Coventry Music Articles by Pete Clemons: The Strawbs 1968

The Strawbs 1968

by Pete Clemons

The Strawbs story it seems goes back as far as 1963. But during 1967 The Strawberry Hill Boys were formed. They earned a sizeable reputation as a bluegrass group. Dave Cousins and Tony Hooper began to get a little more adventurous. After a spell with Sandy Denny and a succession of double bass players the band settled down as The Strawbs. During this time The Strawbs appeared in and around Coventry several times.

One such performance was during January 1968 at Warwick University's folk club. The Strawbs performance apparently surprised those who had been familiar with their previous style which was Country and Western and Blue Grass.

During that performance and in the words of Dave Cousins they got 'pissed off' with that style and had started to sing their own material which they say is influenced by, if anything, the Beatles whom they consider as folk writers - an opinion many would have found hard to swallow.

The Strawbs no longer liked ethnic folk but occasionally they played a blue grass number because people still enjoyed them. Dave's banjo playing was, certainly, extremely good. The songs which they had written, and were showcasing during 1968, were extremely genuine an impression one does not always get with many so called folk songs.

Amongst the best of them was the disturbing 'The Man who called himself Jesus', the beautiful and sad 'And You Need Me' and 'Spanish is a Loving Tongue' both of which were sung by Tony Hooper who had an exceptionally expressive and moving voice.

The Strawbs finished their set with a very funny rendering of 'Your Mother, Won’t be Home' with Dave playing the piano very badly and Tony and Ron Chesterman striking dramatic poses.

May 1968 and The Strawbs returned. With the exception of their bluegrass numbers it was reported that the Strawbs were 'rather disappointing in the first half'.

That said Tony Hooper's banjo playing was very good and appreciated by the audience. After the interval, they did some better songs, including 'Break the News to Mother'. It seems that during the second half The Strawbs sang more satirical songs, more in keeping with the humour of their introduction to the songs.

As with the January appearance, an outstanding number was 'The Man Who Called Himself Jesus'. Their closing number , 'Break the News to Mother' was rendered with suitable pathos, and heart-rending sighs, being the tragic tale of a young drummer boy who saved his company's flag. So good was it, that they came back for an encore, a spiritual that at last revealed the Strawbs as the talented group they are.

As the 1960s became the 1970s The Strawbs became aligned more to rock music with Dave Cousins becoming more interested in the electric guitar. This led to a succession of wonderful releases from a variety of line up's. But despite those marvellous albums I do like to dip back into their folky period now and again.

Sadly, it seems, time has ensured that The Strawbs have played their last gig. But what a band they were and what a legacy they leave us with.

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Trev Teasdel adds -

Another Coventry gig for the Strawbs was February 6th 1971 as part of the Lanchester Polytechnic Arts Festival (now Coventry University) alongside Ralph McTell and Mr Fox.

At this time Rick Wakeman was playing with the Strawbs on Grand Piano before leaving to join Yes. It was quite a night and the Strawbs, who were on last, went over time and the Lanch tired pulling the plug on them but the crowd cheered when the band who had mostly acoustic instruments continued playing and of course Rick Wakeman treated us to a gorgeous grand piano solo.

In 1980 i moved to Teesside and found that Dave Cousins was Radio Controller of Radio Tees - the commercial station in Stockton on Tees - I caught playing a solo gig at the nearby Dovecot Arts Centre, as he was trying to launch a solo career. We started putting on poetry performance gigs at the Dovecot in 1982 and afterwards the Dovecot engaged Bob Pegg of the support group Mr Fox as writer in residence with all his folklore experience.