Soft Machine have had thirty-five official members since the band formed in Canterbury, Kent, in 1966. The current line-up, under the Soft Machine name again since 2015, is guitarist John Etheridge, saxophonist and flautist Theo Travis, bassist Fred Thelonious Baker and drummer Asaf Sirkis. The founders were Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin, and the classic jazz-rock line-ups of the 1970s included Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington and Allan Holdsworth.
The band split in 1978, reunited briefly for Land of Cockayne (1981) and a few 1984 shows, carried on as Soft Machine Legacy from 2004, and returned to the original name in 2015. Here is every member, with instruments and years as the band’s own member list gives them.
Current Members
- John Etheridge – guitar (1975–1978, 1984, 2015–present); he first replaced Allan Holdsworth in 1975.
- Theo Travis – saxophones, flutes, keyboards, piano (2015–present)
- Fred Thelonious Baker – bass (2020–present)
- Asaf Sirkis – drums (2022–present)
Mike Ratledge – Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Synthesizers, Flute (1966–1976)
A founder and the longest-serving member of the original era, Ratledge stayed through Softs (1976). He died in 2025.
Robert Wyatt – Drums, Keyboards, Lead and Backing Vocals (1966–1971)
Founding drummer and singer, Wyatt left in 1971 as the band became purely instrumental.
Kevin Ayers – Bass, Guitar, Vocals (1966–1968)
A founder who left after the 1968 debut album. He died in 2013.
Daevid Allen – Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals (1966–1967)
Founding guitarist, in the band for its first year. He died in 2015.
Hugh Hopper – Bass, Guitar, Alto Saxophone (1968–1973)
Hopper played on the band’s move from psychedelia to jazz rock, from Volume Two to Six. He died in 2009.
Elton Dean – Alto Saxophone, Saxello, Flute, Keyboards (1969–1972)
Dean’s saxophone defined Third (1970) and Fourth (1971). He died in 2006.
John Marshall – Drums, Percussion (1972–1978, 1980–1981, 1984, 2015–2022)
Marshall drummed through the 1970s, both reunions and the 2015 return, until 2022. He died in 2023.
Karl Jenkins – Saxophones, Recorder, Flute, Oboe, Keyboards (1972–1978, 1980–1981, 1984)
Jenkins joined in 1972 and led the band’s later 1970s direction, returning for both reunions.
Roy Babbington – Bass (1973–1976, 2015–2020)
Babbington played bass in the mid-1970s and again from the 2015 reformation until Baker replaced him in 2020.
Allan Holdsworth – Guitars, Violin, Voices (1973–1975, 1978, 1980–1981)
Holdsworth played on Bundles (1975), returned twice and substituted for Etheridge at one 1977 show. He died in 2017.
Other Former Members
- Larry Nowlin – guitar, backing vocals (1966), a founder
- Andy Summers – guitar (1968)
- Brian Hopper – saxophones (1969); Lyn Dobson – saxophones, flute (1969–1970); Mark Charig – cornet, trumpet (1969); Nick Evans – trombone (1969)
- Phil Howard – drums (1971–1972)
- Alan Wakeman – saxophones (1976); Ray Warleigh – alto saxophone, flute (1976, 1980–1981, 1984; died 2015)
- Ric Sanders – violin, keyboards (1976–1978); Percy Jones – bass (1976); Steve Cook – bass (1976–1978)
- 1980–1981 reunion: Jack Bruce – bass (died 2014); Stu Calver, John Perry and Tony Rivers – vocals; Dick Morrissey – tenor saxophone; Alan Parker – guitar; John Taylor – piano
- 1984 shows: Paul Carmichael – bass; Dave MacRae – keyboards, piano
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who are the current members of Soft Machine? John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker and Asaf Sirkis.
- Who founded Soft Machine? Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin, in 1966.
- Was Andy Summers of the Police in Soft Machine? Yes, briefly, on guitar in 1968.
- What is Soft Machine Legacy? The group formed in 2004 by former members, which returned to the Soft Machine name in 2015.
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