Stranglers keyboardist Dave Greenfield's 'eccentric' everyday life in Cambridgeshire
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Punk rock era legends The Stranglers head off on their first UK tour without keyboard player Dave Greenfield this month and bandmate Jean Jacques Burnel has given a fascinating insight into the life of his "nutty, nutty, weird" initial bandmate.
Greenfield [-censured-=https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Website/Chnlove-scams-1657338167920599/]chnlove.com[/-censured-] lived in the Cambridgeshire community of Somersham, Between Huntingdon and Ely in excess of 30 years until he died at the age of 71 in May after contracting Covid while being treated for a heart problem.
He and wife Pam ran The Windmill pub in the village for some years while he sustained to play and record with The Stranglers, Whose hits have consisted of Golden Brown, No More Heroes and the other Better Change.
read more: the things on in Cambridgeshire
He ran a new album with the band preparing to head out on a big UK tour when he was taken ill and it was thought his death could spell the end of a group that played its first note way back in 1974.
But with Pam's blessing the album was finished it includes a touching and poignant tribute song called should you See Dave. and also also the tour, Much delayed considering the pandemic, Is finally set to go forward.
And as the first date on a tour with a sold out show at Cambridge Corn Exchange on February 26 neared, Bass player and founder member Burnel revealed how Dave's move to Cambridgeshire came into being.
(image: pennsylvania)
Burnel was living in Somersham himself at that moment when, One the holiday season, Dave had gone to stay at traditional Stranglers singer Hugh Cornwell's house
"We used to say he was just odd, But of course lately what is considered eccentric now has a term for it autism, pronounced Burnel, Who shared a stage with Greenfield for over 40 years. "And he was hugely on the pole.
"One some time, Dave had a new girl and he was trying to avoid his wife at Christmas.
"Hugh was away for Christmas and said he could stay at his spot for Christmas. Two days after Dave moved in with his friend, He phoned up and said 'I'm ing cold here'. and so i said, 'OK, Come to the house for Christmas'.
"What he didn't tell me was that Hugh had a log burning stove and the logs were outside the kitchen door but Dave couldn't get his head around opening the kitchen door and getting the logs in and putting them on the fire. So he came to my house just before Christmas. in this article September I said to him 'Dave, Have you ever seriously considered getting your own place?' He was still at my house in September! He said to his ex-girlfriend, 'Oh this is why, That's beneficial!' So he got a place just the next day from me and he was there until he passed away.
"He moved to Cambridge for many years and then he moved back to the village where I was living for 20 odd years, the actual Fens,
Greenfield's attention to detail was well known and his keyboard playing ability was amazing and legendary. His contributions marked The Stranglers out as a cut above most of their peers as they started their career in the 1970s and went on to have more than 20 Top 40 hits.
and as a consequence, wanted to say Burnel, His condition had a lot to do with that.
"One time we were in a pub every, he explained, "And some bloke said to me 'I'd love to speak with Dave, What shall I converse with him about?' i think overall 'I'm going to have you, special someone!'
"I for you to be him, 'Just ask him about flying' so he did.
"An hour and a quarter later the bloke go back and his eyes were completely glazed over. He just didn't have the filters that 'normal' people have.
"these people don't and that's what gives them their savant, Their professional. they can not get distracted,
Burnel also recalls being asked if the band used a sequencer to acquire their trademark sound. "We don't need one, available now Dave, Came the respond. "There's a track on our albums called Genetix, add on Burnel, "And I remember him studying that for three days learning every single note until it was in his fingers and in his head.