Nick Drake (46 page)

The boxes of three of the original master tapes of Nick's albums for Island Records.

Regent's Park, 1969.

Seated at the photographer Keith Morris's table at the time of
Five Leaves Left.

The final photo session on Hampstead Heath, 1971.

Nick's music room at Far Leys with the original artwork for
Pink Moon
framed on the wall.

An early sketch of Nick in Aix-en-Provence, 1967.

First of all, Penny Phillips at Bloomsbury had the kind imagination to commission this book, so thanks to her for the start, and to Peter Hogan for the end.

Along the way, a great many people helped shape this book. Will Bennett, the intrepid ‘Bennett of the Telegraph', and Mark Seaman provided illumination and encouragement when all around was darkness.

Thanks to the Freewheelin' Jeremy Mason for the first step on a great journey and Robert Kirby for the last piece of the jigsaw; to Paul Wheeler for his memories and introducing me to Nick's Cambridge; and to Brian Wells, who took the time for repeated consultations above and beyond the call of duty.

Françoise Hardy spoke for the first time to me about her memories of Nick.
Merci bien. Merci, aussi
to Juliet Love for her translation, and to Kelly Pike and Romain Vivien at Virgin records for making the connection.

For the background to the Drake family in Burma and Tanworth, I would like to thank Steven Button of Churchill & Sim, Mr James of The Timber Trade Federation, R.W. Samuel of Wallace Brothers & Co., Walter Snadden, Mr Stanbridge of the British Library, John Maloney, Revd. Canon M.W. Tunnicliffe, Johan Asherton and invaluable transatlantic allies T.J. McGrath, Larry Ayres and Scott Appel.

Information about Nick's prep-school days was kindly supplied by Maxine Craig, who had gone down this road a decade before. Johnny Black, David and Jean Allen, John Uzielli, E.J.H. Gould, and
particularly Marlborough College archivist Terry Rogers, provided the Marlborough connection. Dennis Silk was Nick's housemaster, and to him I extend warmest thanks for finding time in his hectic timetable to meet me and share his fond memories of a former C1 House pupil.

The following Old Marlburians were generous in sharing their memories of N.R. Drake during the time he spent at the college between 1962 and 1966: Simon Crocker, Arthur Packard, and David Wright, who dipped back over thirty years to recall the first guitar chords he taught the teenage Nick. Thanks also to Michael Maclaran, who shared memories of his trip to France with Nick in 1967, and to Richard Charkin in London 1997, for Morocco 1967.

For Nick's university career at Cambridge, sincere thanks to Christopher Pratt, Roger Brown, Iain Cameron, Iain Dunn, Ian MacDonald, and Trevor Dann, who, in between running Radio 1, provided revealing insights into Cambridge in the late sixties.

And so to London … In the beginning there was and always shall be Ashley Hutchings. Anthea Joseph and Nick's press officer at Island, David Sandison, were enormously helpful and generous – someone should get them to write their memoirs. Jerry Gilbert, Chris Carr and Pete Frame, all of whose enthusiasm oils the dry wheels of nineties rock ‘n' roll. For memories of photo sessions, long ago and far away, and for support today, many thanks, Keith Morris.

Fly-on-the-studio-wall stuff came courtesy of Mike Kowalski, Dave Pegg and Danny Thompson; and invaluable background on Island Records in the early 1970s from David Betteridge, Tim Clark, Martin Satterthwaite, Annie Sullivan and, in memoriam, Gus the Dog.

Deep in his basement, Phil Lawton is the Radio 1 archivist; thanks to him, Pete Ritzema, Jonathan Dann, Alec Reid and Garrell Redfearn for radio waves.

Thanks to
Mojo's
Jim Irvin for commissioning the feature which was my first foray into Nick Drake waters, and to Mat Snow for making it Nick's first appearance on a magazine cover. Post-publication, Dave Burrows, Dave Crewe, Paul Cullum, Paul Donnelly, Steve Aparicio and Mick Stannard were kind enough to write in with their memories of seeing Nick perform; Alex Skorecki shed valuable light on the origin of
Five Leaves Left
, with a little thanks to O. Henry; and Brian Cullman was particularly evocative of times long gone.

For help, information, advice, cuttings, contacts, clarification, amplification
and encouragement, grateful thanks to Ian Burgess, Peter Doggett, Johnny Rogan, Paddy Forwood, Dave Gardner, Bernard Doherty, Pippa at Go! Discs, Mark Jones, Mark Perry, Dylan Winter, Chas Keep, Jason Creed, Alan Robinson, Greg Van Dike, Levent Varlik, Alannah Hopkin, Luca Ferrari, Andy Robson, Koen Hottentot, Mike King, Wesley McDowell, Alan Hewitt, Dave Brown, Peter Curd, Yoshifumi Yakiyama, Maurice Shannon, Mark Rogers, George Taylor, Barry Lazell, Anthony Trotter, Tony Reif, Mikael Ledin, Liz Thompson, Chris Groom, Richard Prout, Rupert Hunt, Kevin Howlett, Colin Harper, Jeremy Harmer – sorry we never got to meet, Allan Jones, Maggie Simpson, Justin Bairamian, Fred Dellar – ever a font, Paula Shutkever, Annie Cleghorn and Lawrence Morphet for surfing the net, and special thanks to Kevin O'Neil and Paolo Hewitt – we'll always have Sorrento.

It's good to talk. Many thanks to Linda Thompson, who always finds time to chat; and also to Jeroen Berkvens, Nick Kent and Rob Partridge.

For first-hand memories of the hurly-burly folk scene of the late 1960s, Michael Chapman, Bruce ‘Brewster' Fursman, Steve Tilston, Bridget St John and Ralph McTell. And for the genesis of Genesis, Anthony Phillips.

Chris Blackwell spoke for the first time about his memories of Nick Drake; for this and for his pioneering work at Island Records over the years – and to Cathy Snipper and Trevor Wyatt – thank you.

To the indefatigable Mark Lewisohn, thanks, and for the future, nothing but the best. John Martyn for ringing to tell me he'd said everything he had to say about Nick, but wishing me good luck. Jonathan Morrish, for exemplary contacts and unflagging enthusiasm over the years.

To Martin and the little Loves – Liberty and Rufus – for reasons to be cheerful. Sue Parr for sorting the wheat from the chaff, fifty thousand thank yous; and Richard Dawes for his sense and sensitivity in turning that into this.

Finally, Paul Weller, Peter Buck, Clive Gregson, Matt Johnson and Donovan all talked about why they felt Nick's music was so special to them. For their time and enthusiasm, I say thank you. To those I might have missed, apologies, and thanks all the same. As the Master once wrote: Take care of your memories, said Nick, for you cannot relive them …

Copyright © 1997 by Patrick Humphries

Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney

First published in Great Britain in 1997 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com

This electronic edition published in 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

The moral right of the authors has been asserted

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

eISBN 978-1-4088-4144-0

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