| Deadlines | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 February 1978 | |||
| Recorded | July – October 1977 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 37:51 (Original) 78:10 (Expanded) | |||
| Label | Arista (UK) | |||
| Producer | Jeffrey Lesser | |||
| Strawbs chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Deadlines | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Deadlines is the twelfth studio album by English band Strawbs.
Signed to Arista Records by his management team, Dave Cousins was persuaded by label head Clive Davis to record a new Strawbs album. Cousins had intended "Burning For You" to be the last album by the band. Cousins management also insisted that the band work with producer Jeffrey Lesser despite the fact that Cousins felt that Lesser didn't "understand the dynamics" of the band. Spending a night out with Davis, Cousins was charmed by the label head and, despite his misgivings, returned to the studio to make the band's final album of the 1970s. Lesser insisted that guitarist/singer Dave Lambert be the lead singer for the album. [2]
Working in a studio in Dublin, Ireland in a studio owned by film composer Phillip Green. After initial recording the band and producer took the tapes to Air Studios to complete overdubbing on the 24 track tapes. Completing one day of overdubbing, the band, much to their dismay, discovered that a 4038 microphone on top of the tapes had erased a swath of the material with the drum tracks being the most notably damaged. Discouraged, the band began all over again but, according to Cousins, they failed to capture the unique flavor of those first recordings. [2]
Mixing the album at Utopia Studios, Cousins commiserated with The Clash's Joe Strummer about the lead vocal situation. The Clash were in the next studio recording "Give'em Enough Rope"It turns out that producer Sandy Pearlman was as much of a problem to work with as Lesser. [2]
Later, in preparation for the deluxe edition of "Deadlines", Cousins discovered that "Joey and Me" survived the damage and it was amended to the deluxe edition along with demos as bonus tracks in 2012. These bonus tracks plus two additional discs were included on the 2019 Esoteric reissue of "Deadlines". The second disc included the audio from the band's "BBC Sight and Sound" appearance along with a DVD of the same performance.
Side one
Side two
Expanded edition (Released 23 March 2019):
Bonus Tracks Disc One: Midnight (outtake previously released on A Taste of Strawbs) No Return (Dave Cousins acoustic demo) Sealed with a Traitor’s Kiss (Dave Cousins acoustic demo) Time and Life (Dave Cousins acoustic demo) Deadly Nightshade (Dave Cousins acoustic demo) Words of Wisdom (Dave Cousins acoustic demo) The Chosen Ones (Dave Cousins acoustic demo) Sealed with a Traitor’s Kiss (First band demo) No Return (Dublin production mix) Joey and Me (Dublin production mix) Deadly Nightshade (Dublin production mix)
Disc Two (BBC Radio One “Sight & Sound” 18 Feb., 1978) 1. Lay Down 2. The Last Resort 3. Ghosts 4. No Return 5. Heartbreaker 6. Sealed with a Traitor’s Kiss 7. Simple Visions 8. Cut Like a Diamond 9. Out in the Cold 10. Round and Round 11. Hero and Heroine
DVD: 1. Lay Down 2. The Last Resort 3. Ghosts 4. No Return 5. Heartbreaker 6. Sealed with a Traitor’s Kiss 7. Simple Visions 8. Cut Like a Diamond 9. Out in the Cold 10. Round and Round 11. Hero and Heroine
assisted by
Recorded at Dublin Sound and Utopia Studios. [3]
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1977 | Arista | stereo LP | SPART 1036 | |
| United States | 1977 | Arista | stereo LP | AB 4172 | |
| United Kingdom | 1977 | Arista | cassette | TCART 1036 | |
| United States | 1996 | One Way | CD | OW34499 | |
| United Kingdom | 2019 | Esoteric | Compact Disc | ||
The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.
Hero and Heroine is the seventh studio album by English band Strawbs.
Ghosts is the eighth studio album by English band Strawbs.
Nomadness is the ninth studio album by English band Strawbs. It was their last album recorded for A&M Records and their first with no full-time keyboard player since 1970's Dragonfly. Indeed, Strawbs would not feature a full-time keyboard player until 1978 when Andy Richards joined the band. All the tracks are timed at less than five minutes giving the album a lighter, less 'epic' feel in contrast to the previous three studio albums. Rick Wakeman came back to help on electric harpsichord on one song.
Deep Cuts is the tenth studio album by English band Strawbs.
Burning for You is the eleventh studio album by English band Strawbs, with cover art by Patrick Woodroffe.
Dave Lambert is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter, who has been a member of the Strawbs at various stages of the band's career, beginning in the 1970s.
Heartbreak Hill is the fifteenth studio album by English band Strawbs. The album was recorded in 1978 but, due to record deal and management difficulties, was not released until 1995. The recording schedule conflicted with guitarist Dave Lambert's plans to record a solo album, so session musicians Jo Partridge and Miller Anderson were recruited to supply electric guitar.
Blue Angel is the 15th studio album by English band Strawbs. It was the first Strawbs album in 12 years to contain new material and featured several different line-ups of musicians from past Strawbs eras. Welsh folk-singer Mary Hopkin featured on many tracks, continuing a working partnership established by Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby on their album The Bridge, from which several of the tracks on this album are drawn.
Déjà Fou is the 16th studio album by English band Strawbs. The title is a play on the phrase déjà vu, French for "already seen", as the band line-up had been seen 30 years before on the Hero and Heroine album. The phrase déjà fou literally means "already mad". The album delivers the kind of British folk rock the band had built its reputation on.
Baroque and Roll is the sixteenth studio album by Acoustic Strawbs. Acoustic Strawbs were formed by accident after Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby were booked to perform as a duo in Twickenham in 2000. Cousins damaged his wrist and Dave Lambert stepped in to cover while Cousins sang. The format was successful and tours were arranged. Brian Willoughby stepped down in 2004 to concentrate on his work with Cathryn Craig and he was replaced by Chas Cronk who added bass pedals and acoustic bass guitar as well as extra vocals and guitar.
A Taste of Strawbs is a box-set album by Strawbs. Instead of being a "best of" album, the compilers have attempted to present alternative versions of some well-known songs plus some previously unreleased material. Included are some very old songs by The Strawberry Hill Boys, with Dave Cousins, Tony Hooper and Ron Chesterman, also are some very interesting songs by Sandy Denny and The Strawbs, and outtakes from different periods of the band's career.
"Shine on Silver Sun" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album Hero and Heroine. It is written by Dave Cousins and was intended as a "come-back" single after the post-"Part of the Union" band split. The single was a minor success peaking at number 34 in the UK Singles Chart.
Strawbs in Concert is a live album by English band Strawbs. The tracks are taken from recordings of two BBC In Concert programmes from 1973 and 1974.
Concert Classics is a live album by English band Strawbs. It was recorded in 1977 and broadcast in February 1978 as part of the BBC TV series "Sight and Sound".
Painted Sky is a live album by Acoustic Strawbs.
"Hero and Heroine" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album of the same name. It is written by Dave Cousins and has obvious drug allusions, the main reason it didn't get much airplay on BBC radio. The song is in a similar vein to an earlier track "Witchwood" but with rather more obvious allegory.
"Grace Darling" is a song by English band Strawbs, featured on their 1975 album Ghosts.
Lay Down with the Strawbs is a live album by English band Strawbs. It was recorded at Robin 2 in Bilston and features the "Hero and Heroine line-up" of the band with a guest appearance of former member John Ford.
