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Matching Mole were an Englishprogressive rockband associated with theCanterbury scene.^[1]Robert Wyatt formed the band in October 1971 after he leftSoft Machine and recorded his first solo album,The End of an Ear (4 December 1970). He continued his role on vocals and drums and was joined byDavid Sinclair ofCaravan on organ and piano,Dave MacRae on electric piano,Phil Miller of Delivery on guitar andBill MacCormick ofQuiet Sun on bass.^[1] The name is apun onMachine Molle, the French translation of the name of Wyatt's previous group Soft Machine.^[1]

Their firsteponymous album was released in April 1972, the bulk of which was composed by Wyatt himself, with the exception of "O Caroline" (a Dave Sinclair composition with lyrics by Wyatt about his recent breakup with girlfriendCaroline Coon) and Phil Miller's "Part of the Dance".^[1] Sinclair soon dropped out of the group and was replaced by New Zealand-born keyboard player and composerDave MacRae, who had already played a guest role on the first album.^[1] Their second album,Matching Mole's Little Red Record, produced byRobert Fripp ofKing Crimson, was released in November 1972.^[1] This album was more of a team effort, with Wyatt concentrating on lyrics and vocal melodies and leaving the composing to his bandmates.^{[citation needed]}

Matching Mole disbanded in late September 1972 immediately upon completion of a European tour supportingSoft Machine, with Sinclair and Miller going on to form the more successfulHatfield and the North.^[1] A new lineup – consisting of Wyatt, MacCormick, ex-Curved Air keyboardistFrancis Monkman and jazz saxophonistGary Windo – was due to record a third album in 1973. This was cancelled when Wyatt fell from a window in June 1973, and was paralysed from the waist down, and therefore unable to continue drumming.^[2]

• Bill MacCormick – bass(1971–1972, 1973)
• Robert Wyatt – drums, vocals,Mellotron(1971–1972, 1973)
• Phil Miller – guitar(1971–1972; died 2017)
• Dave Sinclair – piano, organ(1971–1972)
• Dave MacRae – piano, organ, electric piano, synthesiser(1972)
• Francis Monkman – keyboards(1973; died 2023)
• Gary Windo – saxophone(1973; died 1992)

• 2015:Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales (DVD)

• Matching Mole – A complete discography
• Matching Mole atAllMusic
• Matching Mole discography atDiscogs
• Canterbury Music Family Tree
• A 1995interview with bassist Bill MacCormick forFacelift Magazine

• Canterbury scene
• English progressive rock groups
• Musical groups established in 1971
• Musical groups disestablished in 1972
• 1971 establishments in England
• 1972 disestablishments in England

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