I can't understand why Steve Hillage isn't considered one of the top guitarists of all time, especially in certain music publications. Those of us who know know. I guess that's all that matters.
Some of the great English musicians never got the proper acclaim and respect because they didn't play in bands that toured the US enough or ever. Or received enough American exposure. Have to crack the American market.
Hillage is great solo, with Gong and as System 7. Very underrated as a musician and as a producer (just listen to Up To Our Hips by The Charlatans - the production is incredible). He should be a household name. At least he got a mention in The Young Ones.
Wonderful ...... SO glad this music feels part of me . I don't mind saying that 1970s in England was fantastical and not for the faint of heart . Blimey ... I still feel scorched
I know. Mike & Kevin speaking fluent French. I've seen Andrew Eldritch do an interview in German, but that's about it as far as British artists speaking a foreign language goes.
It is funny. A vast majority of the world is bi/multilingual. Only speaking one language is a very Anglo normative concept. What else is funny is that English is the world’s most spoken language by far however few of the people who speak it are native speakers (relatively speaking)
Nanterre 1972 (Kevin Ayers), I was there. They started very late (in the afternoon), some of their rig was stuck at the border with Belgium, so they played on borrowed equipment. That's why we see people carrying amps and equipment without wheels. I assume the roadies were at the border too, waiting for the equipment to pass custom, or something like that.
Emission Rockenstock (french TV program presented by Pierre Lattés) broadcast on 30.01.1973. Featuring Kevin Ayers & Decadence (with Steve Hillage) recorded live at The Faculté of Nanterre, near Paris, on december 14,. Songs "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" and "why are we sleeping". + Soft Machine filmed November 04-05 1972 at London CBS studios (sessions for "Six Album") playing "The Soft Weed Factor / drum solo / Gesolreut". + interviews in french with Kevin Ayers and Mike Ratledge.
@@felixfelix7447 Kevin left the Soft Machine after their second US tour in 1968. He then began a solo career who incorporated Steve Hillage in 1972 and joined briefly the members of Gong. For more informations visit the Calyx website.
Came here to comment the same.... I so much adore this composition, the sound, everything... makes sixth my favorite Soft Machine Album together with '1983' and Hugh's Bass sound throughout
Just unbelievable how good softmachine were I saw them a couple of times around north London clubs and round house this is even better than I remember. Wonderful ✌️
vive la décadence. pop canterbury.. ayers and hillage attention aux cigarrettes. the soft machine is MARVELOUS. early soft weed, a terry riley orbital booster.
interesting re-interpretation of "Why Are We Sleeping". I like both this version and the more psychedelic version by Soft Machine when Kevin Ayers was still with them.
le cadrage serré de la caméra sur le visage de Kevin donne une proximité avec le chanteur qui est inimaginable de nos jours. A part cela blue suede shoes est vraiment très bon avec le solo de Steve Hillage. Mike Ratledge diplômé de philosophie et de musicologie parle français et c'est vraiment délicieux d'assister à cet échange entre Ratledge et Ayers. 1973 acmé de la pop music. le morceau ( quel titre ? ) du Six accompagné de Hugh Hopper à la basse et de Karl Jenkins, anciennement du groupe Nucleus, est vraiment superbe. Adieu va Adieu à tous ces beatniks et hippies qui vivaient pour leur musique entre Ibiza la sauvage et la France bourgeoise et gauchiste de De Gaulle et Pompidou. Adieu à ces vagabonds britanniques qui ont influencé toute la pop musique française.
John Marshall's Soft Machine compositions, sound good, but they don't have the punch, charm and poetry of Kevin Ayers's songs. Archie Legget, Pip Pyle and Steve Hillage are the perfect musicians for a man who wakes forever from a dream to ask why are we sleeping?
oh that is rare. imagine that were almost 50 years ago....saw a recent photo of the famously cool Mr. Ratledge (2019) and I know how Roy Babbington, John Marshall and Karl Jenkins look like today (!) Kevin Ayers: Life is the unfairground.
@@jdmresearch no link, but I have a download copy somewhere on my usb stick collection...I discovered the photo somewhere at a forum chat (Site: Calyx Canterbury / Ameryc Leroy) It was while a meeting with John Marshall,John Etheridge and the moonjune records owner/producer (sorry, forgotten his name and cannot tell anything further about it) regards...
@@jdmresearch google search Mike Ratledge pictures ! Amongst the countless already known images there are two more recent one: The one I mentioned from 2019 and one from 2009 with John Etheridge . sorry for my unpolished english....regards again
Its from Paris in 1972 Kevin Ayers and Decadance "(Bannanamour Tour?0 per the French Intro date - Steve Hillage FB page and grea version of Why Are we Sleeping
Thanks for this rarity! Wow, I got to meet up with Hillage when he was working at Bearsville (w/Todd R). He was a super cool dude and yeah, great picker, always using coolest sounds! Anybody know who is the bass player here? and the drummer too?
Begging everyone's pardon - from my understanding of what they're saying, KA is talking about Mike: "Robert and I used to play fairly simple things, so he [Mike] would have to do things to fit with that, but now he has musicians that help him to do what he really wants" - that, I think, is the sense of what Kev is saying (if not a literal translation). This prompts the interviewer to ask if SM is now The Mike Ratledge Group, essentially (Mike disputes the idea). Robert is barely mentioned at all (which woukd probably torment his inner Oscar Wilde)!
Wyatt was the reason I loved soft machine too, he was quite charming, then Ratledge who was still good, but not as much without him. It’s just wasn’t the same after he left, although they had a few good ones.
And Fleetwood Mac was shit after Jeremy Spencer left. The Beatles were never the same after Ringo handed the sticks over to Karen Carpenter. Can u all just Get over it.
The only musician of note in this rather depressing and lost so-called soft machine clip (the middle bit) is Hugh Hopper. They just have nothing to say, now they have lost their muse...
I heard in an interview recently posted of kevin on soft machine and he said the first album sounded very "amateur"...not to disrespect kevin, but alot of his solo songs sound very very amateur sounding to me lol...like that concert of him from 1970 is just so boring that I'd rather watch frozen from Disney instead...its that hard to watch...and he took alot of his songs written in soft machine and made them even more bland and basic sounding than they did in SM, in my opinion.
I believe he was talking more of production/sound.. by comparison kevin ayers first solo album from 1969 has a better sound and is more of a professional production than the first soft machine album... the first soft machine album is basically a live recording of their set.. very raw and little production and "studio tricks"
Ollie was the ideal foil that bit later on, but Steve Hillage was just fine. Andy Summers was with Kevin for a while before Ollie, and he was also great.
The most beautiful Kevin Ayers
I can't understand why Steve Hillage isn't considered one of the top guitarists of all time, especially in certain music publications. Those of us who know know. I guess that's all that matters.
Some of the great English musicians never got the proper acclaim and respect because they didn't play in bands that toured the US enough or ever. Or received enough American exposure. Have to crack the American market.
Hillage is great solo, with Gong and as System 7. Very underrated as a musician and as a producer (just listen to Up To Our Hips by The Charlatans - the production is incredible). He should be a household name. At least he got a mention in The Young Ones.
The guy was and is a genius, and the break here is just great. Scales that few others would play.
Rolling Stone Magazine is a bunch of trite glossy bollocks, who needs a stamp of approval from these nobody's
trouble w hillage: refused to have "a band" . he had to get all the credit... holdsworth also was a rolling stone.
Wonderful ...... SO glad this music feels part of me . I don't mind saying that 1970s in England was fantastical and not for the faint of heart . Blimey ... I still feel scorched
I love how nearly all Soft Machine alumni speak French and Spanish. Not too many other English legacy bands can do that.
I know. Mike & Kevin speaking fluent French. I've seen Andrew Eldritch do an interview in German, but that's about it as far as British artists speaking a foreign language goes.
It is funny. A vast majority of the world is bi/multilingual. Only speaking one language is a very Anglo normative concept. What else is funny is that English is the world’s most spoken language by far however few of the people who speak it are native speakers (relatively speaking)
Nanterre 1972 (Kevin Ayers), I was there. They started very late (in the afternoon), some of their rig was stuck at the border with Belgium, so they played on borrowed equipment. That's why we see people carrying amps and equipment without wheels. I assume the roadies were at the border too, waiting for the equipment to pass custom, or something like that.
Emission Rockenstock (french TV program presented by Pierre Lattés) broadcast on 30.01.1973. Featuring Kevin Ayers & Decadence (with Steve Hillage) recorded live at The Faculté of Nanterre, near Paris, on december 14,. Songs "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" and "why are we sleeping". + Soft Machine filmed November 04-05 1972 at London CBS studios (sessions for "Six Album") playing
"The Soft Weed Factor / drum solo / Gesolreut". + interviews in french with Kevin Ayers and Mike Ratledge.
François GRAPARD Merci
Didn't Kevin leave in 1970?
@@felixfelix7447 Kevin left the Soft Machine after their second US tour in 1968. He then began a solo career who incorporated Steve Hillage in 1972 and joined briefly the members of Gong. For more informations visit the Calyx website.
Kevin Ayers & The Whole World live at the Beeb were a gas in 1972!!
never thought that I'd stumble upon a live version of the soft weed factor!
Came here to comment the same.... I so much adore this composition, the sound, everything... makes sixth my favorite Soft Machine Album together with '1983' and Hugh's Bass sound throughout
Вот тоже самое.
Just unbelievable how good softmachine were I saw them a couple of times around north London clubs and round house this is even better than I remember. Wonderful ✌️
This was an unexpected pleasure. What a gem.
This is quite a find, especially that Soft Machine footage!
vive la décadence. pop canterbury..
ayers and hillage attention aux cigarrettes.
the soft machine is MARVELOUS. early soft weed, a terry riley orbital booster.
i love how they moved the heavy stuff by hands onto stage without using the trolley by door side. They are TRULY the Soft Machine!
Indeed! My 1st thought. Another reason to quit the road lol
One of the greatest 'missing links' of jazzrock progfusion. Thank you Gordon
Mike Ratledge, a true genius.
interesting re-interpretation of "Why Are We Sleeping". I like both this version and the more psychedelic version by Soft Machine when Kevin Ayers was still with them.
The middle part of Why are we sleeping is amazing and never heard
A little bit of Sibelius' 5th symphony thrown in there!
ua-cam.com/video/nkzrSZKA4cM/v-deo.html
The Whole World were a gas!!
@@salspitz177 / named my channel after them.
When rock musicians had a good education and spoke in french.
Interviewer is Pierre Lattès.
le cadrage serré de la caméra sur le visage de Kevin donne une proximité avec le chanteur qui est inimaginable de nos jours. A part cela blue suede shoes est vraiment très bon avec le solo de Steve Hillage. Mike Ratledge diplômé de philosophie et de musicologie parle français et c'est vraiment délicieux d'assister à cet échange entre Ratledge et Ayers. 1973 acmé de la pop music. le morceau ( quel titre ? ) du Six accompagné de Hugh Hopper à la basse et de Karl Jenkins, anciennement du groupe Nucleus, est vraiment superbe. Adieu va Adieu à tous ces beatniks et hippies qui vivaient pour leur musique entre Ibiza la sauvage et la France bourgeoise et gauchiste de De Gaulle et Pompidou. Adieu à ces vagabonds britanniques qui ont influencé toute la pop musique française.
Amazing, it must be super rare, I've never seen any of it before
Amazing ! Both at the same tv program years later...Kevin is dancing is ass off in the opening...so good
O
Enormously infective ! True fusion/rock, before it even existed here in the States ! British Rock ! The Canterbury Sound express !
This is fantastic! What a find!!!!
Excellent, I did'nt know this footage! A terrific emotion
Wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful
Good to see Mike and Kevin together after all those years (or few)
I have the CDs: Gong on Radio (1971-74) with Hillage and Ayres, and Paragong (Live '73) featuring Why Are We Sleeping and they are both superb
John Marshall's Soft Machine compositions, sound good, but they don't have the punch, charm and poetry of Kevin Ayers's songs. Archie Legget, Pip Pyle and Steve Hillage are the perfect musicians for a man who wakes forever from a dream to ask why are we sleeping?
Pip? Not Eddie?
John Marshall's Soft Machine compositions?😮
absolutely unbelievable
oh that is rare. imagine that were almost 50 years ago....saw a recent photo of the famously cool Mr. Ratledge (2019) and I know how Roy Babbington, John Marshall and Karl Jenkins look like today (!) Kevin Ayers: Life is the unfairground.
Link to the photo?
@@jdmresearch no link, but I have a download copy somewhere on my usb stick collection...I discovered the photo somewhere at a forum chat (Site: Calyx Canterbury / Ameryc Leroy) It was while a meeting with John Marshall,John Etheridge and the moonjune records owner/producer (sorry, forgotten his name and cannot tell anything further about it) regards...
@@rainerkrause34 Ok, thanks! I don't think I've ever seen a post 90s Mike Ratledge picture.
@@jdmresearch google search Mike Ratledge pictures ! Amongst the countless already known images there are two more recent one: The one I mentioned from 2019 and one from 2009 with John Etheridge . sorry for my unpolished english....regards again
That's Hugh Hopper on bass not Babbington
oh kev you are so fab with your beads and yawning voice
Awesome and Ratledge and Ayers speaking a very good French.
Fantastique version de "why are we sleeping"!
Its from Paris in 1972 Kevin Ayers and Decadance "(Bannanamour Tour?0 per the French Intro date - Steve Hillage FB page
and grea version of Why Are we Sleeping
great stuff
Steve was amazing!
Thanks for this rarity! Wow, I got to meet up with Hillage when he was working at Bearsville (w/Todd R). He was a super cool dude and yeah, great picker, always using coolest sounds! Anybody know who is the bass player here? and the drummer too?
John Marshall on drums and Hugh Hopper on bass.
Denis Hooper…
Looks to me like Archie Legget on bass...
Thanks for a great upload Gordon.
Pleasure, absolute pleasure
マイク・ラトリッジの声、初めて聴いた!!
So surreal!!!! Where come this from... Great!
Karl Jenkins' Soft Machine our very own Weather Report.
Karl jenkins took the soul out soft machine to mechanistic shite
@@robertgough508Into a "Karl Jenkins Project"...
Lots of good French tv for some reason...
Saw Hillage at the COW PALACE opened for ELO
All i can think about is the heavy lugging of very heavy instruments amps and speaker cabs
STANGER IN BLUE SUEDE SHOES! BRILLIANT!
Thank you! very! much!!!
Facts then facts now 💯
Nice Hillage solo
Cheers
Hillage's hair reminded me of a 19th century high court judge's wig.
Thank you thank you thank you !!!
Archie Legget on bass, Pip Pyle (?) on drums ... God I feel old. All gone except Hillage. And as for Soft Machine without Robert Wyatt ... Non!
Drummer is definitely not Pip Pyle - I guess Eddie Sparrow.
Bundles Bundles Bundles !! 😋
@@howardscarr9518 I believe its John Marshall on that 1973 cut. But not sure on the earlier.
Presumably that's Kevin Ayers and Decadence with Archie Leggett on bass and Eddie Sparrow on kit. So Nov / Dec '72
Thanks for the info, Tim. Hope to see you at next year’s Kozfest
Too bad they couldn't get Ratledge to sit in on Why Are We Sleeping
Does anyone know when this was recorded?
See Francois GRAPARDs comment
Doth mine ears deceive, or is there some "Bundles" in the mix?
WOW.
at 17:35 Ratledge instructs Jenkins to play the baritone :)
Only one year later, Soft Machine's compositions were 85% by Karl Jenkins, who totally distorted the soul of SM😢
So damn good
Playing in the style of Lou Reed
Definite "Waiting For Thy Man" vibe in the rhythm guitar. (edit: On "Stranger...")
Year?
‘73, see comments below for other details
What’s the second song?
Sorry that I don't understand French, but is Mike explaining in the interview how he and Hugh had the balls to throw Robert out of his own band?
Je ne sais pas
KA is just saying Robert has to go find people to play what he wants.
Begging everyone's pardon - from my understanding of what they're saying, KA is talking about Mike: "Robert and I used to play fairly simple things, so he [Mike] would have to do things to fit with that, but now he has musicians that help him to do what he really wants" - that, I think, is the sense of what Kev is saying (if not a literal translation). This prompts the interviewer to ask if SM is now The Mike Ratledge Group, essentially (Mike disputes the idea). Robert is barely mentioned at all (which woukd probably torment his inner Oscar Wilde)!
Smoking cigarettes AND speaking French. You don't get much of that these days.
Maybe this is the Kevin Ayers - Bananamour Tour 1973
top...
So, Kevin. ? So , Kevin .?? Kevin ¿?
So what about me being in love with you. Right now. ?
You are dead !!!!!!!!
epic
whats the name of the first song please :v
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
@@gordonoldfart7814 thanks!!
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes @ 2.00 mins.
This is great! I've never seen Ayers this low on the insufferable meter
I can translate the french commentary
Archie Legget wearing confederate shirt.
the soft machine without Wyatt??? no thanks...
Wyatt is the best, but this personnel is excellent. thanks for sharing
Wyatt was the reason I loved soft machine too, he was quite charming, then Ratledge who was still good, but not as much without him. It’s just wasn’t the same after he left, although they had a few good ones.
And Fleetwood Mac was shit after Jeremy Spencer left. The Beatles were never the same after Ringo handed the sticks over to Karen Carpenter. Can u all just Get over it.
The only musician of note in this rather depressing and lost so-called soft machine clip (the middle bit) is Hugh Hopper. They just have nothing to say, now they have lost their muse...
I heard in an interview recently posted of kevin on soft machine and he said the first album sounded very "amateur"...not to disrespect kevin, but alot of his solo songs sound very very amateur sounding to me lol...like that concert of him from 1970 is just so boring that I'd rather watch frozen from Disney instead...its that hard to watch...and he took alot of his songs written in soft machine and made them even more bland and basic sounding than they did in SM, in my opinion.
I believe he was talking more of production/sound.. by comparison kevin ayers first solo album from 1969 has a better sound and is more of a professional production than the first soft machine album... the first soft machine album is basically a live recording of their set.. very raw and little production and "studio tricks"
As great a guitarist that Steve Hillage is, his style was far too smooth for Kevin’s music. I think Ollie Halsall was the perfect match.
Ollie was the ideal foil that bit later on, but Steve Hillage was just fine. Andy Summers was with Kevin for a while before Ollie, and he was also great.
@@bobgreen623 Robert Wyatt and Kevin would have been a great duo
Andy Summers came after Ollie was already established within Kevin's band.
Hillage was a bit different but still fitting
@@TheRealFriar Shouting In A Bucket Blues, nobody but Hillage played like he did for that tune. Just beautiful playing.