Vinyl: Nick Drake FRUIT TREE Box Set ISLAND NDSP100 *UK 1ST PRESSING 1979* NEAR MINT

The FRUIT TREE Box set was issued by Island Records in consultation with Nick Drake's parents Rodney and Molly Drake to mark the 5th anniversary of Nick's death - Island founder Chris Blackwell had a personal relationship with the Drakes and had made undertakings to keep Nick's albums in print. If Nick was little known when he died in 1974, by 1979 he was almost entirely forgotten, his global fame was still several decades away - this 1st pressing was issued in small numbers and today is very hard to find in any condition.

This first version of FRUIT TREE was issued as three LPs consisting of FIVE LEAVES LEFT (1969), BRYTER LATER (1970) and an expanded version of PINK MOON (1972) with 4 extra tracks appended to the end of the album: BLACK EYED DOG, VOICE FROM THE MOUNTAIN, HANGING ON A STAR and RIDER ON THE WHEEL - all recorded in 1974 for Nick's uncompleted 4th album. *This is the only time that PINK MOON was issued in this form.* When the box set was reissued in 1986 on Hannibal Records the extra tracks had been moved over to a fourth disc TIME OF NO REPLY and the running order of PINK MOON reverted to its original form. This 1979 version also has new covers for the three discs with illustrations commissioned I believe from a Drake family friend. The later Hannibal records issue had thin paper versions of the original artwork instead. This version of the set also has a booklet containing a short biographical essay by Arthur Lubow, previously unseen photographs and song lyrics. The whole package is beautifully produced. The discs themselves have the reputation amongst audiophile Nick Drake fans of being some of the best sounding pressings of his records particularly the version of FIVE LEAVES LEFT contained herein which is said by some to surpass the 1969 1st Pressing. The lacquers were apparently cut by remastering engineer John Dent direct from the original 2 track masters which is not the case with later pressings of the albums.

The matrix numbers of these discs are as follows:

Disc One - Five Leaves Left:

Matrix / Runout: ND 1001 A-1U JONZ

Matrix / Runout: ND 1001 B-3U