Late British singer-songwriter Nick Drake did not have much success with wider audiences when he was still around, but he built a huge cult following in the decades after his passing, with his three official albums becoming singer-songwriter favorites.
Now, after nine years of preparation, Five Leaves Left, his initial offering, is getting the box set treatment and will see the light of day on July 15, 2025, via UMR/Island Records. The release is authorized by Nick Drake Estate comprises over 30 previously unheard outtakes from the sessions which gradually became Five Leaves Left and will be available as 4-CD and 4-LP boxed sets.
The set features studio out-takes and previously unheard songs that tell the story of how Drake’s debut album came to be released on Island Records in July 1969.
The set includes Nick’s first-ever session at Sound Techniques – found on a mono listening reel which Beverley Martyn had squirrelled away over fifty years ago. It also contains the full reel recorded at Caius College by Cambridge acquaintance Paul de Rivaz which had lain in the bottom of a drawer for decades, accompanying him and his family around the world.
The Making Of Five Leaves Left will feature full recording details, charts and the recording history across an illustrated 60 page book. The book, printed on special textured paper-stock which is 100% recyclable and biodegradable, was written by Neil Storey in collaboration with Richard Morton-Jack.
You can pre-order here.
