Strawbs

Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Their most successful line-up included Dave Cousins (vocals, guitar, banjo), Tony Hooper (vocals, 12-string guitar), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), John Ford (bass, vocals) and Richard Hudson (drums, vocals).

The band's first album, Strawbs, was released in 1969 and featured their most popular song, “Part of the Union”. This album was followed by Dragonfly (1970), From the Witchwood (1971), Grave New World (1972), Bursting at the Seams (1973) and Hero and Heroine (1974).

Their most critically acclaimed album, Ghosts (1975), featured the single “Lay Down”, which became their biggest hit. Other standout albums include Deep Cuts (1976), Burning for You (1979) and Heartbreak Hill (1984).

Strawbs have also released several live albums and compilations, such as The Best of Strawbs (1978), Nomadness (1981) and Halcyon Days (2002).

An interesting fact about Strawbs is that in their early years, they were sometimes referred to as the “British Byrds” due to their strong influence from the American band The Byrds.