Nick Drake - a whole new perspective by Richard Morton Jack

Richard Morton Jack interviewed over 200 people when assembling what’s unquestionably the best, most colourful, comprehensive, revealing and accurate portrait of Nick Drake ever published. We talked to him about ‘Nick Drake: The Life’ at a live podcast recording at 21Soho on September 25 and explored various remote corners of this sad, surprising and eternally gripping story, among them ….
… the fate of the tape of the 20-year old Drake playing for the Stones in Morocco in 1969.
… what the press and public made of Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layer and Pink Moon when released and Joe Boyd’s reaction to their eventual success.
… the early school days of the head boy who won a cup for “General Efficiency”.
… his obsession with Francoise Hardy and the disastrous day he met her.
… the peaks and troughs of his live performances including the time he played an event for a Birmingham rugby team supporting Genesis (required to play the Hokey-Cokey).
… Kirstie Clegg, his on-off girlfriend from 1969.
… Drake’s uncelebrated fondness for TV sitcoms and Benny Hill.
… Peter Paul And Mary and other unlikely staples of his early repertoire.
… and the events that helped re-boot his legacy.
Order Richard’s highly recommended book here …
www.amazon.co.uk/Nick-Drake-R...
Tickets for Word In Your Ear live at 21 Soho on November 27th here:
Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon for early - and ad-free! - access to all of our content: / wordinyourear

[@Anybloke]

I've read three books on Nick Drake and by far the best is RMJ's. The final third detailing the extent of his illness towards the end of his life is quite heartbreaking.

[@selwyn77]

It's the most extensive, but I was surprised on re-reading the Humphries bio, that the only new ground Jack really covers is that he was able to interview this woman who knew Nick and for whatever reason didn't speak to Patrick.

[@laupeix]

OMG. Subscribed immediately. I just discovered World in your Ear and I don't know if I will be able to listen to all the episodes.This is fantastic.Thank you.

[@patrickselden5747]

Thanks for this, y'all... ☝️😎

[@vaseofflowers4619]

I've been into Nick Drake since the late nineties. I only discovered Nick cos there was a documentary on BBC about Nick. I'd never heard of him. I was in my mid-twenties at the time. I'm fifty and wish I'd had Nick's records as a teenager and in my early twenties. I remembered Nick's sister from 1980s TV.

[@billythedog-309]

Newcomer, eh?

[@swirlingfudge]

I’m 50 too, which means we probably both watched an episode of Dogtanian and the Three Muskahounds at the same time at some point.

[@vaseofflowers4619]

@@swirlingfudge Mate, I searched RUclips for Dogtanian only last year but found you had to pay to get full episodes. But the theme tune and opening credits were very much gratis - so I indulged cos I was drunk/stoned and sang along with gusto & verve: "One for all and all for one Muskahounds are always ready. One for all and all for one...helping everybody🤪😜😇 The Cardinal Richelieu fox was my favourite cos he was an unmitigated cad and a scheming bounder.

[@vaseofflowers4619]

@@davidmee7239 To put it in sixties terminology that is a groovy fact, Dave. I'm unsure if people actually did say "groovy" in the sixties or whether Austin Powers has made me think that.

[@swirlingfudge]

@@vaseofflowers4619 I’ve done exactly the same before. Another absolute banger was the tune for ‘Mysterious Cities of Gold’. I’m going to have to seek that out and crank it up later

[@igolfjtweetler4097]

Astounding original talent who is still underrated Drake.

[@Frostinabrokentree]

Thanks great informative interview and insightful..

[@philliptanswell7159]

I bought the first album when it came out on the basis of a review in Melody Maker.
At the time, I though it was OK but I was a bit underwhelmed.
It grew on me and I bought the next 2 albums as well

[@borcami]

Why were you disappointed? What exactly didn't convince you?

[@philliptanswell7159]

Unfair knock against Peter, Paul and Mary!
They weren’t “square”; they were popularisers without whom the public would have not been exposed to some great American folk music (eg Rev Gary Davis) or new song writers ( eg John Denver).
Your denigration is with hindsight; it wasn’t like that at the time.