Robert Wyatt

"“My favourite ever Robert was my dad: my second favourite, Robert Wyatt.” (John Peel, 03 April 1980)"



Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945, Bristol) is an English musician and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career. He is married to English painter and songwriter Alfreda Benge.

Wyatt released his first solo album, The End of an Ear, in 1970. A year later, he left Soft Machine and formed his own band, Matching Mole. On 1 June 1973, during a party, an inebriated Wyatt fell from a fourth floor window. He was paralysed from the waist down and consequently uses a wheelchair. The injury led Wyatt to abandon rock drumming and embark on a solo career … (read more at Wikipedia)

Links To Peel

 * (Please fill in)

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1982 Festive Fifty: Shipbuilding #2
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Biko #35
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Wind Of Change #46
 * 2000 Festive Fifty: Shipbuilding ATFF#11

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1982: Shipbuilding

Sessions
Two sessions. The second was included in the Peel Sessions: The Best 125. Wyatt also took part in the one-off Carol Concert session, recorded 1970-12-08, first broadcast 26 December 1970.

1. Recorded 1972-12-05. First broadcast 19 December 1972. Repeated 13 March 1973.
 * Little Child / Godsong/Hatfield / We Got An Arts Council Grant / Righteous Rhumba

2.Recorded 1974-09-10. First broadcast. Repeated 17 May 1977
 * Alifib / Soup Song / Sea Song / I’m A Believer

Other Shows Played

 * 1969
 * 27 December 1969: (Chat with Robert Wyatt before Soft Machine session version of ‘Moon In June’ is played) – Christmas special


 * 1970
 * 24 October 1970: To Marc Everywhere (2xLP - Rock Buster (Sampler LP)) CBS
 * 21 November 1970: To Saintly Bridget/To Oz Alien Daevyd And Gilly (LP - The End Of An Ear) CBS
 * 19 December 1970: To Caravan and Brother Jim (LP - The End Of An Ear) CBS


 * 1974
 * 05 September 1974: Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road (LP-Rock Bottom) Virgin (Peel mentions the upcoming Wyatt concert “with famous friends” at the Drury Lane that Sunday. Also promises to play his single later in the show – presumably 'I'm A Believer'.)


 * 1975
 * D017: Team Spirit (LP - Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard)


 * 1976
 * 17 August 1976: Soup Song (LP – Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard) Virgin (Soft Machine retrospective)
 * 17 August 1976: I'm A Believer (single) Virgin (JP: "Robert Wyatt doing the seemingly impossible and making Neil Diamond acceptable to the sensitive man, and woman too, I shouldn't wonder ...") (Soft Machine retrospective)


 * 1980
 * 31 March 1980: Caimanera (7") Rough Trade (Peel expresses his delight that Rough Trade have persuaded Robert Wyatt to start recording again.)
 * 03 April 1980: (JP: “My favourite ever Robert was my dad: my second favourite, Robert Wyatt.”) Caimanera (7 inch-B side of Arauco) Rough Trade
 * 15 April 1980: Caimanera (7 inch-B side of Arauco) Rough Trade (JP: “Redolent of the sun-scorched pampas, I shouldn't wonder.”)
 * 23 October 1980: At Last I'm Free


 * 1982
 * 23 September 1982: Shipbuilding (single) Rough Trade
 * 12 October 1982: Memories Of You (b-side 'Shipbuilding' 7") Rough Trade
 * 14 October 1982: Shipbuilding (single) Rough Trade
 * 21 October 1982: Shipbuilding (single) Rough Trade
 * 30 December 1982: (JP: “I must confess, I got more pleasure from this (the next record) than anything else. I was very very happy about this.”) Shipbuilding (7 inch) Rough Trade (JP: “And a great sadness that he wasn't considered bright and breezy enough for the radioplay that he most surely deserved...well voted, those of you who voted for that.”) FF#2


 * 1983
 * 09 June 1983: Muddy Mouse (album - Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard) Virgin


 * 1984
 * 22 May 1984 (& Hugh Hopper): Amber and The Amberines
 * 12 December 1984 (& others): In The Dark Year (EP – The Last Nightingale) Re
 * 19 December 1984: Biko (12 inch EP-Work In Progress) Virgin FF#35


 * 1985
 * 07 January 1985 (& others): In The Dark Year (12” EP – The Last Nightingale) Re
 * 02 September 1985: Yolande
 * 23 October 1985: The Age Of Self (album - Old Rottenhat) Rough Trade
 * 16 December 1985: Wind Of Change (single) Rough Trade FF#46


 * 1986
 * Peel 041 (BFBS) (1986-09-11/18): Pigs...(In There) (Compilation LP-Abuse - Artists For Animals) Slip


 * 1990
 * 09 August 1990: Shipbuilding (7") Rough Trade (JP: “The opposite side of the coin to the 'Gotcha' mentality, and was there ever a better anti-war song written than that?”)


 * 1990
 * 07 July 1991: Shipbuilding
 * 14 July 1991: Yolanda (12" EP - Work In Progress) Rough Trade
 * 08 September 1991: The Sight Of The Wind (LP-Dondestan) Rough Trade
 * 29 September 1991: Costa (LP- Dondestan) Rough Trade
 * 02 November 1991: Rangers In The Nightst (Compilation CD-The Cherry Red Story Volume 1) Cherry Red


 * 1992
 * 25 July 1992: (JP: “This next one is for the Pig, and it’s a particular favourite from 1975.”) Yesterday Man (Various Artists LP – V) Virgin
 * 03 August 1992 (BFBS): Yesterday Man (LP - V) Virgin


 * 1994
 * 03 September 1994 (BFBS): War Without Blood (album - Flotsam Jetsam) Rough Trade
 * 03 September 1994 (& Claustrophobia): Tu Traicon (LP: Flotsam Jetsam) Rough Trade
 * 22 October 1994 (BFBS): Locomotive (v/a album - Flotsam Jetsam) Rough Trade
 * 29 October 1994: Billie's Bounce (Compilation CD - Flotsam Jetsam) Rough Trade


 * 1995
 * 30 June 1995 (with Hugh Hopper & Kramer): Free Will & Testament (album - A Remark Hugh Made)


 * 1997
 * 06 January 1997: I'm A Believer (10/9/74) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)
 * 25 September 1997 (BFBS): Heaps Of Sheeps (promo CD - Shleep) Hannibal
 * 01 October 1997: Heaps Of Sheeps (CD - Shleep) Hannibal
 * 23 October 1997 (BFBS): Maryan (CD-Shleep) Hannibal (JP discusses party to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Radio 1: “The nicest thing about it was that Robert Wyatt was there, and as he's in a wheelchair these days, not awfully easy for him to get to events. Almost everybody that I spoke to at the time and have spoken to since said to me, "Wasn't it great that Robert Wyatt was there?" Or even more excitedly, they'd say to me, "I've actually spoken to Robert Wyatt!", and I thought, well, any group of people where Robert Wyatt is held in high esteem is a group of people that I would wish to be part of.”)
 * 04 December 1997 (BFBS): A Sunday In Madrid (CD-Shleep) Hannibal
 * 11 December 1997 (BFBS): A Sunday In Madrid (CD-Shleep) Hannibal
 * 18 December 1997: Out Of Season (album - Shleep) Hannibal


 * 1999
 * 28 January 1999: (It’s Robert Wyatt’s 54th birthday and Peel plays a favorite track and invites himself to visit Robert soon.) Free Will And Testament (LP - Shleep) Domino
 * 25 April 1999 (BFBS): Amber And The Amberines (5xCD-EPs) Hannibal
 * 19 May 1999: Te Recuerda Amanda (5xCD-EPs) Hannibal
 * 08 December 1999: Shipbuilding (7") Rough Trade (Peelenium 1982)
 * 24 January 1999 (BFBS): Del Mondo (Compilation CD-The Different You - Robert Wyatt E Noi) I Dischi Del Mulo / Sonica


 * 2000
 * 20 January 2000: Shipbuilding (12 inch) Rough Trade ATFF#11


 * 2003
 * 02 January 2002 (with Pascal Comelade): (Peel is very happy that one of his favourite songs has now been sung by one of this favourite singers.) September Song (EP – September) Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L'Acier
 * 05 February 2002 (with Pascal Comelade): September Song (EP – September) Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L'Acier
 * 01 October 2002: Love (LP- Instant Karma- A Tribute To John Lennon) Uncut
 * 15 October 2002: Love (LP- Instant Karma- A Tribute To John Lennon) Uncut


 * 2003
 * 14 January 2003: Te Recuerdo Amanda (12"- Work in Progress) Rough Trade
 * 15 January 2003: Memories of You' (Rough Trade)
 * 16 September 2003: Old Europe (LP- Cuckooland) Hannibal
 * 18 September 2003: Lullaby For Hamza (LP - Cuckooland) Hannibal
 * 24 September 2003: Insensatez (LP- Cuckooland) Hannibal
 * 25 September 2003 (Radio Eins): Lullaby for Hamza (LP - Cuckooland)
 * 09 October 2003: Mister E (LP - Cuckooland) Hannibal
 * 14 October 2003: Lullaloop (LP - Cuckooland) Hannibal
 * 04 November 2003: Left On Man (LP - Dancing/Listening) Unknown Public


 * 2003
 * 17 August 2004: Pigs - in There? (Boxed Set EPs) Hannibal
 * 24 August 2004: Free Will and Testament (LP - Shleep) Hannibal
 * 07 September 2004: Life Is Sheep (LP - Cuckooland) Hannibal


 * Other
 * Best Of Peel Vol 35: Costa (CD-Dondestan) Rough Trade Germany (Presents for JP's 52nd birthday included the Robert Wyatt CD (from which a track is played) and some beer from "the oldest brewery in the world.")
 * Best Of Peel Vol 38: Rangers In The Nightst (Compilation CD-Ambition - The Cherry Red Story Vol. 1) Cherry Red