Canterburied Sounds

Canterburied Sounds
Canterburied Sounds
Compilation album by various
Released	January 1998
Genre	Canterbury scene
Length	4:53:35
Label	Voiceprint Records (VP201-204)

Canterburied Sounds is a series of four CDs of archival Canterbury scene recordings compiled from the private collection of Brian Hopper. The set includes some of the earliest-known recordings of Caravan, Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt, and Wilde Flowers.

Editions[edit]

The first edition in 1998 was released as four separate CDs. In 2013 Voiceprint reissued the four discs in a single boxed set.

Cover[edit]

The cover watercolor painting of Canterbury Cathedral is by Leslie Hopper, father of Brian and Hugh Hopper. Other watercolors by Leslie Hopper have been featured on Hugh Hopper’s official website.^[1] In 1978 Hugh and his father published a book of his church paintings.^[2]

Tracks[edit]

The notes are excerpted from extensive comments on each track by Brian Hopper.

Volume 1: Canterburied Sounds[edit]

Track	Title	Artist	Composer	Notes	Recording Date	Length
1	Feelin’, Reelin’, Squealin’	Caravan	Kevin Ayers	"Recorded live at The Foundry in Jewry Lane, Canterbury immediately following the Caravan's second LP"	1969	10:19
2	Mummie	Robert Wyatt & Brian Hopper	Robert Wyatt & Brian Hopper	"An improvised duet of guitar & vocals, switching speeds on the tape recorder whilst recording"	late 1962/early 1963	4:31
3	Da-Da-Dee/Bolivar Blues	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	unknown/Thelonious Monk	“piano & drums duet with some argument on the choice of key”	early 1963	11:56
4	Orientasian	Brian Hopper & Robert Wyatt	Brian Hopper	"duet for my newly-acquired soprano sax and Robert Wyatt on electric guitar"	1967/68	4:03
5	You Really Got Me	Wilde Flowers	Ray Davies	"Early rehearsal of Wilde Flowers with probably the first-ever recording of Kevin Ayers singing"	summer 1964	3:53
6	Thinking of You Baby	Wilde Flowers	Dave Clark	"We had to learn a repertoire of current, popular songs to get local gigs"	summer 1964	5:20
7	Man in a Deaf Corner	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge, & Robert Wyatt	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge, & Robert Wyatt	"Part of a long and spontaneous improvisation, with Mike showing a heavy Cecil Taylor influence"	late 1962/early 1963	5:05
8	If I Ever Leave You	Zobe	Brian Hopper	“From a live performance by my late sixties/early seventies band Zobe”	1970	6:15
9	Stop Me & Play One	Robert Wyatt & unknown guitarist	unknown	“No-one seems to be able to recall the name of the quirky guitarist — there were SO MANY musicians passing through”	1963/1964	3:45
10	Piano Standards 1	Mike Ratledge	various	“Few people will have heard Mike play like this, but it does show the all-round musical experience that Mike had absorbed”	1964	3:36
11	Belsize Parked	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper, & Robert Wyatt	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper, & Robert Wyatt	“Wellington House provided the opportunity for us to ‘blow’ for hours and develop a rare musical intimacy”	late 1963/early 1964	9:19
12	Summertime	Caravan	George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin	“Another ‘live at the Foundry’ gig with a number that was an early Caravan showcase”	1969	7:16

Volume 2: All Roads Lead Back to Canterbury[edit]

Track	Title	Artist	Composer	Notes	Recording Date	Length
1	Carazobe	Caravan & Zobe	John Larner, Pye Hastings & Brian Hopper	"Pye suggested several members of Zobe join in on an extended blow during a joint gig in East Kent"	1970	16:19
2	Instant Pussy	Robert Wyatt	Robert Wyatt	“Robert described this as his answer to Leonard Cohen!"	1969	3:16
3	Esther’s Nose Job	Soft Machine	Mike Ratledge	"Demo tape provided to me so I could work out the sax lines for Volume Two"	January 1969	9:33
4	Moorish	Robert Wyatt & Brian Hopper	Robert Wyatt & Brian Hopper	"A semi-improvised piece with an Iberian feel, with Robert switching between piano, cornet and finally guitar"	late 1962/early 1963	8:33
5	Summertime	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin	"Another of several versions in my archive tapes"	early 1963	4:24
6	Indian Rope Man	Zobe	Richie Havens	"The band had to rehearse a selection of covers to provide sufficient variety for live gigs — which were few and far between"	1970	4:36
7	Drum Solo	Robert Wyatt	Robert Wyatt	"Robert working out some interesting drum patterns — even at this comparatively early stage his drumming technique was impressive"	probably 1963	1:39
8	Mirror For The Day	Pye Hastings	Pye Hastings	“Pye working out the orchestral string arrangements for Mirror For The Day”	1973	1:26
9	Love Song with Cello	Robert Wyatt plus others	Robert Wyatt	“Robert showing his seemingly endless versatility with an excursion on cello coupled with vocalisations”	1963/1964	4:18
10	As I Feel I Die	Caravan	Pye Hastings, Dave Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, & Richard Coughlan	“Another track from the Foundry gig in Canterbury”	1969	4:45
11	Where But For Caravan Would I	Caravan	Brian Hopper & Pye Hastings	“A song adapted from one of my early compositions entitled How Many Tears”	1969	11:59

Volume 3: A Kinship of Sounds[edit]

Track	Title	Artist	Composer	Notes	Recording Date	Length
1	Slow Walkin’ Talk	Robert Wyatt & Jimi Hendrix	Brian Hopper	“Robert was laying down demo tracks of organ, drum and vocal when Jimi wandering in and suggested doing the bass on Noel’s bass”	October 1968	3:02
2	Frenetica	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	“A largely improvised piece in which Robert supplies plenty of drive”	1963/1964	4:21
3	Idle Chat	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	n.a.	“The tape remained running while Robert expounded enthusiastically about the style of the drummer of Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, a popular group of the sixties”	1963/1964	1:32
4	3/4 Blues Thing in F	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	“This is the number resulting from the previous deliberation”	1963/1964	4:17
5	More Idle Chat	Zobe	n.a.	“Another time when the tape was left running”	summer 1970	3:48
6	The Pieman Cometh	Zobe	Brian Hopper	“Written at the end of the Wilde Flowers era, although never performed by them”	summer 1970	6:02
7	Liu-Ba	Robert Wyatt, Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper plus unknown guitarist	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper & Robert Wyatt	“Another session with the unknown guitarist, although there are suggestions it could be Daevid Allen”	1963	8:36
8	Kansas City/Rip It Up	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper & Pete Lawson	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller/Richard Penniman	“These represent the earliest recordings on Canterburied Sounds — Hugh had only just purchased his first bass”	1962	2:25
9	That’s Alright Mama	Brian Hopper & Hugh Hopper	Arthur Crudup	“This is about the only recording of just Hugh and myself playing and singing together”	1962	2:13
10	Tanglewood Tails	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper & Robert Wyatt	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper & Robert Wyatt	“One of the more musically successful trio encounters — Robert is the drummer I always have a memory of”	1963	16:02
11	The Big Show/Central Park West/Songs	Zobe	Brian Hopper/John Coltrane/Brian Hopper	“Another rehearsal track, unfortunately one of the last made by the band”	1970	16:43
12	If I Could Do It All Over Again I’d Do It All Over You	Caravan	Pye Hastings, Richard Coughlan, Dave Sinclair & Richard Sinclair	“Yet another track from the Foundry gig, probably their most well-known number”	1969	4:09

Volume 4: Canterbury Pre-Soft, Pre-Wild[edit]

Track	Title	Artist	Composer	Notes	Recording Date	Length
1	Slow Walkin’ Talk	Zobe	Brian Hopper	“Another version from a Zobe rehearsal”	1970	5:43
2	Some-of-the-Time	Mike Ratledge, Brian Hopper, Robert Wyatt & unknown guitarist	Mike Ratledge, Brian Hopper & Robert Wyatt	“Thinly-veiled variations on Gershwin’s Summertime (again!)”	1963/1964	14:45
3	Ghosts	Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge & unknown guitarist	Albert Ayler	“More wild flourish from Mike in the Cecil Taylor mould”	1963/1964	5:23
4	With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It	Caravan	Pye Hastings, Richard Coughlan, Dave Sinclair & Richard Sinclair	“Because they have not had sufficient time to rehearse it we are treated to a unique arrangement”	1969	8:48
5	Dalmore Rode	Brian Hopper & Robert Wyatt	Brian Hopper & Robert Wyatt	“Robert is heard extending even further the sonic capabilities of the cello”	1963/1964	7:56
6	Piano Standards 2	Mike Ratledge	various	“Opening with a few Thelonious Monk tinged phrases, this is the second selection of piano standards”	1964	3:13
7	Johnny B. Goode	Wilde Flowers	Chuck Berry	“We leaned heavily on the Chuck Berry catalogue to boost our early repertoire”	1964	3:10
8	Cecilian	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	Brian Hopper, Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge & Robert Wyatt	“Mike in his most intense Cecil Taylor style, with Hugh in his first recorded bass solo!”	late 1962	12:00
9	Austin Cambridge	Caravan	Derek Austin	“The first recorded example of Geoff Richardson on viola”	late 1972	13:45

References[edit]

^ "Home". hugh-hopper.com.
^ H.C. & L.T. Hopper: Thirty Kent Churches, ISBN 0-9506394-0-0 – Great Stour Publications – limited edition 750 cop. – calligraphy and map: Leon Olin and Sylvia Gansford

External links[edit]

[1] "Home". hugh-hopper.com.

[2] H.C. & L.T. Hopper: Thirty Kent Churches, ISBN 0-9506394-0-0 – Great Stour Publications – limited edition 750 cop. – calligraphy and map: Leon Olin and Sylvia Gansford

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