Dave Greenfield (1949 - 2020)

Almost unnoticed Dave Greenfield passed away on 3 May. Time to spend a little time and attention to the keyboard player of (post) punk band The Stranglers, as he certainly placed his stamp on modern music.

"Golden Brown, texture like sun", Hugh Cornwell sings, but it is the keyboard that makes the song, that gives it its so utterly distinct melody, texture and attractiveness. I do not know any songs in the post punk years that incorporated something that seems to come from the Middle Ages to be transported into early 80s Britain. Utterly successful as well. 'Golden Brown' is a Dave Greenfield composition. The song is set apart from all contemporary music and the punk where the band, finally, broke through with. So delicate, musically so strong but above all different. This includes the subtle drumming of Jet Black and the playful guitar solo of Cornwell. It is the whole band that brings 'Golden Brown' to a next level, resulting in the band's most well known and greatest hit.

I have never been a real The Stranglers fan, as went for the whole of punk at the time. I was more curious that interested. So The Stranglers were discarded as not so interesting at the time. I think I have three albums. All from 'La Folie' onwards, with the singles of 'Aural Sculpture' as my favourites. There was no reason to go backwards after a first listen in the mid 80s.

Were the members of The Stranglers true punks or more the stragglers, jumping the punk train? They were years older than their contemporaries, like e.g. The Police members and Ian Dury were also, and had been active in many bands, including progrock where Greenfield was concerned. He joined The Stranglers in 1975 when punk did not exist yet. The band pretended to be punk in my opinion, but then why not? It gave the world a few very special songs in the 80s, that have more in common with new wave than punk.

Greenfield's keyboard (and original musical interest and influences) set the band apart from most other punk bands that just had guitar-bass-drums as a basis. Most likely the members were more experienced and proficient on their respective instruments than necessary for a punk band. The production in the 80s perhaps is more what the band originally had in mind, once it could do what it wanted. It certainly became more interesting.

I have put on the 'No More Heroes' album on Spotify to see if I'm wrong with my past pre-conceptions and listen to a nice keyboard solo in 'Bitching' and 'Dead Ringer'. The latter could have been played on any Yes record. There's absolutely nothing punk about it. Cornwell's sneering way of singing, certainly is, but also sounds a bit forced. I do not have to change my opinion, I find, but in a way that is a shame.

Dave Greenfield remained a member of The Stranglers until his death through a Covid-19 infection. The band played regularly without its original singer who left the band a long time ago and performs the same songs solo. What remains is a fairly original sound in songs that, for me, never belonged to the top in music. Dave Greenfield has given the world that sound. Foremost in 'Golden Brown', just like I perk up my ears when I hear 'Skin Deep' and especially 'No Mercy' which contends for my favourite The Stranglers song ever, where 'Aural Sculpture' is my favourite album.

Wo.

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