Editing Matching Mole

{{Short description|English progressive rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Matching Mole
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| image_size          = 
| background          = group_or_band
| origin              = [[Canterbury]], [[England]]
| years_active        = 1971–1972<br>1973
| genre               = [[Progressive rock]], [[Canterbury scene]]
| label               = [[CBS]]
| associated_acts     = [[Soft Machine]], [[Hatfield and the North]], [[801 (band)|801]]
| spinoffs            = {{hlist|[[801 (band)|801]]|[[Hatfield and the North]]}}
| spinoff_of          = {{hlist|[[Soft Machine]]|[[Caravan (band)|Caravan]]|[[Quiet Sun]]}}
| website             = 
| current_members     = 
| past_members        = [[Bill MacCormick]]<br>[[Robert Wyatt]]<br>[[Phil Miller]]<br>[[Dave Sinclair]]<br>[[Dave MacRae]]<br>[[Francis Monkman]]<br>[[Gary Windo]]
}}

'''Matching Mole''' were an English [[progressive rock]] [[musical band|band]] associated with the [[Canterbury scene]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=808}}</ref> [[Robert Wyatt]] formed the band in October 1971 after he left [[Soft 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 by [[Dave Sinclair (keyboardist)|David Sinclair]] of [[Caravan (band)|Caravan]] on organ and piano, [[Dave MacRae]] on electric piano, [[Phil Miller]] of [[Delivery (British band)|Delivery]] on guitar and [[Bill MacCormick]] of [[Quiet Sun (band)|Quiet Sun]] on bass.<ref name="Larkin"/> The name is a [[pun]] on ''Machine Molle'', the French translation of the name of Wyatt's previous group Soft Machine.<ref name="Larkin"/>

==Career==
Their first [[Matching Mole (album)|eponymous 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 girlfriend [[Caroline Coon]]) and Phil Miller's "Part of the Dance".<ref name="Larkin"/>  Sinclair soon dropped out of the group and was replaced by New Zealand-born keyboard player and composer [[Dave MacRae]], who had already played a guest role on the first album.<ref name="Larkin"/>  Their second album, ''[[Matching Mole's Little Red Record]]'', produced by [[Robert Fripp]] of [[King Crimson]], was released in November 1972.<ref name="Larkin"/> This album was more of a team effort, with Wyatt concentrating on lyrics and vocal melodies and leaving the composing to his bandmates.{{Cn|date=January 2022}}

Matching Mole disbanded in late September 1972 immediately upon completion of a European tour supporting [[Soft Machine]], with Sinclair and Miller going on to form the more successful [[Hatfield and the North]].<ref name="Larkin"/> A new lineup – consisting of Wyatt, MacCormick, ex-Curved Air keyboardist [[Francis Monkman]] and jazz saxophonist [[Gary 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.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years">{{cite book
| first= John
| last= Tobler
| year= 1992
| title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years
| edition= 1st
| publisher= Reed International Books Ltd
| location= London
| page= 251
| id= CN 5585}}</ref>

==Personnel==
* [[Bill MacCormick]] – bass <small>(1971–1972, 1973)</small>
* [[Robert Wyatt]] – drums, vocals, [[Mellotron]] <small>(1971–1972, 1973)</small>
* [[Phil Miller]] – guitar <small>(1971–1972; died 2017)</small>
* [[Dave Sinclair]] – piano, organ <small>(1971–1972)</small>
* [[Dave MacRae]] – piano, organ, electric piano, synthesiser <small>(1972)</small>
* [[Francis Monkman]] – keyboards <small>(1973; died 2023)</small>
* [[Gary Windo]] – saxophone <small>(1973; died 1992)</small>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
|April 1972
!scope="row"|''[[Matching Mole (album)|Matching Mole]]''
|align="Left"|–
|-
|November 1972
!scope="row"|''[[Matching Mole's Little Red Record]]''
|align="left"|Dave Sinclair was replaced on keyboard by Dave MacRae
|}

===Live albums and compilations===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
|1994
!scope="row"|''BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert''
|Mini live album
|-
|2001
!scope="row"|''Smoke Signals''
|Live album
|-
|2002
!scope="row"|''March''
|Live album
|-
|2006
!scope="row"|''On the Radio''
|
|-
|2013
!scope="row"|''Live at the BBC 1972''
|Japan-only vinyl LP
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Title
|-
|1972
!scope="row"|"O Caroline"
|}

==Filmography==
* 2015: ''[[Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales]]'' (DVD)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.disco-robertwyatt.com/images/matching_mole/index.htm Matching Mole – A complete discography]
*{{Allmusic|id=p19216}}
* {{discogs artist|Matching Mole}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060109100048/http://www.macgraphic.co.jp/ich/index.html Canterbury Music Family Tree]
*A 1995 [https://archive.today/20120805044445/http://www.btinternet.com/~stephen.yarwood/bmc.htm interview] with bassist Bill MacCormick for [http://www.faceliftmagazine.co.uk Facelift Magazine]

{{Robert Wyatt}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canterbury scene]]
[[Category:English progressive rock groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1971]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1972]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1972 disestablishments in England]]