Thank you for sharing. 'Northern Sky is gorgeous, as is so much of Nick's music. I also wrote about the most beautiful song I know, but for me, it is 'Road' off Pink Moon.
Very fun opening story abut the seduction scene and how you fell hard for Nick Drake instead of your hostess.
I'm sorry for your loss of two friends. I also have lost someone in that way and it's hard to come to terms with.
There's been quite a bit of research on artists and mental illness. I'll have to write a post on that at some point. But I appreciated your observations from the music world perspective.
I worked at Island in the early 80s. My boss (Nick Stewart) had gone to school with Nick Drake so we not only heard stories from their school days, but those of us there took good care of Nick's legacy and worked hard to get his compositions placed. The story behind Pink Moon and the Volkswagen commercial is a curious one for me. Not gonna hijack your comments with it, but you've inspired me to discuss this on my own page.
Thank you for renewing my connection to that song and for the Joe Boyd backstory. His book is on my list.
I was introduced to five leaves left by a fifth generation cassette copy that was being passed around Collins Living Learning Center in Bloomington back in 1988. There's something special about discovering things when their provenance is so murky and information is so hard to come by. Definitely miss that.
Not mentioned in the article: For their previous ad reintroducing the Beetle, Lance Jensen hired me to make him a mix tape of stuff that sounded like Spiritualized or Little Fluffy Clouds by the Orb. Although they ended up using those songs and not my picks, there was one song on my mix tape that may have stood out for later use -- Pink Moon. I asked Lance about it later and he denied that I had anything to with it, but I continue to believe otherwise. ;^)
My first wife introduced me to Nick Drake's music. There are a lot of things I associate with her and it's no big deal, but I can't listen to Drake anymore. That one is still too raw.
I’m sorry to hear that. Rod Stewart’s version of Reason To Believe is one of my favorite recorded performances ever, just magical. But it takes me back to the rawest heartbreak of my early 20s. Still have a hard time listening to it. (Listening now and I guess I’m cured)
Just one of those things. I've moved on and I'm sure I could listen to it without falling apart or anything like that, but it will always have that association for me, so I'm not eager to revisit. I guess that's the flipside of music being so powerful. Sometimes you have to deal with a little pain to balance out the magic. I'm glad you got past your hangup though.
So nice to hear your story with this artist and song. I was introduced to Nick Drake by a coworker last year and was given this album specifically by them. Northern Sky is probably my favorite of everything I've heard
Beautiful piece. I think I’ll dip back into Drake’s catalog today- it’s been a while. Thank you for the reminder, and my condolences on your losses. It’s hard out there these days
I saw Bullet Lavolta open for Mudhoney and Soundgarden at Cabaret Metro in October '89. I recall nothing about BL but that show did cause a lifelong admiration of Mudhoney and lifelong hatred of Soundgarden.
I'm gonna have to revisit Nick Drake, it's been a while.....thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your story. I too found Nick many years ago and you can tell a lot about a person and their relationship with music by asking them if they know anything about Nick Drake. Drake is timeless and given his peers, his limited output, and the lack of a digital history - we can project so many things on Nick as a doomed, romantic poet. I love ‘Bryter’ as my favorite of his and “Northern Sky” as his best song which is so very appropriate for weddings and funerals. ‘Bryter’ is Nick at his most optimistic, looking forward, thinking creatively, and crafting just those songs including the three instrumentals. He refused to drop them. Here, Nick is going for a pop record. He wants it. He so desperately trying and reaching out and he agrees to the lush Robert Kirby orchestrations (Richard Thompson guests again) and he creates something that defies simple categories and it is soul crushing knowing he was not in sync with his time. Of course his music wasn’t of that moment. It is timeless. After ‘Bryter’ Nick turned inward and thing go very dark. ‘Pink Moon’ is another masterpiece and a hard turn away from what came before. I hear the sound of a broken man who hears that hellhound on his tail and he sounds lost and fragile. His final 5 songs post ‘Pink Moon’ are tragically sad but still so beautiful.
Thank you for sharing. 'Northern Sky is gorgeous, as is so much of Nick's music. I also wrote about the most beautiful song I know, but for me, it is 'Road' off Pink Moon.
https://substack.com/@michaelfell/p-140869529
Very fun opening story abut the seduction scene and how you fell hard for Nick Drake instead of your hostess.
I'm sorry for your loss of two friends. I also have lost someone in that way and it's hard to come to terms with.
There's been quite a bit of research on artists and mental illness. I'll have to write a post on that at some point. But I appreciated your observations from the music world perspective.
Thank you!
I am so sorry for your loss of two friends.
However, I do love this post.
I worked at Island in the early 80s. My boss (Nick Stewart) had gone to school with Nick Drake so we not only heard stories from their school days, but those of us there took good care of Nick's legacy and worked hard to get his compositions placed. The story behind Pink Moon and the Volkswagen commercial is a curious one for me. Not gonna hijack your comments with it, but you've inspired me to discuss this on my own page.
Very cool! Did you know Chris Blackwell? I’m fascinated by him and his legacy.
Thank you for renewing my connection to that song and for the Joe Boyd backstory. His book is on my list.
I was introduced to five leaves left by a fifth generation cassette copy that was being passed around Collins Living Learning Center in Bloomington back in 1988. There's something special about discovering things when their provenance is so murky and information is so hard to come by. Definitely miss that.
Cool. My wife lived in Collins when we met back in ‘93.
I hadn't heard of the Bullet LaVolta connection at Arnold, but this is a good article about how Pink Moon came to be used:
https://www.boston.com/culture/music/2016/07/21/four-boston-ad-professionals-volkswagen-shed-light-almost-forgotten-music-career/
Not mentioned in the article: For their previous ad reintroducing the Beetle, Lance Jensen hired me to make him a mix tape of stuff that sounded like Spiritualized or Little Fluffy Clouds by the Orb. Although they ended up using those songs and not my picks, there was one song on my mix tape that may have stood out for later use -- Pink Moon. I asked Lance about it later and he denied that I had anything to with it, but I continue to believe otherwise. ;^)
I’d been told by a few folks that Bill Whelan from Lavolta directed the spot. And also hey man, good to see you here!
My first wife introduced me to Nick Drake's music. There are a lot of things I associate with her and it's no big deal, but I can't listen to Drake anymore. That one is still too raw.
I’m sorry to hear that. Rod Stewart’s version of Reason To Believe is one of my favorite recorded performances ever, just magical. But it takes me back to the rawest heartbreak of my early 20s. Still have a hard time listening to it. (Listening now and I guess I’m cured)
Just one of those things. I've moved on and I'm sure I could listen to it without falling apart or anything like that, but it will always have that association for me, so I'm not eager to revisit. I guess that's the flipside of music being so powerful. Sometimes you have to deal with a little pain to balance out the magic. I'm glad you got past your hangup though.
So nice to hear your story with this artist and song. I was introduced to Nick Drake by a coworker last year and was given this album specifically by them. Northern Sky is probably my favorite of everything I've heard
Beautiful piece. I think I’ll dip back into Drake’s catalog today- it’s been a while. Thank you for the reminder, and my condolences on your losses. It’s hard out there these days
I saw Bullet Lavolta open for Mudhoney and Soundgarden at Cabaret Metro in October '89. I recall nothing about BL but that show did cause a lifelong admiration of Mudhoney and lifelong hatred of Soundgarden.
I'm gonna have to revisit Nick Drake, it's been a while.....thanks for sharing!
GREAT song. Beautiful piano by John Cale, btw.
Thank you for your story. I too found Nick many years ago and you can tell a lot about a person and their relationship with music by asking them if they know anything about Nick Drake. Drake is timeless and given his peers, his limited output, and the lack of a digital history - we can project so many things on Nick as a doomed, romantic poet. I love ‘Bryter’ as my favorite of his and “Northern Sky” as his best song which is so very appropriate for weddings and funerals. ‘Bryter’ is Nick at his most optimistic, looking forward, thinking creatively, and crafting just those songs including the three instrumentals. He refused to drop them. Here, Nick is going for a pop record. He wants it. He so desperately trying and reaching out and he agrees to the lush Robert Kirby orchestrations (Richard Thompson guests again) and he creates something that defies simple categories and it is soul crushing knowing he was not in sync with his time. Of course his music wasn’t of that moment. It is timeless. After ‘Bryter’ Nick turned inward and thing go very dark. ‘Pink Moon’ is another masterpiece and a hard turn away from what came before. I hear the sound of a broken man who hears that hellhound on his tail and he sounds lost and fragile. His final 5 songs post ‘Pink Moon’ are tragically sad but still so beautiful.
Thank you for another wonderful entry. Made me pull out my Nick Drake again. Been too long…
Hard to decide which of his songs is my favourite… but this is certainly top 3. Thanks for posting.
Very nice read, thanks!
There are those who are born wide open, vulnerable & fragile
Who are blessed with the reach to caress the halo of a tinted moon.
While dancing weightlessly among waves of a brilliant night sky
They see not an ocean, but every droplet, each with a memory of its own.
Swimming endlessly in search of its origins.
Our existence is but fleeting, as measured in time.
There are those of us who go too soon,
yet graciously leave a gift,
for all to be instilled with wonder,
of the vision
that gave them
their wings.....
Thank you Nick....