Six previously unheard songs by the late Nick Drake are to be auctioned. The songs were recorded in 1968 before he began working on his debut album Five Leaves Left.
Currently the recordings are owned by a friend of Drake, the singer Beverly Martyn, who described them as being “full of fun” and in “pristine condition.”
Speaking to The Independent, she said: “He was young, he sounds full of fun, he sounds light and his guitar playing is absolutely excellent. It really shows that he didn’t need to have this whole layer cake of strings.”
Martyn added that her reasoning behind selling the tapes was ill health. “I’ve cared for this,” she said of the tape, “I’ve loved it, and I’ve had my time with it.”
Ted Owen & Co. have announced that 31st July is the date for the auction. For insurance purposes, the tape has been valued at £250,000.
Drake, who did not receive much commercial success before his death in 1974, has become a posthumous icon.
