Pink Moon

[Sara_tonin]

Nick Drake's Pink Moon. One of my favorite albums.
Does anyone know much about it's production?
A friend once told me it was all recorded in one take but who knows how reliable that information is.

Share what you know about Pink Moon.

[hollis]

Hmm, I know it was recorded in 2 evening sessions at Sound Techniques in Chelsea.
U67 on Drakes voice (I can't remember where I heard this)
Ambience microphones.
It must have been recorded on 1" 8 track and mixed down to 1/4"
The studio is no longer there (I've looked)

[dissolva]

Just returned from Spain, Nick Drake contacted producer/engineer John Wood about wanting to record a new album. Wood told him that the studio was booked so they would have to work on it after hours. Nick showed up at the studio at midnight with guitar in hand. The "recorded in one take" is the stuff of legend. Yeah, the whole album was actually recorded and mixed in 2 evenings. Here's some relevant quotes:

"He arrived at midnight and we started. It was done very quickly. After we had finished I asked him what I should keep, and he said all of it, which was a complete contrast to his former stance. He came in for another evening and that was it. It took hardly any time to mix, since it was only his voice and guitar, with one overdub only. Nick was adamant about what he wanted. He wanted it to be spare and stark, and he wanted it to be spontaneously recorded."
John Wood, sound engineer for Pink Moon

"He didn't want any more songs. He had no more material, and he thought that was part of the deal. And he was right. I wouldn't want to hear anymore before turning it over. If something is that intense, it can't really be measured in minutes
John Wood, on the album that clocked in at just under half an hour

All of Drake's sessions were recorded at an eight-track studio in London called Sound Techniques and engineered by John Wood. Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter were produced by Joe Boyd, Pink Moon was produced by John Wood, and Time of No Reply was produced (after Drake's death) by Frank Kornelessun and Joe Boyd. In a BBC radio special broadcast in June 1998, "Fruit Tree: The Nick Drake Story," Wood commented that after Drake's death, scores of acoustic guitarists asked him to engineer their recording sessions in the hopes of duplicating Drake's sound. Each of them would leave the session frustrated. As Wood said, the best mic in the world is not going to make you sound a better guitarist than you are. Drake had all the talent and ability, and reproducing his "sound" was quite easy. It all came from Drake.

"Having spent so much time assimilating his unique musicianship, Scott Appel wrote a revealing article for FRETS magazine: 'Drake's right hand technique was considerable. He produced a dreadnought - like sound with a small bodied Guild M-20 - the only [steel string] guitar he ever used to record. He fingerpicked with a combination of flesh and nail, and used only his nails for strumming. He never used picks of any kind. The recorded sound of Drake's guitar was also partly due to the miking technique of his sound engineer John Wood, who already had recorded British musicians Richard Thompson, John Martyn and Robin Williamson, using a four microphone setup for Drake's acoustic. One ambient mic was placed all the way across the room. Power was not the only characteristic of Drake's right-hand technique. He played unusual and irregular patterns with his thumb, contrary to the clearly defined bass rhythms played by the thumb in most fingerpicking patterns (the alternating bass, for example)...'"

"The only steel-string acoustic guitar Nick Drake ever recorded with was a small-bodied Guild M-20. It is pictured on the cover of Bryter Layter. The M stands for mahogany (back and sides), and the top was burgundy-stained spruce. The advantage of smaller-bodied acoustics (as opposed to dreadnoughts) is that they're generally easier to record, with a nice balance across the tonal spectrum. Drake's guitar never required compression in the recording studio. He also recorded several pieces with a nylon-string guitar, but its identity is unknown. Most likely it was a borrowed guitar. He accompanied himself on piano on one recorded song: "Saturday Sun" (Five Leaves Left).

[TornadoTed]

I love Nick Drake and my finace recently brought me the 3 albums on 180 Gramme vinyl. Incidently they sound fantatic on LP compared to the CD's. Pink Moon is a masterpiece and sounds fantasic. We went to Tamworth in Arden a couple of years ago to his home and where he is buried. He is one of the most unique recording artists I've ever heard with an amazing playing style, it was great to pay homage to the boy.

[vtone]

Originally Posted by TornadoTed

I love Nick Drake and my finace recently brought me the 3 albums on 180 Gramme vinyl. Incidently they sound fantatic on LP compared to the CD's.

which label is reissuing PINK MOON on 180 gramme?

[twotracker]

Simply Vinyl reissued the three remasters on 180 g, and I think that M-20 guild was all mahogany, top included, not just the back and sides.

[Sigma]

John Wood was an AWESOME engineer..listent to his Fairport convention stuff..

[max cooper]

I've always been partial to "Five Leaves Left". But there's not really any bad Nick Drake stuff.

I just got the 180 gram on SV.

The catalog number is SVLP 163

[vtone]

Originally Posted by twotracker

Simply Vinyl reissued the three remasters on 180 g, and I think that M-20 guild was all mahogany, top included, not just the back and sides.

damn, can't find anything about nick drake on their site... http://www.simplyvinyl.com/

[twotracker]

They came out when the CD's were remastered. I can't find them on any of the online venders either.
Out of print, you'll need to chance ebay to get them http://cgi.ebay.com/NICK-DRAKE-Lot-o...QQcmdZViewItem

[max cooper]

If you have a specialty vinyl store, they'll order that stuff for you.

Look on ebay, too. Often you'll see new LP's there.

In fact, here are a bunch:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...=nick+drake+lp

[Kestral]

Hmmmm, it sounds like fuzzy acoustic Jeff Buckley

[cdog]

Simply Vinyl rules supreme.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Kestral

Hmmmm, it sounds like fuzzy acoustic Jeff Buckley

A little more like Tim Buckley, but with opiates in place of the psychedelics.

[brokenstring]

I got into Nick Drake a few years ago.

His story reminds me a lot of Eva Cassidy's. Amazingly talented but not really respected and aknowledged until their deaths. It's a shame.

[squeegybug]

I just came in this evening, pushed play on the CD jukebox without knowing what was cued, and Pink Moon started.

After I came out of the trance I saw this thread....

I don't think I would like having Pink Moon on vinyl... It just builds so progressively through the songs, and I couldn't stand to have to stop and flip, it would break the spell.

re the all-mahogany -- I've owned a '65 M20 for many years, mine is indeed mahogany top, back, neck, sides. Even the back braces are mahogany. Rosewood fingerboard. The only spruce are the top braces. I replaced the (as always) shrunken plastic headstock veneer when I got it, by building a new mahogany veneer.

Super nice old guitar, been down many roads with me. I love it with dead strings too, like on those old ND recordings. Wish I could play it like him...

BTW, Guild re-released the M20 a few years back, then discontinued them again. I played a bunch of them all over the country, hoping to find some of that magic of the old '60s models -- no chance. They were not even close. And I think I remember those new ones did have spruce tops.

Steve

[shikawkee]

You know what sucks? I bought the remastered version based on the hyped fact that it was supervised by the original engineer, 24-bit, blah, blah, blah and it turns out they manufactured the wrong master. Put some headphones on. You can hear at least 4-5 digital clicks. I reached Joe Wood via e-mail (through his sister) and he told me the horrible truth. He was downtrodden over it as well. Pisses me off.

[Kestral]

So I spent the rest of the day with Pink Moon while at work. Oh god, it's so dreary, depressing and unexciting. Oh well, at least I gave it a shot

[achtung baby]

really, really, really beautiful record.

[squeegybug]

Originally Posted by Kestral

Pink Moon.... ....at work

Does not compute.

Steve

[littledoodler]

Pink moon is definitely one of my all time favorite albums. I have the simply vinyl and its does sound truly magical. The art work of the album is perfect also.

[Neukoln]

I love Pink Moon too.

SHOOT ME DOWN - Bryter Later is my favourite Nick Drake album. Please don't send me death threats.

I have Bryter Later on 180-gram vinyl and it is a religious experience to say the least. I actually find this album extemely uplifting and spirited! It fills you with joy even in the melancholy moments.

And as for those who say "but it's got all those cliche arrangements and that dates it etc etc" - well that's bollocks. The arrangements on that album complement the songs beautifully and are very skillfully written. "Northern Sky" is probably the most arrestingly beautiful song ever committed to tape in my opinion.

My 2c

[u b k]

pop in river man, then pop in beck's loose change.

a little homage never hurt no one.


gregoire
del ubik

[Silver Sonya]

Bryter Layter is one of my favorite records of all time and I agree about its uplifting quality. I don't know why people always talk about Nick Drake being depressing. I find his work very life-affirming.

--- C

[Mark107]

I met Robert Kirby, the man who scored the strings on most of Nick Drake's tracks. I asked him about the Guild guitar, and he laughed. He said he never say Nick in the studio with anything other than a Martin D-28. I asked, what's up with the Guild then? He said it belonged to the photographer. I asked, "Do you mean it was a prop?" He said yes. I SWEAR this is 100% true.

[ScoolED]

Cool Info! John Wood is one of my favorites! Nick Drake, Fairport Convention and Tim Buckley (not into Jeff so much) mentioned in the same thread-im in heaven.

Originally Posted by SIGMA

John Wood was an AWESOME engineer..listent to his Fairport convention stuff..

Fairport records are some of the most beautiful sounding recordings...any more info would be great!

ScoolED

[neve1073]

unique guitar player and songwriter. i read a decent biography of him a few years ago which had some interesting interviews. it's by a guy named patrick humphries.

[Umami Uni]

Yeah Pink Moon doesn't translate to your weak sauce work environment.

I think of it as a warm summer night kind of an album, where you're sitting in the quiet with nothing but a glowing ember from a cigarette or bowl.

Try that sometime.tutt

[Mark Kaufman]

Gotta love those three year gaps between posts...

[delonien]

Originally Posted by Mark Kaufman

Gotta love those three year gaps between posts...

you mean, like this one?