Posted on 02/06/2025 11:03:19 AM PST by nickcarraway
Mike Ratledge, a founding member of the English rock band Soft Machine, has died aged 81 following a brief illness.
Along with Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen and Kevin Ayers, Ratledge founded Soft Machine in 1966. Despite their revolving door policy regarding members, Ratledge was the longest of the four original members to survive with the band before departing in 1976 to embark upon a solo career.
During his time with the band, Ratledge played on the group’s first nine albums and also supported The Jimi Hendrix Experience on two tours of North America due to their shared management. Similarly to Pink Floyd, Soft Machine cut their teeth as a resident band at London’s UFO Club, and they also served as the backing band on two songs on Syd Barrett’s first solo record, The Madcap Laughs.
After leaving Soft Machine, Ratledge continued to work in the music industry and composed music for film, television and theatre, including commercials for internationally renowned brands.
Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge, who first joined the band in 1975 and remains a member of the new look line-up today, announced Ratledge’s death in a Facebook post. “Incredibly sad news that my great friend and Soft Machine legend passed away two hours ago after a brief illness,” he shared.
Etheridge continued: “Mike was the backbone of Soft Machine in the early years and a man with an absolutely incisive mind — a marvelous composer and keyboardist. A real renaissance man — so talented, cultured, charming — and a wonderful companion. We used to meet every few weeks for over 40 years — a treat for me. What a loss to all of us and his sisters and wonderful girlfriend Elena, who were with him at the end.”
No further details have been revealed about Ratledge’s cause of death.
I don’t remember Soft Machine but I do remember Soft Cell.
I remember Machine Head....................Smoke on the water........
Rest in Peace totally unknown person.
Deep Purple?
Heard if soft serve...but this guy?
Yep! Saw them on that tour!.......Ike & Tina Turner Review opened for them!...........
Soft machine’s Genre lays in progressive, jazz, and prog rock starting in 1966 in the early psychedelic era.
Rest In Peace, Mike.
Tangentially, Andy Summers - the guitar player of the New Wave group The Police - was briefly a member of Soft Machine in the 60’s.
I thought that this was about the man who invented the soft serve ice cream machine. Sadly he didn’t get around to fixing McDonald’s machines.
It was recorded in 1965 by Gloria Jones in a Motownish version, but not on Motown.
It was written by Ed Cobb of the Four Preps, who produced many rock acts. He originally offered it to garage rock band The Standells, but they declined it.
It wasn't a hit in the U.S., but it became popular in the British Northern Soul scene. In the 70's Gloria Jones was dating the guy from T. Rex and released a new version in England, but it didn't do well.
Soft Cell knew it from Northern Soul, so they did the remake. Rihanna sampled that version, so Cobb's estate got royalties for her S.O.S..
Yes, and he later toured with Soft Machine’s Kevin Ayers.
Who does Marilyn Manson gotta pay?
I never heard Marilyn Manson's version, but I heard his cover of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).
I listened to them in college in the 1980s I picked up the album Softs since I liked the cover and the name. Bundles another album, was a bit more commercial, fans of prog jazz rock fusion should check them out IMO
So sorry to hear this bad news about someone that I have never heard of who played in a band that I never heard of.
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