SOFT HEAP / WILDFLOWERS.

 

Soft Heap was a Canterbury scene supergroup founded in January 1978. The name references Soft Machine while "Heap" comes from the first letters of the band's founders:

Hugh Hopper (bass),
Elton Dean (saxophone),
Alan Gowen (keyboards) and
Pip Pyle (drums).
Hopper and Dean had worked together in Soft Machine, while Gowen and Pyle had worked together in National Health. The band went on tour in 1978, but with Pyle busy with National Health, Dave Sheen replaced him and the name was changed to Soft Head.
Rogue Element, a live album from the Soft Head tour, was released in 1978, but the original Soft Heap line-up reconvened in October 1978 to record Soft Heap (released 1979). John Greaves (also from National Health) replaced Hopper in 1979-80, while 1981 saw a new line-up of Dean, Pyle, Greaves and Mark Hewins on guitar following Gowen's death that year.
The new line-up toured intermittently through the 1980s, sometimes with guests. A Veritable Centaur (released 1996) is a live album largely taken from a 1982 French show, with one track from a 1983 BBC Radio 3 performance. Al Dente is a 2008 archival release of a 1978 show. The three other founding members all died in the 2000s.

Discographie:
Soft Heap - Soft Heap ('09, a best of).

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The Wild Flowers were a popular music group based in the vicinity of Canterbury, England. The group was active between 1964 and 1967 but never released any records during its existence; however it led to the formation of two other groups that became well-known and influential: Soft Machine and Caravan.

Band members included, at various times:

Hugh Hopper (bass),
Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals),
Kevin Ayers (vocals), Graham Flight (vocals),
Richard Sinclair (rhythm guitar, vocals) (Caravan),
Pye Hastings (guitar, vocals),
David Sinclair (keyboards) and
Richard Coughlan (drums) and
Brian Hopper (lead guitar, alto saxophone, vocals).

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Solo;

Hugh Hopper.
Made several, mmm a lot, solo albums.

Session with, for:

Wilde Flowers (1964-67),
Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs (two tracks, 1969)
Kevin Ayers: Joy of a Toy (1969) Soft Machine (1969-73),
Stomu Yamash'ta (1973),
Isotope (1973-74),
Carla Bley Band (1976-77),
Hopper Dean Tippett Gallivan (1976-77),
Soft Head (1978),
Soft Heap (1978),
In Cahoots (1984-88),
HH FrangloDutch Band (1985-),
Patrice Meyer Trio/Quartet (1985-86),
Anaïd (1988-90),
Pip Pyle's Equip'Out (1984-88), Short Wave (1991-96),
Mashu (1994-98),
Gizmo (1996),
PolySoft (1998-2003),
Franglo Band,
Hughscore,
Soft Machine Legacy,
Soft Bounds,
Bone,
NDIO,
Clear Frame .

Pip Pyle in a lot of bands, he died suddenly and unexpected on 27 August 2006. Short after their, Hartfield & the North last gig in the Netherlands) the most important bands;

Chicken Sack ('71)
Gong
Paul Jones Group
Hartfield the North
Phil Miller- guitar,
Pip Pyle - drums,
Richard Sinclair - voclas, bass, (Caravan)
Dave Steward - organ,
Robert Wyatt and Barbara Graskin joined so now and then
National Health
Soft Heap ('88)

 

 

 

Symfo-Index.