Dave Cousins - Exorcising Ghosts

I am about a quarter of the way into Dave Cousins' autobiography "Exorcising Ghosts - The Strawbs and Other Lives". While it has had mixed reviews, so far I would recommend it.
 
So far there are some interesting insights into the mid 60's music scene in the UK and the recording of the Album with Sandy Denny on a 3 track tape machine in Denmark. I still think the version of "Who Know's Where the Time Goes" on that Album is the best I have heard.
 
Rick Wakeman will make an appearance in a couple of chapters. Interesting to trace the development of the band from skiffel, to a bluegrass trio, poppy folk band to prog rock.
 
 

Yes, you won't find a lot about Sandy Denny in this book as she was with the Strawbs for such a short time so its mostly one chapter. I love Cousins's 2009 song "Copenhagen" from the album "Dancing to the Devils Beat" about Sandy.
 
I have been a bit busy so I have not read much more but there are several references to TV shows where the archived tapes were wiped by the BBC and reused.
 
Footage of the Cousins/Hooper/Chesterman version of the Strawbs performing "Poor Jimmy Wilson" with David Bowie miming would have been priceless.
 
Interesting titbits, Cousins was playing with The Big Ben Banjo Band but decided give up as it was incompatible with the image they were projecting for the release of the first Strawbs Album.
 
The Strawbs family tree is posted here.
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_ftree.htm
 

Another bit of info was Wakeman was being paid 25 pounds a week by the Strawbs. He quadrupled this when he joined Yes. A chart LP in those days retailed for around 3 pounds. Rick would have been interested in beer which IIRC was around 15p a pint.

One of the consequences of Rick leaving to join Yes was I discovered the Strawbs. I was a Yes fan and had to check out the band this new keyboard player had come from. I borrowed "From the Witchwood" from a friend and was blown away. The Strawbs became one of my favorite bands.
 
Just finished reading the "Grave New World" chapters. Cousins confirms that "Tomorrow" with all its venom was about the departure of Wakeman, the line "You talk to me with acid tongue" relates to an interview were Wakman had upset him. I had always considered Blue Weaver's blistering Organ solo on that track has a touch or "up yours, Rick" about it.
 
The Grave New World film was mentioned. This was quite revolutionary at the time using the blue screen techniques. It was pretty much the first time I encountered what was to become the ubiquitous music video format.
 
Several years ago I had an online conversation with Dick Greener who runs the Strawbs web asking if the film with ever resurface, he said it was very unlikely it would ever be re-released. Cousins says in the book that with the exception of "New World" it has not aged well. (and hinted it was cringworthy in places).
 
Here is the "New World" sequence from the film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhEwjCoGru8

Just playing "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" from those early Copenhagen sessions. Sandy Denny's voice is so perfect, a shiver ran through me.
 
Cousins wrote many years later.

Several years ago
A day in early spring
In a Copenhagen bar
I heard a skylark sing

In a slow speed silent movie
There's a snow kissed winter scene
Your pretty face is glistening with tears
In that half remembered moment
Silent and serene
The town hall bells are chiming down the years

Cousins puts a lot of the blame for the demise of the Strawbs to leaving A&M. From this fan's point of view things certainly went down hill. Cousins and the producers Rupert Holmes and Jeffrey Lesser in particular were at loggerheads and I would agree with Cousins that the Albums did not "sound" like Strawbs albums.
 
The Tom Allom period had produced five of my favorite albums of all time. Deep Cuts was a bitter disappointment.
There were some good songs on the later albums, "Cut Like a Diamond" being one of my favorites but I found the to be generally disappointing.
 
The bitter legal dispute that stopped the release of Heartbreak Hill was pretty sad.
 
Cousins seemed a lot happier leaving the band behind and moving into to radio.

sharke
Why do I always think of Ann Briggs whenever I hear the name Sandy Denny? Did the two of them ever collaborate?

I think she was just a big infulence on Sandy. Apparently her song "The Pond and the Stream" is a tribute to Ann Briggs.
Thanks for the reminder - I will probably spend this evening on Youtube looking for Ann Briggs songs.
 
 

Briggs was indeed a huge influence on the scene of the time. She also had a big effect on June Tabor, one of the greatest folk singers of all time IMO. Here's Briggs singing Blackwaterside, it's really beautiful.