Hero and Heroine is a studio album by English band Strawbs. After the tour … Read Full Bio ↴Hero and Heroine is a studio album by English band Strawbs. After the tour supporting the previous album, Bursting at the Seams, there was an acrimonious split leaving only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to rebuild the band. The new line-up gelled very quickly and studio sessions were very productive. The album was released first in the US to a warm reception, and then in the UK where reviews were more negative. The album only reached number 35 on the UK Album Charts and the band increasingly began to look to North America for a successful future.
The album, although still recognisably Strawbs, contains tracks with harsh "straight talking" lyrics, in contrast to the more lyrical approach shown on Bursting at the Seams. The music is more Gothic and doom-laden with washes of mellotron and guitar power chords, especially on the longer tracks.
All band members made writing contributions, notably Chas Cronk with whom Dave Cousins would write many songs on future albums.
Side one
"Autumn" – 8:27
"Heroine's Theme" (John Hawken)
"Deep Summer Sleep" (Dave Cousins)
"The Winter Long" (Cousins)
"Sad Young Man" (Rod Coombes) – 4:09
"Just Love" (Dave Lambert) – 3:41
"Shine on Silver Sun" (Cousins) – 2:46
Side two
"Hero and Heroine" (Cousins) – 3:29
"Midnight Sun" (Chas Cronk, Cousins) – 3:06
"Out in the Cold" (Cousins) – 3:19
"Round and Round" (Cousins) – 4:44
"Lay a Little Light on Me" (Cousins) – 3:27
"Hero's Theme" (Lambert) – 2:28
Bonus tracks
The following tracks did not feature on the original vinyl release and were included as bonus tracks on the A&M reissue.
"Still Small Voice" (Cousins) – 2:28
"Lay a Little Light on Me (early version)" (Cousins) – 2:20
Personnel
Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Dave Lambert – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
John Hawken – organ, piano, electric piano, mellotron, synthesizer
Chas Cronk – backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizer
Rod Coombes – backing vocals, drums, percussion
with
Claire Deniz – cello on "Midnight Sun"
Recording
Dave Cousins, Tom Allom – Producers
Tom Allom, Freddy Hansson – Engineers
Recorded at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen.
Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog Comment
United Kingdom April 1974 A&M stereo LP AMLH 63607
United States February 1974 A&M stereo LP SP 3607
Canada A&M CD VPCD 3607
Worldwide 1998 A&M CD 540 935-2 Remastered with bonus tracks
Japan 2002 A&M CD UICY-9216
The album, although still recognisably Strawbs, contains tracks with harsh "straight talking" lyrics, in contrast to the more lyrical approach shown on Bursting at the Seams. The music is more Gothic and doom-laden with washes of mellotron and guitar power chords, especially on the longer tracks.
All band members made writing contributions, notably Chas Cronk with whom Dave Cousins would write many songs on future albums.
Side one
"Autumn" – 8:27
"Heroine's Theme" (John Hawken)
"Deep Summer Sleep" (Dave Cousins)
"The Winter Long" (Cousins)
"Sad Young Man" (Rod Coombes) – 4:09
"Just Love" (Dave Lambert) – 3:41
"Shine on Silver Sun" (Cousins) – 2:46
Side two
"Hero and Heroine" (Cousins) – 3:29
"Midnight Sun" (Chas Cronk, Cousins) – 3:06
"Out in the Cold" (Cousins) – 3:19
"Round and Round" (Cousins) – 4:44
"Lay a Little Light on Me" (Cousins) – 3:27
"Hero's Theme" (Lambert) – 2:28
Bonus tracks
The following tracks did not feature on the original vinyl release and were included as bonus tracks on the A&M reissue.
"Still Small Voice" (Cousins) – 2:28
"Lay a Little Light on Me (early version)" (Cousins) – 2:20
Personnel
Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Dave Lambert – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
John Hawken – organ, piano, electric piano, mellotron, synthesizer
Chas Cronk – backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizer
Rod Coombes – backing vocals, drums, percussion
with
Claire Deniz – cello on "Midnight Sun"
Recording
Dave Cousins, Tom Allom – Producers
Tom Allom, Freddy Hansson – Engineers
Recorded at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen.
Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog Comment
United Kingdom April 1974 A&M stereo LP AMLH 63607
United States February 1974 A&M stereo LP SP 3607
Canada A&M CD VPCD 3607
Worldwide 1998 A&M CD 540 935-2 Remastered with bonus tracks
Japan 2002 A&M CD UICY-9216
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Hero And Heroine
Strawbs Lyrics
Hero And Heroine Hero's face was gaunt and tanned His sail was set in…
Hero's Theme Lambert (Instrumental)…
Just Love Lambert I can see you through my window with the world…
Lay A Little Light On Me Cousins Watch my hand, see it shakes, trembling as my lif…
Midnight Sun I have seen the midnight sun shining I saw you fly…
Out In The Cold Strawbs - Out In The Cold I walked in the city…
Round And Round Strawbs - Round And Round I drew the blade across my…
Sad Young Man Coombes You look to me a sad young man Down is where…
Shine On Silver Sun Cousins Once I sat upon a hill to watch the world…