Robert Kirby RIP

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contributed string arrangements on a number of significant records:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/oct/07/robert-kirby-obituary

Daniel Giraffe, Thursday, 8 October 2009 12:18 (fifteen years ago)

Shame. RIP.

The Prince's choice: making a brush. (Tom D.), Thursday, 8 October 2009 12:25 (fifteen years ago)

It is a shame. I've gone on about this elsewhere, but his arrangements on Bryter Later in particular make that record totally perfect to me.

The dead-eyed harpy from the hilarious "Tory Party Conference" (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 8 October 2009 12:28 (fifteen years ago)

Only 61, but the photo accompanying the obituary suggests he enjoyed life!

The Prince's choice: making a brush. (Tom D.), Thursday, 8 October 2009 12:31 (fifteen years ago)

Weirdly, he was my boss at a market research job I did one summer in the 1980s. I only have hazy recollections of the time, but I hope I took the opportunity to congratulate him on his contributions to Nick Drake records.

Daniel Giraffe, Thursday, 8 October 2009 13:02 (fifteen years ago)

rip

pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 8 October 2009 13:21 (fifteen years ago)

That's cool (xp)

The Prince's choice: making a brush. (Tom D.), Thursday, 8 October 2009 13:23 (fifteen years ago)

is arrangements on Bryter Later in particular make that record totally perfect to me.

seconded, but Kirby's work on Five Leaves Left was also gorgeous. Fruit Tree!

Daniel Giraffe, Thursday, 8 October 2009 13:36 (fifteen years ago)

RIP! The Nick Drake string arrangements are sublime.

tylerw, Thursday, 8 October 2009 14:26 (fifteen years ago)

he did some good stuff on a shelagh mcdonald record too iirc

velko, Thursday, 8 October 2009 14:33 (fifteen years ago)

eight years pass...

Definitely interested to check out the recent comp (When The Day Is Done: The Orchestrations Of Robert Kirby) having been mightily struck by his arrangement on Keith Christmas' 'Forest And The Shore' since I first heard it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9zZ43bAcBI

If I Could Only Rename My Member (Noel Emits), Tuesday, 20 March 2018 20:30 (seven years ago)

I see it was mentioned on the Bob Stanley thread, but hey let's give the dude himself some credit.

If I Could Only Rename My Member (Noel Emits), Tuesday, 20 March 2018 20:46 (seven years ago)

This is great - very Love.

The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Tuesday, 20 March 2018 21:27 (seven years ago)

Robert Kirby is one of my favorite arrangers ever. His work on Five Leaves Left is all the more astonishing when you consider that Kirby was a college student who had never arranged a record in his life. Joe Boyd originally had originally slated Richard Hewson for that role - would Nick Drake be such a legend if his records sounded like this? Nick didn't like the arrangements and suggested his unknown friend take over the job; Boyd, thankfully, gave him a shot despite having no credentials.

Lee626, Tuesday, 20 March 2018 23:09 (seven years ago)

His string arrangements on Paul Weller's Heliocentric are great - particularly on 'With Time & Temperance' and 'Love-Less' ...

Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Wednesday, 21 March 2018 21:14 (seven years ago)


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