One Of These Things First

Recorded in 1970 at Sound Techniques in London, the track pairs Drake’s vocals and acoustic guitar with Paul Harris’s piano, Ed Carter’s bass and Mike Kowalski’s drums. Joe Boyd produced the session, with John Wood engineering. Released on Bryter Layter in March 1971, the song set Drake’s reflections on unrealised possibilities against a flowing piano accompaniment. It exemplified the fuller ensemble sound of his second album. Its appearance in Garden State and the film’s Grammy-winning soundtrack in 2004 brought the song to a new generation. It also featured in the 2008 film Seven Pounds.