Nick Drake - A Stranger Among Us Documentary Part Four

[nickhmusica]

I was lucky enough to know Keith Morris personally for a short time and I remember thanking him for the way he stood up for Nick in this interview. The Island label folk (in this clip) sound like they are on the defensive. Awesome strength of character Keith, Nick was a poet. :)

[clickswitchh]

His sister seems like such a nice person

[rocktenniscat]

30 pills because you want to sleep well? Um....anyone would realize 30 of anything would be lethal. (7:05 - 7:10) It sounds like Nick hit such a low point in his life, that he decided to end it all. Tragic, no matter what happened...

[wabalope]

Shit man. Gabrielle's talking made me cry a little.

[wovokanarchy]

Sounds like Nick Drake had schizophrenia or least had the symptoms.

[Criddington]

when his sister looked into the camera at 8.50, i got a chill up the back of my neck!

[Ziggurathss]

01.28 - he's a poet ... with a guitar.

The man has totally right!!!

listen to the conversation starting at 01.00 > 01.30

[mattyjay86]

Maybe someone murdered him....they said he didnt like to perform at one point. Maybe they thought he would be worth more dead then alive.

[issystardust]

wow those people singing covers sound REALLY awful!!

[Sartre180]

enjoyed immensely, thanks for posting mate...left me rather sad though

[plica06]

The way it ended, this documentary just seems thrown together! I don't buy that Nick was ahead of his time. He was slightly behind his time, which is partly why he had no success. Between '69 and '74 folk music couldn't compete for commercial success with the rock and pop of The Beatles, The Stones, and Punk music was just around the corner. Nicks brand of Folk music has come back into vogue that's why it seems like he was ahead of his time. The point is his music is beautiful and timeless.

[DeluxeReissue]

@plica06

Dude, you should do some research. Folk music, although not overly dominating the popular charts in the late 60s to early 70s, was VERY popular. There was a huge folk scene going both in England and the US and in other countries - Ireland as well. Lots of folk records sold very well and quite a few charted very high. And by the way, the Beatles broke up in 1970.

NIck basically had no success because he didn't play live to build a fan base. In that period you really had to.

[fischerpilne]

A thoughtful, honest documentary. I had thought 'A skin too few' was the only Nick Drake documentary. . This video balances out the raw, moving emotion of A Skin Too Few.;' and brings Nick forth with all the qualities and flaws of a full human being;, An absolute gem!

[lumiere1955]

I don't know if anyone thought about that; my first feeling while listening Nick was... "here we have someone very ahead of his time, who lived there anyone and left early".

Nick's music wasn't for his time, his years here. I wonder what had caught him and I wonder if that crossed his mind anytime.

Anyway, I may be being silly.

[shipwreckedcamper]

I can understand the people who were close to Nick, belief his suicide was accidental. To me Nick was another one of those fragile genuis's like Curt Cobain, Shelley, Mozart or Chopin who unfortunately just weren't built to last. & the really sad thing was Nick knew this. But what he didn't know, that I believe the others did know. Was they were way ahead of their time.

[budgethemusicsponge]

@shipwreckedcamper Stop trying to shove Nick into the Suicidal Geniuses Club. It's just lazy!

[shipwreckedcamper]

@budgethemusicsponge Yeah your right.....He was like Curt Cobain. A fragile genius. But that's where i think the similarity ends. While Curt was probably just sick of everything. Everything seemed to scare Nick to death. & here's one more thing to consider. Charles Dickens illustrated it so effectively. We... All of us.... Are our own chief architect & builder of our own private hells. Reason enough to want to opt out, of the game a little early I suppose. I hope the poor devils have found peace

[budgethemusicsponge]

@shipwreckedcamper I never said he was like Kurt Cobain? I do agree with your closing sentiment though.

[capaldicorporations]

what's richard dawkins doing on this?

[VanKlaunch]

Nick Drake's birthday is coming up June 19, which is also my birthday!

[sneezepal]

This is a fantastic documentary. Thank you for giving us the privilege of viewing it here. Nick Drake's music will live forever.

[thelittlebombardier]

they should've just stuck with his sister on this one -the friends down memory lane twaddle was enough to put you off him!

[gloskeith]

Thank you so much for posting this documentary. I've only recently discovered Nick's wonderful music and wanted to discover more about the man - this programme seems to paint a very honest portrait. Absolutely fascinating.

[SherrieLeaLaird]

because one can't have it all in life, when one is given talent like that, they don't get the happy other life. I've never heard of it in history. In order to be that artistic you have to be born TOO sensitive to live.

[SherrieLeaLaird]

I agree with the other dude...poet or not...he probably had agoraphobia by the lack of listening from his first giggings..

he does come with the territory. You can tell by him saying 'If I'm so great why is no one buying it" I know all of it very well as a musician myself. It's a common split personality thing of wanting to be out and resenting having to go out and 'sell' (not in the money sense) for people to try and 'get' the art. He was just ahead of his time. That's all. plus it's a gene

[gordonbennet]

@SherrieLeaLaird they never answered the question of why he didnt want to do the radio sessions...he would be in a room with no crowd around, same as a recording studio but he didnt want to do it. it doesnt make sense and prooves that it has nothing to do with stagefright.

[bkmorgan5]

I agree 100% with Keith Morris he was a poet. I also agree with his sister either I am goin to die or im goin to come out of this. He probably was content with dieing but I dont think that it was intentional and he set out that night to take his life. But know one will ever know. His music is beautiful in my opinion and a huge loss that he died so young. he went well before his time. RIP

[clapham93]

Just by chance I was listening to BBC London when River man in acapello came on, so went to look it up on Youtube and learnt of original song/singer/writer. Thanks for putting this on.

Although I read that Nick's mother's lyrics were melancholic too, I wonder whether the weed smoking had something to do with his illness, because it's known that it can bring on psychosis particularly in adolescents.

[charleysdad]

@clapham93 In regards to your comment re: psychosis.....I've not read anywhere that Nick Drake was in fact psychotic. Smoking cannabis is only one of the risk factors that are associated with psychosis. It's seems that Nick was a very complex, creative yet painfully shy individual. I wonder if his cannabis use was more symptomatic of his suffering rather than a key factor in his checking out!

[SherrieLeaLaird]

The weedsmoking is because he had the

disposition for it. People grow out of

it or do it in minor doses.. it's been studied to be a

brain thing...like anocd or an alcoholic gene...I really think everything

about what've I've just watched on this cat

goes with the territory...look at Brian Wilson

and Jim Morrison Jimi Hendrix and too many

to mention...It's the 'true' struggling artist. Van

Gogh cut off his ear. It hurts to hear music in the wind

and it mean nothing til your dead.

[jimjoyce25]

I recently started listening to Nick Drake and I've come to love his music.

I would say, though, that he had the kind of voice that precluded commercial success. And I think this is reflected in the fact that his appeal today is largely cultish: It's an "insider" kind of thing, and very much anti-pop.

And this despite the fact that the music itself is very pop. If he had had a band where he played guitar with a signer with a great voice, he would have been hugely successful.

[StrongHeartLives]

the part about 'if he were alive today' where the producer is thinking he would have synths and an elaborate recording studio (tech, gear, etc).

My response is : ???????

I agree with the statement "Listen to his Music"

He is a poet. 100%

[ssensseless]

absolutely. Who said that, obvously doesnt have a clue about art. Unfortunately.

[Cataclysm31]

You can call any immaculate lyricist a poet... But his music, in the form of the guitar, was just as important. To me, calling him a poet... 100%, is a bit wanky. Although I do understand the why one would come to that conclusion.

[StrongHeartLives]

In that case maybe it's just an issue of semantics and one could argue on a literal meaning of poet or also what i feel to be a poetic songwriting ability with both lyrics and music.

With Nick, his lyrics and his music would be just as powerful apart from one another, but when they are combined, to me it is lyrical poetry and pure poetic musical phrasing. His guitar sings and speaks as much as he does - so i guess in this way i see it as 100% poetry.

[SherrieLeaLaird]

@StrongHeartLives Musicians are like that. Playing the guitar alone and song writing wouldn't be enough.

People romanticize things. He'd want to be there experimenting if he loved music the way he sounds like he did.

[birmingham77]

nick drake was a poet !

[bucketnmop]

what does privilige or wealth/class have to do with artistic merit? Nick is a unique artist his music wasn't made for everybody, if you don't understand it, why are you dropping your worthless two cents into the conversation?

[17382737]

this shows what a priviledged self absorbed person looks like.Totally pretentious

[linesinaconversation]

I appreciate the posting of the documentary, as it feels a lot more down to earth than A Skin Too Few. I like to think about Nick as some sort of mythical figure a lot of the time, but it's good to be brought back to reality and realize that for all his musical greatness, Nick was still a person. It'd be interesting to know how Nick would feel about the attention he's still getting even now. I like to think that, unlike some of his early-death contemporaries, he would find some solace in it.

[louisorleans]

There is still a massive stigma with depression and that's in 2009 never mind 1974. Also shyness to some people is tantamount to having the bloody plague. Anyway great musician.

[briangroovy]

he's another dead romantic on the list with Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Kobain, Phil Lynott, John Lennon and so on. he was destined to die young with tragic circumstances i think, as bad as that might sound

[Meltedbutta7]

thks

[dancingfeet44711]

Thank you so very much for sharing this docu.

It gives a very interesting glimpse into his heart & soul.

One of the best musicians ever!!!

[dancingfeet44711]

Thanks for all 4 parts of this docu.

It gives a very interesting glimpse into his heart & soul.

One of the most talented musicians ever!

[matrags]

Interesting and enjoyable documentary.

[stankler]

why wasnt Poor Boy /bryter later played on the radio.couldnt island have got it on .maybe bbc would have played him if he did a session.bit of a shame.

[MikeDodgeMusic]

Wow, I enjoyed this. Thank you. Nick seemed to be ahead of his time as an artist. I think that's why the records didn't sell. He means a lot to me, though. Pink Moon was the first song I heard. It was on a VW commercial. Then I started listening to more of his songs and realized what an incredible musician he was. His music is so sad, but so beautiful.

[lumiere1955]

@MikeDodgeMusic Goodness, I just said here that Nick's music was ahead of this time. I swear, I hadn't read your comment from one year ago.

I agree with you. And I just found Nick Drake.

[LimpLoser]

he only took around 30, that doesnt sound like suicide. i thought he had taken 400 or something.

[savagenoble7]

if his records weren't selling how come he was allowed to keep on making them? When Steve forbert's records flopped. he got the boot, and his career was ruined.

[davidoffon]

Steve Forbert has returned and like Nick , he is very gucking food.

[MladaBosna123]

Very good Documentary.

I like Nick Drake very much and it is so good to see/hear what People had to say which actually knew him in Person back then.

Many Nick Drake Fans today tend to Idealize him constantly so i really enjoyed this (in my eyes) attempt to

speak about this Person in a more sober way.

[Ginlah]

It seems so obvious what happened to him. He needed to get laid. Too many drugs and couldn't talk properly, the ladies fled. He should have got into prostitutes.

[MrlabelessVideos]

This is a lovely reflection on nick. i read the book, and listened to all his albuims some seven years ago now; from randomly happening upon him on an acoustic compilation. He's wonderful. Love his music. He inspired me, and i found his writing style reminiscnt of mine. I have had depression in the past a few times i think, so i can relate. It's terrible that the medical experts of the 60's didnt know enough about it (depression) altho i think only you can help yourself, no one else.

[wcduke]

Your statement at the end is not only incorrect, but it is potentially dangerous. While I cannot speak for all people with depression, the majority do NOT "help themselves, no one else." Those who have severe depression, such as Nick, clearly couldn't help himself, and he would have benefitted from the better understanding that we have today about clinical depression. For MANY, it is a cycle from which they cannot escape alone, and it is irresponsible to infer otherwise. (con't.) ...

[wcduke]

... (con't.) I hope that anyone reading this now, who might be silently suffering from depression doesn't read your comment and feel even more hopeless. In fact, if you are reading this and you do feel hopeless, help is available. Friends or family do care about you. If you feel that you don't have either, call a doctor for professional help. Depression is not your fault and it doesn't make you look weak to ask for help. There is hope and life can get better. Peace to all who read this.

[MrlabelessVideos]

Sorry, it was just an observation i made from the reaction to watching the documentry, didnt mean to encourage people to not get help, that wasnt what i was saying. :-)

[wcduke]

I know that you meant no harm, but I felt I needed to respond because I have been affected by clinical depression. It's an important issue that many people don't understand. I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone with your comments.

[wcduke]

Judging from your profile (the videos you have posted are video game related), I'm going to assume that you are just a kid who really doesn't know any better than to write what you've written to me, so I don't take it seriously. Unfortunately, for many people it takes something very tragic to happen in their lives to understand what it means to have compassion for others. Hopefully this won't be the case for you, for I would never wish any harm to another person. Peace to you.

[eikogo]

LOL WUT

[wcduke]

Clearly your level of comprehension is low. I cannot converse with someone such as yourself. I'm finished here.

[eikogo]

clearly you don't know how to avoid being catch by some really good troll

heres a protip: don't waste your time trying to change people via youtube

[aresx666]

obvious troll is obvious

fail troll is fail

shitty person is shitty

go kill yourself and do some people a favor

[slasheh]

fuck off you shit troll.

[Ledvolta]

Class is surprisingly present.

[terrynutkins22]

find it touching the fondness that Keith Morris remembers Nick with which leads him to defend him and the lyrics against the industry guy. Also like the way the bearded industry bloke cuts to the chase by saying it was probably nothing more complicated than the fact that performing in public scared the shit out of him. Think this is a great doc don't really understand the hatred a lot of people seem to have for it.

[ironduke2000]

It has to do with class, I suspect -- with a distaste for the posh, Oxbridge types on display. Personally, I revere Nick Drake as a great artist, and whatever went into his making -- well, that's just fine with me.

[neuwaver]

thank you so much for this - just watched all parts and i'm grateful

[huskers84]

Everyone freaking about comments about his lyrics and problems just relax. These people knew him and are addressing him as a person, flaws and all, you are viewing him as a mythical symbol b/c he's an artist who died young. Adolescent doesn't mean stupid it means the viewpoint of his lyrics were youthful and romanticized.

[famulous]

Huskers - well put. Saying that "these are the people nick" was reacting to is assuming so much - these were his friends and those he worked with. I think the industry "prick" has a lot of balls for saying what he said. He knew it wouldn't be a popular opinion. The woman who comments on his skin, by the way, is Linda Peters Thompson - one of the few women who ever got close to Nick. Not a bad person and a great friend of his, and someone who would know what his skin looked like.

[ironduke2000]

Thank you for saying what you did about Linda Thompson. She's a fantastically gifted singer, and I actually enjoyed her remark. I agree with your remarks on the A&R guy as well.

[savagenoble7]

nice cars was good. but wasn't moved by anything else she sang.

[VladDImpala]

I had no idea Linda Thompson knew Nick Drake. Did she actually date Nick? I'm curious, as I thought she was already married to Richard Thompson during the late 60s-early 1970s. Or did Linda simply know Nick through Cambridge or did she move in the same music circles?

[mayasaunt]

Linda did date Nick, though I'm not sure when. Of course, this would have been before she married Richard. I remember an interview with her about Nick, where she addressed the image of him as a loner. She said he certainly had girlfriends, and she was one of them.

[famulous]

Linda did indeed get close with Nick. Because he was such an enigma, there have been times when she has said she probably got as close as anyone ever did to him, which wasn't that there was any real intimacy of a physical type, necessarily. By the way, Nick was also very close with Sandy Denny.

[savagenoble7]

i didn't think anyone dates nick....

[sthugh]

@huskers84 I'm sorry, but the guy in the video DID mean that Drake's lyrics weren't very strong, polished, or high-brow, and they weren't. His music wasn't either. "Riverman" was really the only good song he ever wrote.

[dunkiep]

@sthugh

Ridiculous.

Just ridiculous.

Apart from many others, how could anyone alive not think 'Northern Sky' a great song?

[juxtapiped]

Does anyone know who's singing that cover of 'clothes of sand' at the end of this video? It sounds lovely.

[EDWARDTAY55]

nice to find some nick drake stuff here! great!!

[BaudeLaire78]

Hear Nick singing Black Eyed Dog chills me

[futuristfood]

get that industry prick outta there... who is that guy?

[futuristfood]

who is that guy who says that Nick's lyrics are "adolescent"? wow, really lets you know the evil in the world that Nick was probably trying to get away from.

what a total turd, that really made me sad and un-easy to hear him say that.. and again, who was that guy? .

[slicknicknirvana]

@futuristfood i know.what a dick.i guess youre considered adolescent for expressing deep feelings.thats the reason why sensitive guys like me feel like its not ok to be me.

[mark919]

Nick Drake.....beautiful singer......moving songwriter.....lovely melodies.....handsome guy....miserable git

[warreneediott]

Haunting, moving, saddening, evocative, humbling, enlightening all at once. Thanks for sharing this with us. "Genius is the flame that lights itself".

[DesolationRow0]

that guy is a fucking asshole and should be shot! what a sellout! makes me depressed!

nick is one of the biggest musical geniuses of all time!

[eames1280]

This documentary, while not as beautifully shot as A Skin Too Few, is so much richer. Thanks for sharing - I found the other docs to be lacking in credibility, but I love this one - everyone sitting around, talking about his performances and his life. Absolutely fantastic.

[bollockowithalob]

Great to see this documentary again - many thanks.

May God bless you, Nick.

X

[dittet64]

thank you thank you thank you

[suchajollification]

Thank-you for sharing this. Much appreciated!

[MuNkYBizNess]

How dare that guy say Nick's lyrics were adolescent, what a complete prat. Typical record industry goon only interested in hyping the myth. Also that woman going on about his fingernails, he was a guitar player for god's sake, doh!

[frimasbleu]

Totally agree with you!!

[colinalexander777]

He is disgusting sell-out and he knows it.He's probably against having this clip shown for free on youtube too.

[joeburton77]

I agree too, what a prat.. nick's lyrics are pure poetry!!! and thanks 25thnovember1970 for posting these videos..they are wonderful!!

[eames1280]

If you read his biographies, though, c'mon... the guy wouldn't wash himself, wouldn't cut his fingernails for months. That's what she's talking about. It has nothing to do with him being a guitar player or not - it was a point made to illustrate that he no longer took care of himself, no longer cared.

[MogadonWoman]

I would have thought, as a guitarist myself, that letting your fingernails grow would be the final indication that you'd lost all interest in playing - and therefore, in Nick's case, lost all interest in life (given that by all accounts, music WAS his life during the last five years or so). On a more prosaic note, I'd bloody hard to fingerpick when your nails are almost as long as your fingers.

[futuristfood]

these are the people and the world that Nick Rejected and the very reason he did not want part of that side of the biz. that was an evil comment to make about such a deep and loving man... adolescent?

im going to try and see that as an ultimate compliment.

yeah, what a devil.. icky icky...

oxoo

[Concatelli]

Thank you for posting these videos. Nick lives, in our hearts and hopes and dreams.