I think this is very much the crux of the matter. If you’re helming a project you need people that are going to turn up on time, take advice on board and subdue their ego long enough to make the whole thing turn out to the best of the leader’s vision. With the best will in the world, I don’t think anyone would suggest Swarb as the first person to fit that profile. (See, for example, RT playing lead guitar for Clive Gregson on the OGWT or Danny Thompson’s many, many contributions to other folks’ work or, for that matter, Aly Bain’s ensemble playing on the Celtic Connections series).

The late-period RT/Swarb BBC TV session has been previously referenced as possibly being a generous TV-related payday for an old comrade who had found himself on his uppers.

Hmmmm.  Think it was a bit more personal than that.  Basically he told Joe Boyd (never a big Swarb fan) to **** off.

My general impression has been that Swarb was a star or co-star in his projects, and did not tend to serve as anyone’s sideman.

An example of this would be his withdrawal from the 2009 Witchseason Weekend. His statement referenced his preference not to be an accompanist for a string of guest singers.

I was there… I’m pretty sure it was at Conkers off the A40, many years ago now.

I sometimes see a video of this gig on fbook.

They played a brilliant  set together at  a festival near Leicester ….cant remember the name, sorry.

I might be wrong (please correct me if so) but I'm sure I remember reading somewhere, that when Beryl Marriott recorded "Weave the Mirror", there was some surprise that Swarb wasn't involved but she explained that she used Chris instead because it was "her" album and it had to reflect her own style. Something along those lines anyway. That certainly didn't appear to cause any lasting upset with Swarb, as he wrote a tune called "Mrs Marriott" in her honour, which is on the much later "Straws in the Wind" album with Martin Carthy.

Maybe, to some extent, it was a similar situation with Richard?

It's not an inexpensive item but it's been well received by fans.

 I should investigate that. Thanks Alan  

Nick Drake :  The Making of Five Leaves Left   (Island 4LP,  2025).

Only the second  time  i've played this right through, and i know now it was a sound investment.
 The album of course i'm familiar with - if you listen to an LP at intervals for 50 years that's how if goes. But what this box gives us  is a sense of Nick the artist at his best, and a  full, complex person.  Scant though  they are, there are moments when he speaks  in the studio, even laughs occasionally, though not without reserve.
 It sounds cliched i know  but  his really is a tale of the tragic decline and loss . We must be grateful for what he left for us  

That could be a good explanation of why Swarb didn't turn up too often on RT's work but on the other hand RT's work on Siddyburn is fantastic. He obviously took the project very seriously and put in the graft to work out the amazing guitar parts which help make this a wonderful album musically.