Soft Machine members

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 23. Chapters: Allan Holdsworth, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Hugh Hopper, Daevid Allen, Andy Summers, Karl Jenkins, John Etheridge, Ric Sanders, John Stanley Marshall, Mike Ratledge, Elton Dean, Roy Babbington, Alan Wakeman, Phil Howard, Nick Evans, Marc Charig, Jimmy Hastings. Excerpt: Allan Holdsworth (born 6 August 1946) is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion. A player noted for his advanced knowledge of the fretboard and innovative playing, he is cited as an influence by such renowned rock and instrumental guitarists as Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Greg Howe, Shawn Lane, Richie Kotzen and John Petrucci. Frank Zappa once called Holdsworth "one of the most interesting guys on guitar on the planet". Holdsworth first recorded with the band 'Igginbottom on their lone release, Igginbottom's Wrench (later reissued under the group name of "Allan Holdsworth & Friends"), in 1969. In 1971, Holdsworth joined Sunship, an improvising band also featuring Alan Gowen, Laurie Baker and future King Crimson percussionist Jamie Muir. The band played live but never recorded any records. In the early 1970s Holdsworth joined the British progressive rock band Tempest, and performed on their self-titled debut studio album in 1973. His playing can also be heard on a live BBC Radio concert from the same year, which was released in 2005 as part of a Tempest compilation album entitled Anthology: Under the Blossom. Following his short tenure with Tempest, Holdsworth worked with various well-known progressive rock and jazz fusion artists. In 1974 he played on the Soft Machine studio album Bundles and with The New Tony Williams Lifetime on the Believe It album, an experience he was to prize. In 1976 he played with Gong (contributing to their Gazeuse and Expresso II albums) and with Jean-Luc Ponty on Enigmatic Ocean. In 1976, CTI Records released a recording of a rehearsal session, passing it off as an official recording, under the title of Velvet Darkness. This angered Holdsworth, who says he still loathes the album intensely. In 1977, Holdsworth was recruited by progressive rock drummer Bill Brufor