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Michael Ronald Ratledge (6 May 1943 – 5 February 2025) was a British musician. A part of the Canterbury scene, he was a founding member of Soft Machine. He was the last founding member to leave the group, doing so in 1976.
Ratledge also met Brian's younger brother Hugh Hopper, and Robert Wyatt. In 1961, he met Daevid Allen, who interested them in playing jazz. Through Cecil Taylor's piano pieces Ratledge became familiar with the music of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In 1963, he played in the Daevid Allen Trio. Unlike his friends, Ratledge wanted to further his education, and studied at University College, Oxford on a scholarship, where he earned a degree in psychology and philosophy. He won a college prize in philosophy.
At the same time, Ratledge attended music lessons, and was educated by avant-garde musicians Mal Dean and Rab Spall. After his graduation, Ratledge intended to pursue American poetry at university in the United States, but his application for a scholarship was filed too late. Biography, Calyx.club.fr; accessed 25 June 2014.
In November 1973, Ratledge participated in a live performance of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells for the BBC. In 1976, Ratledge decided to leave Soft Machine to build a solo career, leaving the band under Karl Jenkins' leadership. Ratledge built himself a studio and composed a score for the film Riddles of the Sphinx, which utilised a prototype synthesizer which he constructed with his friend Denys Irving.
As Soft Machine's longest-lasting member, Ratledge was a part of the band's changes in musical direction from psychedelic music to jazz-rock. In the 1980s, Ratledge was active as a composer and musical producer for Advertising and the theatre. In 1995, Adiemus (Ratledge, Karl Jenkins and Miriam Stockley) released Songs of Sanctuary, which Ratledge co-produced with Karl Jenkins and for which he programmed the electronic percussion. Biography , Hulloder.nl; accessed 25 June 2014.
Career
In 1966, Ratledge's friends were forming a new band, Soft Machine, and asked him to join. The band included Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, and Kevin Ayers. There were many personnel changes over the years. Wyatt's departure in 1971 left Ratledge as the only remaining founding member, while the 1973 departure of Hugh Hopper (who joined in 1968) left Ratledge as the only member from the 1960s to still be in the band.
Personal life and death
Ratledge married Marsha Hunt on 15 April 1967. On 5 February 2025, Ratledge died after a short illness. He was 81. John Etheridge announced his death on Facebook.
Discography
1963 Live 1963 Daevid Allen Trio 1964–68 Canterburied Sounds Vols. 1-3 Various artists 1967-68 The Wilde Flowers Wilde Flowers 1969 Joy of a Toy Kevin Ayers 1970 The Madcap Laughs Syd Barrett
1971 Just Us Elton Dean & Just Us
1972 Bananamour Kevin Ayers 1974 The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories Kevin Ayers 1977 Instructions For Angels David Bedford 1978 Planet Earth Planet Earth 1978 Star Clusters Nebulae & Places in Devon / The Song of the White Horse David Bedford 1979 Push Button Rubba 1980 Wonderin' Rollercoaster 1981 Cuts for Commercials Vol. 3 Karl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge
1981 For Christmas, for Children Karl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge
1982 Crystal Gazing (unreleased soundtrack) Mike Ratledge
1983 The Bad Sister (unreleased soundtrack) Mike Ratledge
1995 Karl Jenkins 2010 Movement Karl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge
2010 Some Shufflin' Karl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge
2013 Riddles of the Sphinx (soundtrack recorded in 1977) Mike Ratledge
External links
Categories: 1943 Births, 2025 Deaths, 20th-century British Pianists, 20th-century British Flautists, Alumni Of University College, Oxford, British Male Flautists, British Male Pianists, British Rock Flautists, British Rock Keyboardists, British Rock Pianists, Musicians From Maidstone, Progressive Rock Keyboardists, Soft Machine Members
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