Kevin Ayers with Steve Hillage on guitar plus Soft Machine

from French TV, that's all I can tell you

[@rockconnoisseur76]

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.

[@lestrum]

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.

[@Glantoniain]

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.

[@brianpeters3629]

The guy was and is a genius, and the break here is just great. Scales that few others would play.

[@johnlannikk2701]

Rolling Stone Magazine is a bunch of trite glossy bollocks, who needs a stamp of approval from these nobody's

[@jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491]

trouble w hillage: refused to have "a band" . he had to get all the credit... holdsworth also was a rolling stone.

[@jamesharryward5595]

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

[@billbernhard3582]

Enormously infective ! True fusion/rock, before it even existed here in the States ! British Rock ! The Canterbury Sound express !

[@mordantfilms]

I love how nearly all Soft Machine alumni speak French and Spanish. Not too many other English legacy bands can do that.

[@msoutar6453]

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.

[@Ryanbrio]

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)

[@ppmppm7010]

The most beautiful Kevin Ayers

[@PetieFr]

never thought that I'd stumble upon a live version of the soft weed factor!

[@uliuchu4318]

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

[@francoisgrapard876]

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.

[@gordonoldfart7814]

François GRAPARD Merci

[@felixfelix7447]

Didn't Kevin leave in 1970?

[@francoisgrapard876]

@@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.

[@salspitz177]

Kevin Ayers & The Whole World live at the Beeb were a gas in 1972!!

[@borninparis]

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.

[@Glantoniain]

This was an unexpected pleasure. What a gem.

[@adoraboos3033]

This is quite a find, especially that Soft Machine footage!

[@charleschwalek3420]

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.

[@chaskeyes6648]

One of the greatest 'missing links' of jazzrock progfusion. Thank you Gordon

[@zapergg895]

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!

[@sloburnjo]

Indeed! My 1st thought. Another reason to quit the road lol

[@enniosavi7064]

Mike Ratledge, a true genius.

[@ppmppm7010]

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 ✌️

[@marcfedak]

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.

[@Edward1312]

Hillage's hair reminded me of a 19th century high court judge's wig.

[@jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491]

vive la décadence. pop canterbury.. ayers and hillage attention aux cigarrettes. the soft machine is MARVELOUS. early soft weed, a terry riley orbital booster.

[@MrDanielphenix]

Amazing ! Both at the same tv program years later...Kevin is dancing is ass off in the opening...so good

[@MrDanielphenix]

The middle part of Why are we sleeping is amazing and never heard

[@FiddlerNick]

A little bit of Sibelius' 5th symphony thrown in there!

[@FiddlerNick]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJzdo4aQgKZnma8

[@salspitz177]

The Whole World were a gas!!

[@wholeworld399]

@@salspitz177 / named my channel after them.

[@kryztuffersozo3722]

Amazing, it must be super rare, I've never seen any of it before

[@chrisguygeezer]

Wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful

[@m-tetsuo]

Good to see Mike and Kevin together after all those years (or few)

[@KeysBR]

This is fantastic! What a find!!!!

[@lameanalogique541]

Excellent, I did'nt know this footage! A terrific emotion

[@stinkfoot5882]

When rock musicians had a good education and spoke in french. Interviewer is Pierre Lattès.

[@ghislaindormont7866]

Awesome and Ratledge and Ayers speaking a very good French.

[@faithrecords3816]

absolutely unbelievable

[@gonzaloarqueros6890]

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?

[@timflatus]

Pip? Not Eddie?

[@theloniousratledge8835]

John Marshall's Soft Machine compositions?😮

[@philippebyrnes1213]

WOW.

[@adencapps5700]

oh kev you are so fab with your beads and yawning voice

[@rainerkrause34]

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]

Link to the photo?

[@rainerkrause34]

@@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]

@@rainerkrause34 Ok, thanks! I don't think I've ever seen a post 90s Mike Ratledge picture.

[@rainerkrause34]

@@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

[@stevepearce1227]

That's Hugh Hopper on bass not Babbington

[@johnlannikk2701]

Steve was amazing!

[@pierreraffenne9364]

Fantastique version de "why are we sleeping"!

[@simplemen5311]

マイク・ラトリッジの声、初めて聴いた!!

[@ianwilkinson4602]

Thanks for a great upload Gordon.

[@gordonoldfart7814]

Pleasure, absolute pleasure

[@angelayoung3978]

great stuff

[@rodwells4682]

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

[@orbitorsteve3742]

Lots of good French tv for some reason...

[@peacereigns3097]

Facts then facts now 💯

[@rattlecanblack]

Cheers

[@tuscanod2]

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?

[@ryanhobbs8407]

John Marshall on drums and Hugh Hopper on bass.

[@charlesalunni1930]

Denis Hooper…

[@brianpeters3629]

Looks to me like Archie Legget on bass...

[@softmachine1000]

So surreal!!!! Where come this from... Great!

[@michaelhanrahan5349]

Karl Jenkins' Soft Machine our very own Weather Report.

[@robertgough508]

Karl jenkins took the soul out soft machine to mechanistic shite

[@theloniousratledge8835]

​@@robertgough508Into a "Karl Jenkins Project"...

[@immaterialimmaterial5195]

STANGER IN BLUE SUEDE SHOES! BRILLIANT!

[@gabyvansant4533]

Thank you! very! much!!!

[@das250250]

All i can think about is the heavy lugging of very heavy instruments amps and speaker cabs

[@croiners4166]

Thank you thank you thank you !!!

[@markgardner1020]

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!

[@howardscarr9518]

Drummer is definitely not Pip Pyle - I guess Eddie Sparrow.

[@ElrondHubbard_1]

Bundles Bundles Bundles !! 😋

[@lestrum]

@@howardscarr9518 I believe its John Marshall on that 1973 cut. But not sure on the earlier.

[@this_is_angel74]

So damn good

[@billlloyd4029]

Too bad they couldn't get Ratledge to sit in on Why Are We Sleeping

[@perrinenzo607]

Playing in the style of Lou Reed

[@nickn626]

Definite "Waiting For Thy Man" vibe in the rhythm guitar. (edit: On "Stranger...")

[@antonjjok]

at 17:35 Ratledge instructs Jenkins to play the baritone :)

[@theloniousratledge8835]

Only one year later, Soft Machine's compositions were 85% by Karl Jenkins, who totally distorted the soul of SM😢

[@timflatus]

Presumably that's Kevin Ayers and Decadence with Archie Leggett on bass and Eddie Sparrow on kit. So Nov / Dec '72

[@gordonoldfart7814]

Thanks for the info, Tim. Hope to see you at next year’s Kozfest

[@WolfKreide]

top...

[@Lightw81]

Smoking cigarettes AND speaking French. You don't get much of that these days.

[@gio8641]

epic

[@moethemoon]

Does anyone know when this was recorded?

[@gordonoldfart7814]

See Francois GRAPARDs comment

[@timmungenast]

Doth mine ears deceive, or is there some "Bundles" in the mix?

[@EnriExperience]

Maybe this is the Kevin Ayers - Bananamour Tour 1973

[@dantean]

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?

[@gordonoldfart7814]

Je ne sais pas

[@michelbillaud4449]

KA is just saying Robert has to go find people to play what he wants.

[@martinrodzzz5329]

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)!

[@MsGeorgieBrown]

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes @ 2.00 mins.

[@sjwillis1137]

So, Kevin. ? So , Kevin .?? Kevin ¿? So what about me being in love with you. Right now. ?

[@sjwillis1137]

You are dead !!!!!!!!

[@davidarnay]

Year?

[@gordonoldfart7814]

‘73, see comments below for other details

[@dallasgerry9666]

What’s the second song?

[@mariusarnaud4348]

I can translate the french commentary

[@mateogavela6143]

whats the name of the first song please :v

[@gordonoldfart7814]

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

[@mateogavela6143]

@@gordonoldfart7814 thanks!!

[@wholeworld399]

Archie Legget wearing confederate shirt.

[@purrjarr475]

the soft machine without Wyatt??? no thanks...

[@layefarg8726]

Wyatt is the best, but this personnel is excellent. thanks for sharing

[@moethemoon]

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.

[@ianbrown3304]

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.

[@johnshore839]

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...

[@caryheuchert]

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.

[@bobgreen623]

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.

[@Hal9000ize]

@@bobgreen623 Robert Wyatt and Kevin would have been a great duo

[@chrisguygeezer]

Andy Summers came after Ollie was already established within Kevin's band.

[@TheRealFriar]

Hillage was a bit different but still fitting

[@chrisguygeezer]

@@TheRealFriar Shouting In A Bucket Blues, nobody but Hillage played like he did for that tune. Just beautiful playing.

[@bremtremont2027]

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.

[@erikhaugerud8113]

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"

[@Megahitbank]

This is great! I've never seen Ayers this low on the insufferable meter