Founded by vocalist / guitarist Dave Cousins as a Bluegrass act dubbed the STRAWBERRY HILL BOYS during 1964, evolving into Progressive and Folk Rock as the STRAWBS. SANDY DENNY of FAIRPORT CONVENTION made her singing debut with THE STRAWBS. The band also proved to be the first public port of call for YES keyboard maestro RICK WAKEMAN. Offshoot bands included HUDSON FORD and Pop band THE MONKS.

The STRAWBS, comprising Cousins, vocalist / guitarist Tony Hooper and Ron Chesterman on double bass, were the first contracted act to sign with Herb Alpert's label A&M Records in 1968, debuting with the Tony Visconti and Gus Dudgeon produced single 'Oh How She Changed'. The same production pairing aided the band on their eponymous 1969 debut album.

Second set 'Dragonfly' followed in February 1970, this set of songs pursuing a Folkier direction. Tony Visconti acted as producer for these sessions laid down at Rosenberg Lydteknik in Copenhagen, Denmark and Morgan Studios in London. The STRAWBS had been boosted to a quartet with the addition of Claire Deniz on cello but significantly studio musicians employed included RICK WAKEMAN, guitarist Paul Brett and drummer Bjarne Rostvold. Subsequently, Chesterman and Deniz exited, Rick Wakeman joined the fold as a full band member, as did drummer Richard Hudson and bassist John Ford. This revised line-up debuted live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on 11th July 1970, which was taped for the concert album 'Just A Collection Of Antiques And Curios'. Unusually for a live album, the set list involved all new material except for the song 'Where Is This Dream Of Your Youth' taken from the 'Strawbs' album.

Another studio set, 'From The Witchwood' recorded at Air Studios with Tony Visconti, arrived in February 1971. Wakeman then took up an offer to join YES and was substituted by Blue Weaver, whose credentials included AMEN CORNER and FAIRWEATHER. In this formation the STRAWBS crafted February 1972's 'Grave New World'. Another change then took place, with founder member Tony Hooper opting out. His replacement would be Dave Lambert, previously of FIRE and the EARL KING BOOGIE BAND.

Meantime, DAVE COUSINS cut his debut solo album 'Two Weeks Last Summer' with Tom Allom at the desk. Interestingly a single lifted from this set, 'Going Home', was in fact a STRAWBS recording. Dave Lambert's original vocal had been wiped and replaced by Cousins on a track laid down by Blue Weaver, John Ford and Richard Hudson. Notably, 'Two Weeks Last Summer' hosted studio musicians Jon Hiseman of COLOSSEUM on drums, bassist Roger Glover of DEEP PURPLE and the SAVOY BROWN and CHICKEN SHACK credited guitarist Miller Anderson.

The group took on a harder edged stance, evidenced on the singles 'Lay Down', which reached no. 12 on the UK charts, and the political 'Part Of The Union', which peaked at no. 2. The accompanying album, the self-produced 'Bursting At The Seams', also reached the no. 2 spot in 1973. With interest in the band at a high, a collection of 1967 archive tracks was released as SANDY DENNY AND THE STRAWBS as the album 'All Our Own Work' on the Pickwick label. The STRAWBS undertook a mammoth 52 date British tour but tensions erupted in the midst of North American dates, resulting in Hudson and Ford decamping to forge HUDSON FORD. Weaver also quit, journeying through the BEE GEES then MOTT THE HOOPLE.

The STRAWBS was rebuilt by Cousins and Lambert, introducing Chas Cronk on bass, Rod Coombes, of STEALERS WHEEL, on drums, and John Hawken, of THE NASHVILLE TEENS, on keyboards. Producer Tom Allom manned the desk for 1974's Gothic tinged 'Hero And Heroine'. The same roster of musicians issued the 'Ghost' album in 1975, again working with Tom Allom. Another 1975 album, 'Nomadness', witnessed the STRAWBS trimming to a quartet with the loss of Hawken. However, session players included John Lumley-Saville on synthisizer, Tommy Eyre on keyboards, John Mealing of IF on piano and organ plus former member Rick Wakeman guesting on electric harpsichord.

The STRAWBS contracted with the DEEP PURPLE owned Oyster impint and 'Deep Cuts', recorded at The Manor in Kidlington, Oxfordshire with producers Rupert Holmes and Jeffrey Lesser, was delivered in 1976. Again the STRAWBS recorded minus a permanent keyboard player, employing John Mealing, Rupert Holmes and Robert Kirby in the studio. 1977's 'Burning For You' was committed to tape at Relight Studios in Hilvarenbeek in the Netherlands. The band, having switched to the Arista label, added drummer Tony Fernandez for the next opus, 'Deadlines', in 1977. DAVE LAMBERT put out his inaugural solo album, 'Framed', in 1978.

Afflicted by a fluid membership, the STRAWBS presented an all new look for their next effort at recording in 1978, with Cousins, Cronk and Fernandez having been augmented by guitar players Brian Willoughby, Miller Anderson and Jo Partridge plus keyboard player Andy Richards. However, the 'Heartbreak Hill' album, produced by Tom Allom, languished in the vaults as the group was beset by label and management difficulties. Cousins signalled the demise of the band in 1980, prioritising an acoustic duo in partnership with Willoughby. 'Heartbreak Hill' was finally issued in 1995 through Road Goes On Forever. Also arriving that year was 'Strawbs In Concert' on Windsong, comprising BBC radio sessions from 1973 and 1974.

A STRAWBS reunion, involving Dave Cousins, Brian Willoughby, Blue Weaver, Richard Hudson and John Ford, on Rick Wakeman's 1983 TV show 'Gas Tank' was to result in an invitation to perform as headline act at the Cambridge Folk Festival that same year. The group motivated itself for further global touring, replacing Weaver with HUDSON FORD's Chris Parren and substituting Ford with Rod Demick.

In 1990 the Dirty Linen label compiled rare and unreleased songs dating to the band's formative years for the double album 'Preserves Uncanned'. A 25th anniversary tour was conducted in 1993. The STRAWBS were then off the radar until a 30th anniversary celebration, featuring many ex-members as guests, held at Chiswick Park in London in 1998. This set was issued as the album 'The Complete Strawbs'. Although Rick Wakeman could not perform, his son Adam Wakeman filled in on keyboards. Original bassist Ron Chesterman attended the concert but did not perform.

Chris Parren teamed up exDOG SOLDIER guitarist Derek Griffiths and erstwhile ARGENT and THE KINKS bass player Jim Rodford to create WICKED in 1998. The STRAWBS toured the British clubs in 1999 with a line-up of Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, Blue Weaver, Richard Hudson and Brian Willoughby.

The group took on a whole new shape dictated by an injury to Cousins wrist. In 2000 Cousins and Willoughby had been booked to play a show in Twickenham but faced with cancelling the gig the duo pulled in Dave Lambert on second guitar allowing Cousins to simply sing solo. This triumvirate, billed as ACOUSTIC STRAWBS, put in successful concerts. An album, 'Baroque & Roll', was recorded at Kenny Denton's studio in Chiswick in July 2001 for custom imprint Witchwood Records.

The STRAWBS, as an historical collective of Cousins,Brian Willoghby, Dave Lambert, Blue Weaver, Andy Richards, Rod Demick, Richard Hudson, Tony Fernandez, Chas Cronk, Richard Hudson and Rod Coombes, returned in October 2003 with the 'Blue Angel' album. The title track 'Blue Angel' was a rearrangement of the track which appears on Dave Cousins' first solo album 'Two Weeks Last Summer' whilst 'Lay Down' was another re-recording. Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp of STEELEYE SPAN guested on 'The King'. Welsh Folk singer Mary Hopkin also featured throughout. Willoughby stepped down in 2004, choosing to work on a musical project with Cathryn Craig, and another erstwhile member, Chas Cronk, was pulled back in.

The 'Hero And Heroine' line-up of the band, comprising Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Coombes and Hawken, marked a return in 2004, touring in tandem with the acoustic line-up. The band's set at the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 'NEARfest' event was issued as the Steve Crimmel produced 'Live At NEARfest' in June 2004. The STRAWBS recorded their first new album for 25 years, 'Déjà Fou', for release in August 2004. Adam Wakeman guested on piano. In March 2006 a live album and DVD, featuring a guesting John Ford, was captured at the Robin Club in Bilston. In side activity, Dave Cousins and Chas Cronk assembled BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA with guitarist Miller Anderson, fiddle player Ian Cutler and drummer Chris Hunt. The STRAWBS put on a Christmas concert to close 2006 with BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA as guests.

Tracks for a fresh studio record, given the title 'The Broken Hearted Bride', were also cut. A round of UK club shows was undertaken in 2007. That April Cousins, together with the BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA musicians, crafted his second solo album 'The Boy In The Blue Sailor Suit' working with producer Chris Tsangarides. Another Christmas celebration saw another STRAWBS / BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA live union.

Cousins third solo opus, 'Secret Paths' recorded with steel guitarist Melvin Duffy, emerged in March 2008. Ian Cutler joined Cousins and Duffy for North American dates that spring. US touring for the STRAWBS took place between May and June 2008, after which John Hawken decamped.