Robert Wyatt stencils

Some Robert Wyatt street art, found over at the Cartoonneros blog. More pictures there.

Made by Argentine artist "M". See also earlier blog post.

RW interviewed in Record Collector

There is a short interview with Robert Wyatt in the Talking Heads section of Record Collector no 449, January 2016 (p 27).

He would like to see The Unthank sisters in reality TV and rather not being asked too often how Syd Barrett was like!

"What fact about you may surprise fans?
I can´t see anything wrong with Justin Bieber."

University of Errors: Sea Song (7-inch, 45 RPM)

I just put in an order for The University of Error´s 7" version of Robert Wyatt´s "Sea Song" with "Ocean In The Distance" on side B. You may do exactly the same over at "Planet Gong Bazaar".

"Sea Song" is a previously unreleased studio version, and this record was made to make sure that the "first of Daevid's birthdays minus the man himself would not pass un-marked".

Short sample here.

Al Berkowitz - Sea Song

Have a listen to Al Berkowitz´s version of Robert Wyatt´s "Sea Song".

Giorgio Gomelsky (1934 - 2016)

Giorgio Gomelsky died of cancer on the 16th of January.

Gomelsky, a club owner (Crawdaddy), manager (Yardbirds) and producer in the early 60s also produced Soft Machine´s first demos. These demos were recorded in April 1967, but after three days the sessions were aborted and Gomelsky kept the mastertapes. The recordings appeared on records for the first time in 1971 (Rock Generation vol 7 and vol 8 on BYG), and later on several CDs and vinyl albums titled "Jet-Propelled Photographs", "At the beginning" or just "Soft Machine". See different versions on "Un Discographie De Robert Wyatt".

These recordings are pop Soft Machine, and not considered to be among their best, bet me I like them a lot. The raw 60s feel sounds good to my ears and heart!

Here is what´s printed in Graham Bennett´s book "Soft Machine. Out-Bloody-Rageous" (SAF 2005):
"The immediate impression on listening to the tracks is that the production went to great lengths to obscure the band´s best qualities: their performing energy, the predominance of improvisation and their hybridization of disparate musical styles are conspicuous by being almost totally absent from the demos" (p 106 - 107).

OK, you are warned, but give it a try!

Dangerous Minds on Georgio Gomelsky right here and the NYT obituary here. RIP.

The Wilde Flowers

A repackaged and re-mastered collection by The Wilde Flowers seems to be out on Retroworld/Floating World, and is now expanded to include a bonus disc.

Copied from Floating World:

"The bonus disc features rare tracks by KEVIN AYRES,HUGH HOPPER and ROBERT WYATT with some intriguing newer material by BRIAN HOPPER including a re-work of the SOFT MACHINE CLASSIC “Hope For happiness” recorded by Brian in 2003.

Tracks:
Disc 1: Impotence, Those Words They Say, Memories, Don’t Try to Change Me, Parchman Farm, Almost Grown, She’s Gone, Slow Walkin’ Talk, He’s Bad For You, It’s What I Feel A Certain Kind, Memories, Never Leave Me, Time After Time, Just Where I Want, No Gain When You Lose, Impotence (alt. Version, Why Do You Care, The Pie Man Cometh, Summer Spirit, She Loves to Hurt, the Big Show, Memories(alt. version).
Disc 2: The Pieman Cometh, Mummie, That’s Alright Mama, Orientasian, Frentica, 3-4 Blues Thing in F, Slow Walkin’ Talk, Man in a Deaf Corner, Summertime, Belsized Parked, Where But For Caravan Would I, Hope for Happiness."

Also available from Amazon. Only on CD I guess.

In connection with the release Pennyblackmusic spoke to Robert Wyatt (published 24 December 2015).

"PB: As there was a “Canterbury Scene”, do you think there was also an identifiable ‘Canterbury Sound”? How would you characterise it?

RW: We knew a lot more than we could actually play."

Improgressive: Primo

This may be worth checking out: Italian duo Improgressive´s (Alberto Popolla (clarinets) and Errico Defabritiis (saxophones)) first album "Primo" (Slam 2015).

Compositions by Hugh Hopper, Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers, Phil Milller and Robert Wyatt plus a couple of King Crimson numbers.

Track list and more over at Slam Productions.

Thanks to Hibou, Anemone & Bear for spotting this.

Robert Wyatt: Biko / Amber & The Amberines single

I just got myself a 1984 test pressing of a Rough Trade 7" (RTT149) with "Biko" (Peter Gabriel) on one side and "Amber & The Amberines" (Robert Wyatt / Hugh Hopper) on the other.

Still quite reasonable prices on Robert Wyatt records for sale on eBay.