Hugh Hopper live series to build over months

Canterbury scene icon Hugh Hopper is the subject of a 10-disc series featuring previously unreleased live recordings.

Dedicated To Hugh will be launched over the coming months via Gonzo Multimedia – and the first title, Volume 1: Memories is on sale now.

Bassist and songwriter Hopper, who started out with the Daevid Allen Trio then co-founded the Wilde Flowers before joining Soft Machine, died in 2009 from cancer, leaving a large archive of recordings. They’ve been curated by scholar Michael King and profits from the releases will go to Hopper’s family.

The label say: “These concert and studio recordings focus on Hugh’s compositions as performed by groups under his leadership. His music is a wonder to behold; he was a player of high distinction with trademark sound by turns gritty and gorgeous. This superb series, celebrating his musical legacy, is for fans, friends and first-time discovers.”

Volume 1: Memories tracklist

  1. Memories (Soft Machine demo, 1969)

  2. Was A Friend (Hugh Hopper Franglo Band, 2004)

  3. Shuffle Demons (North & South, 1995)

  4. Playtime (Computer programming, 2002)

  5. Debonaire (Hugh Hopper Franglo Band, 2004)

  6. MGH (Hopper & Nigel Morris, 2002)

  7. Long Piece (Computer Collage, 2002)

Dedicated To Hugh series

Volume 1: Memories – a selection of rare tracks

Volume 2: Frangloband – live in Paris 2004

Volume 3: North & South – with Mike Travis, Aberdeen 1995

Volume 4: Four By Hugh by Four – one-off quartet, Amsterdam 2000

Volume 5: Heart To Heart – with Phil Miller, Amsterdam 2007

Volume 6: Special Friends – rare Short Wave concert recordings 1992-1995

Volume 7: Soft Boundaries – with Elton Dean, Sophia Domanich and Simon Goubet, Paris 2005

Volume 8: Bass On Top – studio session with Slava Ganelin and Aahron Kaminsky, Israel 2007

Volume 9: Anatomy Of Facelift – five live performances of Hugh’s signature composition 1969-1971

Volume 10: Was A Friend – various rare tracks, concluding with his final musical performance, 2008

Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.