CANTERBURY SPECIAL
THE
CANTERBURY
ew areas o f m odern m usic have
F p rod u ced such a talented and
in trigu in g array o f m usicians,
bands and styles as the C anter­
b u ry scen e o f th e 60s and ea rly 70s.
A m ong its m ost interesting fruits w ere
fa m o u s g r o u p s lik e S o ft M a c h in e ,
Caravan, and H atfield and the North, as
w ell as such im portant songw riters as
R obert Wyatt, K evin A yers and R ich ard
Sinclair — artists w hose solo w ork c o n ­
tinued to flou rish th rou gh ou t the often
m usically-barren mid-70s. In a b roa d er
con text the C anterbury scene also cam e
to d escribe a certain type o f m usic w h ich
in corp ora ted a w ide range o f elements,
m ost n o t a b ly ja z z , p s y c h e d e lic -
experim ental sounds and a unique, very
English, a pp roa ch to lyrics and vocals.
N um erous influential m usicians — Steve
H illage and M ike O ldfield are obviou s
Caravan remain one of the most popular acts to have emerged out o f the Canterbury scene, alongside Soft Machine, Mike Oldfield and Gong.
PHIL HOWITT EXPLAINS THE ORIGINS
AND DEVELOPMENT OF ONE CITY’S MAJOR
CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH ROCK HISTORY
exam ples — had th eir roots in this style,
w h ile b a n d s su ch as G on g, N ation al
H ealth and In Cahoots, w h o en joyed few
(if any) geograph ical con n ection s with
C anterbury, cam e to epitom ise the crea ­
tive spirit o f the scene.
PEDIGREE
Unlike many of the bands which emerged
in the psychedelic boom of the 60s, the Soft
Machine had a pedigree stretching back a
number of years. Not only had the Softs’
vocalists Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt
featured in Canterbury R&B band Wilde Flow­
ers in the mid-60s (along with the entire cast
of the simultaneously emerging Caravan), but
their third member, Australian Daevid Allen,
had been infusing an element of musical
anarchy and experimentation into the lives of
Wyatt and future Soft Machine bassist Hugh
Hopper from as early as 1963. In addition.
rc #154 - 6/1992
Mike Ratledge, keyboard player and eventual
Soft Machine stalwart, added many of the
classical and jazz leanings to the band’s sound,
which helped make the Soft Machine an
unlikely critical success.
It was the first ructions within the Soft
Machine camp in the late 60s which set its
musicians off at exciting tangents. Daevid
Allen left before the recording of the band’s
first album, ultimately to impart his own
lunacy into a new project, Gong, while Ayers
followed suit soon after to embark on an
erratic solo career. The latter was the most
image-conscious and marketable of all the
scene’s musicians, and the complex compos­
itions and sounds of his early solo albums
“Joy Of A Toy” and “Shooting At The Moon”
suggested that he could not, immediately at
least, entirely break away from the Softs'
influence. Robert Wyatt, the dominant voice
on the first two Softs albums, disappeared
further behind the drum-kit in the later,
Thames Valley Record Fairs 1992 Dates
jazzier line-ups o f the band which recorded

READING
the “Third” and “Fourth” LPs. Before Wyatt
left, the band reached their creative peak: he
and Ratledge had been joined by the driving
force o f many Canterbury projects, bassist
Hugh Hopper and jazz improviser/saxophon-
ist Elton Dean. Later Soft’s line-ups became
more staid, and though they managed to pro­
duce some fine music with a number o f leading
MONDAY 25 MAY
jazz technicians (including drummer John RIVERMEAD CENTRE, RICHFIELD AVENUE.
Marshall and guitarist Allan Holdsworth), 200 DEALERS - FULLY BOOKED.
much o f their previous enterprise disappeared
with the band’s original members.
Caravan, meanwhile, enjoyed a less trou­
bled course through the late 60s. Their finest
SATURDAY 20 JUNE
albums, “Caravan”, “If I Could Do It All Over TOWN HALL.
Again...” and “In The Land Of Grey And Pink”, 40 DEALERS & 1,1 0 0 PEOPLE THROUGH AT THE LAST FAIR IN FEBRUARY.
were recorded with a stable line-up featuring
Pye Hastings, Richard Coughlan and cousins
Dave and Richard Sinclair. Together these
musicians evolved a style o f composition now
FRI, SAT & SUN 28, 29 & 30 AUG
considered a landmark in progressive rock cir­ ROCK FESTIVAL WEEKEND.
cles, and the sublim e, ja zz-tin g ed vocal RIVERMEAD CENTRE, RICHFIELD AVENUE (right next to Festival site).
harmonies o f Hastings and Richard Sinclair
placed Caravan at the quality end o f British
pop. Again, though, it was in-group dissen­
sion w h ich led to the n ext sig n ifica n t
development.
Firstly, in 1971, keyboardist Dave Sinclair
left to form Matching Mole with Robert Wyatt.
Here Wyatt at last had scope to air the vocal
talents latterly suppressed with the Soft
PORTSMOUTH SUNDAY 14 JUNE
Machine, and his allegiance with Sinclair, the
compositional force with Caravan, resulted in
lengthy, searching material which fused clas­
sic songs (such as “O Caroline” on their
PYRAMIDS CENTRE - 1 0 0 STALLS
eponymous debut album) with the highly ON S0UTHSEA S BUSY SEAFRONT, EASY LOADING, BAR, SW IMMING POOL!
crafted musicianship afforded by the instru­
mental talents o f Sinclair and guitarist Phil
Miller
SA TUR DAY 4 JU LY P O R T S M O U T H G U IL D H A L L .
BREAK-UP
When Richard Sinclair also left Caravan
in 1972, at around the time of the break-up of Λ
J S A T U R D A Y S 6 J U N E /1 8 J U L Y T O W N H A LL
Matching Mole, it led to the genesis o f Hatfield
and the North, which many critics regard as
the archetypal Canterbury scene outfit. Al­
OXFORI SU N D A Y 2 8 JUNE TH E COLLEGE, 0 X P E N S RO AD .

though their only tangible link with the city

was Richard Sinclair, all the classic musical
elements were there — structured, ever-
shifting compositions incorporating jazz and
rock — together with an exciting, ever-present
m p m
SOUTH!lllll IUI1 js s s .
T H E G U IL D H A L L .
element of the unpredictable. The line-up in­
cluded Dave Stewart on keyboards, previously
with Egg (early proteges o f the Softs, also
featuring Steve Hillage in an extended line­ ■CTCD
GLOUCI■U 1t i l
S U N D A Y 7 JUNE L E IS U R E C E N T R E .
up called Uriel), Phil Miller (ex-Matching
Mole) and Pip Pyle, who’d played in Delivery SA TU R D A Y 2 5 JU LY IN T H E P A R K .
and drummed in an early incarnation of Gong.
These three musicians are prime examples of
players who have become synonymous with PllJimmi SUNDAYS5 /2 3

BOURNIu 11/1 1 II11

U IIIh palacecourthotel’
ju ly august
the Canterbury scene, regardless o f their own
birthplace or upbringing.
With the Hatfields, Richard Sinclair, aside
from being a consummate bassist, embodied
LIIIU W E S T0V E R ROAD.

another characteristic that had graced sev­

M
eral bands of this type: the deliberately English IA | | S A T U R D A Y S 6 J U N E /1 1 J U L Y
vocals, often aligned with nonsensical, or at
least token, lyrics. Robert Wyatt had perhaps
pioneered this trait, born as much from a
desire to explore the possibilities o f the voice
BRIGHT Ull M E E T IN G H O U S E , S H IP S T R E E T
(in T h e L a n e s ).
as an instrument in itself, as it was a deliber­
ate reaction to the traditional forms o f vocal
d elivery w hich had begun to dom inate
BATH “w
Dnni
I C
UULC
JUNE/11 JULY
GUILDHALL.
SATURDAY 27 JUNE
ARTS CENTRE (12.30pm).
contemporary American rock. Hatfield and the
North only recorded an eponymous debut al­
All fa irs 10am -4pm ex c ep t w here s ta te d o th erw ise.
bum, “The Rotters Club” and the posthumous
S ta lls enquiries: 081 6 5 9 4 3 1 2 . P 0 Box 7 7 5 , London SE20 8NT.
"Afters”, but a later band, National Health,
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
which included many of the same members,
employed a similar compositional style,
although they lacked the vocal quirks of
Sinclair, who had moved to join Camel.
After an accident in 1973, which left him
paralysed from the waist downwards, Robert
Wyatt turned in perhaps his two finest
albums, the emotionally bleak “Rock Bottom”
and its follow-up, “Ruth Is Stranger Than
Richard”. As a solo artist, he used simpler
song structures than before, yet his stark,
naked voice came over stronger than ever in
performances of staggering intensity. His
latest release, “Dondestan” shows a return to
this form, but his sporadic release of material
in the late 70s and 80s on the Rough Trade
label eschewed even the accompaniment of
trusted friends. Indeed, his politically-
motivated songs were cut down to the barest
of wires with often only sparse keyboards
accompanying Wyatt’s voice.
EXPLORATION
Caravan, still centred around the Pye
Hastings/Richard Coughlan axis, continued to
record throughout the 70s, and a Soft
Machine far removed from the original con­
cept lasted until 1977. Any genuine exploration
of new ideas in the 70s and 80s revolved
around the jazzier end of the Canterbury spec­
trum. While rarely fully escaping into wholly
improvised structures, Hugh Hopper and Elton
Dean have collaborated on fourteen jazz-
From soul-tinged beginnings as the Wilde Flowers, the Soft Machine became one of the c
orientated albums, mostly as leaders or co­
try’s top psychedelic acts before opting for a more purist jazz approach during the Seventies.
leaders on LPs bearing their name. The bands
Soft Head, National Health and Gilgamesh terbury is his mother. But, true as this may — this fetches up to £300), Gong’s “Continen­
also drew together members of Soft Machine, be, Canterbury does appear to be attracting tal Circus” and “Obsolete”, Khan’s “Space
Caravan, Hatfield and the North and Gong, new admirers. The explosion of the CD mar­ Shanty” (featuring Steve Hillage and Dave
and albums released by each of these outfits ket has been kind to the scene in general — it Stewart), National Health’s “Of Queues And
revealed exquisite new slants on the music has allowed the public access to material long Cures” and “Before A Word Is Said” (an
produced by the ‘core’ Canterbury bands. Since since deleted on vinyl, while also providing album featuring Richard Sinclair and Phil
1983, Phil Miller has released four LPs of the commercial impetus for artists to work on Miller), Kevin Ayers’ “As Close As You Think”
music recorded by such familiar Canterbury new records. It’s partly a question of expo­ or “Deia Vu” and Elton Dean’s eponymous
luminaries as Dean, Hopper, Pip Pyle, Dave sure: most of the players mentioned here have solo LP. Also hard to come by are vinyl coun­
Stewart and Richard Sinclair. remained practising musicians even during terparts of the CD omissions mentioned above.
An unlikely commercial high point came in periods of apparent inactivity. Today’s record Among its musicians, the ‘Canterbury
1981, with the No. 1 single (“It’s My Party”) and CD racks see current releases from Cara­ scene’ tag these days meets with various reac­
recorded by Dave Stewart and Barbara van Of Dreams (Richard Sinclair’s new band), tions. It is seen by some as nothing more than
Gaskin, who have continued to release self- Hugh Hopper (“Meccano Pelorus”, with his a convenient pigeonhole, but nevertheless I
financed albums on their own Broken Records Dutch band), Robert Wyatt (“Dondestan”), Phil think it’s still a label which stands up well
label ever since. Gong, meanwhile, never fail Miller (“Digging In”), Pip Pyle (“Up” ), Dave under scrutiny. The most obvious pointer to
to astound their followers — enormously pro­ Stewart/Barbara Gaskin (“Spin” ) and Kevin its relevance is the extraordinary interaction
lific in the 70s in their various forms, their Ayers (“Still Life With Guitar” ). The various of the Canterbury musicians over the last 25
late 80s material surpassed even this level of permutations of Gong’s confusing network years. While some collaborations have clearly
activity. The release of a huge backlog of Gong have also produced many recent gems: Didier run their course, others are still holding strong
albums was augumented by a string of new Malherbe’s “Fetish”, Tim Blake’s “Magick”, in the 90s (witness the recent Hopper/Miller/
records, thanks to the extraordinary energy Gong Maison’s eponymous LP, Daevid Allen’s Dean/Malherbe line-up at a French jazz festi­
of Daevid Allen. In fact, the Gong side of the “Australia Aquaria”/“She” and releases from val, or Richard Sinclair’s Caravan Of Dreams
family tree merits an article in itself (we will Steve Hillage’s new projects. System 7 and a band). Musically, too, the tag still seems to
he taking a detailed look at the band’s career collaboration with the Orb. have a certain aptness: many of the scene's
in a future issue). There are just a few rarities to highlight protagonists continue to fuse jazz and pro­
So where does the Canterbury scene stand for collectors. Today’s Canterbury enthusiast gressive rock, and employ the same sorts of
today? Hugh Hopper is quoted as saying that will find that nearly all of the back catalogue compositional style. It may, perhaps, be ar­
the only person who recognises him in Can- has been made available on CD (many on gued that the more commercial outings of
import from Europe or Japan), although some Kevin Ayers and the difficult, improvisational
REVOLUTION RECORD FAIRS R^ omissions do remain. Included among the lat­ jazz of Elton Dean could not be more differ­
ter are Caravan’s eponymous debut LP, Soft ent, but neither could really be excluded from
Q
□C
O
WINDSOR | Machine’s “Six”, Robert Wyatt’s “The End Of
An Ear” album (recorded towards the end of
his stay with the Soft Machine), Soft Head’s
a careful look at the Canterbury scene. It may
be a convenient pigeonhole, but it relates to
an area of music whose vibrancy has lasted
o June 13, July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12 o
LU “Rogue Element” and Hugh Hopper’s marvel­ nearly three decades, and shows no sign of
cc The Old Trout, Riverside,’ Town Centre m
to lous “Hoppertunity Box” LP. dying in the 90s.
o On vinyl the gaps are more striking, with FACELIFT MAGAZINE, which explores the
Bar & Food o some albums probably now destined never to Canterbury scene and beyond, is available for
3 10am til 4pm * SOp entry * Stalls £16 § appear on that format again. Notwithstand­ £1.00 from Phil Howitt, 39 Nicolas Road,
ing some recent re-releases, the most difficult Manchester, M21 1LG. The current issues
O Day: 0753 867221 Eve: 0628 25908 feature interviews with Richard Sinclair and
items to find include Uriel’s only LP (released
SdIVd QH003H NOlimOABd s^N as “Arzachel” to avoid contractual difficulties Mother Gong.
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL

ROBERT WYATT
MARK PAYTRESS MEETS THE INSPIRED AND POLITICALLY-COMMITTED SINGER & WRITER

f all the active Canterbury-based

O m u s ic ia n s w h o ca m e to
prom inence during the Sixties
and ea rly S even ties, R ob ert
Wyatt retains the critical and musical
edge. Over the years, he’s transform ed
him self from a drum m er with a keenness
for inventive solos into a songwriter, and
interpreter, o f the highest calibre. His
delicate voice is instantly recognisable,
even i f it sometimes seems to go unheard
outside the close-knit w orld o f musicians
and critic s. E lvis C ostello w rote the
classic “Shipbuilding” for him; countless
oth ers cite him as on e o f the fin est
sin gers in con tem p ora ry B ritish pop
music.
Wyatt is a contradiction. A drummer-
turned-singer with a capacity to reduce the
hardest of souls to tears with a few bars of
verse; the avant-garde jazz fan with an
uncanny knack of writing memorable ballads;
and the self-confessed musical doodler who
likes nothing better than to construct
soundscapes in his music room, while retain­
ing a vision that extends far beyond national
and cultural boundaries in search of mean­
ingful songs to cover.
When he left the Soft Machine, that group
was entering its final, least inspired phase.
Wyatt released one patchy solo album, “The
End Of An Ear”, before forming Matching
Mole, a criminally overlooked outfit from the
early Seventies who, like Henry Cow, reintro­
duced political polemic into the broad spectrum
of popular music.
In 1973, Wyatt’s musical career was
jeopardised after an accident left him unable
to walk. Since being confined to a wheelchair,
he’s made the somewhat inevitable switch
from drum-kit to keyboards and percussion
instruments, and his work has taken on an
intensely personal style, sometimes haunting,
at other times warm and profoundly moving.
His acclaimed series of solo recordings have
taken him into the Top 30, seen him forge
links with the post-punk independent scene,
and work with some of the most accomplished
songwriters of recent years.
Back in the Sixties, it was Robert Wyatt’s
intricate, jazz-inspired drumming which won
>m\\'
him most praise. His occasional vocal excur­
sions — high-pitched and sung with a lisp — enhanced by the nonsense lyrics that were a which received the usual plaudits from the
were often regarded as a gimmick, a view feature of the early Softs material. Then came critics, and this year is likely to see the
“Moon In June”, his side-long contribution to release of some notable archive recordings
the band’s “Third” album, a piece brimming on Recommended and/or Rough Trade
> A P tP L E il 9 with inventive melodies and musical inspira­ Records.
K E C O i O FAQ1 tion, which revealed Wyatt’s true capabilities When I spoke to him, Wyatt — one of the
as a songwriter. This talent was honed down most thoughtful and entertaining interview­
Public Hall, Appleby, Cumbria.
for “O Caroline” from the first Matching Mole ees I’ve ever encountered — was probably
10.00am til 4.00pm keener to discuss the current state of political
album, a rare piece of originality in the often
SATURDAYS hackneyed world of the romantic balladeer. opposition in this country (and this was
JUNE 1 3 /JUNE 27/JULY 25 Wyatt re-emerged with the self-explana­ before the election!) than trawl back through
Appleby is on the A66 tory “Rock Bottom” album in 1974, a poignant the memory banks, past the pre-accident
(junction 40 Mb & Scotch Corner A 1) collection of song-based material infused with barrier, an era which he now claims an
Also on British Rail Leeds/Carlisle line the inquisitive passion for musical adventure amnesia for. You might not find exactly which
which always informs his work. Last autumn, Soft Machine track it was that Hendrix played
i Phone: (07683/52871) |
he returned with a new album, “Dondestan”, on, but you will discover some acute observa-
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
tions on the development of popular music
throughout the course of the interview.
R eco rd C o llecto r: T h ere ’s a m ela n ch oly
fe e l on y o u r la te st albu m , “D o n d esta n ”,
p a r tic u la r ly on th e tra ck s w h ere you set
m u sic to y o u r w ife A lfie ’s lyrics, w hich
co n ta in a lo t o f n a tu ra l im agery. Is th is
in d ica tiv e o f a k in d o f r e tr e a t from th e
o u tsid e w orld on y o u r p a r t ?
Robert Wyatt: I can’t speak for Alfie. She didn't
write them as song lyrics, but as a group of
poems called “Out Of Season”, which were
written while I was working in Spain. It was
winter, and we were in a holiday area out of
season. Being in such an artificial place built
for tourists was particularly strange in
winter when no-one was there: it had a very
strong atmosphere, very specific. The sole
person you’d meet would be a West African
trinket seller with only abandoned dogs to
“At Last I Am Free” was coupled with a fine “Stalin Wasn't Stalling" was a reminder of the
sell them to. The songs I chose tended to be
reading of “Strange Fruit” on this 1980 single. Soviet Union's crucial role in the last War.
just about that atmosphere, being on the beach
by the sea. literally at the edge of things. jokes about these old people because they of that in rock'n'roll, all that “I’m frightening
R C: T h e p o l i t i c a l c o n t e n t th a t m a n y listened to Paul Robeson and didn’t know the grown-ups" nonsense. It was conceited.
e x p e c t to fin d on a R o b e r t W yatt r e c o r d about what was going on today. I didn’t like I left the CP a couple of years ago. It just
ev en tu a lly su rfa ces on th e seco n d side. those people at all! I felt I was being patron­ seemed to be a launching pad for media
T iein g in w ith w h a t I m ay h a v e m isrea d ised — “Oh, we’ve got a musician, a real useful pundits. I can see no difference between the
a s m e la n c h o ly is “ C P J e e b ie s ”, w h ich badge for our new image." I wasn’t interested stance of “Marxism Today” and the David
a p p ea rs to be a veiled a tta c k on th e sta te in helping the right wing do what they do so Owen/SDP viewpoint. When I first said that,
o f th e C om m u n ist P a rty. Y o u ’ve b een a well anyway, which is laugh at old lefties. I was told I was just being provocative, but
w ell-kn ow n m em ber o f th e C P fo r m any Nearly every other Radio 4 play was doing later on, they took on board a great deal of
y ea rs, b u t a lin e lik e “th e r e w ill be n o th ­ something like that. It’s too easy, and it’s ageist that. I don’t need that. I left the Labour Party
in g you ca n p u t y o u r fin g e r o n ” seem s to as well. in the first place because there were too many
h in t a t th e P a r ty ’s a b a n d o n m en t o f M a rx­ R C: D o you see y o u r s e lf as a n a r tis t in people like David Owen in it. At least we had
ist p r in c ip le s in r e c e n t yea rs. o p p o s itio n ? a good laugh thinking up some new titles when
RW: I’m glad that’s apparent, yes! But I would RW: I don’t think the rock idiom itself is “Marxism Today” asked readers to send in
say it's more personal. When I joined the Party inherently revolutionary. I use what comes suggestions for its new name!
in the late Seventies, the people I actually naturally to me, which is playing music. I can R C: A s p a r t o f th e S oft M a ch in e in the
liked and got on with were very often the imagine and have seen situations where la te S ixties, how m uch w as th ere a sen se
ageing battled-scarred anti-Fascists who’d people who sing songs can be part of a general th a t you w ere c h ip p in g a w a y a t e sta b ­
been in it since the Thirties and had been psyching up for a movement, but I can’t see lis h e d s ty le s a t th e tim e a n d fo r g in g
through a thing or two. There was a plumber how it could possibly ever be the basis for one. som eth in g n ew ?
who, despite the opportunity to get promoted, So I see myself as a supporter, a cheer-leader, RW: I can’t really remember what we thought.
chose to stay at the hard end, and really lived but rock music is not a substitute for real But if we did think we were changing the
the meaning of what he was doing. We used politics. world or loosening the bricks of the establish­
to go to “Morning Star” bazaars and I com­ The reason I joined the Communist Party ment, I’d have to say that I think we were
pletely fell in love with the people there. during the late Seventies was that I couldn't probably wrong about that. Any thoughts that
But then I felt disappointed when a much see rock groups’ pose-striking attitudes as I may have entertained in that area were
trendier bunch of post-Beatle people picked changing anything or presenting the slightest crushed by hearing the group being played on
up on it, and sat around making sarcastic challenge to the establishment. There’s a lot Radio Free Europe to prove how wonderful

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“Arauco” / “Caimanera” was probably Wyatt’s
most artistically successful Rough Trade 45.
the West and the establishment is. And so, on
the contrary, I think pop and rock has helped
the establishment to become more adaptable.
No real power shifts have happened.
RC: The sleeve-n ote fo r th e seco n d S oft
M a ch in e a lbu m sp ok e o f “m u sic fo r th e
m in d ”, as i f you w ere a ctu a lly re je c tin g
d a n ce m usic.
RW: It wouldn’t have been me who put that
on there. That’s the kind of remark that would
have led to me leaving! It could have been
somebody at the record company, but as we
couldn’t play dance music at that time, it’s
purely academic anyway! When we started,
we did play James Brown medleys, and
aspired to what Georgie Fame and Jimmy
James and the Vagabonds were doing, but in
a provincial, clumsy way.
RC: H ow d id S oft M a ch in e en d up p la y ­
in g a t th e P ro m s?
RW: That actually happened because a
composer, Tim Souster, who had written a
piece for his spot, still had half the evening to
fill, so he thought he’d be naughty and get in
a rock band. There was a certain amount of
fluidity at that time amongst certain
musicians, it was fairly open-ended. I don’t
think it was a particularly good gig, though:
the Albert Hall isn’t a very nice place to play.
R C : C an yo u r e c a ll th e S o ft M a ch in e
p la y in g a n y g ig s b efore th e IT b en efit in
O ctob er 1966 as th e S oft M a ch in e a n d n ot
as th e W ilde F low ers?
RW: I remember some of us playing in proto
form at the Establishment nightclub: me,
Hugh Hopper and Daevid Allen. And I
remember another event where we played at
the Marquee one night when they also had
Donovan and a sitar player, and free music by
AMM, but I don’t recall what we were called.
I seem to remember the first gig where we
used the name was at the Roundhouse, but I
could be wrong.
R C : T h e r e ’s a s t u d i o o u t - t a k e t h a t
p u r p o r ts to be J im i H en d rix a n d S oft
M a ch in e, b u t th e v o c a lis t is c e r ta in ly
n e ith er you, K evin A yers n o r H en d rix. D o
you rec a ll an y stu d io ja m s, a n d ca n you
co n firm H en d rix ’s p r e s e n c e on e ith e r sid e
o f th e fir s t sin g le?
RW: I seem to remember that he came in and
put some rhythm guitar on one of Kevin’s
songs that came out on single. Because we
had the same manager, we’d sometimes be in
the same studios at the same time, but I can’t
recall any specific occasion.
CANTERBURY SPECIAL
Ivor Cutler’s “Grass” was one o f the later 45s
in the Rough Trade series of cover versions.
R C: Why d id you lea v e th e S ofts a fte r the
rele a s e o f “F o u r th " ea rly in 1971?
RW: I don’t know why I was ever in the Softs!
I suppose I wanted to work with musicians
that I got on with, could talk to and share
ideas with. We’d got together because we were
the only ones who could play the appropriate
instruments, but when we got to London, we
started to meet other musicians. It was
exciting getting the band well-known enough
to headline gigs, but the last vestige of
adventure left it at that point.
R C: W asn ’t it g e ttin g m u sica lly s terile?
RW: Yeah. I’m not particularly interested in
English jazz-rock. Different musical textures
were forming in my head, which were not just
related to drumming on endless rehashes of
half-remembered Eric Dolphy solos.
R C: W ere you p le a s e d w ith y o u r first so lo
ven tu re, “ The E nd O f A n E a r ” ?
RW: It was good fun doing it. There was a
great feeling of throwing off the corsets. I
couldn’t believe my nerve, actually — playing
piano on a record!
R C :B y 1972, y o u ’d fo rm ed M a tch in g M ole,
w ho a lm ost u n iq u ely a t th e tim e, in tr o ­
d u ced p o litic s in to ro c k m usic.
RW: A lot of people haven’t noticed that: they
assume that really only started to happen in
the late Seventies. At that time, the world
seemed to become more solid around me, and
I felt more assertive and willing to try and not
be part of this ‘setting’ mould, whereas in the
previous decade, there was a sort of feeling
that — despite what I said earlier — it was
all up in the air, that there could never be
another Vietnam War, that racism and
colonialism could soon be over. But by the
early Seventies, you could see a narcissistic
Englishness settling in the ground around you.
R C: S in ce y o u r a ccid en t, y o u ’ve co n s is t­
en tly m oved c lo s e r tow a rd s a son g -b a sed
fo r m a t. D o y o u m iss c o ll e c t iv e m u sic
m a k in g?
RW: I get the sense of working with people in
other ways. It’s almost impossible to do a solo
thing even if you want to. If I’m playing drums
or piano, I’m thinking about previous
drummers and pianists that I’ve listened to,
so they’re part of a gang in my head that I’m
having conversations with. And then choos­
ing other people’s material, whether it be
Latin-American or old gospel songs, to me
that’s a kind of a communion too. And you’re
always working with the engineer. It’s always
like a kind of blind date when you go into the
studio — what’s he going to be like?! So 1
never felt in danger of being alone. Music­
making isn’t like that. It is a social activity.
R C: Why d id you stop m a k in g m u sic a fte r
“R u th Is S tra n g er T han R ic h a r d ” ?
RW: I got overwhelmed by other things that
seemed to be more interesting, and embarked
upon a process of completing the higher
education that I never had, having left school
early and gone straight into washing-up and
working in a forest. I started to become inter­
ested in learning about things that I’d been
too busy living before to get round to. Alfie
and I used to really enjoy watching the Open
University, with these extraordinary profes­
sors and their blackboards and charts. I’d
watch them all, but particularly those ones
that dealt with communication, education and
politics, and the relationship between Europe
and other countries. That became far more
interesting to me than playing musical
instruments and being with musicians.
Alongside that, we started going to the
London Film Festival, which was akin to a
psychedelic experience. We’d see something
like 30 films in a fortnight, including many
that would probably never get shown again —
films from places like Senegal and Java. That
was an extraordinary experience, the most
exciting barrage of stimuli I’d had since I
discovered jazz as a teenager.
R C: D id you see p u n k r o ck a s a m ore
e ffe c tiv e d is tu rb a n ce o f th e sta tu s q u o
th a n R o c k In O p p o s itio n g r o u p s lik e
H e n r y C ow , w h o m y o u w e r e lo o s e l y
a ffilia te d w ith?
RW: I liked the music of the late Seventies. I
thought the Sex Pistols were a wonderful
group and I loved Poly Styrene’s lyrics for
X-Ray Spex. I actually became more inter­
ested because it existed side-by-side with
reggae. There was a new generation of black
youth that seemed to be less English than
their bus-driving, nursing parents, who’d been
making more of an effort to be more English,
but who hadn’t really been welcomed as much
as they might have been. This new generation
didn’t bother trying and instead began
recultivating rural Jamaican patois and all
that. It was a grass-roots “fuck-you-too”
movement, which actually was a great
inspiration for punk alongside it.
It really climaxed in the Two-Tone era,
when people began digging up the old ska
records. I loved Two-Tone. That was really
just about the last era of pop/rock music that
I felt totally at one with. Jerry Dammers and
the Beat and all those people — I thought
they were lovely. That whole late Seventies
environment really was like a breath of fresh
air.
R C: A n d p r o v id ed th e in sp ira tion th a t led
you d irectly to R ou g h T rade?
RW: Yes. I felt much more at home among
that generation of musicians and the people
at Rough Trade. It was like the days when I
was a teenage jazz fan. All the labels then
were indies, and it was very much that kind
of atmosphere, disturbing the grand empire
of accountants and lawyers of the major
companies.
R C : W as it a d efin ite p o litic a l sta tem en t
then, sig n in g to a n in d ie?
RW: No, I have to say it was more personal,
because I liked them. The songs that I sang
around that time, some drawn from Chilean
and Cuban culture, perhaps made the point
that while there’s some really tough people on
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
the front line of the fight, they actually sing
very gentle ballads. South American revolu­

KEVIN
tionary songs, which are sung by guerillas in MARTIN WAKELING
the mountains, sound to us like “Come
Dancing” music. And I thought that was very TRACKS AYERS’
interesting and a point worth making. There CAREER FROM THE
is never a simple equation between making a
racket and being dangerous and political WILDE FLOWERS
activists. It’s much more complicated than TO HIS SERIES

AVERS
that.
R C: D o n ’t yo u th in k th a t th e g r o w in g OF ECLECTIC
sen se o f in tern a tio n a lism in m u sic has,
lik e th e sou n d o f th e S ixties u n d ergrou n d ,
SOLO PROJECTS
n ow b een in c o r p o r a te d in to th e m a in ­
strea m ?
RW: Yes. People are really getting interested
in Cuban music, but it’s almost invariably
played by Cuban exiles in New York or Puerto
Ricans doing salsa-fied version of Cuban
music. Nobody’s allowed to say Cuba’s a
hot-bed of wonderful music because it’s seen
as a non-country. So despite this recent
upsurge in interest in Latin-American music,
it by-passes the people who are actually living
in Cuba and enjoy being there. It might have
been an international celebration, but it’s just
become part of the cycle of appropriation of
other people’s stuff.
R C: Y ou ’ve ra rely a p p ea red in co n c e r t over
th e p a s t 15 yea rs, b a r a c o u p le o f m em o­
r a b l e g u e s t a p p e a r a n c e s w ith th e
R a in c o a ts a n d w ith H en ry Cow. Is th a t
so m eth in g yo u m iss?
RW: No I don’t. I still have nightmares about
twice a week about playing live. I used to
drink myself under the table in order to pluck
up enough courage to go on stage. I was
always more interested in having the musical
ideas and working them out than in the
presentation.
Even going into the studio is a bit like
performing. I get nervous. But that’s what I
have to do to make records. At home I have a
four-track cassette, a couple of mikes and the
sort of instruments that you hear on my
records, and that’s enough for me. I’m more
interested in getting the bare bones of the
music right — the words, the chords, the tunes,
the rhythms. I don’t like to dwell on the
fancification of it all.
R C : B u t th ere a re a lo t o f tex tu r e s on y o u r
record s.
RW: Actually I did spend quite a lot of time at
home preparing this record, working out the
layers, so that I can go into the studio and do
it quickly. So perhaps it is fancification after
all, getting the right textures and sounds to e v in A y e r s is v e r y m u ch a Kevin Ayers was born in Kent on 16th
go with the words.
R C: C an yo u rem a in op tim istic a b o u t th e
p o litic a l a n d s o c ia l co n c e r n s w h ich h a s
in sp ired y o u r m u sic?
RW: No. I heard the news the other day and
K ‘ n e a r ly ’ p o p star. A lth o u g h
w h o lly c a p a b le o f w r it in g
instantly hummable tunes with
obvious chart potential, his eclectic tastes
and m atchless talent fo r avoid in g the
August 1944. From the age of six to twelve, he
grew up in Malaysia where his father Rowan
Ayers was a District Officer. Ayers was to be
influenced more by the spontaneity, freedom
and informality of the Eastern lifestyle that
the whole thing was basically Pentagon vagaries o f prom otion have ensured that surrounded him than by the overtones of
newspeak. The qualification for being a he’s rem ained in the shadows. He made Colonial privilege that had placed him there.
news-reader seems to be, “Can you read White his first tentative m usical footsteps in Back as a youth in grey, conservative Herne
House press releases?” It’s never been more the seminal C anterbury band, the Wilde Bay, it was his search for these exotic values
pathetic, in my opinion. We’re really veering Flow ers, w hich blossom ed into the sur­ that attracted him into the circle of Robert
towards an American political system of realistic early Soft M achine, after w hich Wyatt and his unconventional friends in Can­
identikit Republican and Democrat parties. he built a solo ca reer w hich n ow boasts terbury. The Georgian mansion belonging to
And I think that’s sad for the rest of the world 15 a lb u m s, th r e e c o m p ila t io n s and Robert’s mother, Honor, was a gathering place
because it means that the neo-colonialist num erous singles. A long the way, he’s co l­ for local Bohemians, where discussions cen­
practices are more safely established now than laborated w ith m usicians o f the calibre tred around avant-garde jazz, Dadaist art and
they were at the beginning of this century, o f M ike O ldfield, R o b e rt W yatt, Ollie poetry. Mike Ratledge, brothers Hugh and
and that means that a lot of people in the H alsall a n d D a vid B e d fo rd , and his Brian Hopper and ‘the world’s first beatnik’,
world are going to be in for a hard time for a unwillingness to play the p op game has Australian Daevid Allen, drifted in and out.
long time. But I’m prepared to cheer-lead been sim ultaneously his charm and his Ayers thought them ‘weird’, and the music
almost anybody who’s still willing to have a dow nfall — his legacy is one o f missed ‘utter gibberish’ but persevered because he
go. opportunities but glorious secrets. liked the people. The decision to form a band
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
probably grew from an im prom ptu jam drums and, fleetingly, guitarist Larry Nolan. The Soft Machine entered De Lane Lea
performed largely on saucepan lids! Their arrival in London in early 1967 coin­ Studios in London in April to record a series
The Wilde Flowers (the ‘e’ an Ayers tribute cid ed p e rfe ctly w ith th e g en esis o f o f original compositions with producer Giorgio
to Oscar) formed around June 1963, consist­ underground psychedelia, and the band Gomelsky. Described by Gomelsky as “the
ing o f Wyatt on drums, Hugh Hopper on bass, quickly secured a residency amongst the in­ basis o f an album”, the band remember them
his elder brother Brian on guitar and saxo­ cense and flow ers o f the UFO Club in more as ‘demos’, not necessarily connected
phone, the young Richard Sinclair on rhythm Tottenham Court Road. Enmeshed in the light with what they played live. Released only in
guitar and Ayers, lacking the confidence to shows o f Mark Boyle’s Sensual Laboratory, retrospect, and in various guises in the U.K.
play an instrument, on vocals. This was the the Soft Machine’s influence on myriad bands (“At The B egin ning” and “Jet-P ropelled
earliest incarnation of a band that was to is inestimable and will be assessed in a future Photograph” being the two best-known), the
spawn the giants of the Canterbury dynasty, issue. album’s sleeve-notes prepare you for the worst.
Soft Machine and Caravan. No official record Ayers’ confidence as a songwriter was grow­ However, Wyatt’s voice and drumming more
exists of these Wilde Flowers, merely some ing rapidly. Signed by Polydor in January than compensate for Allen’s curious guitar
scratchy demos cut early in 1965 at Wout 1967, the Soft Machine’s “Love Makes Sweet playing, and the disc is well worth investigat­
Steenhuis’s studio in Broadstairs. Included is Music” single, coupled with “Feelin’, Reelin’ ing as a historical curio. Am ong A yers’
A yers’ ea rliest docu m en ted attem p t at Squeelin’ ”, was released a month later. The compositions are the Wilde Flowers’ “She’s
songwriting, the com m ercial, Beatlesque A-side, produced by Chas Chandler, who had Gone”, “I’d Rather Be With You” (with its
“She’s Gone”. become familiar with Ayers after the singer clever bass riff) and a slightly lacklustre “Jet-
In mid-1965, Ayers left to travel to Ibiza had sent a selection o f his songs for considera­ Propelled Photograph” which would later be
with the influential Daevid Allen. The lure of tion by the New Animals, twists and turns remodelled as “Shooting At The Moon”. A third
travel, sun, sea and wine never faded for Ayers through the finest melodies and harmonies of version of “She’s Gone”, produced by Joe Boyd
— a free spirit ever tantalised by distant ex­ mid 60s pop. It is rumoured that Chandler’s in June 1967 as a planned but unreleased
otica. He’s often tended to disappear at critical newest protege, Jimi Hendrix, strummed an single, later turned up on Soft Machine’s
moments during his career, a trait which has acoustic guitar at the session. The B-side, pro­ “Triple Echo” 3-LP retrospective set.
nevertheless acted as a safety valve whilst duced by Kim Fowley and credited as a Wyatt After a summer spent gigging and lazing
some of his contemporaries fell victim to the composition, shows the darker, Gurdjieff- around in St. Tropez — “Clarence In Wonder­
excesses of their trade. inspired world of dreams, and the aura of land” was written on the beach there — the
The Soft Machine was bom in August 1966, sleep pervades the lyrics. band were hit when Daevid Allen was refused
named after the metaphor for humanity used Today, the single is worth £50 in Mint con­ re-entry into the U.K. on the grounds o f pass­
by William Burroughs in his 1961 novel o f the dition, although you can find the song more port irregularities. The Softs were forced to
same title. While in Ibiza, Ayers and Allen easily on Polydor’s 1976 “Rare Tracks” compi­ continue as a trio while Allen retired to Paris
had run into American freak and millionaire lation. It also later appeared on “Triple Echo”, to found the first incarnation of Gong. The
W es B ru n son (th e ‘S ton ed In n ocen t the three-LP Soft Machine retrospective. “Love Soft Machine next embarked upon a mam­
Frankenstein’ o f Allen’s later “Bananamoon” Makes Sweet Music” reached No. 28 in the moth American tour, lasting from February
album) who lavished money on them to start Radio London charts, but outside o f the capi­ until A ugust 1968, supporting the Jimi
a band. Returning to Canterbury, the duo en­ tal, audiences remained totally unreceptive Hendrix Experience. It was a nightmarish
listed Mike Ratledge on keyboards, Wyatt on and Polydor quickly dropped the band. experience and Ayers became increasingly

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 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
This is the rare picture edition o f the original
1973 release o f the “Caribbean Moon” single.
alienated by the madness o f the plane-gig-
hotel routine.
The self-titled Soft Machine debut album
was recorded during three days in New York
in April, before the tour had ground the
musicians down. Tom Wilson, who’d worked
with the Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa/
Mothers and Bob Dylan, assisted Chas Chan­
dler in the (minimal but gimmicky) production,
as the trio played what was, to all intents and
purposes, their live set. Fresh, innovative and
spontaneous, the album com bines A yers’
e ccen tricity , R a tled g e’s seriou sn ess and
W yatt’s passion into a perfect whole. It’s
essential listening for fans o f the psychedelic
era, and very different from the improvised
pretensions o f the later Soft Machine.
Sadly, the debut was only issued in the
States, although it was imported into the U.K.
in large quantities; the original ‘revolving’
sleeve edition is the most collectable today. A
single featuring two Ayers compositions, “Joy
O f A Toy” and “Why Are We Sleeping”, was
also released in the States. “The Soft Ma­
chine” has since been released on double album
and on compact disc, together with 1969’s “Vol­
ume Two”, which is another indispensable
document of late 60s experimental rock.
E x h a u sted , K evin A yers fled to the
solitude of Ibiza, and refused to rejoin the
Softs when they returned to gigging in the
wake o f the album’s success. He was replaced
by Hugh Hopper, who’d previously been the
band’s roadie. Ayers continued to write songs
with an acoustic guitar and, on returning to
London, procured a flat with room for a tiny
studio and painstakingly — he’s a self-con­
fessed ‘musical ignoramus’! — pieced together
the demos that led to December 1969’s “Joy
O f A Toy”. The 13th record to appear on
Malcolm Jones’ newly-formed Harvest label,
this remains a delight. Wistful melody and
joyous improvisation wind through a musical
landscape darkened by the obscure classical
com poser David Bedford. Co-produced by
Peter Jenner, whose Blackhill Enterprises
managed Ayers, the album cost an exorbitant
£4000 to record but it’s a remarkable achieve­
ment, given Ayers’ earlier disenchantment
with the music business. Attractively pack­
aged in a gatefold sleeve but advertised only
in the underground press, “Joy O f A Toy” did
not sell in the quantities it deserved and Mint
originals are now worth up to £18. One inter­
esting related rarity is the one-sided promo
for “Eleanor’s Cake Which Ate Her”.
Here’s the rarely-seen cover for “Lady June’s
Linguistic Leprosy” album, featuring Ayers.
Ayers recorded “Singing A Song In The
Morning” in January 1970 with old friends
from the Canterbury-based Caravan, a track
which featured a guitar solo that bore an un­
canny resemblance to the work o f ex-Pink
Floyd frontman Syd Barrett. It is said that
Barrett was present at the session but any
contribution was mixed out o f the final edit.
The song was released as a single in April
1970 but sunk without trace. Today, it can be
found for around £8.
The problems o f solo promotion compelled
Ayers to form a backing band called the Whole
World in March 1970. There were various in­
carnations o f this group — as its name
suggests, it offered an open door — but its
nucleus consisted o f David Bedford, veteran
saxophonist and busker Lol Coxhill and a shy,
young guitarist called Mike Oldfield. On a
good night, the Whole World wove a magical,
warm anarchy around the tighter structure of
Ayers’ songs.
EXCELLENCE
“Shooting At The Moon”, released in Octo­
ber 1970, combines the melodic and lyrical
excellence o f its predecessor with a harder
aura o f electricity. The self-indulgence o f
“Pisser Dans Un Violin” is unfortunate, but
it’s more than com pensated by the lush
vignette o f “May I?”. Meanwhile, the tortured
acid-rock o f O ldfield’s guitar playing on
“Lunatic Lament” is spine-chillingly wonder­
ful. A non-album single, “Butterfly Dance”,
was released in October 1970, backed by “Puis-
Je?”, a French language version o f the classic
“May I?”. The sides were reversed in France,
providing an interesting collectable. Ayers also
produced and appeared on Bridget St. John’s
“ I f Y o u ’ve G ot M o n e y ”/ “Y e p ” sin gle on
Dandelion, the flip being a unique Ayers/
Daevid Allen composition.
The Whole World collapsed terminally in
the summer o f 1971. Ayers cited the pres­
sures o f being both a solo performer and a
band member as a contributory factor, and
there seems to have been little ill feeling in
the long term. Ayers collaborated on albums
by both Coxhill and Bedford, whilst Oldfield
used Ayers’ tape recorder to demo ‘Tubular
Bells”!
The W hole W orld bowed out with the
“Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes”/“Stars” sin­
gle in August 1971, by which time Ayers had
decided to try his luck elsewhere. He briefly
joined old friend Daevid Allen’s Gong in France
“Falling In Love Again” appeared in Holland
with this sleeve and a new B-side, “The Owl”.
and toured the U.K. and Belgium, but the
alliance was an uncomfortable one and dis­
solved early in 1972. The only vinyl evidence
o f the liaison is a version o f “Clarence In W on­
derland” on Demi-Monde’s 1989 “Mystery And
History O f The Planet G**g” collection o f
Allen-related oddities.
January 1972 saw the release o f a third
solo album, recorded with members o f the
W hole W orld and Gong. “W h ateversh e-
bringsw esing” was not as cohesive as its
predecessors, but the quality o f its individual
parts — the limpid clarity o f the title track,
D avid B edford’s m u lti-layered “T here Is
Loving”, and the tortured mayhem o f “Song
From The Bottom O f A Well” in particular —
was indisputable. Bandless and unable to
promote his new record, Ayers went off at a
tangent and recorded some old songs with
arrangem ents by B edford for a 12-piece
orchestra. The project was aired on a BBC “In
Concert” radio show but expense prohibited
Ayers taking the ensemble on the road.
In contrast, casual playing with bassist
Archie Legget, whom Ayers had met through
Daevid Allen, led to a successful theatrical
soiree called Banana Follies, also broadcast
on an “In Concert” programme. (Both shows
w ou ld p ro v id e “ In C o n ce rt” a rch iv is ts
Windsong with a tremendous set, should they
so desire!)
Meanwhile, Ayers’ tribute to Syd Barrett,
“Oh Wot A Dream”, was issued as a single,
backed by “Connie On A Rubber Band”, a
version o f “Clarence In Wonderland” featur­
ing backing by reggae group Greyhound.
The release o f the “Bananamour” album
was delayed from January until May 1973.
and so, following a holiday in Jamaica, Ayers
plugged the gap with the “Caribbean Moon"
single. Conceived as a deliberate attempt to
court commercial success, it was later reis­
sued in 1975 and 1976, again w ith ou t
achieving the required results. Collectors prize
either the 1973 or 1976 editions in picture
sleeves, which are worth about £10 each. There
are further variations on continental editions
o f the picture sleeve but these rarely surface.
To add to the confusion, “Caribbean Moon”
was in cluded on the A m erican issue o f
“Bananamour”, issued on Sire, but not on the
British Harvest edition. Moreover, some U.K.
copies were originally issued with an explana­
tory booklet, which boosts the value up to
£25. The album remains many fans’ favour­
ite, a direct, piquant trip through A yers’
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL

K E V IN AYERS
S tu m o r IiiB lm · Suede shoes
h w

fake mexican tourist blue

Unlike this European edition, the U.K. “Fall­ Once again, fans look to Holland for picture Ayers’ return to Harvest in 1976 was marked
ing In Love Again” sported no picture cover. sleeve copies of “Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes”. by this rare cover for “Caribbean Moon”.

personal icons — wine, Nico, Barrett, Gurdjieff duction was that of ace guitarist Peter Ollie’ found for around £4 apiece.
— and, while reissued by EMI in 1986 on Halsall who happened to wander in from an Not everything Kevin Ayers did in 1974
vinyl, its continued absence on CD urgently adjoining studio. His talents have spiced both enjoyed such a high profile, though. One hid­
needs to be rectified. Ayers’ live and recorded work ever since. den highlight was his involvement with Lady
Ayers signed his next contract with the A celebrated Rainbow concert with fellow June’s “Linguistic Leprosy” album, issued on
smaller Island Records in the hope of keener Island artists Nico, Eno and John Cale was the Caroline label. Ayers sang, played, com­
promotion. This was duly delivered but, many edited for the “June 1st, 1974” album. The posed and put his foot through a windscreen
felt, at a price. 1974’s “The Confessions Of Dr second side features a pleasant Ayers live during the sessions, and the sheer fun of the
Dream And Other Stories” has some fine mo­ set and the record was rushed into the resulting record makes it well worthy of reis­
ments but the involvement of so many session shops a mere 28 days after the event. That sue. Today, Lady June lives only a stone’s
musicians and Rupert Hine’s uninspired year also saw the release of two singles, “The throw from Ayers in the Mallorcan village of
production gives it a colder, more clinical feel Up Song” and “After The Show”, which Deya, a long-established refuge for writers
than his earlier works. One significant intro­ contained non-LP tracks. Both can still be and artists.
The dream turned sour in early 1975, how­
ever, after the final Island LP, “Sweet
KEVIN AYERS Deceiver”, was savaged by the critics for
being lacklustre, despite Elton John’s involve­
ment. In truth it suffered from leaden
COMPLETE UK DISCOGRAPHY production rather than poor material, but
Ayers’ fragile self-confidence was shattered
Cat. No. S O F T M A C H IN E S IN G L E W IT H K E V IN A Y E R S Mint Value and he fled to sunnier climes for the rest of
Polydor 56151 LOVE MAKES SWEET MUSIC/FEELIN’, REELIN’, SQUEELIN’ (2 /6 7 )...................... £60
the,ear CREDIBILITY
S O F T M A C H IN E A L B U M S W IT H K E V IN A Y E R S
His artistic credibility was restored by Har­
Probe PLP 4500 THE SOFT MACHINE (U.S. only, initially with revolving cover, 1 2 /6 8 )................... £20
Probe PLP 4500 THE SOFT MACHINE (U.S. only, 12/68)........................................................................£15
vest’s budget reissue of his first two albums
ABC ABC 602 THE SOFT MACHINE COLLECTION (reissue of 1st & 2nd albums, 10/74)............... £15 and, early in 1976, the release of the wonder­
Charly CR 30014 AT THE BEGINNING (1 /7 7 ).............................................................................................. £8 ful “Odd Ditties” retrospective, which collected
Charly CR 30196 AT THE BEGINNING (reissue, 2 /8 3 )................................................................................£6 single tracks and unreleased material from
Decal LIK 35 JET PROPELLED PHOTOGRAPH (reissue of At The Beginning” , 7/89).................. £5 the classic 1969-1973 era. This can still be
Big Beat WIKA 57 THE SOFT MACHINE (reissue, 1989)..............................................................................£6
found easily, and provides a very accessible
S O F T M A C H IN E C D s W IT H K E V IN A Y E R S introduction to Ayers’ music.
Decal LIKCD 197 JET PROPELLED PHOTOGRAPH (9/89) ..................................................................... £10 Island issued one last single, a cover of
Big Beat CDWIKD 920 THE SOFT MACHINE (1st & 2nd albums, 1989) ......................................................... £10 Marlene Dietrich’s “Falling In Love Again”, in
K E V IN A Y E R S U .K . S IN G L E S February 1976. Meanwhile, Ayers re-emerged
Harvest HAR 5011 SINGING A SONG IN THE MORNING /ELEANOR’S CAKE WHICH ATE on Harvest with a new deal and a fine set in
HER (4/70)....................................................................................................................... £8 “Yes We Have No Mananas”. This sparkling,
Harvest HAR 5027 BUTTERFLY DANCE/PUIS-JE? (1 0 /7 0 ).......................................................................... £7 observant, witty and tender record laid the
Harvest HAR 5042 STRANGER IN BLUE SUEDE SHOES/STARS (8/71)..................................................... £5
ghost of “Sweet Deceiver” to rest and Ayers
Harvest HAR 5064 OH WOT A DREAM/CONNIE ON A RUBBER BAND (11/72)......................................... £5
Harvest HAR 5071 CARIBBEAN MOON/ΤΑΚΕ ME TO TAHITI (some in p/s, 4 /7 3 ).............................£10/£4 entered a Silver Age, touring extensively with
Island WIP 6194 THE UP SONG/EVERYBODY’S SOMETIMES AND SOME PEOPLE'S a tighter band than ever. Among the backing
ALL THE TIME BLUES (2/74) ...................................................................................... £4 musicians was guitarist Andy Summers, later
Island WIP 6201 AFTER THE SHOW/THANK YOU VERY MUCH (7/74)................................................... £4 destined for greater fame with the Police.
Harvest HAR 5100 CARIBBEAN MOON/ΤΑΚΕ ME TO TAHITI (2/76)........................................................... £4 A further single coupling “Star” with “The
Island WIP 6271 FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN/EVERYONE KNOWS THE SONG (2/76).............................£4
Harvest HAR 5107 STRANGER IN BLUE SUEDE SHOES/FAKE MEXICAN TOURIST BLUES (2/76) .. £4 Owl” was released in 1977 and plans were
Harvest HAR 5109 CARIBBEAN MOON/ΤΑΚΕ ME TO TAHITI (different p/s, 2 /76)............................ E10/E4 made for Ayers to tour America for the first
Harvest HAR 5124 STAR/THE OWL (4/77)...................................................................................................... £4 time since the Soft Machine days. This didn’t
Harvest HAR 5198 MONEY, MONEY, MONEY/STRANGER IN BLUE SUEDE SHOES (p/s, 3 /8 0 )............ £4 take place but “Mananas” did surface Stateside
Charly CYZ 7107 CHAMPAGNE & VALIUM/MY SPEEDING HEART (p/s, 7 /8 3 ).......................................£4 on ABC Records, together with a DJ issue of
Illuminated LEV 71 STEPPING OUT/ONLY HEAVEN KNOWS (limited edition promo-only, 5/86)............ £7
N o te : M a n y E u ro p e a n is s u e s o f A y e rs s in g le s a re p a c k a g e d in p ic tu re s le e v e s u n a v a ila b le o n th e U K e d itio n s . In s o m e
“Mr Cool” in stereo and mono. “Rainbow
c a s e s th e B -s id e c o n ta in s a d iffe re n t track. Takeaway”, the 1978 follow-up to “Mananas”,
was equally strong but the media was in the
K E V IN A Y E R S U .K . L P s
grip of punk and the album was unpromoted,
Harvest SHVL 763 JOY OF A TOY (gatefold sleeve, 12/69)........................................................................£18
Harvest SHSP 4005 SHOOTING AT THE MOON (as Kevin Ayers & the Whole World; 10/70) ................ £15
unnoticed and unjustly ignored. Ayers slipped
Harvest SHVL 800 WHATEVERSHEBRINGSWESING (gatefold sleeve, 1 /7 2 ).........................................£12 just as quietly back to Deya, where he stayed
Harvest SHVL 807 BANANAMOUR (gatefold sleeve, some with booklet, 5/7 3)...............................E25/E12 for the next two years.
Continued overleaf “That’s What You Get Babe” was delivered
L
CANTERBURY SPECIAL
in 1980, signalling the close o f the second
chapter with Harvest. Possibly one day the
songs will be rescued and given the treatment
they deserve, rather than the gross sentimen­
tality in flicted upon them by produ cer/
m u lti-instru m en talist G raham Preskett.
Reviews were negative and, apart from a few
small clubs dates in New York (at last) and
one shaky support slot at the London Rain­
bow, Ayers turned his back on Britain choosing
to concentrate on less fickle audiences in
Europe, particularly in Spain and the Low
Countries. A picture sleeve housed two non-
LP tracks, “Animals” and “Don’t Fall In Love
W ith M e”, which appeared in Spain on
Columbia and is currently worth £10. White
label copies are also in circulation.
ECCENTRICITY
His next album, “Diamond Jack And The
Queen O f Pain”, is very close in essence to
mainstream rock, with Ayers’ endearing ec­
ce n tricity bu ried too deep ly b en eath a
synthetic polish. Taped in Spain, largely with
local musicians and producer Juan Ruiz, the
record originally appeared in the Netherlands
on Roadrunner in 1983, before being picked
up by Charly in the U.K. The label also re­
leased one track, “Champagne and Valium”,
as a single, to little response. A particularly
e ffe ctiv e See F or M iles com p ila tion o f
previously issued material dating from 1969
to 1980 received more attention, though.
Curiously, “Diamond Jack” was not issued
until 1984 in Spain, where it appeared on
WEA in a different, if equally garish, sleeve.
A rare 12" single was also exclusive to that
country, where interest was sufficient for the
tiny Mallorcan Blau label to release an eight-
track album and a single, which had been
taped on the island in the winter o f 1980 (“Ani­
mals” and “Don’t Fall In Love With Me” almost
certainly date from the album session). A
handful of these found their way into Britain
on import but the “Deia Vu” LP is now rare in
Spain, let alone over here. If you’re lucky
enough to locate copies, be prepared to pay
£25 for the album and £12 for the single.
The mid-Eighties found Ayers at a low spir­
itual ebb. A diversion that will interest
collectors was his production of a mini-LP by
Belgian combo Starvin’ Marvin and the Para­
noid Androids in 1985. But Ayers’ own 1986
album, “As Close As You Think”, was a limp
lettuce, with tired reworkings o f three “Dia­
mond Jack” songs — only “Wish I Could Fall”
and “Heaven Only Knows” provide any saving
grace. Released in the U.K. on the indie label
Illuminated, the LP had such a stamp o f ob­
livion about it that it’s now extremely hard
to find. Ironically, this relatively poor work
has now assumed collectable status, particu­
larly amongst overseas fans. A limited promo
single, coupling “Stepping Out” with “Only
03
Ω BELFAST RECORD FAIR
Ω
V-»
Heaven Knows”, is likewise highly prized, so began to fill with Ayers reissues, courtesy of
if anyone has a box of them in the attic . . . the excellent Beat Goes On. Harvest got in on
Something broke through Ayers’ depres­ the act with “The Best O f Kevin Ayers” in
sion in 1987 to convince him that he did 1989, though the advertised track, “Dimin­
possess the talent and the confidence to con­ ished Not Finished”, is actually “Circular
tin u e. One h ap py ev en t was a voca l Letter”. The CD version, unusually, contains
contribution to Mike Oldfield’s “Islands” LP. four tracks less than the vinyl equivalent. The
That track, “Flying Start”, was a biographical earlier See For Miles compilation was also
song written by Oldfield for his old mentor. A reissued in 1990 and there seemed some dan­
bemused Ayers also appeared in Oldfield’s ger that the promotion of Ayers’ past would
“Wind Chimes” video. Shortly after, in Febru­ totally swamp his newest current album.
ary 1988, A yers’ stron gest album since There followed a longer wait than ever and
“Mananas” was issued. “Falling Up” is a treas­ then, almost four years to the day after the
ure, a journey o f self-discovery through the release o f “Falling Up”, came the rumoured
dreamlands o f wine and love, the deserts o f next album and the anticipation of a rare con­
depression and failure and beyond, to the dis­ cert appearance. “Still Life W ith Guitar”
tant plains of hope. Recorded in Madrid with returns to an acoustic feel, with Mark Nevin
a mixture o f Spanish and English musicians, (e x -F a irg ro u n d A ttr a c tio n ) and D anny
the production has a wonderful velvet bass Thompson joining older friends like Ollie
sonority. The album was issued in Spain on Halsall, Mike Oldfield and Anthony Moore.
Grabaciones Accidentales (along with two With a production refined enough, perhaps,
Spanish-only picture sleeve singles), and again to attract a more mainstream audience, it
the U.K. rights were picked up, courtesy of breathes an air o f effortless calm, its heart
Mike Oldfield perhaps, by Virgin. Most sig­ replete with one of music’s best-kept secrets
nificant was the fact that Ayers himself was — Kevin Ayers.
enthusiastic about the project and, following Thanks to Barry King and Harald Luss for
a tour of Germany supporting Arlo Guthrie, help with this article. Any correspondence on
he was at last back on a handful of stages in Kevin Ayers should be addressed to Martin
the U.K. for the first time in eight years. Wakeling, 36 Parkville Road, Withington,
The record shelves in the late Eighties also Manchester M20 9UP.
Island ILPS 9263 THE CONFESSIONS OF DR DREAM AND OTHER STORIES (inner sleeve, 5/74) £10
Island ILPS 9291 JUNE 1ST, 1974 (6/74).................................................................................................... £10
Island ILPS 9322 SWEET DECEIVER (with inner sleeve, 3 /75)............................................................... £10
Harvest SHDW 407 JOY OF A TOY/SHOOTING AT THE MOON (2-LP reissue, gatefold sleeve, 7/75) £12
Harvest SHSM 2005 ODD DITTIES (2 /7 6 )........................................................................................................ £10
Harvest SHSP 4057 YES WE HAVE NO MANANAS (with inner sleeve, 6/76)............................................ £10
Harvest SHSP 4085 RAINBOW TAKEAWAY (4/78)........................................................................................ £10
Harvest SHSP 4106 THAT’S WHAT YOU GET BABE (with inner sleeve, 3/80) ........................................ £10
Charly CR 30224 DIAMOND JACK AND THE QUEEN OF PAIN (6 /8 3 ).....................................................£7
See For Miles CM 117 THE KEVIN AYERS COLLECTION (6/8 3 )....................................................................... £7
Harvest EMS 1124 BANANAMOUR (reissue, gatefold sleeve, 4 /86)........................................................... £6
Illuminated AMA 25 AS CLOSE AS YOU THINK (5/86)..................................................................................£15
See For Miles CM 117 THE KEVIN AYERS COLLECTION (reissue, 6/86).........................................................£6
Virgin V 2510 FALLING UP (with inner sleeve, 2 /8 8 )........................................................................... £8
Beat Goes On BGOLP 11 WHATEVERSHEBRINGSWESING (reissue, gatefold sleeve, 4 /88).............................£6
Beat Goes On BGOLP 13 SHOOTING AT THE MOON (reissue, 1989)................................................................... £6
Beat Goes On BGOLP 78 JOY OF A TOY (reissue, gatefold sleeve, 1989)......................................................... £6
Harvest EM 2032 THE BEST OF KEVIN AYERS (2-LPs, gatefold sleeve, 6 /8 9 )............................. £8
See For Miles CM 117 THE KEVIN AYERS COLLECTION (reissue, 1 9 9 0 ).......................................................£6
Beat Goes On BGOLP 86 THE CONFESSIONS OF DR DREAM AND OTHER STORIES(reissue, 11/90) . . . . £6
Permanent PERM LP5 STILL LIFE WITH GUITAR (2/92)......................................................................................£8
KEVIN AYERS U.K. CDs
Virgin CDV 2510 FALLING UP (2/88).......................................................................................................... £10
Beat Goes On BGOCD 11 WHATEVERSHEBRINGSWESING (6 /8 9 )..................................................................... £10
Beat Goes On BGOCD 13 SHOOTING AT THE MOON (6/89)..................................................................................£10
Beat Goes On BGOCD 78 JOY OF A TOY (6/89)...................................................................................................... £10
Harvest CZ 176 THE BEST OF KEVIN AYERS (less 4 songs, 6 /8 9 ).....................................................£10
Island IMCD 92 JUNE 1ST, 1974 (2/90).................................................................................................... £10
See For Miles SEECD 117 THE KEVIN AYERS COLLECTION (1990) ................................................................... £10
Beat Goes On BGOCD 86 THE CONFESSIONS OF DR DREAM AND OTHER STORIES(with insert, 10/90) £10
Permanent PERM CD5 STILL LIFE WITH GUITAR (2/92)....................................................................................£10
IMPORTANT OVERSEAS KEVIN AYERS RELEASES
Sire SAS 7406 BANANAMOUR (with “ Caribbean Moon” , U.S.-only, 5/73) ...................................... £15
Columbia MO 2113 ANIMALS/DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH ME (p/s, Spanish-only 7", 1 9 8 2 )............... £10
Blau A-014 DEIA VU (Spanish-only LP, 1984)..................................................................................£25
IMPORTANT WORK WITH OTHER ARTISTS
Warner Brothers WB 8019 BRIDGET ST. JOHN: If You’ve Got Money/Yep (7"; 10/70) ........................................ £6
Dandelion 69001/DSD 8008 LOL COXHILL: Ear Of The Beholder (2-LPs; 1971) ...................................................£40
Dandelion 2310 165 DAVID BEDFORD: Nurse’s Song With Elephants (LP; 2/7 2).................................... £20
Caroline C 1507
Caroline C 1509
Antler 033

Virgin V 2466
LOL COXHILL/STEPHEN MILLER: The Story So F a r . . . OhReally? (LP; 1974) . £12
LADY JUNE: Lady June’s Linguistic Leprosy (LP; w/ perforated lyric sheet, ’74)£20
STARVIN’ MARVIN & THE PARANOID ANDROIDS: Starvin’ Marvin
& The Paranoid Androids (mini-LP; 1985).................................................................... £6
MIKE OLDFIELD: Islands (LP; also on CD, 10/87) .......................................................£6
Ω
SAT 6th JUNE <t
Virgin VS 1047
Virgin VS 1047-12
MIKE OLDFIELD: Flying Start/The Wind Chimes Pt. 2 (7” ; p/s, 5 /8 8 )........................£3
MIKE OLDFIELD: Flying Start/The Wind Chimes Pt. 2 (12"; p/s, 5 /8 8 )......................£4
O MAYSFIELD Ω
oc
Demi-Monde DMLP 1018 GONG: The History And The Mystery Of The Planet G**g (2-LPs, w/ book, ’89) . £10

LEISURE CENTRE
10A M -4P M ADMISSION £1
INFO: PHONE ANTRIM 66838
O
U.K. SAMPLERS FEATURING KEVIN AYERS
Harvest SHSS 1/2 PICNIC — A BREATH OF FRESH AIR (2-LPs, 1 /7 0 )...................................................£12
LU Virgin VD 2505 V (2-LPs, 2/75) ................................................................................................................ £10
OC
Harvest SHSM 2020 HARVEST HERITAGE — 20 GREATS (1976)................................................................. £6
Harvest EG 2600971 THE HARVEST STORY VOL. 1 (1984) ........................................................................... £5
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
e took the opportunity to talk

W to Kevin Ayers w hile he was

on a rare visit to Britain, to
tie in with the release o f his
album, and to prepare for a short series
o f concerts. As this article goes to press,
KEVIN AYERS
a ty p ica lly A y e rs-lik e son g, “ D eep ly
Dippy”, by Right Said Fred, stands at No.
1 in the British chart. If n othing else,
this p ro v e s that, h ad he b een m ore
in c lin e d to p u s h h im s e lf in to th e
m a in stre a m , th e w o r ld m ig h t h a v e
INTERVIEW
MARK PAYTRESS TALKS TO THE IDIOSYNCRATIC SINGER-
been receptive to the kind o f songs he’s
been w ritin g fo r the past tw enty-odd
SONGWRITER ABOUT STARDOM, SYD AND THE SOFTS
years. But I very m uch d ou b t if any
record com pany cou ld persuade him to
shave his head, dance around with top
models for the prom o video, and appear
on TV shows like “The W ord” to prom ote
his music. As he reveals in this interview,
Kevin Ayers still has no head for pop
heights.
R e c o r d C o l l e c t o r : W h a t d o e s th e
p u n n in g ly c l e v e r t i t le o f y o u r la te s t
album , “S till L ife W ith G u ita r ”, r e fe r to?
A retu rn to tra d itio n a l m u sica l values,
perh aps?
Kevin Ayers: Well it wasn’t a reference to me.
The album was deliberately non-electric, non-
sampled and non-sequenced. I used a bit of
synthesiser, but only very subtly. The domi­
nant thing about it is the acoustics. I suppose
it does also refer to the fact that I can still live
off my guitar, by making music.
RC: You seem to h a ve d o n e very little
d u rin g th e p a s t ten yea rs. W h a t’s been
h a p p en in g?
KA: Not a lot! But you know, you don’t have
to simply produce something in order to be
creative; you can live your life creatively as
well. It does take me a long time to even write
one song these days. Before, I could write
maybe two usable songs a week. The differ­
ence is input. Most of my input has been
emotional, so if you’re at a standstill emotion­
ally, it coincides with a creative standstill,
and a spiritual one too.
RC: T h a t o ld B oh em ia n p h ilo so p h y !
KA: I don’t particularly like to classify it as
that. Any kind of lifestyle that exists outside
office hours seems to be classified as Bohe­
mian.
RC: B u t a r e n ’t you in a u n iq u e situ a tion
as an a rtist?
KA: I can't possibly answer that. Basically
I’m a writer: I write short things. The word
has always been my main interest, and music
was always secondary, simply because I’ve
never really learnt how to play music.
RC: So how d id you en d up m a k in g a
liv in g as a m u sicia n ?
KA: I found people weren’t interested in my
poems, but the minute I put a few chords to
them and constructed a tune, people started KA: When I was 17, I was sent out of R C: W hat d id yo u b rin g to th e g ro u p ?
to listen. It was as simple as that. I wanted to London and moved to Canterbury, where I KA: I think I brought a naivety, certainly in
communicate. I always wanted to call one of met up with Robert Wyatt and other people. musical terms. Daevid Allen was something
my albums “Something To Do At Parties”, They were all music mad, mostly for the else: he was more a philosophical influence
because that’s how I started singing songs. I wildest and most obscure stuff at that time, than a musical one. Initially, it started with
was never good at chit-chat, so I needed a role which was also the most innovative and Allen because he was a friend of Robert’s and
as opposed to just standing around. interesting. But to me, it didn’t make any we all went to live in Deya where we started
RC: When you fir s t g o t in volved w ith p op , sense at all. I thought it was a cacophony. But fiddling about with tape loops, Terry Riley,
a r o u n d 1963, m a n y o f th e m u s ic ia n s I liked the people, the way they lived, and Ornette Coleman, totally baffling stuff. I
seem ed to com e from the w o rk in g class, their ideas. So I initially got involved thought it was more interesting than what­
bu t by th e m idd le o f th e d eca d e, m ore socially, not on a musical level. After a ever else was happening. And my lifestyle
e d u ca ted a rt-sch ool types b eg a n to ta k e while, we started to bang and blow things. just followed the music.
over. The form a tion o f th e S oft M a ch in e Then I started to fiddle about with a guitar Those people hapDened to have what you
was very m uch in th e m ou ld o f th e la tte r and bass, and we got the Wilde Flowers call the Bohemian lifestyle. You couldn’t hold
en try in to p op . together. down a steady job and make the commitment
 CANTERBURY SPECIAL
This mono-stereo promo DJ version of “Mr.
Cool” was issued in the States in 1977.
to music, and you certainly wouldn’t be
creative if you weren’t somehow living on the
edge, on a high wire.
R C : Y ou f e l t th e n eed to be crea tiv e.
KA: I don’t think of it as being creative: it’s
just something that I have to do. I remember
at school thinking that being an intellectual
was the greatest thing to be. I didn’t know
what being an intellectual was, but I thought
I’ve got to be one of those. When I became one,
I bitterly regretted it!
R C : W h a t h a p p en ed on y o u r r e tu r n fro m
D ey a ?
KA: We came back to England and slogged up
and down the college circuit. Then Daevid got
stopped from coming into the country one day
— he couldn’t get a visa — and we were left as
a three-piece. Then we got signed up by Mike
Jeffery, Hendrix’s management, and went on
this great tour with Jimi in America.
R C : W hen th e S oft M a ch in e s ta r te d out,
th ey p la y e d a u n iq u e fu s io n o f s e v e r a l
d iffe r e n t m u sica l styles. H ow a w a re w ere
y o u o f th a t?
KA: I thought it was unique. Mike Ratledge
had just come out of Oxford with a First Class
Philosophy degree, one of the youngest ever
to achieve that; Robert had already been
learning drums with one of the best jazz
musicians around; and I was a complete
musical ignoramus, just about listening to
some Cliff Richard at that time! I’d recently
begun writing songs, some really embarrass­
ing ones. Because of my lack of musical
knowledge, I remember Mike saying to me,
“You can’t do that!”, because I didn’t know the
rules. And they liked that. I worked purely by
ear. Later on, the Soft Machine went back to
very cerebral, done-already jazz.
I actually signed up with Jeffery as a
songwriter before we signed to him as Soft
Machine. Both sides of the first single were
probably among those early songs, but I’m
very hazy on the details. I think I got £25
advance, which I thought was a fortune in
those days. Unfortunately, I’m not sure
whether I was already in Soft Machine or not
by that time.
R C : J im i H en d rix is ru m o u red to h a v e
b een a t th e session f o r th e fir s t sin g le.
KA: He was, but I don’t think he was actually
recorded. I remember him scratching around.
— we were all very pissed — and I remember
him liking the lyrics to “Feelin’, Reelin’,
Squealin’ ”.
R C : T h a t so n g (th e B -sid e to th e fir s t S oft
M a c h in e s i n g l e , “ L o v e M a k e s S w e e t
M u s ic ”) w a s a s tr a n g e o n e fo r a g u ita r -
b a sed s o n g w r ite r to c o m e up w ith !
KA: It is a pretty weird song, actually! In
those days, I was adamant that the music
should follow the words. In fact, we were
often hired for our novelty value in those days,
before we hit UFO and the London under­
ground scene.
R C : R o b e r t W y a tt t o l d m e t h a t S o ft
M a ch in e a s p ir e d to b eco m e a s o u l b a n d
b u t c o u ld n ’t p la y w ell en o u g h , w h ich is
th e rea son why you en d e d up p la y in g w h at
y o u did.
KA: Certainly the Wilde Flowers started off
like that. Robert was into soul as well as jazz,
as was Hugh Hopper. We couldn’t play well
enough and we were too white. So we invented
our own white music by pooling our resources,
which ended up sounding rather wacky.
Sometimes what we did was really exciting:
on occasion, the music seemed to play itself,
an experience I’ve never had since the Soft
Machine — I’ve never had that freedom of
expression since then. I think we had more
fun than the audience. There was a “fuck you”
element to the Soft Machine. We weren’t
underestimating the audience, but we didn’t
mind if they didn’t like it. I think Robert was
much more conscious about getting across to
audiences.
R C : D id n ’t A n d y S um m ers, w h o w en t on
to p la y w ith th e P o lic e , p la y w ith th e S ofts
fo r a s h o r t tim e?
KA: He joined for part of the American tour,
but it didn’t work. Andy Summers is a very
good jazz guitarist, but I could hear Robert
and Mike getting very carried away, and I
thought, this isn’t what I want to do, partly
because I couldn’t keep up! So he went, and
then I went. Robert and Mike wanted to play
more complicated stuff and so my leaving Soft
Machine was based on that. I had no interest
in doing that. I enjoyed the music and I still
do, but I’m basically a word person.
R C : The fir s t a lb u m w a s h a stily reco rd ed .
Was it a g o o d r e p r e s e n ta tio n o f th e e a rly
S o ft M a ch in e sou n d ?
KA: I think it was a shame that it wasn’t
better produced. We had one of the top guys,
Tom Wilson, working on it, but I don’t think
he was interested at all. All I can remember
about him was that he sat on the phone and
called his girlfriends all day long. We just
played the live set, and they said, “That’s a
take”. There was very little dubbed on.
R C : B u t th ere w a s a lo t o f stu d io trick ery ,
lik e p h a s in g ?
KA: Yes, but we used that live anyway. Had
there been a more sensitive or more efficient
producer, it could have been much better.
R C : S o y o u r s p lit w ith th e S o fts w a s
b a s ic a lly d ow n to m u sica l d iffe r e n c e s ?
KA: Well, I think America was a shock for all
of us, with our English values. Everything
was just blasted apart when we went there.
We managed to sneak under Hendrix’s skirt,
so to speak. He liked it: he was intrigued.
R C : T a p es e x is t p u r p o r tin g to b e S o ft
M ach in e/ H en drix ja m s . W as th is a r e g u ­
l a r o c c u r r e n c e d u r i n g th e A m e r ic a n
v en tu re?
KA: Yes, we did do a few things in the studio
together, but I don’t know whether they were
recorded or not.
R C : S o d id y o u le a v e to c o n c e n tr a te on
w r itin g so n g s a g a in ?
KA: I didn’t even think about writing songs; I
1986’s “As Close As You Think” was not Ayers’
strongest set, hut it’s already quite rare.
thought that was it. I was probably more
interested in going off and writing a book.
Then I gradually started playing guitar,
decided I could never be a prose writer and so
songwriting was the best idea.
R C : Is Ib iza , w h ere y o u ’ve liv ed fo r m an y
y e a r s , s im ila r in s ta tu s to H yd ra , th e
a r tis ts ’ isla n d ju s t o f f G reece?
KA: It was. Not any more. That animal is
dead, mainly because there isn’t that arty,
Bohemian feeling around any more. It was
very much a product of the post-war period.
R C : H ow d id y o u s e c u r e y o u r so lo d ea l
w ith H a rv est?
KA: I heeded to work. I started writing songs
in Ibiza and then came back to England, found
I’d ran out of money, and so I had to do some­
thing. I made a demo of the entire first album,
played all the instruments myself, took it to
EMI and they loved it.
R C : S om eon e e ls e w h o g o t a so lo d ea l w ith
H a r v e s t w a s Syd B a rrett. D id n ’t h e p la y
on “R elig io u s E x p e r ie n c e ”, w h ich ev en tu ­
a lly b e c a m e “ S in g in g A S o n g In T h e
M o r n in g ” ?
KA: It was a bad day. He wasn’t feeling very
well or he didn’t like it. It didn’t work out and
I didn’t use that track. He played lead guitar
on one of those songs, but it wasn’t the one
that came out.
R C : H o w d id th e c o l l a b o r a t i o n c o m e
a b o u t?
KA: I liked him very much as a writer, and he
was an interesting man! I actually went to
see him and tried to form a group with him.
This is before I formed the Whole World, just
after “Joy Of A Toy” came out. But nothing
happened.
R C : W as h e in a n y w ay a r o le m od el, w ith
h is n a iv e-sty le p o e tr y a n d o ffb e a t son g s?
KA: No, not consciously. There were only two
musical influences that I’ve ever used and
they were the Velvet Underground and Jimi
Hendrix. Word-wise I liked Syd Barrett
because he was so different, but I never wanted
to emulate him. I was very sad when he ceased
to keep going.
R C : Y ou r s o lo c a r e e r h a s o ften a ttr a c te d
c r it ic a l a c c la im b u t th is n ev er seem ed to
t r a n s la te in to r e c o r d s a le s . W ere y o u
b o th e r e d by th a t a n om a ly?
KA: I’ve somehow managed to make enough
money to live the kind of life I’ve always
wanted to live, which is basically doing as
little work as possible and having as much
fun as possible. I don’t think that’s unreason-
able! I’ve never wanted to own things, so I’ve
only needed money to travel and eat, and
possibly pay for someone else as well.
RC: You didn’t need success to bolster up
your self-belief?
KA: Stardom has never been a problem. If
anything, I’ve gone against that. It’s an
unnatural, unnerving and uncom fortable
position to be in. A bit of recognition is nice
and positive reactions are great. Certain
people need to be adored and revered, beyond
a one-to-one relationship, but I’ve never needed
that.
RC: What prompted the Ayers, Cale, Nico
and Eno Rainbow concert on June 1st
1974? I remember being excited by the
‘Velvets To Reform?’ headlines at the time.
Was that the motivation?
KA: I would have liked that but I don’t think
that was the underlying motivation. There
was an aspect of the Velvet Underground
there, obviously, with John Cale and Nico
taking part. I was attracted to groups that
had more literary and fine art influences.
T hey had w id er referen ce s th a n m ost
musicians. So that was the common denomi­
nator. Also we were all signed to Island
Records at the time.
RC: Nico ended up on one song on your
“The Confessions O f D r Dream ” album.
KA: I remember having to sing the lyrics over
ENGLAND'S LARGEST
the phone to her in Paris before she agreed to
do it. We laid horizontal on the floor with a
bottle o f Tequila and sang into a mike
suspended above us!
SECOND-HAND
RC: Which was more fruitful than the
liaison with David Bowie in 1977!
KA: That was a very brief one. He came to a
concert I did in Berlin, where he was living,
MUSIC STORE
and I went back to his house together with
Iggy Pop, and spent a long night with them.
There was some talk o f him producing one of
my albums, but then we lost contact again.
RC: Your most recent collaboration has
been with Mark Nevin, ex- o f Fairground
Attraction, on your new album. On the
face o f it, it seems an unlikely partner­
ship . . .
• Records · Tapes · CDs · Books ·
KA: I heard their album and it was one o f the
nicest I’d heard for years. I love good songs Videos · Memorabilia
and good singing. I’m tired o f being shouted
and screamed at! It was so obviously an
album from the heart: not a manufactured
• Bought · Sold · Valued ·
record. I have a very sharp distinction
between inspired music, and songs which have
been done by people who have the ability to
stick words and music together, but it doesn’t
actually matter much to them. There’s no
passion behind it. The Fairground Attraction
album was totally inspired.
Mark and I co-wrote one song. I sent him
some lyrics and he sent me the tune back the

BEANOS
next morning. I was very impressed. Mark,
together with another Fairground Attraction
player, Simon Edwards, did at least half of
the backing tracks on the album.
RC: How do you see your relationship with
today’s music scene? Your lack o f profile
indicates that you obviously seek to
distance yourself from it.
2 7 SURREY STREET,
KA: I’ve always been distant from the music
scene. Always.
C R O Y D O N , SURREY,
RC: But you were much more a part o f it,
say, twenty years ago.
KA: Only in the fact that I was there. But I
CRO 1RR. 0 8 1 -6 8 0 1 2 0 2
had nothing to do with it whatsoever. I wrote ESTABLISHED 1975
albums more regularly. That was the basic
difference.