Soft Machine
Posted by: Analogue on 12 February 2006
Can anyone give me info on the above group?
I am particularly interested in the era 70s/80s
when John Marshall was the drummer.
John is my cousin but sadly we have been out of touch since the late 70s, so if anyone has any info on John/Soft Machine i would be grateful for an update.
The only album i have with him playing is "Land Of Cockayne" and i would like to know of any other
SM albums he played on which maybe still available.
Thank you
Chris N
I am particularly interested in the era 70s/80s
when John Marshall was the drummer.
John is my cousin but sadly we have been out of touch since the late 70s, so if anyone has any info on John/Soft Machine i would be grateful for an update.
The only album i have with him playing is "Land Of Cockayne" and i would like to know of any other
SM albums he played on which maybe still available.
Thank you
Chris N
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John Marshall was in
Soft Machine
Nucleus
Soft Works
Soft Machine Legacy
John Marshall (drums), former member of Ian Carr's Nucleus, joined Soft Machine around 1973 around the time Hugh Hopper left. John joined with Karl Jenkins. Mike Ratledge, the last remaining original member, was in the band until 1976. Other musicians in the band during the later period were bassists Roy Babbington and Steve Cook, guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John Etheridge, saxophonist Alan Wakeman, and violinist Ric Sanders. Their 1978 performances and record, Alive and Well were the last for Soft Machine as a working band. The Soft Machine name was used for the 1981 record Land of Cockayne and for a few live shows in 1984, but these featured Karl Jenkins and John Marshall with groups assembled just for those performances. 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, 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. Both of these groups performed some pieces from the original Soft Machine repertoire as well as newer material.
I think John is on Fifth (though he is not the main drummer). He became the main drummer on Six, Seven, Bundles, Softs (John co-wrote The Camden Tandem), Alive and Well, Rubber Riff and, as you know, Land of Cockayne (which I think is the last Soft Machine album).
My Soft Machine collection is around the early stuff when Robert Wyatt was on drums, which mostly pre-dates John joining the group. However a do have a vinyl tripple album called Tripple Echo which features one track form each of the above albums.
You need to check out
The double disc set Six Seven anf Rubber Rift
These should available from Amazon or similar at the regular price. I wouldn't pay over the odds for any of the 70s/60s Soft's material as if they are not available now then they will soon become so as there are constant re-releases.
Hope this is of some use.
Rotf
Soft Machine
Nucleus
Soft Works
Soft Machine Legacy
John Marshall (drums), former member of Ian Carr's Nucleus, joined Soft Machine around 1973 around the time Hugh Hopper left. John joined with Karl Jenkins. Mike Ratledge, the last remaining original member, was in the band until 1976. Other musicians in the band during the later period were bassists Roy Babbington and Steve Cook, guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John Etheridge, saxophonist Alan Wakeman, and violinist Ric Sanders. Their 1978 performances and record, Alive and Well were the last for Soft Machine as a working band. The Soft Machine name was used for the 1981 record Land of Cockayne and for a few live shows in 1984, but these featured Karl Jenkins and John Marshall with groups assembled just for those performances. 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, 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. Both of these groups performed some pieces from the original Soft Machine repertoire as well as newer material.
I think John is on Fifth (though he is not the main drummer). He became the main drummer on Six, Seven, Bundles, Softs (John co-wrote The Camden Tandem), Alive and Well, Rubber Riff and, as you know, Land of Cockayne (which I think is the last Soft Machine album).
My Soft Machine collection is around the early stuff when Robert Wyatt was on drums, which mostly pre-dates John joining the group. However a do have a vinyl tripple album called Tripple Echo which features one track form each of the above albums.
You need to check out
The double disc set Six Seven anf Rubber Rift
These should available from Amazon or similar at the regular price. I wouldn't pay over the odds for any of the 70s/60s Soft's material as if they are not available now then they will soon become so as there are constant re-releases.
Hope this is of some use.
Rotf
John was in the original Nucleus line-up in '69 and left in '72 to join Soft Machine. I think John was only present on the first two albums, which happen to be their best.
Fortunately, the first two Nucleus albums are available in a two disc CD set at a special price from Amazon etc. In fact, the reviewers on Amazon both gave the set five stars - and as it is very good IMO, the stars are deserved. I'm familiar with the old vinyl versions.
I don't really know anything about the John Marshall Quintet, but I don't think it has anything to do with the John Marshall. Perhaps another forum member maybe able to help.
Fortunately, the first two Nucleus albums are available in a two disc CD set at a special price from Amazon etc. In fact, the reviewers on Amazon both gave the set five stars - and as it is very good IMO, the stars are deserved. I'm familiar with the old vinyl versions.
I don't really know anything about the John Marshall Quintet, but I don't think it has anything to do with the John Marshall. Perhaps another forum member maybe able to help.
Chris, I'm a fan of Soft Machine, with and without your cousin John, but what really floats my boat is bassist/composer Eberhard Weber's group Colours, with saxophonist Charlie Mariano, pianist/keyboardist Rainer Brüninghaus, and John Marshall. Although Weber made many albums for ECM as a solo artist, the group made three albums, of which John was on these two:
Silent Feet
Little Movements
Masterpieces both. Seriously, everyone should have these albums, especially Silent Feet (if you can get only one).
John also appears on ECM on albums by wind player John Surman, and in bassist Arild Andersen's trio with pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos. I highly recommend these two albums:
The Triangle
Achirana
Your cousin is a great musician, one of my favorite drummers; you should be proud.
By the way, did you know he played on the original soundtrack recording of Jesus Christ Superstar?
Fred