English rock & jazz band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966, named after the novel The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs.
[b]Years active:[/b]
1966–1968
1969–1978
1978–1983 (offshot band [b][a=Soft Head][/b]), followed by [a=Soft Heap]
1980–1984
1999–2002 (pre-reformation band [b]Soft Ware[/b])
2002–2004 (pre-reformation band [b][a=Soft Works][/b])
2004–2015 (as [b][a=Soft Machine Legacy][/b])
2015–present
Other offshot bands featuring core members Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean were briefly created during the 2000s: [a=Soft Bounds] & [a=Soft Mountain].
[b]Current members:[/b]
● [a=John Etheridge] – guitar (1975–1978, 2015–present)
● [a=Theo Travis] – saxophone, flute, piano (2015–present)
● [a=Fred T. Baker] - bass (2022–present)
● [a=Asaf Sirkis] - drums (2023-present)
[b]Guest/Substitute musicians:[/b]
● [a=Nic France] – drums, percussion (at least for one show: on 26 March 2016 in Sheffield Green, East Sussex, UK; substitute for John Marshall)
● [a=Fred T. Baker] - bass (substituted for Roy Babbington for 2022 dates, prior to becoming a full member)
[b]Former members:[/b]
● [a=Mike Ratledge] – keyboards, flute (1966–1968, 1969–1976; died 2025)
● [a=Robert Wyatt] – drums, vocals, keyboards, bass (1966–1968, 1969–1971)
● [a=Kevin Ayers] – bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards (1966–1968; died 2013)
● [a=Daevid Allen] – guitar, vocals, bass (1966–1967; died 2015)
● Larry Nowlin – guitar (1966)
● [a=Andy Summers] – guitar (1968)
● [a=Hugh Hopper] – bass, saxophone, guitar (1968–1973; died 2009)
● [a=John Marshall] – drums, percussion (1971–1984, 2015–2022)
● [a=Elton Dean] – saxophone, keyboards (1969–1972; died 2006)
● [a=Lyn Dobson] – flute, saxophone (1969–1970)
● [a=Mark Charig] – cornet (1969)
● [a=Nick Evans] – trombone (1969)
● [a=Phil Howard] – drums (1971)
● [a=Karl Jenkins] – oboe, saxophone, keyboards, synthesisers (1972–1984)
● [a=Allan Holdsworth] – guitar (1973–1975; died 2017)
● [a=Roy Babbington] – bass (1973–1976, 2015–2022)
● [a=Alan Wakeman] – saxophone (1976)
● [a=Ray Warleigh] – saxophone (1976; died 2015)
● [a=Ric Sanders] – violin (1976–1978)
● [a=Percy Jones] – bass (1976–1977)
● [a351916] – bass (1977–1978)
Released: 2026-03-13
Label: Dyad Records
Country: UK
Tracklist
| A1 |
Lemon Poem Song |
3:21 |
| A2 |
Open Road |
7:30 |
| A3 |
Seven Hours |
5:12 |
| A4 |
Waltz For Robert |
4:19 |
| B1 |
The Longest Night |
13:08 |
| B2 |
Disappear |
3:55 |
| B3 |
Green Books |
5:33 |
| C1 |
Beledo Balado |
4:32 |
| C2 |
Pens To The Foal Mode |
2:42 |
| C3 |
Time Station |
2:46 |
| C4 |
Which Bridge Did You Cross |
2:58 |
| C5 |
Turmoil |
5:12 |
| C6 |
Daevid’s Special Cuppa |
3:10 |
| D1 |
Carol Ann |
3:52 |
| D2 |
Curious Dust |
5:07 |
| D3 |
Tarn Hows |
2:35 |
| D4 |
Seven Hours (Alt. Take) |
4:43 |
| D5 |
We Thought It Was Tuesday |
4:37 |