For the book by William S. Burroughs, see The Soft Machine. For the album by the band Teddybears, see Soft Machine (album).

The Soft Machine was a pioneering English psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz fusion band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ^{[1] [2]}. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Bitches Brew (1970) by Miles Davis is considered the most influential early fusion album. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Harvest Records was a record label, formed by EMI in 1969 to promote progressive rock music and to compete with Philips Vertigo label and Deccas Deram labels. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... Caravan are an English rock/jazz band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. ... Roger Keith Syd Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006 in Cambridge, United Kingdom) was an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and artist. ... -1... Nucleus were a pioneering British jazz-rock band that continued in different incarnations from 1969-85. ... Gong is a progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. ... Isotope was a British jazz-rock band based around guitarist Gary Boyle. ... Adiemus (pronounced ) is the title of a series of albums by British composer Karl Jenkins. ... Soft Heap was a Canterbury scene supergroup founded in January 1978. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kevin Ayers (born August 16, 1944 in Herne Bay, Kent) is an English songwriter and major influential force in the early English psychedelic movement. ... Elton Dean (born October 28, 1945, Nottingham, England; died February 7, 2006) was a jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello (a variant of the soprano saxophone) and occasionally piano. ... Hugh Hopper (born 1945, Canterbury, England) is a bass guitarist and composer. ... Michael R. (Mike) Ratledge (born Maidstone, april 1943) is a British musician. ... Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945, in Bristol) is an English musician, and a former member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine. ... Roy Babbington (born July 8, 1940 in Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England) is a rock and jazz bassist. ... John Etheridge (born January 12, 1948 in London) is a british jazz/fusion guitarist associated with the Canterbury Scene. ... Karl Jenkins (born February 17, 1944) is a Welsh musician and composer. ... John Stanley Marshall, better known as John Marshall, born 28 August, 1941, is a british drummer. ... Marc Charig (born 1944 in London) is a British trumpeter and cornetist. ... Nick Evans (born Nicholas Kenneth Dacre Evans, January 9, 1947 in Newport, Monmouthshire) is a Welsh jazz and progressive rock trombonist. ... Jimmy Hastings (born James Brian Gordon Hastings, 12 May 1938, in Aberdeen, Scotland), is a British professional musician associated with the Canterbury scene. ... Allan Holdsworth (born August 6, 1946 in Bradford, West Yorkshire) is a British jazz guitarist and composer. ... Ric Sanders (born in Birmingham, U.K.) is a British violinist who has played in jazz-rock and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention. ... Alan Skidmore (1942-) is a tenor saxophonist who has played with many musicians in blues and jazz, including John Mayall, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Alexis Korner, Georgie Fame, and the Van Morrison band. ... Andy Summers, 1996 Andy Summers was born Andrew James Somers on December 31, 1942 in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. ... Alan Wakeman (born 13 October 1947) is a saxophonist known for his work in Soft Machine during 1976, appearing on the album Softs. ... William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914) - August 2, 1997), more commonly known as William S. Burroughs (pronounced ), was an American novelist, essayist, social critic, painter and spoken word performer. ... For the rock band named after this book, see Soft Machine The Soft Machine is the title of a novel by William S. Burroughs, first published in 1961 and was Burroughs first novel after the groundbreaking publication of Naked Lunch. ... Teddybears (formerly Teddybears STHLM) is a Swedish rock band formed in 1991. ... Soft Machine is the fifth studio album by the Teddybears released September 12, 2006 Category: ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... The word psychedelic is a neologism coined from the Greek words for mind, ψυχη (psyche), and manifest, δηλειν (delein). ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Bitches Brew (1970) by Miles Davis is considered the most influential early fusion album. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... For the rock band named after this book, see Soft Machine The Soft Machine is the title of a novel by William S. Burroughs, first published in 1961 and was Burroughs first novel after the groundbreaking publication of Naked Lunch. ... William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914) - August 2, 1997), more commonly known as William S. Burroughs (pronounced ), was an American novelist, essayist, social critic, painter and spoken word performer. ... The Canterbury Scene (or Canterbury Sound) is a term used to loosely describe the group of progressive rock musicians that were based around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

Biography

Beginnings and the "classic quartet"

The Soft Machine was formed in 1966 by Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (keyboards). Allen, Wyatt and future bassist Hugh Hopper had played in the Daevid Allen Trio, occasionally accompanied by Ratledge. Wyatt, Ayers and Hopper had played in a band called the Wilde Flowers, which included future members of another Canterbury band, Caravan. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945, in Bristol) is an English musician, and a former member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine. ... Kevin Ayers (born August 16, 1944 in Herne Bay, Kent) is an English songwriter and major influential force in the early English psychedelic movement. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Michael R. (Mike) Ratledge (born Maidstone, april 1943) is a British musician. ... Hugh Hopper (born 1945, Canterbury, England) is a bass guitarist and composer. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Caravan are an English rock/jazz band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. ...

This first Soft Machine line-up became involved in the early UK underground, featuring prominently at the UFO Club, and recorded the group's first single, as well as some demo sessions that were released several years later. They also played in Holland, Germany and on the French Riviera. In 1967, upon their return from a performance in France, Allen (an Australian) was denied re-entry to the United Kingdom, so the group continued as a trio. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The UFO Club was a famous but shortlived club in London during the 1960s, venue of performances by many of the top bands of the day. ... The Quai des États-Unis in Nice on the French Riviera at night. ...

In early 1968, eventual The Police guitarist Andy Summers joined the group, but left shortly after. Later in 1968 they toured the USA, opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. ^[3] During this tour, they recorded their first album, The Soft Machine, in New York. Disbanded after Ayers's amicable departure at the end of this tour, Soft Machine reformed with former road manager and composer Hugh Hopper on bass added to Wyatt and Ratledge, to record their second album in 1969. The Police are a three-piece rock band consisting of singer/bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers, and drummer Stewart Copeland. ... Andy Summers, 1996 Andy Summers was born Andrew James Somers on December 31, 1942 in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. ... Jimi Hendrix James Marshall Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer who is widely considered to be the most important electric guitarist in the history of popular music. ... Volume One, orginally titled The Soft Machine, is the debut LP by Canterbury psychedelic rock band The Soft Machine, first released in 1968. ... NY redirects here. ... The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians who travel on tour with musicians and who handle every part of the production except actually playing the music. ... Hugh Hopper (born 1945, Canterbury, England) is a bass guitarist and composer. ...

From the odd psychedelic rock style of the early period, featuring Ayers and/or Wyatt singing on most of their pieces, Volume Two, with Brian Hopper playing saxophones, launched a transition towards a purely instrumental sound resembling what would be later called jazz fusion. Notwithstanding the disconcerting personnel changes that came about during this period, this is a fascinating period of creative tension. The base trio was late in 1969 expanded to a septet with the addition of four horn players, though only saxophonist Elton Dean (†) remained beyond a few months, the resulting so-called classic Soft Machine quartet (Wyatt, Hopper, Ratledge and Dean) running through Third (1970) and Fourth (1971), with various guests, mostly jazz players (Lyn Dobson, Nick Evans, Marc Charig, Jimmy Hastings, Rab Spall, Roy Babbington). Fourth was the first of their fully instrumental albums. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Volume Two is an LP by The Soft Machine, first released in 1969. ... Bitches Brew (1970) by Miles Davis is considered the most influential early fusion album. ... In a symphony orchestra the horn section is the group of musicians who play the horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn). ... Elton Dean (born October 28, 1945, Nottingham, England; died February 7, 2006) was a jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello (a variant of the soprano saxophone) and occasionally piano. ... Third is a 1970 double LP by Soft Machine, with each side of the original vinyl consisting of a single long composition. ... Fourth, released 1971, has been the fourth regular album by the Canterbury band The Soft Machine, whose music had at the time developed more and more from their original psychedelic/progressive rock towards jazz. ... Nick Evans (born Nicholas Kenneth Dacre Evans, January 9, 1947 in Newport, Monmouthshire) is a Welsh jazz and progressive rock trombonist. ... Marc Charig (born 1944 in London) is a British trumpeter and cornetist. ... Jimmy Hastings (born James Brian Gordon Hastings, 12 May 1938, in Aberdeen, Scotland), is a British professional musician associated with the Canterbury scene. ... Roy Babbington (born July 8, 1940 in Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England) is a rock and jazz bassist. ...

All members of the classic lineup were highly literate in various musical backgrounds, but foremost was the eclectic genius of Ratledge, who through composition, arrangements and improvisational skills propelled a collective output of the highest standard, in which the vocal charm and extraordinarily original drumming of Wyatt, the lyricism of some of Dean's solos and the unusual avantgarde pop angle of Hopper's pieces all had a major role. Their propensity for building extended suites from regular sized compositions, both live and in the studio (already in the Ayers suite in their first album), reaches its maximum in the 1970 album Third, unusual for its time in each of the four sides featuring one suite. Third was also unusual for remaining in print for more than ten years in the United States, and is the best-selling Soft Machine recording.^[4]

The post-Wyatt era

After differences over the group's musical direction, Wyatt left (or was fired from) the band in 1971 and formed Matching Mole (a pun on machine molle, the French for soft machine). He was briefly replaced by Australian drummer Phil Howard, but further musical disagreements led to Howard's dismissal after the 1971 recording of the first LP side of Five (1972) and, some months later, to Dean's departure. They were replaced respectively by John Marshall (drums) and, for the recording of Six (1973), Karl Jenkins (reeds, keyboards), both former members of Ian Carr's Nucleus, and The Softs' sound developed even more towards jazz fusion.-1... 5, also known as Fifth, released 1972, has been the fifth regular album by the Canterbury band The Soft Machine, whose music had at the time developed more and more from their original psychedelic/progressive rock towards jazz. ... John Stanley Marshall, better known as John Marshall, born 28 August, 1941, is a british drummer. ... Six is a 1973 jazzy instrumental album, originally released as a double LP by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... Karl Jenkins (born February 17, 1944) is a Welsh musician and composer. ... Nucleus (1985) Ian Carr (born 21 April 1933) is a British jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. ... Nucleus were a pioneering British jazz-rock band that continued in different incarnations from 1969-85. ... Bitches Brew (1970) by Miles Davis is considered the most influential early fusion album. ...

In 1973, after Six, Hopper left and was replaced by Roy Babbington, who had already contributed with double bass on Fourth and Five and took up electric bass successfully. This new quartet of Babbington, Jenkins, Marshall and Ratledge recorded the next (and last) three official Soft Machine studio releases. After they released Seven (1973) without additional musicians, the band switched record labels from Columbia to Harvest. On their 1975 album Bundles, a significant musical change occurred with fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth adding guitar as a very prominent melody instrument to the band's sound, sometimes reminiscent of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, setting the album apart from previous Soft Machine releases, which had not featured guitars. On the last official studio album Softs (1976), he was replaced by John Etheridge. After Softs, Ratledge, the last remaining original member of the band, was also gone. Other musicians in the band during the later period were bassist Steve Cook ^[5], saxophonist Alan Wakeman, and violinist Ric Sanders. Their 1978 performances and record (titled Alive and Well, ironically) were the last for Soft Machine as a working band. The Soft Machine name was used for the 1981 record Land of Cockayne (with Jack Bruce and, again, Allan Holdsworth, plus Dick Morrissey on tenor sax), and for a few live shows in 1984, but these featured Jenkins and Marshall with groups assembled just for those performances. Roy Babbington (born July 8, 1940 in Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England) is a rock and jazz bassist. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Fourth, released 1971, has been the fourth regular album by the Canterbury band The Soft Machine, whose music had at the time developed more and more from their original psychedelic/progressive rock towards jazz. ... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... Seven is a 1973 album by the British progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Harvest Records was a record label, formed by EMI in 1969 to promote progressive rock music and to compete with Philips Vertigo label and Deccas Deram labels. ... Bundles is a 1975 album by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... Bitches Brew (1970) by Miles Davis is considered the most influential early fusion album. ... Allan Holdsworth (born August 6, 1946 in Bradford, West Yorkshire) is a British jazz guitarist and composer. ... John McLaughlin John McLaughlin (aka pinyon)(born January 4, 1942), also Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is a jazz fusion guitar player from Doncaster, Yorkshire in England. ... The original lineup in 1972, featuring Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin, Jerry Goodman, Jan Hammer and Rick Laird. ... Softs is a 1976 album by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... John Etheridge (born January 12, 1948 in London) is a british jazz/fusion guitarist associated with the Canterbury Scene. ... Alan Wakeman (born 13 October 1947) is a saxophonist known for his work in Soft Machine during 1976, appearing on the album Softs. ... Ric Sanders (born in Birmingham, U.K.) is a British violinist who has played in jazz-rock and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention. ... John Symon Asher Jack Bruce (born May 14, 1943) is a Scottish-born musician, composer and singer. ... Richard Edwin Morrissey (May 9, 1940, Horley, Surrey - November 8, 2000, Deal, Kent) was a British jazz musician and composer. ...

The Soft Machine legacy

Since 1988, a wealth of live recordings of Soft Machine have been issued on CD, with recording quality ranging from excellent to poor.

In 2002 four former Soft Machine members - Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall and Allan Holdsworth - toured and recorded under the name Soft Works. In 2005, with John Etheridge replacing Holdsworth, they toured and recorded as Soft Machine Legacy, three albums of theirs have been released: Live in Zaandam (2005), the studio album Soft Machine Legacy (2006) and Live at the New Morning (2006). On their tour in summer 2006, Theo Travis (formerly of Gong and The Tangent) replaced Elton Dean, who died in February 2006. Both of these groups performed some pieces from the original Soft Machine repertoire as well as newer material. Theo Travis (born 1964 in Birmingham) is a british saxophonist. ... Gong is a progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. ...

Soft Machine biography

Graham Bennett's Soft Machine biography, Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous, was published in September 2005. In 2006 the book won an Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections.

Awards

• The album on which Jenkins first played with Soft Machine, Six, won first place in the Melody Maker British Jazz Album of the Year award in 1973.
• Soft Machine was voted best small group in the Melody Maker jazz poll of 1974.

Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was (until its closure) the worlds oldest weekly music newspaper. ...

Discography

Albums

• The Soft Machine (ABC/Probe, 1968)
• Volume Two (ABC/Probe, 1969)
• Third (Columbia, 1970)
• Fourth (Columbia, 1971)
• Rock Generation Vol. 7 (one side only, 1967 demo recordings) (BYG, 1972)
• Rock Generation Vol. 8 (one side only, 1967 demo recordings) (BYG, 1972)
• Five (Columbia, 1972)
• Six (Columbia, 1973)
• Seven (Columbia, 1973)
• Bundles (Harvest, 1975)
• Softs (Harvest, 1976)
• Rubber Riff (CD Recorded 1976) (Blueprint 2001)
• At the Beginning (1967 demo recordings previously on Rock Generation records; also issued as Jet-Propelled Photographs) (Charly, 1976)
• Triple Echo (3 record compilation, 1967-1976) (Harvest, 1977)
• Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris (Harvest, 1978)
• Land of Cockayne (EMI, 1981)
• Live at the Proms 1970 (Reckless, 1988)
• The Peel Sessions (recorded 1969-1971) (Strange Fruit, 1991)
• BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert 1971 (Windsong, 1993; also issued as Soft Machine & Heavy Friends by Hux, 2005)
• BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert 1972 (Windsong, 1994; also issued as Softstage by Hux, 2005)
• Live at the Paradiso 1969 (Voiceprint, 1995)
• Live In France (recorded 1972; also issued as Live in Paris) (One Way, 1995)
• Spaced (recorded 1969) (Cuneiform, 1996)
• Virtually (recorded 1971) (Cuneiform, 1998)
• Noisette (recorded 1970) (Cuneiform, 2000)
• Backwards (recorded 1968-1970) (Cuneiform, 2002)
• Facelift (recorded 1970) (Voiceprint, 2002)
• BBC Radio 1967-1971 (Hux, 2003)
• BBC Radio 1971-1974 (Hux, 2003)
• Somewhere In Soho (recorded 1970) (Voiceprint, 2004)
• Breda Reactor (recorded 1970) (Voiceprint, 2005)
• Out-Bloody-Rageous (compilation, 1967-1973) (Sony, 2005)
• Floating World Live (recorded 1975) (MoonJune Records, 2006)
• Grides (CD/DVD Recorded 1970) (Cuneiform Records, 2006)
• Middle Earth Masters (CD Recorded 1967) (Cuneiform Records, 2006)

Volume One, orginally titled The Soft Machine, is the debut LP by Canterbury psychedelic rock band The Soft Machine, first released in 1968. ... Volume Two is an LP by The Soft Machine, first released in 1969. ... Third is a 1970 double LP by Soft Machine, with each side of the original vinyl consisting of a single long composition. ... Fourth, released 1971, has been the fourth regular album by the Canterbury band The Soft Machine, whose music had at the time developed more and more from their original psychedelic/progressive rock towards jazz. ... A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. ... 5, also known as Fifth, released 1972, has been the fifth regular album by the Canterbury band The Soft Machine, whose music had at the time developed more and more from their original psychedelic/progressive rock towards jazz. ... Six is a 1973 jazzy instrumental album, originally released as a double LP by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... Seven is a 1973 album by the British progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... Bundles is a 1975 album by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... Softs is a 1976 album by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. ... Land of Cockayne is the final album by the band Soft Machine, released in 1981. ... Cuneiform Records is an independent record label based in Silver Spring, Maryland. ...

Singles

• Love Makes Sweet Music/Feelin', Reelin', Squeelin' mono (Polydor UK, 1968)
• Joy Of A Toy/Why Are We Sleeping mono (ABC Probe USA, 1968)
• Soft Space Parts 1 & 2 (Harvest UK, 1978)

References

• Bennett, Graham: Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous. London: SAF Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0-946719-84-5 Biography

External links

• calyx.club.fr/softmachine/
• Soft Machine discography
• Yet another discography
• Collapso - Canterbury Music Family Tree
• hulloder.nl pages dedicated to the Soft Machine - members' discographies and more
• The Soft Machine - A Chronology
• Facelift Magazine - exploring the Canterbury scene and beyond
• Strongcomet: Yet another valuable resource on the Softs
• Lengthy and insightful interview with drummer/singer Robert Wyatt
• Stephen Yarwood's music pages
• Elton Dean - interview for Facelift Magazine
• Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous biography
• Hugh Hopper site (hosted by Burning Shed) including link to the Hopper Archives
• Soft Machine page at Cuneiform Records
• Soft Machine at All Music Guide