P*I*N*K
F*L*O*Y*D
INTERACTIONS
DATABASE

Soft Machine

Robert Wyatt * Kavin Ayers * Daevid Allen
Gong

• Both Pink Floyd and Soft Machine took part in 14 Hour Technicolour Dream show at Alexandra Palace on April 29, 1967. In fact in his book Gong Dreaming Daevid Allen writes about seeing Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd on this concert.

• Soft Machine participated in recording of Syd Barret's solo album The Madcap Laughs. Robert Wyatt plays drums on a number of songs throughout the album, and on the song
  No Good Trying Syd's backup band is Soft Machine.

• On the version of Soft Machine's song The Moon In June performed on June 10, 1969 for BBC, Robert Wyatt sings: "To all our mates like Kevin, Caravan and the old Pink Floyd, allow me to recommend Top Gear in spite of its' extraordinary name."

  (This version can be found on Soft Machine's Triple Echo set.)

• Robert Wyatt
  • ...is one of the best friends of Nick Mason

  • When Robert Wyatt had an accident in 1973 that left him paralized from the waist down, Pink Floyd played on a special benefit concert for him on November 4, 1973 . They played two sets and Soft Machine was their backup band on both.

  • Nick Mason and Robert Wyatt worked together on the following recordings:
    • Singles
      1. Robert Wyatt: I'm a Believer - 1974 - (M:producer, drums)
      2. Robert Wyatt: Yesterday Man - 1975 - (M: producer)

    • Albums
      1. Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom - 1974 - ( M: producer, drums)
      2. Robert Wyatt: Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard - ( M: producer)
      3. Michael Mantler and Edward Corey: The Hapless Child - 1976 - (M: vocals, producer; W: vocals)
      4. Nick Mason Fictitious Sports - 1976 - (W:vocals)

    • Robert Wyatt played percussion, sang and wrote lyrics to Phil Manzanera's album Diamond Head in 1975.
• Kevin Ayers
  • ...is a longtime fan and admirer of Syd Barret

  • Syb Barrett played lead guitar on one of teh versions of Kevin's song Singing a Song In The Morning (this version has not yet been released officially ?).

  • Kevin Ayers wrote a song Oh!Wot a Dream! about Syd Barrett which appeared on his albumn Bananamour.

  • It is rumoured that Syd Barrett's voice at the beginning of the song Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong on Kevin's first LP Joy of Toy.

  • Kevin Ayers' band Kevin Ayers and the Whole World (1970) has advertized Syd Barrett as a feature artist for their VPRO Piknik, Gemeendecentrum, Drijbergen, Holland concert on July 30, 1970. Though Syd did not appear during the concert, it seems verly likely that he has rehearsed for the show with Kevin and his band.

• Daevid Allen
  • The cover of Daevid Allen's album Magick Brother has the following phrase written on it: "Whispering in the Ears of a silent Gong were Terry O'Really, Thelomius Sphere, The Oft So Machine, T. Lipp Brahmananda, Le Pink Floy, Bacho ..."

  • On his Clockwork Band tour in 1980 Daevid Allen said during his song Death of Rock: "Goodnight Syd Barrett, his mad cap put out his light."

  • According to Vernon Fitch: Syd Barrett taught Daevid Allen how to play "the fantastic glissando guitar technique he (D.A.) used in many of his songs".