed off. This disrespects the band,” Brock said. “We toured a hell of a lot in 1972 and might not have been in London at that time. And if two guys with wrenches had burst into DikMik’s flat accusing him of stealing Paul McCartney’s bass then we – the band and our manager Doug Smith – would certainly have heard about it from him. But we didn’t. I don’t believe it.”
The Hawkwind leader also disputed claims about the band being anti-Beatles. He defended their relationship with the legendary group.
“What a load of rubbish that is. I think every band member had a copy of Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt Pepper. Lemmy loved The Beatles, they were his rock’n’roll heroes. As for anti-Beatles songs… I have no idea what they’re going on about,” he continued.
Brock addressed the documentary’s portrayal of a theft incident. He clarified the band’s actual experience and principles.
“That was Bickershaw festival [in May ’72]. The gear was stolen, and the van. But we wouldn’t turn around and do that to other bands. Anyone who knows anything about Hawkwind knows our story. We did loads of free gigs, constantly, we raised lots of money for communities and causes… one of our roadies stole a mic from the BBC at Maida Vale studios in 1971, but we gave it back,” he said.
The musician concluded by criticizing the documentary’s approach. He expressed concern for his late bandmate’s reputation.
“It was a boring story that could have been done in half an hour and they needed something to spice it up. I don’t think Paul had much to do with this. They dragged him into an empty room that looked like an old squat, and then they gave him his bass back. I’d tell the filmmakers that there’s a lot of pissed off fans out there, and if DikMik was still alive I think he’d sue ’em. I was pissed off after watching it: it disrespects DikMik, and it disrespects the band, and that wasn’t even necessary in the end,” Brock stated.
The controversy surrounding the documentary stems from one of rock music’s most enduring mysteries that was finally resolved after more than five decades. The bass guitar at the center of the story holds immense historical significance in Beatles history and popular music.
Guitar World reported that Paul McCartney’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass was stolen in October 1972 from a van during a recording session while he was working with Wings at Basing Street in Notting Hill. This wasn’t just any instrument – it was the bass that powered Beatlemania. It had been used throughout much of McCartney’s time with The Beatles, including on their first two albums recorded at Abbey Road.
The instrument’s journey through rock history makes its theft particularly significant. The Lost Bass project documented that this was the bass McCartney used during several Hamburg residencies and played over 250 times at The Cavern Club. This made it an integral part of The Beatles’ early sound and rise to fame. The bass had become synonymous with McCartney’s musical identity during the band’s most formative years.
After 51 years missing, the bass was finally recovered and returned to McCartney in a remarkable turn of events. Bass Magazine revealed that the instrument was discovered in the attic of a 21-year-old film student named Ruaidhri Guest in Hastings, England, who had inherited it without knowing its historical significance. The bass remains complete with its original case. However, it requires professional repairs to be playable again.
The BBC captured McCartney’s emotional reunion with his long-lost instrument as part of a 90-minute documentary that chronicles the extensive hunt to recover it. Guitar Player noted that the theft of Paul McCartney’s 1961 Höfner bass represents a 50-year-old mystery that spans from Hawkwind to the Who. This suggests the documentary’s narrative may have cast a wider net in exploring potential connections to the theft than some of the musicians involved would have preferred.
