Mike Ratledge

British keyboardist and flutist (born 1943)

Michael Roland Ratledge (born 6 May 1943) is a British musician. A part of the Canterbury scene, he was a founding member of Soft Machine. He was the last founding member to leave the group, doing so in 1976.

Ratledge was born in Maidstone, Kent, the son of a Canterbury secondary modern school headmaster. As a child, he was educated in classical music, the only kind of music played in his parents' home. He learned to play the piano, and with his friend Brian Hopper, whom he had met at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury, played classical piano and clarinet pieces. In 1966, his friends were forming a new band and asked Ratledge to join. Soft Machine included Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, and Kevin Ayers. In 1976, Ratledge decided to leave Soft Machine to build a solo career, leaving the band under Karl Jenkins' leadership. Ratledge built himself a studio and composed a score for the film Riddles of the Sphinx,

Ratledge married Marsha Hunt on 15 April 1967.

YearAlbumArtist1963Live 1963Daevid Allen Trio1964–68Canterburied Sounds Vols. 1 3Various artists1967 68The Wilde FlowersWilde Flowers1969Joy of a ToyKevin Ayers1970The Madcap LaughsSyd Barrett1971Just UsElton Dean & Just Us1972BananamourKevin Ayers1974The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other StoriesKevin Ayers1977Instructions For AngelsDavid Bedford1978Planet EarthPlanet Earth1978Star Clusters Nebulae & Places in Devon / The Song of the White HorseDavid Bedford1979Push ButtonRubba1980Wonderin' Rollercoaster1981Cuts for Commercials Vol. 3Karl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge1981For Christmas, for ChildrenKarl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge1982Crystal Gazing (unreleased soundtrack)Mike Ratledge1983The Bad Sister (unreleased soundtrack)Mike Ratledge1995Adiemus: Songs of SanctuaryKarl Jenkins2010MovementKarl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge2010Some Shufflin' Karl Jenkins & Mike Ratledge2013Riddles of the Sphinx (soundtrack recorded in 1977)Mike Ratledge