(c’85-86) – Malcolm Randall (drums), Annie Noel (vocals), Andy Herbett (bass) and Ronnie Johnson (guitar) or John Etheridge (guitar).
Ex-Crosswinds and Spliff Riff bassist, Johnson had just finished touring with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames in early ’85 and Etheridge fronted Soft Machine (from ’75-’78 and in ’84) and played with Stephen Grappeli; the result being that the two guitarist alternated appearances with Collective Sound. We know the band played The Talbot, Ripley on Valentines Day in ’85 and went on to take up a Thursday night residency there in mid ’85. This moved to Sunday’s later in the year, from which they took a break in February ’86, returning on 2 March.
Johnson released his debut solo album ‘Give Them Enough Rope’ in ’91 and worked with Van Morrison for many years, appearing on several of Morisson’s albums, including ‘Live in San Fransisco’. Johnson went on to perform with Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Peter Green, and Leo Sayer, and now appears with his award winning modern jazz combo First Light, whilst maintaining a steady output of recording sessions and writing commissions when not touring.
Etheridge is currently back with Soft Machine, as he has been since 2004. Between ’89 and ’93, he was a member of Whatever; and between ’88-’94 spent time touring Germany with Dick Heckstall-Smith, recording two albums as the Dick Heckstall-Smith / John Etheridge Band. In ’88, he recorded an LP with Vic Juris; toured with Bireli Lagrene; and played in the Elton Dean/John Etheridge Quartet. He became a member of Nigel Kennedy’s live band in ’92, playing on Kafka (’96) and The Kennedy Experience – The Music of Jimi Hendrix (’98). In ’94 he toured with Andy Summers and released a duo LP with him. That same year Etheridge released his first solo album.
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