SLS: Brighten My Northern Sky

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As today is the first Sunday of the month, Jim is giving us an invitation to play a song written or performed by someone born in the month of June. His post, Queen Of The Gods, tells all. There were quite a few possibilities for me this month, but my choice really was a no-brainer: I couldn’t possibly go for anyone else.

That choice is Nick Drake, who was born on 19 June 1948, and sadly passed away from an overdose of prescription medication on 25 November 1974, at the age of just 26. His Wikipedia page tells the full sad story of a troubled life. Nick made three albums in his lifetime, and was believed to be working on a fourth in the months before he died. He has left us a legacy of beautiful music, from which I’m playing three songs, two by Nick himself and one in an amazing cover version. All were written by Nick.

My first choice is probably my favourite of his songs:

And the lyrics, if you need them, can as usual be found at genius.com.

Northern Sky was a track on Nick’s second album, Bryter Layter, which was released in March 1971. It sold fewer than 3,000 copies when first released, and met with mixed reviews from critics – a pattern which was consistent throughout his brief career, which was partly the cause of the depression and stage fright from which he suffered, and which brought about his death. But, like all of his studio albums and three of the seven compilation albums which have been released, it has sold steadily over a long period, and has been certified Gold here in the UK. This track was certified Silver as a single earlier this year, from a 2004 re-release.

Wikipedia says that the song was probably written during Nick’s brief period of living in Hastings with John Martyn and his wife Beverley. According to her, “He wrote that one around us. We had a tree in the garden across the pavement – hence the line, ‘Smelt sweet breezes at the top of a tree.’ The top of the tree came to the window where Nick was, and you could see the full moon on the sea at night.” There has been speculation as for whom the song was written, with Linda Peters (later Linda Thompson) as the most often mentioned candidate. There is no real evidence for this, however, and he was at the time friendly with a number of women, mostly, it is thought, platonic in nature. Whoever was in his mind when he wrote it, I still think it is a beautiful song, probably the most uplifting of all of his tunes – which thought has fuelled the speculation about its subject!

My second song for today is Hazey Jane I, another track from Bryter Layter:

And again, genius.com has the lyrics.

From what I can tell, no one seems entirely sure what this song and its companion piece on the album, Hazey Jane II, are actually about. This one is clearly intended as advice and support for a friend, though who ‘Jane’ was isn’t clear – if she even existed. But it is another lovely song, and very typical of Nick’s work, though one of the interpretations I have found – that it is an ode to the pale ale brand Hazey Jane – is rather more prosaic. I tend to reject that!

As well as its belated sales recognition, Bryter Layter has also been rated at 245 on the 2003 edition of Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. I’d have placed it higher.

My final track for today – the cover version – is a song that wasn’t released in Nick’s lifetime. It first appeared on Time of No Reply, a 1987 compilation album featuring outtakes and alternative versions of some of his songs. It has subsequently appeared on three further compilations: Way To Blue, Made To Love Magic, and A Treasury, all of which have been certified for UK sales, two of them Gold and the other Silver. The song is Black Eyed Dog, and this incredible cover is by my favourite German pagan folk band, Faun:

Lyrics, if you need them, are of course at genius.com.

Black Eyed Dog is thought to be the last song Nick wrote and recorded before his death, and it refers to a phrase used by Sir Winston Churchill to describe his periods of depression. The lyrics are quite brief but they don’t need to say any more: you can feel Nick’s suffering in them. Faun do a wonderful job with the song, and some of the imagery in their video is amazing.

That’s my lot for today. As always, I am grateful to Jim for running the show, and I’m looking forward to seeing who other SLS participants have chosen to play.

Have a lovely day, and I’ll see you again for Tuesday Tunes, I trust 🎶

36 thoughts on “SLS: Brighten My Northern Sky”

    • Thank you, Enda, I’m pleased to have found another fan. Molly features on some tracks on the hybrid album, Family Tree, but her voice isn’t as good as Nick’s!

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    • I’ve played Faun several times before. I’m a big fan so no doubt you’ll be seeing them again at some point!

      Only three Nick Drake albums to choose from – why not treat yourself and get them all?

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  3. A worthy tribute to Nick Drake. A tragic life ,very heart rending to read too. If my memories serves (it usually does with music) back when he was creating all those moving songs he seemed to have been filed in the public music-going consciousness as cross between Syd Barett and the pre- T.Rex Marc Bolan and ‘Another Island Records talent’- unfair I know but the old saying ‘That’s Show-Biz’ has a wider more pernicious reach that most think.

    To happier thoughts. Always a great deal of raw natural power in Faun.

    Thanks Clive

    Roger

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    • We have his music by which we can remember his tragic story. I think he just went under the radar for most,due to his unwillingness to play live shows and the lack of promotion by his record company.

      Faun are always good value for me 👍

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  5. Clive excellent choice on a June-born artist. I came to Nick with Pink Moon but have enjoyed many of his other songs. I know I saw a doc on him and his horrible early death. I do remember that his mom is some kind of an artist as well?

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  7. Pure talent shines through, no need for wall-to-wall orchestration or a massed choir of backing singers, just the one lonely voice is enough. But what a sad short life.

    He was out of time in many ways. Nowadays the best talent can come to the fore produced on someones bed-sit computer and put out on YouTube to be seen and heard. No need to tie yourself into twisted knots going out before an audience or record company execs who want you to go out on a world tour. Not everyone is a born showman/woman.

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    • He wasn’t a fan of over-orchestration, and rejected that for his third album, which was just him. He was amazingly talented and you’re right, he would have been able to share his music nowadays without the pressures which in the end finished him. A sad loss, but such beautiful music.

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    • He has become a cult figure here, due to his backstory, but I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of him before. You’ll enjoy listening to more of his music, I’m sure 👍

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  11. Can’t add anything to what you say about Drake. He was an immense talent who had a sad go of it. Bryter Layter way down at #245? Pretty shocking, but then, not surprising considering the source. It’s a shame so many Americans, and orhers, have been deprived of hearing his beautiful music. But, then, Melville, Van Gogh, and Robert Johnson had to wait a long while as well.

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    • I’m pleased you share my view of him. It’s always sad when artistic talents aren’t recognised until they have passed, as that lack of appreciation may well have contributed to their deaths – it certainly did for Nick and VVG.

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    • I’m pleased you liked Nick’s music, and Faun’s cover too. I’ve never thought of that Bob Lind analogy and to be honest I’m having a hard time seeing it. But as I’ve been a fan of Nick’s music since he began that probably isn’t surprising!

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  13. Nice selection, Clive as I always wanted to know more about Nick Drake who was largely overlooked in his lifetime, but he became more famous after his death. I read that he was notoriously shy, hated playing live, and refused to do the promotion necessary to break through to a wider audience. Drake battled severe depression throughout his adult life, but it is easy to see how much talent he had. This music is very peaceful.

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    • What you say about Nick is absolutely correct, and there is a good Wikipedia biography of him for which I included the link, if you’d like to know more. He was shy, and his unwillingness to play live was probably a factor in his record company deciding not to promote his albums. Beautiful music, which I’ve loved ever since I first heard a song of his on a sampler album.

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  14. As i am sure you expected, I am not familiar with Nick Drake- but he has a gentle pleasing voice and I liked both of his songs. Now as for Faun- you introduced me to them on this prompt- and I have always enjoyed anything that you have shared by them. Great post, Clive.

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    • I think Nick Drake has gone under the radar for many, Jodi, and not just over there. I’m glad you enjoyed his songs, and I couldn’t leave Faun out, could I – that video is fairly recent and I’ve watched it a lot!

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    • Thank you, Ange, I’m glad you appreciate him too. I first heard him on a budget sampler album and have been a fan ever since. I can still remember buying my copy of ‘Sounds’ magazine – a weekly ‘must-read’ – and being devastated to see that he had died. That has created the legacy he has left us. His music is delicate and beautiful, just like his soul.

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