CANTERBURY MUSIC scene LEGENDS
S O F T M A C H I N E
RELEASE NEW ALBUM
‘O T H E R D O O R S’
AND ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE TOUR
ZOOM SPECIAL EVENT
with
LONGTIME GUITARIST,COMPOSER AND MEMBER
JOHN
ETHERIDGE
Five years after the release of their last studio album,
legendary UK musical institution, Soft Machine, return with a brand-new album,
“Other Doors.” Boasting new material and two numbers drawn from their extensive
historical repertoire, “Other Doors” finds the band in their usual fiery form.
“Other Doors” was recorded at Temple Music Studios, a facility
owned by the late Jon Hiseman during July and August 2022. It’s a location of
which the band is particularly fond, explains John Etheridge. “Working at Jon
Hiseman’s studio was special, especially with Ru Lemer who is a brilliant
engineer. He’s fantastically quick and that’s very good as we record mainly
live in the studio. It’s come out really well and I think it sounds great.”
That ability to work quickly on takes as an ensemble has
resulted in a fresh-sounding series of top-flight performances whose typically
knotty and sometimes complex themes frequently give way to explosively
discursive improvisations. As Theo Travis observes, “The interesting thing
about recording free improvisations is you’re not playing to a plan or a grid
or a blueprint, so you don’t know what’s coming, and you don’t know what’s
coming until it’s gone. At which moment you’re thinking about the next thing.”
The album is brimming with that fast-moving creativity. It’s been a kind of tradition with the group to include new arrangements of older Soft Machine numbers from the band’s illustrious back catalogue. These have included numbers as varied as “Chloe and the Pirates,” “Kings and Queens,” “Out-Bloody-Rageous,” etc.
Along with exciting new compositions, on “Other Doors” they’ve
revisited the very first album, originally released in 1968, to include Kevin
Ayers’ “Joy Of A Toy.” Fred Baker makes his studio debut with Soft Machine. A
well-known figure on the Canterbury Scene not only is he the perfect choice for
the group but he’s also a long-term fan of the repertoire.
The album also contains “Penny Hitch,” a track originally heard on 1973’s Soft Machine “Seven.” This features the first of two appearances of Roy Babbington who provides the bass lines underpinning Karl Jenkins’ composition while Fred plays the sinuous lead melody on his fretless bass. The pair also worked together as a duo on “Now! Is The Time,” a number originally based on a theme Babbington brought into the sessions, with Fred and Roy both adding and expanding the scope of the piece.
If the album ushers in a new member in the shape of Fred Baker, it also acts as a fond farewell to drummer John Marshall, who joined Soft Machine midway through the recording of 1972’s “Fifth.” At the age of 81 Marshall has decided to retire making “Other Doors” his final studio album with the group, and the final album of his glorious career. Indeed, Marshall is in whip-cracking form throughout the album bringing his trademark musicality and decisive presence.
THE
NEW ALBUM
BY
S O F T
M A C H I N E
Entitled
O T H E R D O O R S
To
purchase Soft Machine “Other Doors”
Visit
https://softmachine-moonjune.bandcamp.com/merch/soft-machine-other-doors
also available at amazon.com
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT
JOHN
ETHERIDGE
And
SOFT
MACHINE
VISIT
Official
website
www.facebook.com/softmachinelegacy
Facebook
www.instagram.com/softmachineband/?hl=en
Instagram
www.youtube.com/@TheoTravisOfficial
YouTube
Official
website
SOFT MACHINE TOUR
2023-2024
The
updated tour dates are (with Asaf Sirkis permanently substituting John Marshall
who has retired):
After the
first world tour date in Toledo at the MoonJune Festival
Sept 29 –
Toledo, Spain (Circulo de Arte)
North American Tour
Oct
04 – Sellersville, PA, USA (Sellersville Theater)
Oct 05 – Baltimore, MD, USA (Keystone Korner)
Oct 06 – New York, NY, USA (Iridium)
Oct 07 – New York, NY, USA (Iridium)
Oct 08 – Woodstock, NY, USA (Colony)
Oct 10 – Rochester, NY, USA (Lovin’ Cup)
Oct 11 – Syracuse, NY, USA (Average Joe)
Oct 12 – Albany, NY, USA (Linda WAMC)
Oct 13 – Quebec City, QC, Canada (Salle d’Youville)
Oct 14 – Quebec City, QC, Canada (Salle d’Youville)
Oct 16 – Ottawa, ON, Canada (Rainbow)
Oct 17 – Toronto, ON, Canada (Garrison)
Oct 18 – Waterloo, ON, Canada (Jazz Room)
Oct 19 – Detroit, MI, USA (Joy’s Manor)
Oct 22 – Milwaukee, WI, USA (Shank Hall)
Oct 24 – Chicago, IL, USA (Reggie’s)
Oct 25 – Cincinnati, OH, USA (Ludlow Garage)
Oct 26 – Indianapolis, IN, USA (Irving Theater)
Europe:
Nov 05 – Hull, UK (Wrecking Ball)
Nov 06 – Kinross, UK (Green Hotel)
Nov 10 – Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK (Forum)
Nov 11 – Lewes, UK (Conservative Club)
Nov 14 – Milton Keynes, UK (The Stables)
Nov 17 – Luton, UK (The Bear)
Nov 19 – Exeter, UK (Phoenix Art)
Nov 23 – Katowice, Poland (Rialto Theater)
Nov 24 – Warsaw, Poland (Hybrydy Klub)
Nov 25 – Bydgoszcz, Poland (Kuźnia Klub)
Nov 26 – Poznań, Poland (Culture Ctr)
Nov 30 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (Rockhal)
Dec 02 – Tilburg, Netherlands (Paradox)
Dec 03 – Zoetermeer, Netherlands (Boerderij)
Feb 07 – Guildford, UK (Boileroom)
Feb 08 – London, UK (Signature Brew)
Feb 09 – Canterbury, UK (Gulbenkian Theatre)
Feb 11 – Market Harbough, UK (Jazz Club)
Feb 18 – Farsley, UK (Old Woollen)
Feb 19 – Manchester, UK (Band On The Wall)
Feb 20 – Wolverhampton, UK (Robin 2)
Feb 21 – Brighton, UK (The Chalk)
Feb 22 – Cardiff, UK(Stepping Stones)
Feb 24 – Cheltenham, UK (DEYA Brewery)
More gigs
to be announced, in the UK, Europe, Japan, South America as well another tour
in the USA in the Summer of 2024.
DISCOGRAPHY
As leader
1994 Ash
2003
Chasing Shadows (Dyad)
2006
Places in Between with John Williams (Sony Classical)
With
Icarus
1972
Marvel World of Icarus
with Darryl
Way's Wolf
1973
Canis Lupus
1973
Saturation Point
1974
Night Music
with Soft
Machine
1976
Softs
1977
Triple Echo
1978
Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris
1994
Rubber Riff
2005
British Tour '75
2018
Hidden Details
With Soft
Machine Legacy
2005 Live
in Zaandam
2006 Soft
Machine Legacy
2006 New
Morning: The Paris Concert
2007
Steam
2010 Live
Adventures
2013
Burden of Proof
SOFT
MACHINE
Studio
albums before John Etheridge
1968 The
Soft Machine
1969
Volume Two
1970
Third
1971 Fourth
1972
Fifth
1973 Six
1973 Seven
1975 Bundles
with
Second Vision
1980
First Steps
Collaborations
with
Stéphane Grappelli
1978 Tea
for Two with Yehudi Menuhin
1980
Strictly for the Birds with Yehudi Menuhin
1983 Live
at Carnegie Hall
1981 At
the Winery
1988
Menuhin & Grappelli Play "Jealousy" and Other Great Standards
with Yehudi Menuhin
with
Nigel Kennedy
1996
Kafka
1999 The
Kennedy Experience
with
others
1992
Obsession Fees, Dick Heckstall-Smith
1992 Hear
My Song, John Altman
1993
Invisible Threads, Andy Summers
1995
Two's & Three's, Elton Dean
1996
Secret Island, Theo Travis
1998
Whatever's Best, Danny Thompson
2002
Fairport Unconventional, Fairport Convention
2001 The
Music of Frank Zappa - Absolutely Live, Zappatistas
2002
Unhinged Take No. 2, Mark Latimer
2006 Bohemia,
Vic Juris
2008
Still Waters, Ric Sanders
2009 The
Ridge, Chris Jagger
2015
Space Fusion Odyssey, Nik Turner
2015
Space Ritual Live 2014, Hawkwind
2017 From
the Half House, Pye Hastings
Filmography
2014:
Jake Thackray and Songs (DVD)
2015: Romantic
Warriors III: Canterbury Tales (DVD)
JOHN ETHERIDGE
APPEARS WEEK OF
NOW STREAMING ON THESE SITES
The Classic Rock Music Reporter
Classic Rock Here and Now
Music Tried and True
YouTube Facebook Apple
amazon music iHeartRadio TuneIn
Podcastics Podchaser Spotify
PANDORA Deezer Google Podcasts
ReverbNation LinkedIn Twitter Stage32
ENTITLED
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
SERIES ONE
CHRONICLES,TRUTHS
CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM
FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS
THAT SET US FREE!
BY MUSIC JOURNALIST ...TALK SHOW HOST...
AUTHOR ... TV SITCOM SCRIPT WRITER
RAY SHASHO
…Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com
Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.
CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA… JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER... RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER... ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER
BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.
The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.
Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.
The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.
https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/
Gold Award Winner
