Dave Greenfield | |
|---|---|
 Greenfield with the Stranglers at theCambridge Corn Exchange in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | David Paul Greenfield (1949-03-29)29 March 1949 Brighton,East Sussex, England |
| Died | 3 May 2020(2020-05-03) (aged 71) England |
| Genres | Progressive rock (early),punk rock,new wave,post-punk |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | Keyboards,synthesizer,vocals |
| Years active | Late 1960s–2020 |
David Paul Greenfield (29 March 1949 – 3 May 2020)[1][2] was an Englishkeyboardist, singer and songwriter who was a member of rock bandthe Stranglers.[3] He joined the band in 1975, within a year of its formation, and played with them for 45 years until his death.[4]
Greenfield was born on 29 March 1949 in the south coast seaside resort ofBrighton.[5] He learnt guitar from an older schoolmate[6] and, after leaving school, played for a year in bands at American bases in Germany.
Greenfield tried to develop a music career in Germany, and played in bands in Britain as well as Germany while also working in his father's printing business and as a piano tuner. In Britain, his bands included the Initials, the Blue Maxi (on the single "Here Comes Summer", released byMajor Minor Records in 1970),[7] and progressive rock bands Rusty Butler and Credo.[8]
He joined the Stranglers after answering an advert by the band inMelody Maker in July 1975,[9] replacingHans Wärmling,[10] playing his first gig with them on August 24, 1975.[11] He stayed in the group until his death in 2020.
In 1981, Greenfield produced the single "Back to France" by the band Boys in Darkness.[12] Greenfield andJean-Jacques Burnel released an album together in 1983,Fire & Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs), which was used as the soundtrack for the filmEcoutez vos murs, directed by Vincent Coudanne.[4]
He was a musical perfectionist and could be awkward in social situations; observations consistent with his diagnosis, never made public during his lifetime, of what Burnel inaccurately described as a "veryhigh-functioning autistic".[13] For many years he was a member of Grantanbrycg, the Cambridgeshire branch of the UK re-enactment groupRegia Anglorum.
Greenfield's sound and style of playing, particularly on the Stranglers' debut albumRattus Norvegicus, has been compared to that ofRay Manzarek ofthe Doors.[14][5] The comparison was even made at the Stranglers' inception by Jean-Jacques Burnel, who said Greenfield had not heard of the Doors at the time.[15] Greenfield admitted that he knew a few Doors tracks, those being "Light My Fire" and "Riders on the Storm".[5] He cited the works ofRick Wakeman ofYes andJon Lord ofDeep Purple as his early influences.[16][5] He was also noted for his trademark style of playing rapidarpeggios.[17] His distinctive sound on the early Stranglers recordings involved the use ofHohnerCembalet (model N),[a]Hammond L-100 electric organ, aMinimoog synthesizer, and later anOberheim OB-Xa.[19]
Greenfield wrote a piece of waltz-time harpsichord music[20] during recording forThe Meninblack, which was discarded by other members of the Stranglers, but was later adapted into their biggest hit "Golden Brown", with lyrics fromHugh Cornwell and music from Greenfield andJet Black, although the band themselves did not initially see this as a potential single.[5][21] In addition to its chart success, the song also won anIvor Novello award.[5][22]
On the albumsThe Raven,The Gospel According to the Meninblack andAural Sculpture, Greenfield used aKorg VC-10vocoder.[16] Notable instances of this include in "Genetix" when it accompanies his own vocal and during the "Gene Regulation" section underneath Hugh Cornwell's monologue,[23] and on "Baroque Bordello" towards the end of the song.[24]
He also frequently contributedharmony backing vocals to the band's songs, and sang the leadvocals on a few of their early tracks, as mentioned in Hugh Cornwell's bookThe Stranglers, Song by Song.[25] These tracks are:
Greenfield died on 3 May 2020, aged 71. He had been diagnosed withCOVID-19 infection during theCOVID-19 pandemic in England on 26 April 2020, a week before his death, during an extended hospital stay for heart-related problems.[5][26] Upon news of his death, several current and former members of the Stranglers eulogised him on social media. Hugh Cornwelltweeted, "He was the difference between the Stranglers and every other punk band. His musical skill and gentle nature gave an interesting twist to the band. He should be remembered as the man who gave the world the music of 'Golden Brown.'" Other artists also expressed their appreciation.[27] Greenfield's last concert with the band was on 15 February 2020 at theAuckland Town Hall inAuckland, New Zealand.[28]
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