The Soft Machine* – The Soft Machine

Soft Machine - The Soft Machine album cover

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Label:	Probe – CPLP 4500, Command – CPLP-4500, ABC Records – CPLP-4500
Format:	Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Uncensored, Die-Cut Gatefold
Country:	US
Released:	Dec 1968
Genre:	Jazz, Rock
Style:	Jazz-Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock, Experimental

Tracklist

A1	Hope For Happiness Written-By – B. Hopper, K. Ayers, M. Ratledge*	4:20
A2	Joy Of A Toy Written-By – K. Ayers, M. Ratledge	2:49
A3	Hope For Happiness (Reprise) Written-By – B. Hopper, K. Ayers, M. Ratledge*	1:37
A4	Why Am I So Short? Written-By – H. Hopper, K. Ayers, M. Ratledge*	1:38
A5	So Boot If At All Written-By – K. Ayers, M. Ratledge, R. Wyatt*	7:22
A6	A Certain Kind Written-By – H. Hopper*	4:10
B1	Save Yourself Written-By – R. Wyatt*	2:25
B2	Priscilla Written-By – K. Ayers, M. Ratledge, R. Wyatt*	1:05
B3	Lullabye Letter Written-By – K. Ayers*	4:37
B4	We Did It Again Written-By – K. Ayers*	3:46
B5	Plus Belle Qu'une Poubelle Written-By – K. Ayers*	1:01
B6	Why Are We Sleeping? Written-By – K. Ayers, M. Ratledge, R. Wyatt*	5:31
B7	Box 25/4 Lid Written-By – H. Hopper, M. Ratledge	0:47

Companies, etc.

Manufactured By – Grand Award Record Co., Inc.
Mastered At – Longwear Plating
Record Company – ABC Records, Inc.
Published By – Amm Jay Music Inc.

Credits

Bass Guitar [Uncredited] – Kevin Ayers
Design [Cover Design] – Byron Goto, Eli Allman, Henry Epstein
Drums – Robert Wyatt
Lead Guitar – Kevin Ayres*
Liner Notes – Arnold Shaw
Mastered By – P17*
Organ – Michael Ratledge*
Producer – Chas Chandler, Tom Wilson (2)

Notes

First issue sleeve with a circular die-cut in sleeve, revealing rotating 'clockwork' card insert through which the band members be viewed on a full-color backing sheet. Uncensored images of a nude girl on the inside and back of the gatefold and under the clock insert. (An added "bikini bottom" was used to censor these images on the second US version of this album, cat suffix 'X').

Labels: Track timings on labels differ to those on inside sleeve. On the labels the side indications are 'Side 1' and 'Side 2'. First catalog number on spine and cover, second on label.

"Manufactured by" information is taken from label rim-text but there are no known pressing-plant marks on this version of the release. An otherwise identical version exists with 'TƧM' added to the runouts (The Soft Machine) indicating disks pressed at True Sound Manufacturing Corp..
Plated at Longwear Plating.

"Mfg. by Grand Award Record Co., Inc., a subsidiary of ABC Records Inc. 1330 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10019".
'Command/Probe' appears on the spine while the labels and front cover show 'Command/ABC Records/Probe.'

"...Selections published by Amm Jay Music Inc. - BMI".

Kevin Ayers is credited with "Lead Guitar", but actually mostly plays Bass Guitar on this release.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Matrix / Runout (A-side label): CPLP-4500-A
Matrix / Runout (B-side label): CPLP-4500-B
Matrix / Runout (A-side runout, etched, variant 1): CPLP- 4500 AS - 2LW P17 LW[sideways]
Matrix / Runout (B-side runout, etched, variant 1): CPLP- 4500 B - SB - 2SS LW[sideways]

Other Versions (5 of 60)

View All

	Title (Format)	Label	Cat#	Country	Year
Recently Edited	The Soft Machine (LP, Album, Gatefold Die-cut, Uncensored)	Probe, Probe	CPLP 4500, CPLP-4500-S	US	1968
Recently Edited	The Soft Machine (LP, Album, Stereo)	Probe	CPLP 4500 X	US	1968
	The Soft Machine (LP, Album, Gatefold)	Probe	CPLP 4500 X	US	1968
Recently Edited	The Soft Machine (LP, Album, Stereo, Flipback Sleeve)	Barclay, Barclay, Barclay	920 082, 0 920 082, 0920 082	France	1968
	The Soft Machine (LP, Album, Gatefold die-cut, uncensored)	Probe, ABC Records, Command	CPLP 4500, CPLP-4500	Canada	1968

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Reviews

recrecshop Nov 22, 2022
...was there ever a better "fusion album"? my advice: try listen only to the
drums of robert wyatt: astonishing! next listen to his wonderful voice, you
can almost consider "volume one" as his first solo album. just take the
heartwarming ballad "a certain kind". then we have this great,
hendrix-alike electric organ by mike ratledge. the stoical kevin ayers on
bass, with his grandiose & ongoing dada-song "we did it again". uplifting,
thunderously powerful..!
tarmstrong Jan 12, 2022
Being a Psychedelic rock fan, I could not resist this album. I was fortunate enough to pick up a VG/VG+ version for a reasonable price at the time (many decades ago). I think that really makes this a standout album is the very talented and diversified band member. It is clear that on this collection of songs, the sum of the members makes for an excellent aural Psychedelic trip.
wesleyharden360 May 27, 2021
Absolutely incredible record! The mastering is nicely balanced. This album is one of my favorite records of all time. Great early Canterbury scene prog with psychedelic influences due in large part to the time it was released. Not to mention the band members jazz and avant-garde training making this record a 5/5 stars for me. Instrumentals aside I also really enjoy the vocal delivery on this record where glints of emotion come out. Excellent psych/prog/jazz rock album that I could listen to over and over again.
romel55 May 23, 2021
Almost all 1968 US Probe releases in database seem to have on matrix runout side B: '255' final numbers and/or a following ‘εΓ’.
Final ‘255’ should be better read as ‘2SS’ (see the real '5' etched in ‘4005B’ and ‘S’ etched in ‘SB’, same matrix);
what might seem to be a faint 'εΓ' (or other different characters combination) can be likely 'LW' (vertical reading with main matrix on bottom), already present on matrix. Side B runout images available in Soft Machine - The Soft Machine and Soft Machine - The Soft Machine. Not sure, of course, this reading is valid for every issue.
ptrier Jul 30, 2019
mistake cover inside: "Lead guitarist Kevin Ayres..." right: Kevin Ayers
...and this Side under "Mitwirkende"
juppydoo Jan 11, 2016
i cannot find any inside sleeve, perhaps you mean the inner right side of FOC Gatefold ?