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
Memories (Soft Machine demo, 1969)
Was A Friend (Hugh Hopper Franglo Band, 2004)
Shuffle Demons (North & South, 1995)
Playtime (Computer programming, 2002)
Debonaire (Hugh Hopper Franglo Band, 2004)
MGH (Hopper & Nigel Morris, 2002)
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
