Interview with John Etheridge – The Soft Machine Years by LondonJazz

Following on from our interview with guitarist / composer John Etheridge about his years with the violinist Stéphane Grappelli (listen HERE), we now present an in-depth interview about his time with Soft Machine, and his continuing work with  Soft Machine Legacy.

“If Soft Machine had managed their collective career, and had good management  like Pink Floyd there’s no reason why there shouldn’t have been an equivalence between Pink Floyd and Soft Machine. For various reasons it never happened…the opportunities just petered away.”

Musical Extracts from:

Track 1

a) The Tale of Taliesin (Jenkins) at 07:14 – from Softs (Harvest/See for Miles) released 1976.

“I got right into it…the album was very well put together..’Tales’ encapsulates the Soft Machine of this era.”

b) Etika (Etheridge) – at 09:56  – from Softs (Harvest/See for Miles) released 1976.


c)  Huffin’ (Jenkins) – at 16:54 – from Alive & Well- Recorded in Paris (Harvest/See for Miles) released 1978.

“Exactly how I wanted to sound – at the time”

Track 2:

d) Twelve Twelve (Hopper) – at 06:41  – from Soft Machine Legacy (Moonjune)  released 2006.

“We were all playing along very happily in 2005, irritation had turned to affection”

e) Burden of Proof (Etheridge)- at 16:23 – from Burden of Proof  (Moonjune) released 2013.

“I titled it. I wrote it. I think it’s quite a good tune.”

Keith Tippett and the Soft Machine Legacy will be at Pizza Express Dean St on the 5-6th of September (More information and tickets HERE).