Hugh Hopper

Biography

Early career Starting in 1963 as bassist with The Daevid Allen Trio, alongside drummer Robert Wyatt, he alternated between free jazz and rhythm and blues. In 1964 with Brian Hopper (his brother), Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Richard Sinclair he formed The Wilde Flowers, a pop music group. Although they never released any records during their existence (a compilation was released 30 years later), The Wilde Flowers are acknowledged as the founders of the Canterbury scene and spawned its two most important groups, Soft Machine and Caravan. ). Hopper continued with Soft Machine, playing bass and contributing numerous compositions until 1973.

1973 until 2009 After leaving Soft Machine, until the end of the 1970s he worked with such groups as Stomu Yamashta's East Wind, Isotope, Gilgamesh, and the Carla Bley Band. A Hugh Hopper benefit concert took place in December 2008 at the 100 Club in London and featured In Cahoots, members of Soft Machine Legacy, Delta Sax Quartet, Sophia Domancich and Simon Goubert, Yumi Hara Cawkwell, and the Alex Maguire Sextet. Another benefit was planned for late June 2009. He married his partner Christine on 5 June 2009 and died of leukaemia on 7 June. His funeral, a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony to respect Hugh's wishes, was held on 25 June 2009.

A series of ten CDs of unreleased live and studio recordings began release in 2014 by Gonzo MultiMedia to benefit Hugh's family.

Discography Under his name

1973: 1984 1974: Monster Band (released 1979) 1976: Hopper Tunity Box 1984: Hugh Hopper and Odd Friends (EP, released 1993) 1987: Alive! 1990: Meccano Pelorus 1994: Hooligan Romantics 1994: Carousel 1996: Best Soft (compilation) 2000: Parabolic Versions (collaborations) 2003: Jazzloops (collaborations) 2007: Numero D’Vol (Moonjune-Bandcamp) 2008: The Gift Of Purpose (live recording by Bone) 2014: Volume 1: Memories (archival collection) 2014: Volume 2: Frangloband (Triton Club, Paris, 2004) 2014: Volume 3: North & South (with Mike Travis, Aberdeen, 1995) 2014: Volume 4: Four by Hugh by Four (Bimhuis, Amsterdam, 2000) 2014: Volume 5: Heart to Heart (with Phil Miller, Amsterdam, 2007) 2014: Volume 6: Special Friends (Short Wave concerts 1992 through 1995) 2014: Volume 7: Soft Boundaries (Triton Club, Paris, 2005) 2014: Volume 8: Bass On Top (studio, Israel, 2007) 2015: Volume 9: Anatomy of Facelift (five performances of "Facelift" by Soft Machine, 1969 through 1971) 2015: Volume 10: Was A Friend (various one-off collaborations)

Collaborations

1976: Cruel But Fair (Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Keith Tippett, Joe Gallivan) 1977: Mercy Dash (Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Keith Tippett, Joe Gallivan; released 1985) 1978: Rogue Element (Soft Head: Hugh Hopper/Elton Dean/Alan Gowen/Dave Sheen) 1979: Soft Heap (Soft Heap: Hugh Hopper/Elton Dean/Alan Gowen/Pip Pyle) 1979: Al Dente (Soft Heap: Hugh Hopper/Elton Dean/Alan Gowen/Pip Pyle, live) 1980: Two Rainbows Daily (Hugh Hopper & Alan Gowen) 1980: Bracknell-Bresse Improvisations (Hugh Hopper, Alan Gowen, Nigel Morris; released 1996) 1983: Somewhere in France (Hugh Hopper & Richard Sinclair; released 1996) 1993: Short Wave Live (Hugh Hopper, Didier Malherbe, Phil Miller, Pip Pyle) 1994: A Remark Hugh Made (Hugh Hopper & Kramer) 1995: Adreamor (Hugh Hopper & Mark Hewins) 1996: Elephants in your head? (MASHU: Mark Hewins/Shyamal/Hugh Hopper) 1997: Huge (Hugh Hopper & Kramer) 1998: Different (Hugh Hopper & Lisa S. Klossner) 1998: The Mind in the Trees (Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Frances Knight, Vince Clarke; released 2003) 2000: Cryptids (Hugh Hopper & Lisa S. Klossner) 2000: The Swimmer (Hugh Hopper, Jan Ponsford, Frances Knight, Vince Clarke; released 2005) 2002: Flight'n Shade (Hugh Hopper & Micaël Gidon) 2003: Home (Jeff Sherman with Hugh Hopper) 2003: In a Dubious Manner (Hugh Hopper & Julian Whitfield) 2004: The Stolen Hour (comics by Matt Howarth) 2004: Bananamoon Obscura No. 2 - Live in the UK (Hugh Hopper, Daevid Allen, Pip Pyle) 2007: Numero D'Vol (Hugh Hopper, Simon Picard, Steve Franklin, Charles Hayward) 2007: 'Branes (Jeff Sherman & Hugh Hopper) 2008: Dune (Humi: Hugh Hopper & Yumi Hara Cawkwell) 2008: Goat Hopper (Hugh Hopper & Honey Ride Me A Goat)

With Soft Machine Studio albums (see Soft Machine discography for live albums) 1968: The Soft Machine (played on one track as a guest musician but also has writing credits on several tracks) 1969: Volume Two (first album as an official band member) 1970: Third 1971: Fourth 1972: Fifth 1973: Six 2003: Abracadabra (as Soft Works) 2006: Soft Machine Legacy (as Soft Machine Legacy) 2007 Steam (as Soft Machine Legacy)

Contributions

1962-9 Various Artists: Canterburied Sounds 1963 Daevid Allen Trio: Live 1963 1965-69: The Wilde Flowers: The Wilde Flowers 1968: Robert Wyatt: '68 (released 2013) 1969: Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs (two tracks) 1969: Kevin Ayers: Joy of a Toy 1973: Stomu Yamashta's East Wind: Freedom Is Frightening 1974: Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom 1974: Robert Wyatt: Theatre Royal Drury Lane 1974: Stomu Yamashta: One by One 1975: Isotope: Illusion 1976: Isotope: Deep End 1976: Gary Windo: His Master's Bones 1978: Carla Bley Band: European Tour 1977 1978: Gilgamesh: Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into 1981: Gilli Smyth & Mother Gong: Robot Woman 1984: Robert Wyatt: Work In Progress (EP) 1985: Pip Pyle: L'Equipe Out 1985: In Cahoots: Cutting Both Ways 1986: Patrice Meyer: Dromedaire viennois 1987: Anaid: Belladonna 1989: In Cahoots: Live 86–89 1991: Lindsay Cooper: Oh Moscow 1992: Daevid Allen: Twelve Selves 1994: Richard Sinclair: R.S.V.P. 1994: Conglomerate: Precisely the Opposite of What We Know to Be True 1995: Kramer: Still Alive In 95 1995: Various Artists: Unsettled Scores 1995: Caveman Hughscore: Caveman Hughscore 1995: Gizmo: Eyewitness 1997: Hughscore: Highspot Paradox 1998: Pip Pyle: 7 Year Itch 1998: Brainville: The Children's Crusade 1999: Caravan: All Over You Too 1999: Hughscore: Delta Flora 2001: Glass Cage: Glass Cage Paratactile 2002: Soft Works: Abracadabra 2002: Polysoft: Tribute to Soft Machine 2003: Glass: Live at Progman Cometh 2003: Robert Wyatt: Solar Flares Burn for You 2003: Soft Mountain: Soft Mountain 2003: Bone: Uses Wrist Grab 2004: Soft Bounds: Live at Le Triton 2004: Brian Hopper: If Ever I Am 2005: Glass: Illuminations 2005: NDIO: Airback 2005: Brainville: Live in the UK 2005: Soft Machine Legacy: Live in Zaandam 2006: Soft Machine Legacy: Soft Machine Legacy 2007: Delta Saxophone Quartet: Dedicated To You... But You Weren't Listening: The Music of Soft Machine 2007: Soft Machine Legacy: Steam 2008: Clear Frame: Clear Frame 2008: Brainville3: Trial by Headline