Chapter Nine - Decorated to Rob, But You Weren’t Listening ​(1975)

 

Soft Machine, Jule Tippetts, Nick Mason, and Mongezi Feza, 1975​

The sun rises on the morning of March 28th, 1975. Already at Hyde Park were Robert Wyatt, Nick Mason, Hugh Hopper, some members of Gong (including Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth), a group of hired staff, Master of Ceremonies John Peel, and the first act of the concert: Tanglewood Tails.

“We originally wanted Drury Lane, but we couldn’t really afford it with all the other acts performing.”

Robert Wyatt, 1991​

By 10:00 AM, a crowd had already formed at the venue. The crowd’s mood was one of excitement and anticipation. Journalist Mick Farren described the crowd as “A gathering of the UK underground world, everyone from Steve Peregrin Took to Arthur Brown, all to presence the concert.” At exactly 12:29 PM, the park would give applause as John Peel entered the stage, with a microphone in hand.

“Right then, good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. When the musicians come on stage, you’ll be surprised and probably impressed to see that they’re all sober. The reason for this is that there is a bar, not too far from here, and it is open, unfortunately, because of a particularly drunken driver, the door leading to it is blocked by a car. So, you can peer through the door, and look into the bar, see the barking all there, all their services, but unfortunately, you can't get into it. Anyways, you’re gonna be hearing some fun music from Soft Machine and their various friends introduced here as the concert goes on, some of those whose names are regularly misspelled in the national newspapers. If you have one of those attractive programs and I’m sure you do, you’ll find that beneath the list of starters and the order of events, there is a list of songs, or numbers, of their intent to play. This as far as I can tell is to be completely disregarded. But what I do know is that if Kevin makes it on time for when the Softs come on, they’ll start with his song Lady Rachel, if not, then they’ll most likely play Fred the Fish instead, and I don't think any of us want that, sorry Daevid. Either way, please welcome your first entertainers for today, Tanglewood Tails!”

John Peel, 1975​

Tanglewood Tails, 1975​

With resounding applause, Tanglewood Tails took the stage, playing material from their latest album Bundles. Since releasing Think Tank, they had expanded their lineup, adding a guitarist for the first time in the band’s history, Allan Holdsworth, who much like every member at that point except for founder Mike Ratledge, was a former member of Nucleus. The inclusion of a guitarist gave their compositions a more melodic sound than before, thanks to Holdsworth’s contributions. Their set list is as follows:

Hazard Profile (Part 1)

Hazard Profile (Part 2)

Hazard Profile (Part 3)

Hazard Profile (Part 4)

Hazard Profile (Part 5)

The Floating World

The Man Who Waved at Trains

Peff (Drum Solo)

Caravan, 1975​

Caravan, whose original members were from The Wilde Flowers, were a band who by 1975 had gone through several lineup changes. Their lineup at the time included Pye Hastings on guitar, Richard Coughlan on drums, Geoffery Richardson on viola and violin, Dave Sinclair on keyboards, and relative newcomer Mike Wedgwood on bass. They arrived at the venue shortly after Tanglewood Tails started their set, and they walked onto stage at about 1:36 PM.

“I hadn’t seen Dave at that point since he left Soft Machine back in ‘72, but we were as amicable as always with each other. Their set was honestly one of my favorites as well.”

Robert Wyatt, 1991​

Their set list is as follows:

Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss

Virgin on the Ridiculous

Be Alright / Chance of a Lifetime

The Love in Your Eye

L’Auberge Du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Pengola / Backwards / A Hunting We Shall Go (Reprise)

The Dog, The Dog, He’s at it Again

For Richard

Hoedown

Gong, 1975​

Up next in the concert was Gong. According to some sources, before starting their set list proper, the band played the first few bars of the Soft Machine song (later rerecorded on Daevid Allen’s solo album Bananamoon) Fred the Fish, seemingly in response to John Peel’s earlier joke regarding the song at Allen’s expense. This, however, was never caught on tape.

“Dedicated to Mr. John Peel ladies and gentlemen!”

Daevid Allen, 1975​

The rest of their set was a standard Gong setlist, full of the psychedelic zaniness for which the band was infamous. Despite his commitment to performing with Soft Machine later in the concert, Allen left the venue almost immediately after Gong’s set ended, due to exhaustion.

“I really regret not being able to play with them, but I was too tired that day and wanted to at least get Gong out of the way.”

Daevid Allen, 2012​

Their set list is as follows:

A Sprinkling of Clouds

I Never Glid Before

I've Bin Stone Before

Mister Long Shanks/O Mother

The Isle of Everywhere

I Am Your Fantasy

Master Builder

Pink Floyd, 1975​

Out of all the acts to perform at the concert that March 28th in Hyde Park, Pink Floyd were the one to get the most cheer and applause out of the crowd. Before their set began, Gilmour came on stage, giving his thanks to Wyatt for organizing the concert, and for getting everyone together that afternoon for such a great event. He then told of the band’s intention to play all of The Dark Side of the Moon and, if they had time, Echoes, before starting Speak to Me. During the encore of Echoes, Kevin Ayers had arrived backstage.

“I probably would've arrived later given I was caught up with some things that day, but I wanted to see at least part of Floyd's set. Roger I think came up to me and asked where I was before that, and that he had something he wanted to show me later that night.”

Kevin Ayers, 2001​

Their set list is as follows:

Speak to Me

Breathe (in the Air)

On the Run

Time

The Great Gig in the Sky

Money

Us and Them

Any Colour You Like

Brain Damage

Eclipse

Echoes

Hatfield and the North, 1975​

“It wasn’t easy coming after Pink Floyd. Besides Soft Machine of course, they were certainly the most popular act there and we were arguably the least popular. Yet I’d still say we did a solid job.”

Phil Miller, 1975​

Despite the nervousness of the band due to the pressure of following up such a large act, Hatfield and the North still managed to pull a ‘respectable show’ according to Mick Farren. They were joined by Robert Wyatt on vocals on the song Calyx. Some of the songs they played were also part of the 1972-1973-era of Soft Machine, albeit reworked slightly. Their set list is as follows:

Intro

God Song

Big John Wayne Greasy Spoon

The Yes No Interlude

Fitter Stoke Has a Bath

Calyx

Underdub

Lobster in Cleavage Probe

Part of the Dance

Nan’s True Hole

Gigantic Land Crabs... ...in Earth Takeover Bid

Mumps Pt. 1

Share It

Lounging There Trying

Oh What a Lonely Lifetime

Big John Wayne Socks Another

Going Up To People Tinkling

Kevin Ayers with Soft Machine, 1975​

Robert Wyatt was the first member to come onto the stage, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. He greeted the audience, before rolling to center stage, positioning himself between a mixer and keyboards. He said that the mixer was not actually plugged in, but it would give him “something to do with my hands”, and that he would “probably not” play the keyboards since he had not done so during rehearsals. Kevin Ayers stepped on stage next, guitar in hand, a cigarette in the other. Up next was Mike Ratledge, performing with the Softs for the first time in 5 years, he sat behind his electric organ, waving at the cheerful audience. Hugh Hopper then followed Ratledge, tuning his bass.

“Well, I think that’s all four of us. But we also have some special guests who will be playing with us tonight... ladies and gentlemen, could we get a round of applause for Nick Mason on drums, Mike Oldfield on guitar and a Minimoog, Lol Coxhill on saxophone and clarinet, Julie Tippets on piano and vocals, and last of but not least, Fred Firth on violin and viola.”

Robert Wyatt, 1975​

The guest musicians came onto the stage as they were introduced by Wyatt, all greeted with great applause by the crowd. The band’s set list consisted of several songs ranging from all of the band’s discography, and a introductory poem by Ayers.The only album not being represented being Fourth.

“We didn’t have enough time for any of the Fourth songs sadly.”

Robert Wyatt, 1991​

Two songs, however, were songs never performed by Soft Machine up to that point, those being Mind of a Child written and sung by Julie Tippets, and the encore, an extended version of I’m a Believer, which had become Wyatt’s greatest hit the previous year. Their set list is as follows:

Banana Introduction (A poem by Kevin Ayers)

The Lady Rachel

Dedicated to You But You Weren’t Listening

Memories

Clarence in Wonderland

Whatevershebringswesing

Mind of a Child

There is Loving, Among Us, There is Loving

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

Margaret

Instant Pussy

Signed Curtain

We Did It Again

Why Are We Sleeping

All This Crazy Gift of Time

I’m a Believer

The concert was considered a great success, with £15,500 reportedly raised for Wyatt and his family. When asked if a more proper Soft Machine reunion, with new material, was to be expected, Wyatt said that “probably not, it was a one-time deal and we’re all ready to move on”. Later backstage, Kevin Ayers met up with Roger Waters as he’d been asked to do. Waters told Ayers that he had heard his song Oh! Wot a Dream sometime before that, and had something to show him that was “sort of similar”. He had a tape machine with him, having used it for Pink Floyd’s set earlier that day, and he loaded it with a particular tape, before pressing play. Ayers listened closely as an ambiance drone of wine glasses and keyboard effects came in, before four notes played...

Decorated to Rob, But You Weren’t Listening

​

                                       Front Cover                                                               Back Cover

Gatefold

Side A

Banana Introduction (Kevin Ayers) (3:01) [1]

The Lady Rachel (Ayers) (7:18) [1]

Dedicated to You But You Weren’t Listening (Hugh Hopper) (1:30) [1]

Memories (Hopper) (3:16) [1]

Clarence In Wonderland (Ayers) (5:01) [1]

Side B

Whatevershebringswesing (Ayers) (6:45) [1]

Mind of a Child (Julie Tippetts) (5:25) [1]

There Is Loving,Among Us,There Is Loving (Ayers, David Bedford) (7:01) [1]

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes (Ayers) (3:17) [1]

Margaret (Ayers) (3:28) [1]

Side C

Instant Pussy (Robert Wyatt) (4:24) [1]

Signed Curtains (Wyatt) (5:00) [1]

We Did It Again (Ayers) (11:21) [1]

Side D

Why Are We Sleeping? (Ayers, Wyatt, Mike Ratledge) (12:02) [1]

All This Crazy Gift of Time (Ayers) (5:07) [1]

I’m a Believer (Neil Diamond) (7:14) [1]

Released: August 16th, 1975

Top position in UK charts: #13

Top position in US charts: #50

Track sources:

[1] - Custom mix