Gilli Smyth first started performing with Soft Machine in the sixties when the band played their mixture of poetry/music gigs. Gilli became more active as a performer following the formation of Gong with her partner Daevid Allen following his departure from the aforementioned Soft Machine in 1968.

Following her departure with Allen from Paris following the Paris riots of late 1968 Gilli along with Allen decamped to Spain although the duo once again returned to France in 1969 where the second edition of Gong became a reality. Gilli was the only female in the band originally and developed her "Space Whisper" which became an integral part of the Gong sound.

Gilli and Daevid Allen left Gong in 1974 and moved to Spain and spent her time writing material that would find its way onto her debut solo album Mother in 1978. It is with this album the story of Mother Gong begins. From here Gilli began performing concerts as Mother Gong and played many high profile concerts including Glastonbury Festival in 1979 and again in 1981.

The band has been through a number of personnel changes over the years with Gilli at the helm of all the various incarnations of the band. Gilli has also managed to resume working alongside Daevid Allen in various incarnations of Gong including but not limited to Planet Gong, Gongmaison and more recently the Gong Acid mothers line up.

Gilli also continues to perform as a solo artist and alongside others notably Daevid Allen and her son Orlando Allen.

There have been a number of releases from Mother Gong and Gilli Smyth over the last twelve months all of which have sold well. The latest of these releases is 2006. Recorded spontaneously at the Gong Uncon in Glastonbury in 2005. The album consists of live tracks recorded at the Uncon meeting and also two new studio tracks recorded by Gilli in 2006 during the mixing of the album. Interest in Mother Gong and the extended Gong family has never been higher and the album will be released in time for the forthcoming Gong Convention to be held in Amsterdam in November 2006.