The box set illuminates how Drake’s haunting debut took shape, from lost demos and early sessions to the subtle brilliance that defined his sound.
By Jim Allen
Music archivist Neil Storey’s assignment to investigate the Nick Drake archives involved such intense secrecy that he drolly likens it to ‘70s cinematic thriller Day of the Jackal. “The policeman is told he has to investigate,” Storey explains, “but he cannot tell anybody what he’s investigating.”
It all began nearly a decade ago with a cautious call from Johnny Chandler, Universal’s A&R Director at the time. “He rang me and said, ‘I want you to do some sleuthing,’” Storey recounts. “‘I’ll give you all the permissions you need, but I need you to get into the Universal archives and find out exactly what is there with Nick’s name to it with regard to Five Leaves Left. You cannot breathe a word; nobody must know…this is the most secret thing ever.’”
Storey eventually uncovered a bounty of unheard tapes telling a tantalizing story of how Drake’s classic 1969 debut LP was born. The results of his quest can finally be heard in the lovingly assembled Grammy-nominated four-album box set The Making of Five Leaves Left.