Dave would have been proud
MARION MCMULLEN learns how The Stranglers are keeping alive the memory of keyboard player Dave Greenfield following his death in May 2020
THE Stranglers nearly called it a day when keyboard player Dave Greenfield sadly passed away during the recording of their album Dark Matter.
The 71-year-old was part of the original band line-up that included drummer Jet Black, singer Hugh Cornwell and bassist Jean-jacques ‘JJ’ Burnel in the mid-1970s.
The group rose to fame during the punk era with songs like No More Heroes, Hanging Around and Golden Brown and their first three albums – Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes and Black And White – were all released within an astonishing 13 months of each other.
The group has continued to thrive despite several band changes over the years notching up 24 top 40 singles and 18 top 40 albums in a career spanning six decades.
Dave’s distinctive keyboard playing raised The Stranglers above the average punk outfit and his death in May, 2020, during the pandemic, came as a devastating blow to both the band and fans.
JJ says: “There have been lots of times over the years I thought we had reached the end of The Stranglers, where I never had a thought to carry on, like when Hugh left or when Jet’s health was starting to fail. Both of those times, it was Jet who said ‘no, we carry on’ and when he couldn’t play drums anymore, he was the one who said ‘I’ve got just the bloke for you.’
“When Dave broke on through to the other side, after the initial shock, all we wanted to do was finish the project, but with no plans for touring it or anything more. That was our only priority.”
Now The Stranglers are heading out on tour across the UK and dedicating the dates to the memory of their much-missed band member.
JJ says: “Dave has left the biggest shoes to fill, but we know we have the right guy to step in. We can never replace him and wouldn’t want to, but he’s left a legacy which can be followed.”
Dave contracted Covid-19 following a prolonged stay in hospital for heart problems.
JJ says: “When you’ve been involved with someone for over 45 years, it’s a huge loss, not only as a working colleague, but as a member of the family.”
He adds: “Dave was on the autistic spectrum, which some people really struggle with and others thrive on. He was one of the latter.”
The band’s 18th studio album, Dark Matter saw them achieve one of their highest chart placings ever and was the first Stranglers album made remotely.
Ten days work was carried out in a studio in early 2019 before the band went on tour for the rest of the year.
Then Covid hit and Dave passed away a few months later.
Dave features on eight of the album’s 11 tracks and the first single released was And If You Should See Dave…
JJ explains: “We had recorded most of the album with him and during the lockdowns our only wish was to complete it as a fitting tribute to his life and work. I consider this to be one of our finest recordings.”
Guitarist Baz Warne reveals that recording the album was a cathartic experience for all of the band and they were united in their grief: “Dave looms large over the whole album, as he always did. He was a huge part of what people would class as The Stranglers’ trademark sound, both him and JJ, so to lose one half of that was very difficult.”
He continues: “I have pictures of him in the basement where my studio is and I see him and hear him every day, one way or another. We’ve all agreed that he would have been very proud of it, too.”
He adds: “It’s no secret that Dave had Asperger’s, which made him a true English eccentric, but it also gave him a wide-eyed, innocent view of a lot of things.”
Baz says that The Stranglers may have a hard-men reputation, but the album helped them deal with their emotions following the loss of their long-time band member. “It’s a very bittersweet thing, though,” he says.
“A lot of people have suffered great loss during the pandemic,
so that was just our own way of dealing with it.”
■ The Stranglers tour runs from January 25. Go to thestranglers.co.uk for tour dates and booking information