91Èȱ¬

91Èȱ¬ Radio 2 announced that Nick Drake would be inducted to its Folk Hall of Fame in 2018, the year when he would have celebrated his 70th birthday.

The honour was bestowed at the Radio 2 Folk Awards on April 4th, at Belfast's Waterfront Hall.

To reflect the award and Nick's continuing contribution to the musical landscape of the UK and beyond, here is another chance to hear Brad Pitt present a documentary shining a light on the life and work of Nick Drake…

When this programme was first aired in May 2004, it led to worldwide media interest, and prompted Nick’s first UK chart placings. The single ‘Magic’ reached number 32, and the album featuring the new ‘lost’ track ‘Tow The Line’ charted at number 27.

During his lifetime, Nick’s three albums (Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon) sold a few thousand copies; he played a handful of concerts and gave just one press interview. But in the years since his death, his status as a cult artist has grown and grown. He’s regularly name-checked by contemporary artists – REM, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Badly Drawn Boy – and in 2000, ‘Pink Moon’ was used in a car advertising campaign aired across America, making a new generation of fans aware of his music.

When Nick died in November 1974 of an overdose of anti-depressants, it was thought that his final recording sessions had yielded four songs intended for a new album. But when the original tapes were being re-mastered, Nick’s recording engineer John Wood discovered another song from those sessions which had been forgotten – Tow The Line.

Norah Jones recorded one of Nick’s songs ‘Day Is Done’, which will be featured in the programme. Also featured are interviews with producer Joe Boyd, engineer John Wood, Nick’s sister Gabrielle, and his mother Molly Drake, who died in 1993. Also Ashley Hutchings, Linda Thompson and John Martyn.