Benedictus (Strawbs song)
Encyclopedia
"Benedictus" is a song by English
band Strawbs featured on their 1972 album Grave New World
.
After the departure of Rick Wakeman
, band leader Dave Cousins
consulted the I Ching
asking what to do next. The answer from the coins, "Humble must he constant be, where the paths of wisdom lead, distant is the shadow of the setting sun", forms part of the first two lines of the lyrics of the song.
Unusually for a rock song, the instrumental break is performed using a dulcimer
played through a fuzz box. The resulting sound is often mistaken for an electric guitar
.
is a John Ford composition "Keep the Devil Outside", sung by Tony Hooper
. The track was recorded at the same time as the album From the Witchwood
and was originally released as the B-side of the single "Witchwood". This single was quickly withdrawn due to the band's dissatisfaction with the quality of the pressing.
.
with
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band Strawbs featured on their 1972 album Grave New World
Grave New World
Grave New World is a studio album by English band Strawbs. It was the first album to be released after the departure of Rick Wakeman, under circumstances about which band leader Dave Cousins was very bitter. Cousins has admitted that the track "Tomorrow" was written about Wakeman...
.
After the departure of Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, band leader Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
consulted the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
asking what to do next. The answer from the coins, "Humble must he constant be, where the paths of wisdom lead, distant is the shadow of the setting sun", forms part of the first two lines of the lyrics of the song.
Unusually for a rock song, the instrumental break is performed using a dulcimer
Appalachian dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
played through a fuzz box. The resulting sound is often mistaken for an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
.
B-side
The B-sideA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
is a John Ford composition "Keep the Devil Outside", sung by Tony Hooper
Tony Hooper
Tony Hooper is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as a founder-member of Strawbs together with Dave Cousins. He left Strawbs in 1972 after their album Grave New World, when it became obvious that the band was moving further away from its folk roots towards rock and...
. The track was recorded at the same time as the album From the Witchwood
From the Witchwood
From the Witchwood is a studio album by English band Strawbs.It was recorded at Air Studios, London during February and March 1971 and reached number 39 in the UK Album Charts....
and was originally released as the B-side of the single "Witchwood". This single was quickly withdrawn due to the band's dissatisfaction with the quality of the pressing.
Other recordings
The song also makes an appearance on the 2001 Acoustic Strawbs album Baroque & RollBaroque & Roll
Baroque and Roll is a 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...
.
Personnel
- Dave CousinsDave CousinsDave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
– lead vocals, electric dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States... - Tony HooperTony HooperTony Hooper is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as a founder-member of Strawbs together with Dave Cousins. He left Strawbs in 1972 after their album Grave New World, when it became obvious that the band was moving further away from its folk roots towards rock and...
– backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - John Ford – backing vocals, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Richard HudsonRichard Hudson (musician)Richard Hudson is an English singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:Richard Hudson was a member of Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, in which he played drums and sitar and sang. In 1970, he and band-mate John Ford joined Strawbs...
– backing vocals, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Blue WeaverBlue WeaverBlue Weaver is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
– organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
with
- Trevor LucasTrevor LucasTrevor George Lucas was an influential folk artist, a member of Fairport Convention and one of the founders of Fotheringay...
– backing vocals - Anne Collins – backing vocals
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
A&M A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:... |
stereo Stereophonic sound The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective... 7" single Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
AMS 874 | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
A&M | 7" single | AMS1364 |