Hero and Heroine (song)
Encyclopedia
"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.
Dave Cousins originally demonstrated the song to the band on banjo
and the guitar picking under the verses does indeed retain a bluegrass
feel. Keyboardist John Hawken
and guitarist Dave Lambert
added mellotron and guitar power chords between the verses which gives the whole song a more epic bearing.
track "Why" is another Dave Cousins composition, not released on any studio album. It forms the first part of the composite song "Why and Wherefore" which appears on the compilation/rarities album Halcyon Days
.
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 1974 album of the same name
Hero and Heroine
Hero and Heroine is a studio album by English band Strawbs. After the tour supporting the previous album, Bursting at the Seams, there was an acrimonious split leaving only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to rebuild the band. The new line-up gelled very quickly and studio sessions were very productive...
. It is written by Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
and has obvious drug allusions, the main reason it didn't get much airplay on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio. The song is in a similar vein to an earlier track "Witchwood" but with rather more obvious allegory.
Dave Cousins originally demonstrated the song to the band on banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and the guitar picking under the verses does indeed retain a bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
feel. Keyboardist John Hawken
John Hawken
John Hawken John Hawken John Hawken (born John Christopher Hawken, 9 May 1940, at Christchurch General Hospital, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset) is a British keyboard player. He studied classical piano between the ages of four and eighteen at which point he succumbed to the lure of rock and roll...
and guitarist Dave Lambert
Dave Lambert (British musician)
Dave Lambert is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who was a member of The Strawbs in the 1970s.-Career:...
added mellotron and guitar power chords between the verses which gives the whole song a more epic bearing.
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...
track "Why" is another Dave Cousins composition, not released on any studio album. It forms the first part of the composite song "Why and Wherefore" which appears on the compilation/rarities album Halcyon Days
Halcyon Days (Strawbs album)
Halcyon Days is a compilation album by English band Strawbs. Although credited to Strawbs it does contain three Hudson Ford tracks and a Dave Cousins solo track . The album was released as a 2 CD set in the UK and US...
.
Personnel
- Dave Cousins – vocals, 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...
- Dave LambertDave Lambert (British musician)Dave Lambert is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who was a member of The Strawbs in the 1970s.-Career:...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn 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... - Chas CronkChas Cronk-Strawbs:*Hero and Heroine *Ghosts *Nomadness *Deep Cuts *Burning for You *Deadlines *Heartbreak Hill *Blue Angel *Déjà Fou *Strawbs Live at Nearfest 2004...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Rod CoombesRod CoombesRod Coombes is an English singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:He has played professionally since he was 17, when he joined singer Lulu's backing band The Luvvers. He played with the Jeff Beck Group at the time of the release of the single "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and then joined soul band Trifle,...
– 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 .... - John HawkenJohn HawkenJohn Hawken John Hawken John Hawken (born John Christopher Hawken, 9 May 1940, at Christchurch General Hospital, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset) is a British keyboard player. He studied classical piano between the ages of four and eighteen at which point he succumbed to the lure of rock and roll...
– 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...
, 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...