Robert Kirby - Life As An Arranger

Life As An Arranger

Although Kirby had recorded arrangements for over 40 albums by 1978, it was a struggle to make ends meet. In the end he decided to work in marketing industry instead. He was rumoured still to have his scores for Drake's records in his mother's potting shed. (He also was for three years, 1975-1978 one of the two keyboard players for Strawbs, touring the UK and internationally, and getting some composing credits on the albums Deep Cuts, Deadlines and Burning for You). He also did some further arranging for Strawbs with Baroque & Roll (2001), Déjà Fou (2004) and Dancing to the Devil's Beat (2009). He talks extensively about his career in Nick Awde's study Mellotron, subtitled The Machine and the Musicians That Revolutionised Rock (2008) - the book opens with a quote from him.