Canterbury scene

The Canterbury scene (or Canterbury sound) is a term used to describe a loosely defined style of music created by a number of progressive rock, avant-garde and jazz musicians, some of whom were based in the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians played together in numerous bands, with ever-changing and overlapping personnel, creating some similarities in their musical output. Many prominent British avant-garde or fusion musicians began their career in Canterbury bands, including Hugh Hopper, Steve Hillage, Dave Stewart (the keyboardist), Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen, and Mike Ratledge.[1][2] Over the years, with outside musicians joining Canterbury bands, and new bands all over the world adopting a "Canterbury sound," the term has come to describe the musical style rather than a regional group of musicians.

Definition

The Canterbury scene is largely defined by a set of musicians and bands with intertwined members. These are not tied by very strong musical similarities, but a certain whimsicality, touches of psychedelia, rather abstruse lyrics, and a use of improvisation derived from jazz are common elements in their work.[1] “The real essence of 'Canterbury Sound' is the tension between complicated harmonies, extended improvisations, and the sincere desire to write catchy pop songs.” “In the very best Canterbury music...the musically silly and the musically serious are juxtaposed in an amusing and endearing way.” [3]

There is variation within the scene, for example from pop/rock like early Soft Machine and much Caravan to avant-garde composed pieces as with early National Health to improvised jazz as with later Soft Machine or In Cahoots. Didier Malherbe (of Gong) has defined the scene as having "certain chord changes, in particular the use of minor second chords, certain harmonic combinations, and a great clarity in the aesthetics, and a way of improvising that is very different from what is done in jazz."[4]

There is debate about the existence and definition of the scene. Dave Stewart has complained at the nomenclature as he and many other musicians identified with the Canterbury scene never had anything to do with Canterbury, the place. The former Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper, who lived in Whitstable, near Canterbury, said: "I think it's a rather artificial label, a journalistic thing... I don't mind it, but people like Robert [Wyatt], he in fact hates that idea, because he was born somewhere else and just happened to go to school here. In the time when the Wilde Flowers started we hardly ever worked in Canterbury. It wasn't until Robert and Daevid went to London to start Soft Machine that anything happened at all. They weren't really a Canterbury band [...] if it helps people understand or listen to more music then it is fine." [4]

Hopper's family, however, lived in the city and the Wilde Flowers did play many of their early gigs in Canterbury, notably at the Beehive Club, in Dover Street, and the city's various colleges. It was at a Students Union-organised event at Canterbury Technical College that Soft Machine gigged with Pink Floyd – twice, before and after Floyd were signed to a record deal, and it was in a house in Whitstable (within the Canterbury City Council area) that Caravan went into rehearsal for some months before moving to London and a recording contract.

History

The scene had one main root in the Wilde Flowers, a band formed in 1964 which at various times was home to most of the founding musicians of both Soft Machine and Caravan, which in turn provided the musicians for several later bands. The genesis of the "Canterbury Sound" may, in part, be traced back to 1960, when 22-year-old Australian beatnik Daevid Allen lodged at 15-year-old Robert Wyatt's parents' guest-house in Lydden, ten miles to the south of Canterbury. Allen brought with him an extensive collection of jazz records, a different lifestyle, and the jazz drummer George Niedorf who later taught Wyatt the drums. In 1963, Wyatt, Allen and Hugh Hopper formed the Daevid Allen Trio (in London) which metamorphosised into the Wilde Flowers the following year when Allen left for France. Wyatt, Allen, Kevin Ayers (from the Wilde Flowers) and Mike Ratledge (who had played on occasion with the Daevid Allen Trio) formed Soft Machine two years later in 1966.

The Wilde Flowers survived, however, led by Pye Hastings – often joined by his brother Jimmy Hastings who guested with Wilde Flowers and Caravan when not busy with his other, jazz, engagements. From this second Wilde Flowers incarnation was born the band Caravan with an initial line up of Pye Hastings (vocals, lead guitar), Richard Sinclair (bass), Dave Sinclair (keyboards) and Richard Coughlan (drums). Although enjoying success in the UK, holding their own with respectable album sales, they really came into their own in mainland Europe, particularly France, the Netherlands and Germany, where they achieved star status in the 1970s and played some of those countries' largest and most prestigious venues. They went quiet during the 1980s, but Caravan reappeared, still led by Hastings, in the 1990s and were gigging into the 2000s, at home and abroad, including in the US.

Other key early bands were Delivery and Egg, whose members blended into the Canterbury scene in the early 1970s. For example, Phil Miller of Delivery went on to found Matching Mole with Robert Wyatt, and Hatfield and the North with Dave Stewart of Egg. Both were later in National Health while Steve Hillage, who dropped out of a degree course at the University of Kent at Canterbury, had worked with the members of Egg in a previous band, Uriel (recorded as Arzachel), and was later in Gong with Allen.

The Canterbury scene is known for having a set of musicians who often rotated into different Canterbury bands. Richard Sinclair, for example, was at different points of his career, in the Wilde Flowers, Camel, Caravan, Hatfield and the North and, briefly, Gilgamesh; he also worked with National Health. His cousin Dave Sinclair was in Caravan, Camel, Matching Mole and, briefly, Hatfield and the North. Robert Wyatt was a member of the Wilde Flowers, Soft Machine, Matching Mole, and also did work as a solo artist. The late Pip Pyle was in Delivery, Gong, Hatfield and the North, National Health, Soft Heap and In Cahoots. Hugh Hopper was in Soft Machine, Isotope, Soft Heap, In Cahoots and, with Pyle and Allen, Brainville, as well as doing numerous of his own group and solo projects and working with non-Canterbury bands. Multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield started his professional career in Kevin Ayers' band The Whole World in 1970 as the bass and lead guitarist; some musicians of the Canterbury scene contributed to Oldfield's mid-1970s solo output, such as Lindsay Cooper (on Hergest Ridge) and Steve Hillage, Mike Ratledge and Fred Frith (in a 1974 BBC live performance of extracts from Tubular Bells).

Other individuals peripheral to the scene but with connections include Bill Bruford (briefly drummed in Gong and National Health and employed Dave Stewart in his late 1970s band, Bruford), Allan Holdsworth (who worked with Soft Machine, Gong in their jazz rock period, and the band, Bruford, which played a style of jazz fusion heavily influenced by Canterbury scene artists) and Andy Summers (who was briefly a member of Soft Machine, and also worked separately with Kevin Ayers). Lady June has been regarded an "honorary member" of the Canterbury scene for having performed and recorded with some of the members, and being a "landlady" to many in her flat in Maida Vale, London.[5][6]

Retrospectives

A set of four CDs of archival recordings from the early Canterbury scene (1962-1972), entitled Canterburied Sounds, Vol.s 1-4 was released by Brian Hopper on Voiceprint Records in 1998. A film about the Canterbury scene, entitled Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales was released by Zeitgeist Media in 2015.

Components

Bands

The origin of the Canterbury scene:

Five bands were central to the Canterbury scene:[7]

Other bands:

Musicians

Record labels

A Canterbury sound discography

Note: Not every release by every Canterbury band qualifies as having the “Canterbury sound” — and many non-Canterbury bands do — so this list is based on sound not on geography. Please keep this in mind when adding entries.
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Earliest Recording Date Artist(s) Title Country Notes
1962various artistsCanterburied Sounds, Vol.s 1-4EnglandEarliest known recordings
1965The Wilde FlowersThe Wilde FlowersEnglandThe Canterbury Sound archetype
1967Soft MachineJet Propelled PhotographsEnglandThe April De Lane Lea Studios demo recordings, released under many different titles
1968Soft MachineThe Soft MachineEnglandDebut album from SM
1969Soft MachineVolume TwoEngland
1970Soft MachineThirdEngland
1971Soft MachineFourthEngland
1972Soft MachineFifthEngland
1973Soft MachineSixEngland
1974Soft MachineSevenEngland
1975Soft MachineBundlesEngland
1976Soft MachineSoftsEngland
1981Soft MachineLand of CockayneEnglandLast studio album from SM
1967Soft MachineTriple EchoEnglandCompilation from all their recordings to date
1977Soft MachineAlive & Well: Recorded in ParisFrance
1970Soft MachineLive at the Proms 1970EnglandAlso released as Live At Royal Albert Hal
1969Soft MachineTurns On: ParadisoThe NetherlandsAlso released as Live at the Paradiso
1969Soft MachineThe PeelSessionsEngland
1971Soft MachineBBC Radio 1 Live in Concert 1971England
1972Soft MachineBBC Radio 1 Live in Concert 1972EnglandAlso released as Softstage
1976Karl JenkinsRubber RiffEnglandReleased on CD as a Soft Machine album
1972Soft MachineLive in FranceFranceAlso released as Live in Paris
1969Soft MachineSpacedEngland
1970Soft MachineLive 1970EnglandAlso released as Live in Europe 1970
1970Soft MachineNoisetteEngland
1967Soft MachineTurns On vol. 1England
1967Soft MachineTurns On vol. 2England
1963Soft MachineMan in a Deaf CornerEngland
1970Soft MachineBackwardsEngland
1970Soft MachineFaceliftEngland
1967Soft MachineBBC Radio 1967-1971England
1971Soft MachineBBC Radio 1971-1974England
1970Soft MachineBreda ReactorThe NetherlandsAlso released as Live at Het Turfschip
1970Soft MachineSomewhere in SohoEnglandAlso released as At Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
1971Soft MachineSoft Machine & Heavy FriendsEngland
1967Soft MachineOut-Bloody-RageousEnglandCompilation
1970Soft MachineOrange Skin FoodEnglandPreviously released live recordings
1975Soft MachineBritish Tour ’75England
1967Soft MachineMiddle Earth MastersEngland
1975Soft MachineFloating World LiveEngland
1970Soft MachineGridesEngland
1971Soft MachineDropEngland
1970Soft MachineLive at Henie Onstad Art CentreNorway
1973Soft MachineNDR Jazz WorkshopGermany
1974Soft MachineSwitzerland 1974Switzerland
1963Soft MachineTanglewood TalesEnglandSame tracks as Canterburied Sounds
1968Robert Wyatt’68England
1968CaravanCaravanEnglandDebut Caravan album
1970CaravanIf I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over YouEngland
1971CaravanIn the Land of Grey and PinkEngland
1972CaravanWaterloo LilyEngland
1973CaravanFor Girls Who Grow Plump in the NightEngland
1975CaravanCunning StuntsEngland
1976CaravanBlind Dog at St. DunstansEngland
1977CaravanBetter by FarEngland
1980CaravanThe AlbumEngland
1994CaravanCool WaterEngland
1995CaravanThe Battle of HastingsEngland
2003CaravanThe Unauthorized Breakfast ItemEngland
1974CaravanCaravan and the New SymphoniaEngland
1975CaravanBBC Radio 1 Live in ConcertEngland
1990CaravanLive 1990England
1970CaravanSongs for Oblivion FishermenEngland
1975CaravanEther WayEngland
1997CaravanLive: Canterbury Comes to LondonEngland
1976CaravanSurprise SuppliesEngland
1969CaravanGreen Bottles for Marjorie: The Lost BBC SessionsEngland
1974CaravanLive at the Fairfield Halls, 1974England
1968CaravanThe Show of Our Lives – Caravan at the BBC 1968–1975England
1976Dave SinclairMoon Over ManEngland
2003Dave SinclairInto The SunEngland
2003Dave SinclairFull CircleEngland
1976The Polite ForceCanterbury KnightsEngland
1974Hatfield and the NorthHatfield and the NorthEngland
1975Hatfield and the NorthThe Rotters' ClubEngland
1977CamelRain DancesEngland
1977CamelUnevensongsEngland
1978CamelBreathlessEngland
1978CamelA Live RecordEngland
1980Hatfield and the NorthAftersEngland
1981Alan Gowen, Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair & Trevor TomkinsBefore A Word Is SaidEngland
1982CaravanBack to FrontEngland
1983Hugh Hopper & Richard SinclairSomewhere in FranceFranceReleased 1996
1989Phil MillerCutting Both WaysEngland
1989Phil MillerSplit SecondsEngland
1991Phil MillerDigging InEngland
1991In CahootsLive ’86-’89England
1992Phil Miller & Fred Thelonius BakerDouble UpEngland
1993In CahootsLive In JapanJapan
1993In CahootsRecent DiscoveriesEngland
1996In CahootsParallelEngland
2003In CahootsAll ThatEngland
2000In CahootsOut of the BlueEngland
2006In CahootsConspiracy TheoriesEngland
2011In CahootsMind Over MatterEngland
1990Hatfield and the NorthLive 1990England
1990Hatfield and the NorthClassic Rock LegendsEnglandDVD
1990CaravanClassic Rock LegendsEnglandDVD
1992Caravan of DreamsRichard Sinclair's Caravan of DreamsEngland
1993Caravan of DreamsAn Evening of MagicEngland
1994Richard SinclairR.S.V.P.England
1996Richard Sinclair, David Rees & Tony CoeWhat in the WorldEngland
2002Richard SinclairLive TracksEngland
2003CamelLive TracksEngland
2003Theo TravisEarth to EtherEngland
2005Hatfield and the NorthHatwise Choice: Archive Recordings 1973—1975, Volume 1England
2006Hatfield and the NorthHattitude: Archive Recordings 1973-1975, Volume 2England
1993Short WaveShort Wave LiveEngland
1978Soft HeadRogue ElementEngland
1978Soft HeapAl DenteEnglandreleased 2008
1979Soft HeapSoft HeapEngland
1982Soft HeapA Veritable CentaurEnglandreleased 1996
1975Quiet SunMainstreamEngland
2000Phil ManzaneraManzanera Archives: Rare OneEnglandIncludes 4 previously unreleased Quiet Sun demos
2011Quiet SunMainstreamEnglandDeluxe book presentation with 4 bonus tracks
1985Pip Pyle's Equipe'OutPip Pyle's Equip'OutEnglandReleased 1999
1991Pip Pyle's Equipe'OutUp!England
1991Pip Pyle7 Year ItchEngland
2002Pip Pyle's BashBelle IllusionEngland
2004Pip Pyle's Equipe'OutInstantsEngland
1972Matching MoleMatching MoleEngland
1972Matching MoleMatching Mole's Little Red RecordEngland
1972Matching MoleBBC Radio 1 Live In ConcertEngland
1972Matching MoleSmoke SignalsEngland
1972Matching MoleMarchEngland
1970Robert WyattThe End of an EarEngland
1974Robert WyattRock BottomEngland
1975Robert WyattRuth Is Stranger Than RichardEngland
1985Robert WyattOld RottenhatEngland
1991Robert WyattDondestanEngland
1997Robert WyattShleepEngland
2003Robert WyattCuckoolandEngland
2007Robert WyattComicoperaEngland
1975The MuffinsChronometersUSA
1978The MuffinsManna/MirageUSA
2005GlassIlluminationsUSAFeatures Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair & Hugh Hopper
2007GlassGlass Live at Progman ComethUSAFeatures Elton Dean
2003Brian Hopper (with Robert Fenner)VirtualityEngland
2004Brian HopperIf Ever I AmEngland
2006Brian Hopper & Robert FennerJust DessertsEngland
2005Soft Machine LegacyLive in ZaandamThe Netherlands
2006Soft Machine LegacySoft Machine LegacyEngland
2006Soft Machine LegacyLive at the New MorningEngland
2007Soft Machine LegacySteamEngland
2013Soft Machine LegacyBurden of ProofEngland
1970SupersisterPresent from NancyThe Netherlands
1971SupersisterTo The Highest BidderThe Netherlands
1972SupersisterPudding en GisterenThe Netherlands
1973SupersisterIskanderThe Netherlands
1974SupersisterSweet Okay SupersisterThe Netherlands
2001SupersisterM.A.N.The Netherlands
2001SupersisterSupersisteriousThe Netherlands
1972KhanSpace ShantyEngland
1975GilgameshGilgameshEngland
1979GilgameshAnother Fine Tune You've Got Me IntoEngland
2000GilgameshArriving TwiceEngland
1978National HealthNational HealthEngland
1978National HealthOf Queues and CuresEngland
1982National HealthD.S. al codaEngland
1990National HealthCompleteEngland
1996National HealthMissing PiecesEngland
2001National HealthPlaytimeEngland
1969ArzachelArzachelEngland
1970EggEggEngland
1971EggThe Polite ForceEngland
1974EggThe Civil SurfaceEngland
1985EggSeven Is a Jolly Good TimeEngland
2007EggThe Metronomical SocietyEngland
2007ArzachelArzachel Collector's Edition by UrielEngland

References

  1. 1 2 Canterbury Scene at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Canterbury Scene definition. Available at http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=12
  3. ↑ RareVinylNetwork. Article entitled “The Canterbury Scene.” Available at: http://www.rarevinyl.net/canterbury.htm
  4. 1 2 What is Canterbury music? at Calyx, a website about the Canterbury scene. Available at: http://calyx.perso.neuf.fr/index/whatis.html
  5. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Salewicz, Chris (11 June 1999). "Obituary: Lady June". The Independent. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Canterbury bands at Calyx: The Canterbury Website

External links

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