Dave Cousins

Dave Cousins has been the leader and main songwriter of Strawbs from the release of the band’s first album in 1968 on A&M, to the present day.



STOP PRESS!

Strawbs' new album "DANCING TO THE DEVIL'S BEAT", is released in the UK, Europe and The USA IN in August.



The album was recorded during April and May 2009. "Dancing to the Devil's Beat" is agian produced by Chris Tsangarides, whose studio is littered with gold discs for albums by Yngwie Malmsteen, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and many more".



The album contains eight new songs including "Copenhagen" that reflects on the time Dave Cousins spent in Denmark with Sandy Denny recording the band's first album. The track can be heard on MySpace.



In the 1970s the band was at its peak with major chart albums ‘Grave New World’, and ‘Bursting at the Seams’ in the UK, followed by huge success in the USA and Canada with ‘Hero and Heroine’ and ‘Ghosts’. Strawbs sold over 3 million albums in that period and spent 55 weeks on the Billboard charts with seven successive albums in the period 1972-1977.



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The Young Pretender - Wakeman and Cousins



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Another Dave Cousins album you may wish to check out is "Secret Paths". In March 2008 Dave Cousins went into the studio with steel guitar player Melvin Duffy who spent three years in Robbie Williams' touring band and has recorded with Joe Cocker, Zucchero, and many more. Songs on the album include "Ringing Down The Years", written by Dave on the news of former band member Sandy Denny's tragic death; "Canada" (which has the endorsement of Gordon Lightfoot); "I'll Show You Where To Sleep" using a tuning shown to Dave by Joni Mitchell; and "Plainsong' which is as atmospheric as any songs Dave has ever written.



And finally, try "The Boy in the Sailor Suit", released in June 2007, which features ten brand new Dave Cousins songs. Guitarist Miller Anderson guests on the album, as he did on Dave’s 1972 album, ‘Two weeks last summer’, which continues to sell well to this day. Ian Cutler of Feast of Fiddles adds a highly distinctive flavour to the material – Ian made his debut as the young fiddle player in the cult film ‘The Wicker Man’. The rhythm section comprises Chas Cronk of Strawbs on bass, with drummer Chris Hunt who played for many years with Lonnie Donegan. Again, Chris Tsangarides produced the album.



All albums available from



www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk