Release 1989
Named after William Burroughs book, they got formed in Canterbury around 1967.
With Australian guitar player Daevid Allen and Kevin Ayers on bass the first lineup
recorded some tracks, but first only a single produced and written by KIM FOWLEY ,
with a very special psychedelic sound was released on Polydor.
I still remember hearing it on a Pirate Radio Station and looking for it, without success.
Other recordings from that lineup got released as LP on BYG in France only...later often re-released
on CD named  JET PROPELLED.
After some gigs in France Daevid Allen was not allowed to come back to the UK.
So the first real album was without him...a great psychedelic album with a nice gimmick cover (watch)
but originaly released only in the USA, where the band toured with Jimi Hendrix.
Ayers left the band after the tour to go solo. Hugh Hopper; who played with Wyatt in the
WILDFLOWERS replaced him.
The 2nd album also psychedelic but shows the way to jazz.
The next album 3rd was an ambitious masterpiece, showed the way for the following Jazzrock generations..
this concept was followed by the next  releases, but to watered down after the sixt album.

Style : Psych, Prog; Jazz-Rock; Fusion

see:
Wildflowers ; Kevin Ayers ; Robert Wyatt  &  Matching Mole ; Elton Dean ;
Daevid Allen & Gong ; The Cake (US) ; Hugh Hopper ; Caravan ; Nucleus ;
Andy Summers ; Delivery ; Alan Holdsworth's Igginbottom ;

Musicians:
Mike Ratledge - organ, keyboards.; Kevin Ayers - bass, guitar, vocals;
Robert Wyatt - drums, voc.;Daevid Allen - guitar; Hugh Hopper - bass;

Elton Dean - sax, electric piano; Lyn Dobson - flute, sax;

Nick Evans - trombone; Mark Charig - cornet; Jimmy Hastings - flute; Alan Skidmore - sax;
John Marshall - drums; Karl Jenkins - piano, sax; Roy Babbington - bass; Rab Spall - violin:
Andy Summers, Alan Holdsworth, John Etheridge - guitar; Ric Sanders - violin;


Tracks :  
Volumne One (1968) :       with K.Ayers    Produced: Chas Chandler, Tom Wilson
Hope for Happiness  (B.Hopper-K.Ayers-M.Ratledge)
Joy of a Toy  (K.Ayers-M.Ratledge)
Hope for Happiness (reprise)  (B.Hopper-K.Ayers-M.Ratledge)
Why am I so short?  (H.Hopper-K.Ayers-M.Ratledge)
So Boot if at all   (K.Ayers-M.Ratledge-R.Wyatt)
A Certain Kind  (H.Hopper)
Save yourself  (R.Wyatt)
Priscilla  (M.Ratledge-K.Ayers-R.Wyatt)
Lullabye Letter  (K.Ayers)
We did it again  (K.Ayers)
Plus Belle QuUne Poubelle  (K.Ayers)
Why are we sleeping?     (K.Ayers-M.Ratledge-R.Wyatt)
Box 25 /4 LID   (M.Ratledge-H.Hopper)
Volumne Two (1969) :    with H.Hopper   Produced: Soft Machine, Mike Jeffrey
Pataphysical Introduction Pt. I  (R.Wyatt)
A Concise British Alphabet  Pt. 1  (H.Hopper- arr. R.Wyatt)
Hibou, Anemone and Bear   (Ratledge-Wyatt) 
A Concise British Alphabet  Pt. 2  (H.Hopper- arr. R.Wyatt)   
Hulloder  (H.Hopper- arr. R.Wyatt) 
Dada was here  (H.Hopper- arr. R.Wyatt) 
Thank you Pierrot Lunaire (H.Hopper- arr. R.Wyatt) 
Have you ever Bean Green?  (H.Hopper- arr. R.Wyatt) 
Pataphysical Introduction Pt. 2  (R.Wyatt)
Out of Tunes  (M.Ratledge-H.Hopper-R.Wyatt)
As long as he lies perfectly still   (M.Ratledge-R.Wyatt)
Dedicated to you but you werent listening  (H.Hopper)
Fire Engine passing with Bells Clanging (M.Ratledge)
Pig  (M.Ratledge)
Orange Skin Food  (M.Ratledge)
A Door opens and closes (M.Ratledge)
10-30 Returns to the Bedroom  (M.Ratledge-H.Hopper-R.Wyatt)