Nick Drake – Three Hours (Live On John Peel’s Night Ride – 8/5/69)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognition. Drake signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and a student at the University of Cambridge. He released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. He recorded two more albums—Bryter Layter (1971) and Pink Moon (1972). Neither sold more than 5,000 copies on initial release. His reluctance to perform live, or be interviewed, contributed to his lack of commercial success. There is no known video footage of the adult Drake; he was only ever captured in still photographs and in home footage from his childhood.
Drake experienced depression, particularly during the latter part of his life, a fact often reflected in his lyrics. On completion of his third album, 1972’s Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents’ home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November 1974, Drake died from an overdose of a prescribed antidepressant; he was 26 years old. Whether his death was an accident or suicide has not been resolved.
Drake’s music remained available through the mid-1970s, but the 1979 release of the retrospective album Fruit Tree allowed his back catalogue to be reassessed. By the mid-1980s, Drake was being credited as an influence by such artists as Robert Smith of The Cure and Peter Buck of R.E.M. In 1985, The Dream Academy reached the UK and US charts with “Life in a Northern Town”, a song written for and dedicated to Drake. By the early 1990s, he had come to represent a certain type of “doomed romantic” musician in the UK music press and was frequently cited as an influence by artists including Kate Bush, Paul Weller, Aimee Mann, Beck, Robyn Hitchcock and The Black Crowes. Drake’s first biography appeared in 1997, followed in 1998 by the documentary film A Stranger Among Us.
Where did this come from I remember JP saying it was lost?
galloping beggining
Amzing that you should have this. Eorth a fortune I should think. Thanks for making it available you saint you.
jesus christ is this for real?
so if this is indeed real, would this be like the only live recording of nick drake ever? I ask because I don't see anything else up online
Holy crap, if this is real, then where on earth did it come from; was it taped from the broadcast? The original masters were meant to have been wiped over by the BBC.
One of my fav songs.
Big tx for sharing this!!
Thats Got to be him. No-one I think could do such a good job of sounding like Nick.
i seem to recall another song from this session being online a few years back; forget which one though.
Sounds like it was taped off the radio maybe?
some of his greatest guitar riffs, love the change!
sweeeet … thanks for 'posting' this … still can't get over the loss of such a unique musician and man !
John Peel was such an awesome guy when it came to giving artists chances to play live.
thanks for this. sad this is the only live video of such a mastermind.
Nick Drake was the real deal. So sad that he died not knowing how many lives he'd touch.
Wow, don't think I've ever heard this song before. It's not on any of his albums, is it? Amazing as always.
Beautiful guitar playing
this is why john peel is the best radio dj ever, he got Nick to play live
Are there any videos of Mr. Drake singing live??
I know the sound is dodgy but you can tell he is fucking nailing that complex guitar. Voice sounds great too. Genius.
There's a reason this video has ZERO dislikes after over 40,000 views. Nick Drake is one of the best singer/songwriters that ever existed.
His music allows you to experience the perfect union of pleasure and sorrow. Not many are able to create one of these emotions let alone both at the same time!
+Frodisboy
Thank you so much for this rare find. Nick was a genius.
Right from the spot: impressive!!
Sad that this is probably the only surviving live recording of him.
A black and white still of a man who probably produced some of the most moving music ever. A troubled soul no more. Leaves us wondering then still.
Thank you!
I will always be inspired by the guitar playing and singing of Nick Drake. He was a unique and incredibly talented musician. Nobody can ever take that away.
Unreal this. Genuinely so sad how he had no idea how big he is and could get. RIP 🙁
very rare gem I guess..
Nick Drake. The man. The legend. The last I heard he went to see the River Man…
What drives a man to overdose on anti-depressants.
Someome should go back to time, meet Nick Drake and record him and maybe interview him. We dont have any video about him sadly
I'm sorry, is this really Nick Drake live?
This is possibly the best song I've ever heard! Wow, just wow.
It is a mark of true genius to make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end listening to the haunting music and voice. I hope he knows, somewhere, that people down here how people admire him.
…just wow. Fate brought me to hear Nick Drake for the first time about 19 years ago. Since then I have vowed to create music as powerful and sincere as he did. I am almost there. Remember my name-Pow Ahimsa.
he was so innovative. brilliant writer.
You can hear the direct influence of Bert Jansch on his technique and style.