Strawbs were originally known as the Strawberry Hill Boys. Their long-time leader and most active songwriter is guitarist and singer Dave Cousins (guitar, dulcimer, banjo, vocals) (born David Joseph Hindson, 7 January, 1945, in Hounslow, Middlesex). In the early days Strawbs played with Sandy Denny (later lead singer of Fairport Convention and Fotheringay).
Although they started out in the sixties as a bluegrass band, the Strawberry Hill Boys' repertoire soon shifted to favour their own (mainly Cousins') material. They were the first UK signing to Herb Alpert's A&M Records and recorded their first single "Oh How She Changed" b/w "Or Am I Dreaming" in 1968, which was produced and arranged by two highly influential seventies’ producers, Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti, who also worked on their critically acclaimed first album, Strawbs, which was released in 1969. (Note: Although that first single was issued in the U.S. on A&M, neither of their first two A&M LP's were issued in the US until around 1975.)
After the folk-tinged Dragonfly, Cousins and Hooper added Rick Wakeman on keyboards and Richard Hudson and John Ford on drums and bass respectively. The new lineup had their London debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, where Wakeman was trumpeted as “Tomorrow’s Superstar” by Melody Maker. Their third album, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios, the first to have a US release, was taken from that concert. Wakeman stayed with them for one further album, From the Witchwood, then departed to join Yes, being replaced by Blue Weaver who had previously been with Amen Corner and Fairweather. This lineup produced what many feel to be the archetypal Strawbs album Grave New World, before yet another change, the departure of founding member Hooper, who was replaced by rocker Dave Lambert, formerly of Fire and the King Earl Boogie Band.
Lambert’s arrival in 1972 coincided with a move towards a harder rock style, also evidenced by Cousins’ solo album recorded that summer, with guests such as Roger Glover from Deep Purple and Jon Hiseman from Colosseum. The first single with Lambert on board, "Lay Down", hit the UK charts at number 12, followed by a single from the album penned by Ford and Hudson, "Part of the Union", which went up to number 2. The album Bursting at the Seams also reached number 2 in the album charts and the band undertook a 52-date UK tour to packed houses.
However, during the course of a US tour, tensions came to a head and the Bursting At The Seams band did just that, with Hudson and Ford splitting off to record their own material, firstly as Hudson Ford, later as The Monks and High Society.[2] Weaver also left the band, eventually finding a comfortable (and highly lucrative) gig with the Bee Gees; he also played with Mott the Hoople.
Cousins and Lambert rebuilt the band, adding John Hawken (formerly of The Nashville Teens and Renaissance) on keyboards, Rod Coombes formerly with Stealers Wheel and Chas Cronk on bass. This line-up recorded Hero and Heroine and Ghosts, and tended to concentrate on the North American market with relatively little touring in the UK. Strawbs still retain a great fan-base today in the US and Canada. Hero And Heroine went platinum in Canada, and both albums sold extremely well in the US too. A further album, Nomadness, recorded without Hawken, was less successful, and was their last for A&M Records.
Signed to the Deep Purple-owned Oyster label, they recorded two more albums with two keyboardists replacing Hawken – Robert Kirby, also known for his string arrangements (notably Nick Drake) and John Mealing of jazz-rock group If. Coombes was replaced by Tony Fernandez for a further album Deadlines, this time on the Arista label.
Though recording was complete on a further album Heartbreak Hill, featuring Andy Richards on keyboards, Cousins’ decision in 1980 to leave the band to work in radio effectively signalled the band’s demise, and the album remained in the vaults for many years.
A reunion on Rick Wakeman’s TV show Gas Tank in 1983 resulted in an invitation to reform to headline 1983’s Cambridge Folk Festival. The Grave New World line-up plus Brian Willoughby (who had replaced Lambert when he left in 1978 during the making of Heartbreak Hill, and had also begun a partnership with Dave Cousins as an acoustic duo from 1979 onwards) went on from there to perform occasionally in the UK, US and Europe over the next few years, replacing Weaver with Chris Parren from the Hudson Ford band and Ford himself (when he relocated to the US) with bass player Rod Demick.
1993 saw the band touring in the UK for their 25th anniversary, but the next few years proved rather quiet. Until 1998, that is, when Cousins staged a 30th anniversary bash in the grounds of Chiswick Park in London, which saw several different line-ups of the band perform on a bright summer’s day in the open air. The final line-up of the night – the Bursting at the Seams line-up plus Willoughby – became the ongoing version of the band, with annual tours in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
An injury to Cousins’ wrist coinciding with a Cousins & Willoughby commitment brought Dave Lambert in to work with Cousins & Willoughby, which soon became Acoustic Strawbs, recording an album Baroque & Roll in 2001. That trio began to tour on a regular basis - first in the UK, then the US and Canada, and on into Europe. The three guitars of Acoustic Strawbs effortlessly reproducing much of the majesty and depth of the “big” Strawbs keyboard-laden instrumentation. Willoughby was replaced by Chas Cronk when Willoughby left in 2004 to spend more time working with his partner Cathryn Craig. Chas has brought bass and bass pedals, which further add to the depth of the Acoustic Strawbs sound.
2004 also saw the return of the Hero And Heroine line-up of the electric band, touring in tandem with the acoustic line-up, and recording their first new album for 25 years, Deja Fou, on the Strawbs own record label Witchwood Records.
Spin off bands
In 1973, Hudson and Ford then quit to form Hudson Ford, with the line-up of Chris Parren (keyboards), Mickey Keen (guitar and sound engineer), and Ken Laws (drums). They produced four albums, three for A&M - Nickeloedon, Free Spirit, Worlds Collide - and a fourth for CBS - Daylight. They also had hit singles with "Pick Up The Pieces" and "Burn Baby Burn", and toured extensively in the UK, US and Canada.
Switching genres in the late 70s, Hudson, Ford and Terry Cassidy combined together with Clive Pearce on drums (Hudson was then playing guitar, having switched from drums) to produce punk flavoured 1979 album Bad Habits as The Monks (not to be confused with the 1960s garage/beat group of the same name). The album spawned a number 19 hit in the UK singles chart — Nice Legs, Shame About The Face — which featured a mildly risquė cover. They dabbled with 1930s style music in 1980 as 'High Society' before returning to the pseudo-punk format of The Monks for a follow-up album released in Canada only, Suspended Animation, with the addition of Brian Willoughby on guitar and Chris Parren on keyboards.
While the album failed to produce further UK chart success, the band were huge in Canada particularly, playing stadium gigs; Suspended Animation went platinum in Canada too. The CD re-release of Suspended Animation includes six bonus tracks, recorded for a third album but never before released, by Hudson, Ford and Cassidy — Huw Gower guests on one track on lead guitar.
All details of Strawbs' activity and that of ex-members can be found at the official website.
A link can also be found to the Yahoo Strawbs-related discussion group called "Witchwood", together with links to "Witchwood Records" where the band's products and related merchandise such as band members' solo projects can be purchased.
Recently
Since 2007 Strawbs have been recording and touring in two formats: the acoustic format comprising Cousins, Lambert and Cronk and also as the entirely original Hero and Heroine/Ghosts line-up of the electric band from 1974 - Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Coombes and Hawken. The line-up undertook two tours in 2006. Release of a live DVD recorded at the Robin 2, Bilston in March 2006 is hoped for before too long (delays owing to licensing difficulties). For that particular recording, and other concerts on the same tour, vocalist and bass player John Ford (member of an earlier Strawbs line-up) flew over from New York to perform with members of the Hero and Heroine line-up. The Hero and Heroine line-up toured again in 2007 in the UK, including gigs at the Robin 2, Bilston, The Stables, Wavendon, and several locations in Southern and South-Western England. This line-up also toured the UK and US in May-June 2008. Following the end of the US Tour, John Hawken announced his intention to leave the group. The remaining four members (the Nomadness line up) continued as the core of the electric band. In January 2009, it was announced that Oliver Wakeman, son of Rick Wakeman, would be playing keyboards with the band on tours of Canada, the UK and Italy.
In autumn 2006 Strawbs released a long-awaited 4-disc boxed set called A Taste of Strawbs which has been well-received - several reviews can be read at Strawbs website (http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/). The Hero and Heroine/Ghosts line-up recorded a new studio album, The Broken Hearted Bride, released in September 2008.
In 2007, as a three-piece acoustic format they played various gigs in Europe during the Spring, then the five-piece Hero and Heroine line-up got together once again to play several concerts in North America in late June/early July, including two appearances at the Stan Rogers Festival in Nova Scotia. As well as Strawbs, Dave Cousins put together a new set of musicians (Miller Anderson - guitar, Chas Cronk - bass, Ian Cutler - fiddle, Chris Hunt - drums) - initially for a one-off show in Deal - known as the Blue Angel Orchestra, who subsequently played at Strawbs' now-annual Christmas Party in 2006 and 2007.
Dave Cousins also found time to record a new solo album The Boy in the Sailor Suit with The Blue Angel Orchestra. In 2008, Dave Cousins released his third solo album, Secret Paths, with steel guitarist Melvin Duffy. Along with the album, Cousins toured the US in Spring 2008, (joined by Ian Cutler for the early part of the tour), a concert album from this tour, entitled Duochrome, was released in September 2008.
"Lambert Cronk" also released an album in April 2007 entitled Touch the Earth, on which former Strawbs drummer Tony Fernandez and former Strawbs keyboard player Andy Richards both play. Details can be found at www.strawbsweb.co.uk or LAMBERT CRONK MySpace.
Strawbs celebrated their 40th anniversary at Twickenham Stadium Sept. 12 and 13, 2009. Several Strawbs line-ups were playing, as well as Rick Wakeman, Acoustic Strawbs with Sonja Kristina, Blue Angel Orchestra, Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby, Cry No More, Fire, Zeus and John Ford.
The latest incarnation of the band with Oliver Wakeman on keys released a studio album Dancing to the Devil's Beat in late 2009.
The Strawbs' website has announced that neither Rod Coombes nor Oliver Wakeman are available for the upcoming October/November 2010 tours of Canada and the UK. (Coombes has educational commitments, and Wakeman is committed to recording a new Yes album) For these tours: Tony Fernandez (who played with Strawbs on Deadlines and Heartbreak Hill) will be on drums; and John Young will be on keyboards. As of 16 August 2010, it has not been announced whether these changes are just for these tours, or whether this represents a new permanent line-up for the band.
Ghosts
Strawbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet Dreams
Go to sleep my babies
Don't you wake up
The stars will keep you company
So close your eyes
And hold you in your arms
Until the morning comes.
Night Light
Dark the night, not a sound
Damp and cold, frosty ground
Above your head the lion screams
To tear you from your moonlit dreams.
Damp with sweat, mouth is dry
Twisted branches catch the eye
Beside your bed the angel stands
You cannot touch his withered hands.
Guardian Angel
As the lion's eyes dance before me
They are kindly yet bloody red
I can see that he is smiling
But I cannot live inside his head.
There the needle stands before me
I climb inside it towards the light
Where the angel stands in glory
His sword of peace defends the night.
So the world is spread before
As I fly high on angel wings
But the angel is deceiving
For he is weeping as he sings.
Night Light (continued)
Early birds, morning breeze
Spinning leaves, sleepy trees
Gently tap the window pane
It's good to see the sun again.
The Strawbs' song "Ghosts" is a haunting and melancholy tune, which evokes a sense of unease and confusion. The lyrics create a dreamlike atmosphere, where reality and fantasy blend together. At first, the song seems to be a lullaby addressed to children, telling them to go to sleep and reassuring them that they will be safe under the stars and the moon. However, as the lyrics progress, the imagery becomes darker and more foreboding, as though the dreams that are supposed to protect the children turn into nightmares.
The second stanza paints a vivid picture of a cold and eerie night, where the silence is shattered by the roar of a lion. The lion is a symbol of danger and aggression, which threatens to snatch the children away from their peaceful slumber. The third stanza introduces the image of an angel, who seems to be a protective presence. However, the angel's appearance is deceiving, as he is weeping while he sings. This creates a paradoxical situation, where the angel, who is supposed to bring comfort and peace, is actually mourning and suffering.
The final stanza brings some relief to the sense of disorientation and fear that the song conveys. The morning light breaks through the window, and the sounds of nature provide a soothing background to the end of the night. However, the unsettling atmosphere remains, as though the children are now emerging from a world of ghosts, where the boundaries between reality and illusion are blurred.
Line by Line Meaning
Go to sleep my babies
Close your eyes and rest, my dear children
Don't you wake up
Stay asleep and do not wake until morning
The stars will keep you company
The stars in the sky will be your companions through the night
So close your eyes
Shut your eyes and drift off to sleep
Old Uncle Moon will shine his dearest sweetest dreams
The moon will give you the fondest and most pleasant dreams
And hold you in your arms
The moon will embrace you in its luminous arms
Until the morning comes.
Until dawn arrives and a new day begins
Dark the night, not a sound
The night is dark and quiet
Damp and cold, frosty ground
The ground is moist, chilly, and covered in frost
Above your head the lion screams
A lion roars loudly above your head
To tear you from your moonlit dreams.
To awaken you from the pleasant dreams induced by the moonlight
Damp with sweat, mouth is dry
You feel sweaty and thirsty
Twisted branches catch the eye
Twisted branches attract your attention
Beside your bed the angel stands
An angel stands next to your bed
You cannot touch his withered hands.
You are unable to touch the angel's withered hands
As the lion's eyes dance before me
The lion's eyes move playfully in front of me
They are kindly yet bloody red
Although the lion's eyes appear kind, they are bloody red
I can see that he is smiling
I notice that the lion is smiling
But I cannot live inside his head.
I cannot experience his thoughts or understand what he's thinking about
There the needle stands before me
A needle is present in front of me
I climb inside it towards the light
I go into the needle, heading towards the light inside it
Where the angel stands in glory
The angel stands in splendor where the light ends
His sword of peace defends the night.
His sword of peace protects the night from harm
So the world is spread before
The world is expanded in front of me
As I fly high on angel wings
I soar through the air on angel Wings
But the angel is deceiving
The angel is not truthful
For he is weeping as he sings.
Despite singing, the angel is crying
Early birds, morning breeze
Birds are chirping and there's a gentle wind blowing in the morning
Spinning leaves, sleepy trees
Leaves are swirling, and the trees are still sleepy
Gently tap the window pane
A light tapping could be heard on the windowpane
It's good to see the sun again.
It's good to see the sun return after the night has passed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COUSINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Marco33185
On peut dire qu'il s'agit du premier groupe d'importance de Rick Wakeman.
En effet, durant ses études musicales Rick participe sans brio à des performances au sein de 2 groupes locaux avant de se joindre à STRAWBS :
The Atlantic Blues en 1963
The Concords en 1965
La formation initiale est née fin 50's sous le nom de "Strawberry Hill forever" par Dave Cousins et Tony Hooper.
Au départ c'est un groupe folk.
En 1967 ils changent le nom en "The Strawbs".
Sandy Denny (chant) vient pour 2 ans avant de rejoindre Fairpoint Convention en 1969.
Rick Wakeman rejoint le groupe pour l'album "Dragonfly" en 1970. C'est le tournant du groupe puisque dès lors ils vont délaisser leur casquette flok pour une musique plus progressive.
Wakeman rejoint YES in 1971 après le LP "From the Witchwood".
http://www.deezer.com/listen-1148490
Dans le titre ci-dessus extrait de leur second album en 1970 on entend clairement des intonations très Moody Blues.
Concernant ce 2ème album il existe 2 pochettes. Celle que je possède (première édition) et qui est double et une 2ème édition qui est simple.
Puis il y a eu une autre édition simple aussi, mais qui à l'intérieur offrira 3 bonus tracks apportés par A&M records (N° 540 932-2) :
The Vision Of The Lady Of The Lake (live inédit)
We'll Meet Again Sometime (live de la face B du 45 tours Witchwood)
Forever (titre face A du 45 incluant "By Choice" en face B)
David Cousin, en plus de son groupe participe à de très nombreuses participations dans diverses formations dont une avec Wakeman lui même en 2002 pour le LP "Hummingbird", mais il aura également collaboré à l'album solo "The Six Wives of Heny the VIII" en 1973 en jouant du Banjo. :o)
Wakeman est très fidèle en amitié, même si parfois il a pu péter un câble dans une période où lui même dit qu'il se préoccupait plus de l'apparat que du reste. Ceci dit, le reste était quand même génial :o)
Merde je parlais de THE STRAWBS et me voila repartit sur Rick :o)
Production :
1969 : Strawbs
1970 : Antiques and Curious
1970 : Dragonfly
1971 : From the Witchwood
1972 : Grave New World
1973 : Bursting At The Seams
1974 : Hero & Heroine
1974 : Strawbs By Choice
1975 : Ghosts
1976 : Nomadness
1977 : Burning For You
1978 : Deadlines
1988 : Don't Say Goodbye
1990 : Greatest Hits Live!
1991 : Preserves Uncanned
1991 : Ringing Down The Years
1992 : A Choice Selection Of Strawbs
1995 : In Concert
1996 : Heartbreak Hill
1997 : Deep Cuts & Burning For You
1997 : Halcyon Days
1999 : Concert Classics
2001 : Acoustic Strawbs: Baroque & Roll
2003 : Blue Angel
2004 : Deja Fou
2005 : Painted Sky
2006 : A Taste Of Strawbs
2007 : NY '75 (From the Witchwood Media Archives Vol. 4)
2008 : Lay Down With The Strawbs
2008 : The Broken Hearted Bride
2009 : Dancing To The Devil's Beat
@mick3950
Go to sleep my babies
Don't you wake up
The stars will keep you company
So close your eyes
Old Uncle Moon will shine his dearest sweetest dreams
And hold you in your arms
Until the morning comes.
Dark the night, not a sound
Damp and cold, frosty ground
Above your head the lion screams
To tear you from your moonlit dreams.
Damp with sweat, mouth is dry
Twisted branches catch the eye
Beside your bed the angel stands
You cannot touch his withered hands.
As the lion's eyes dance before me
They are kindly yet bloody red
I can see that he is smiling
But I cannot live inside his head.
There the needle stands before me
I climb inside it towards the light
Where the angel stands in glory
His sword of peace defends the night.
So the world is spread before
As I fly high on angel wings
But the angel is deceiving
For he is weeping as he sings.
Early birds, morning breeze
Spinning leaves, sleepy trees
Gently tap the window pane
It's good to see the sun again.
Songwriters: David Cousins. For non-commercial use only.
@mojostephen
The Strawbs - One of my favorite bands to this day. HIGHLY UNDER RATED!!!
@frenchhornwoman
I only ever knew the Strabs thanks to their hit Part of the union. 1973. I was 5 years old. I progressed through a lot of glam rock then and moved to heavy rock, Iron Maiden but also prog rock like Marillion, but back then didn't find the real Strawbs. I am also a 50's RnR fan but also way back to 20's blues. I am also a classical musician, french horn. So I am covering all sorts of eras. I did see Ella Fitzgerald live so lucky.
This was excellent.
@Rhialto-the-Marvellous
I delight in the guitar virtuosity of Page, Gilmour, Green, Giltrap, Howe, Hackett, Nelson and Oldfield, but Lambert when he takes centre stage, he elevates any Strawbs composition from simple brilliance to the sublime.
@VibesvilleStudio
Bought this album on cassette from a cut out bin in 1980... never stopped playing it to this day, albeit digitally. One of the great albums of all time, seamless story telling!!
Oh.... And it rocks!!
Had the honor to see and meet them in NYC 1985 at the Bottom Line, amazing show and people! Top 10 desert island disc for sure!!
@packerjip9665
It rocks on and on.
@htos1av
1974, a club called Atlantis, in Atlanta, Ga. I sat on stage as a 14yo kid! BLOWN AWAY!!! They even gave me a vinyl copy demo-with the hole punch. After experiencing that, I KNEW EXACTLY what I was doing with my life. Thanks, guys!!!
@adrianlewis.w5265
My favourite band from first hearing ‘a collection of Old Antiques and Curios’ around 1970. ‘Blue Angel’ inspired me, saw every concert they ever played in Manchester, including discussing lyrics with Dave Cousins in a bar in Stockport after he played a solo gig around 1980.
@dannyfournier6657
Always ways and always will be my favorite band from this era of progressive rock music . This band went far beyond any other band in its day
@greyarea3804
I saw the scrubs live three times and three times I was not disappointed. They are incredible on stage. They play to the audience not to themselves
@TheDavidtk240
These guys are great and underappreciated.