The Soft Machine In 1967

Another Canterbury tale. In fact we're almost at the beginning of the story, The Soft Machine were the first group that came out of that scene. They have been one of the main protagonists of the undeground scene in the crazy days of the Swinging London, playing regularly in clubs like the legendary UFO, with bands like The Pink Floyd, Tomorrow, Crazy World Of Arthur Brown...
The Canterbury kids Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Mike Ratledge had been joined by the australian beatnick Daevid Allen, who certainly helped them to bring their music into most adventurous directions.
By the time of this footage for the Dutch TV, in late '67, Allen had already left them, he was in Paris planning a new musical adventure called Gong, but the trio proves to be able to continue on the crazy paths of an exciting surrealistic/dadaistic psychedelic pop. These clips are here to show it, in the same way as the first albums, before they became, in the '70s, a more straight, but still talented, jazz-rock band. The keyboard players Ratledge will stay as the leader of the band, while Ayers (that we've already met...) and later also Wyatt (that we'll meet soon...) will begin two very important solo careers.

Soft Machine - I Should've Known (1967)
Soft Machine - Soon, Soon, Soon (1967)

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Mirco