Returning to the UK after a tour of the US in Spring 1978, Dave Brock and Robert Calvert had a change of heart regarding Hawkwind; they jettisoned not only the band, but the band name and management as well. Perhaps the seeds were sown in late 1977 when, teamed with the Devon-based Ark-bassist Harvey Bainbridge, drummer Martin Griffin and keyboardist Paul Hayles-Brock and Calvert performed as the Sonic Assassins. The pair began new sessions in June with Bainbridge, Griffin and keyboardist Steve Swindells (previously in Pilot) under the moniker Hawklords.

In late 1979, Dave Brock, Simon King and Harvey Bainbridge were eager to resurrect the old Hawkwind banner and hit the road. To complete the lineup, they reached out to two old friends from the very beginning of the band, nearly a decade before: ex-Gong member Tim Blake, a friend from the Ladbroke Grove scene, and guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton, who had last played with Hawkwind on their debut album. Signing to Bronze Records (courtesy of their former manager Doug Smith), Live Seventy Nine was released out of the blue in June 1980, yet to great acclaim: It reached No. 15 on the UK charts.

Early 1978 saw Hawkwind now consisting of Dave Brock and Robert Calvert, with Simon King, Simon House and Adrian Shaw also entering Rockfield studios to record a follow-up to the 1977 release Quark, Strangeness And Charm. Using live recordings from their previous UK tour as a starting point, the band recorded a handful of tracks before heading off to America in March for their first tour of the country since 1975. But all was not well.

Robert Calvert returned full-time to Hawkwind, following a guest spot with the band at the Reading Festival the previous August. Now consisting of guitarist Dave Brock, saxophonist Nik Turner, drummers Simon King and Alan Powell (the so-called "drum empire"), bassist Paul Rudolph and Simon House on keyboards and violin, Calvert now fronted Hawkwind. With new management in place, they signed to Charisma Records and released their eighth studio album, Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music, in August 1976. True to its title, the album features a more refined and contemporary sound.

Hawkwind's ranks continued to revolve: Dik Mik left the band the previous August, followed by Robert Calvert, who left to record a solo album. Hawkwind returned to the US in March, for their 1999 Party tour, adding Simon House, ex-High Tide and Third Ear Band, on keyboards and violin. The album, Hall Of The Mountain Grill, its title taken from a cafe the band liked to frequent, also gives a nod to the work of classical composer Edvard Grieg.