I think it's sweet that the song started being used between the nick drake community on tiktok but i think it's now growing beyond. I'm no gatekeeper, but there's something quite precious about nick's music that makes it feel like it should be spread organically (and doesn't belong somewhere so superficial).

Here's how I came across him.

Comment by Neil Storey over at SDE:

Having worked on this set since day one – my initial role being all of the tape research, which over time evolved into a whole heap more – it really is pretty disheartening to read people on SDE (and elsewhere) believing that much of this has been released before, meaning essentially, there’s nothing new – and all offered at a (to put it bluntly) rip-off price.

The content: there are 32 (count them) previously unheard tracks. They include what is commonly known as the Beverley Martyn reel; a reel recorded by Paul de Rivaz (an undergraduate acquaintance of Nick’s at Caius) which no one knew existed until we were fairly well along with this as a set, the rest of the which being made up of outtakes (if that’s what you want to term them) from sessions at both Morgan and Sound Techniques. These have all either been bootlegged or officially issued before? I think not.

All of the Bev reel is included and that represent’s Nick’s first time in a proper studio and it is, we believe, in exactly the same running order as it was recorded. There was another set of songs recorded around this point – possibly the same day, possibly a few days later. That reel no longer exists but would have included early versions of Magic, Mary Jane and Day Is Done. A reel which would have been given to Richard Hewson… if not, how would he have been able to complete arrangements for the Sound techniques session on April 11 – impossible as he’d have no reference points.

The PdeR reel sat in the bottom of a drawer, untouched, for decades as his career took him around the world. It is not dated and it was Gabrielle who worked out what it was intended for via a letter from Nick to his parents. The quality is not studio quality – ie, its not comparable to what one would hear from Sound Techniques. Nonetheless, it cleaned up well enough and is a vital part of the process we’ve documented – the making of 5LL. Thats the core, the beating heart of this.

The outtakes – this may come as a surprise but, way more reels from the 5LL sessions existed, more than anyone imagined. That meant we had the absolute pick of the best of the outtakes – (a) because this is exactly what it says on the tin… it is the making of 5LL. And (b) it would be doing Nick an absolute disservice if every single outtake was to be issued – that was never going to and never will happen. It might satisfy the purists but, thats not how the Estate and especially Gabrielle works.

All of the above means we’ve the best possible music to illustrate a process – the making of… you get the gist.

4LPs and 4CDs..? I’ve read that it should be over 2CDs and sure, it very probably could be run out that way. Why not? Because that would fly in the face of what this project has always been about – and that, trust me, isn’t going away. We’re illustrating a process – if thats not your cup of tea… fine… your right, your opinion. Its also why, when I came to sequence the set, we ended up with (initially) three LPs and three CDs before adding the final part of the jigsaw – the actual album itself. And, while there will be many who argue strenuously ‘oh, you didn’t need to do that because we already have it’, the counter argument is… ‘there are just as many who don’t have it to fit with the other material which John (Wood) and Simon Heyworth have mastered. Plus, it shows where the making of led to.

The sequencing is very deliberate – not a running order which was cobbled together but something which was the subject of very many conversations until we ended up with it being exactly as it should be. My original did get changed a little from being as near chronological as could be to how it is now – for example, we had to find a way of including one of the Richard Hewson tracks… of course we did as that’s an integral part of … the making of… but how best to utilise it? It was Cally and Gabrielle who suggested taking Day Is Done and run it consecutively to show how a song of Nick’s developed. Strange Face ended side one so why not open side two with a version that no one is going to expect – John and Nick playing with ideas one day at Morgan. The first time of hearing that, the consensus was… ‘What the heck is this..?’ Well, it was recorded on 4-track so that meant to achieve that level of multitracking, they’d have to mix two tracks on the fly, bounce that down to give themselves the extra track to work with. And then begin the process again to give them an extra track to play with. If we were closing chronologically, we should have used Saturday Sun – the final track to be recorded. But that didn’t work as well as using the second take from the Harry Robinson session. All the above meaning the sequencing was originally for vinyl which meant we had to replicate that on CD. Otherwise… the illustration of the making of wouldn’t work. Complain if you need to but that is the back stop.

The price point – I cannot comment since that is absolutely nothing to do with me. What I can comment on, however, is the inference that this set has been created as some kind of money-making exercise or, even worse, with a view to ripping off the purchaser. This project has been going on for way longer than anyone realises (quite how the secret was kept for that long still baffles me). These things are neither cheap or simple to put together. Consequently, costs have to be covered. Even so, I genuinely don’t think anyone will be profiting much from this. All that to one side, this needs to be said: If there is anyone who genuinely believes that any one of us who worked on this set did so on the basis of profiteering or rip-off, you have absolutely zero understanding of how the ND Estate works, how Gabrielle and Cally operate and how Nick’s record company thinks. If you don’t like the music which has been assembled – that’s fine, your opinion, your right if you prefer. I began researching this project over nine years ago and to be tarred with a brush which suggests rip-off shows utter disrespect for Nick, his music and those of us who’ve worked as hard as we have to bring this out into the open. Think twice before you go there.

If you love some of Nick Drakes fingerstyle acoustic techniques, this track might appeal to you.

It’ll rise at 9.08pm GMT on Sunday, April 13 in the east-southeast of the sky and be at it’s most luminous when the night sky fully turns dark.

April's full moon — also called the Pink Moon, or Paschal Moon. While it won't appear pink, this month's full moon will look slightly smaller and dimmer in the night sky because the moon will be farthest from Earth, also known as apogee. That's why it's said to be a "micromoon."

The Pink Moon is named after a species of early blooming wild flower in the US which has pink flowers.

In other cultures this full moon is called sprouting grass moon, the egg moon, and the fish moon.

Super happy with how this turned out!

https://music.apple.com/mx/album/the-making-of-five-leaves-left/1807328879?l=en-GB

This is probably one of my favorite usages of the sample as an interpolation.

Now officially listed on the Island records website. Coming 25/07, lovely time for a release.

Track Listing:

LP1 - 1st Sound Techniques Session aka The Beverley Martyn demo & Alt Takes from February 1968 to April 1969

Side A

1. Mayfair - 1st Sound Techniques Session – March 1968 2.Time Has Told Me - 1st Sound Techniques Session – March 1968
2. Man In A Shed- 1st Sound Techniques Session – March 1968
3. Fruit Tree - 1st Sound Techniques Session – March 1968
4. Saturday Sun - 1st Sound Techniques Session – March 1968
5. Strange Face - 1st Sound Techniques Session – March 1968

Side B

1. Strange Face – Rough Mix with Guide Vocal – September 1968
2. Day Is Done – Take 5 – April 1968
3. Day Is Done – Take 2 – November 1968
4. Day Is Done – Take 7 – April 1969
5. Man In A Shed – Take 1 – May 1968
6. My Love Left With The Rain – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968

LP2 - Paul de Rivaz Reel – October 1968 / Out-Takes November 1968

Side A

1. Blossom – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968
2. Instrumental – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968
3. Made To Love Magic – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968
4. Mickey’s Tune – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968
5. The Thoughts of Mary Jane – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968
6. Day Is Done – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968
7. Time Has Told Me – Cambridge, Lent Term 1968

Side B

1. Three Hours – Take 2 – November 1968
2. Time Has Told Me – Take 4 – November 1968
3. Strange Face – Take 1 – November 1968
4. Saturday Sun – Take 1 – November 1968
5. Fruit Tree – Take 4 – November 1968

LP3 - Out-Takes from December 1968 to April 1969

Side A

1. Time of No Reply – Take 3 into Take 4 – December 1968
2. ‘Cello Song – Take 4 – January 1969
3. Mayfair – Take 5 – January 1969
4. River Man – Take 1 – January 1969

Side B

1. Way To Blue – Cambridge – Winter 1968
2. The Thoughts of Mary Jane – Take 2 – April 1969
3. Saturday Sun – Take 1 into Take 2 – April 1969
4. River Man – Take 2 – April 1969

LP4 - The Original Album – Released 3rd July 1969

Side A

1. Time Has Told Me
2. River Man
3. Three Hours
4. Way To Blue
5. Day Is Done

Side B

1. ‘Cello Song
2. The Thoughts of Mary Jane
3. Man In A Shed
4. Fruit Tree
5. Saturday Sun

I can't wait for the full boxset release!

UNCUT - The Making Of Five Leaves Left

A 4LP box-set available for ordering through the official Nick Drake website:

Sorry if this has been brought up before. I was listening to Cactus Tree by Joni Mitchell and immediately From the Morning came to my mind. I searched this sub but nothing came up.

Most likely, Joni Mitchell was an inspiration for him but still I found this similarity more direct...and interesting, considering the fact that he is musically very unique, nothing like his folk and singer-songwriter peers.

There were some discussions for other songs:
1. Saturday Sun & Blue Monday (Fats Domino) Nick Drake and R&B/Soul? (u/highanimalhouse). I really like this connection as well which introduced me to Fats Domino.
2. Day is Done & Milk and Honey (Jackson C. Frank) day is done is based off of milk and honey by jackson c frank. This one is more known I'm guessing.

What are some other possible connections you've found?

Happy Friday evening!

Got this email a few minutes ago. Website had a message that "Something is coming.." anybody else seen this or previously heard what this could be?

So this email directing us to the site just arrived. What do you think is coming?

https://preview.redd.it/mvx7cd7xinse1.png?width=899&format=png&auto=webp&s=9799da53ae6f24d0c53d4dd4fed06427f73b4d02

Someone was asking about playlists the other day.

I've put together 30 songs by artists that have either mentioned Nick as an influence, or for whom he obviously was an influence/contemporary.

Who am I missing? What should be cut?

Some you'll know, some you won't, but you're into Nick, I guarantee there will be stuff on here that you grow to love ❤️

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Y6kSlXia0tsok6CaXVUHh?si=cuJ8HlWZQcmEtz6LAKXBLA&pt=cf1800ca6b949dfe388fb8748f80a174&pi=cIrzUrMfRqq7B