Mike Ratledge

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Michael R. "Mike" Ratledge (born April 1943) is a British musician. Ratledge was part of the Canterbury scene and a long-time member of Soft Machine.

[edit] Biography and career

Mike Ratledge was born in Maidstone, Kent. As a child he was educated in classical music, the only kind of music played in his parents' home. He learned to play the piano, and with his friend Brian Hopper, whom he met at Simon Langton School in Canterbury, he played piano/clarinet pieces of classical composers.

Through Brian Hopper Ratledge also met Hugh Hopper, Brian's younger brother, and Robert Wyatt. In 1961 he met Daevid Allen, who got the boys interested in playing jazz. Via Cecil Taylor's piano pieces Ratledge worked his way back to 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 went to the University College, Oxford, where he earned a degree in psychology and philosophy. At the same time he attended music lessons, and was educated by avant-garde musicians like Mal Dean and Rab Spall. After his graduation Ratledge intended to go to a university in the United States, but his application for a scholarship was filed too late.

Mike Ratledge, 1971, at the BBC

In 1966 his friends were forming a new band, and asked Ratledge to be a member. This new band, Soft Machine, featured among others Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen and Kevin Ayers. In the years to follow Mike turned out to be the longest-lasting member of Soft Machine. There were many crew changes, and by 1973 Ratledge was the last founding member of the band remaining.

In 1976 Ratledge decided to leave Soft Machine, planning to go for a solo career, and leaving the band to the supervision of Karl Jenkins. He built himself a studio, but a solo album was never released. In 1977, Ratledge provided the score for the film "Riddles of the Sphinx".

In the Canterbury scene Ratledge had a place apart. As Soft Machine's longest-lasting member, he evolved with the band from psychedelic music to jazz-rock. In the 1980s Ratledge was active as a composer/producer in music for commercials and the theatre. In 1995 he stepped forward again releasing the album Songs of Sanctuary together with Jenkins, naming themselves Adiemus, "Sanctuary" was a huge commercial success.