http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG5UtUpE6xo

By: Stephen Rose

Lucinda Williams is a singer-songwriter whose music helped define the Americana movement in the mid-90′s. She has released nine albums of original material, combining elements of folk, country, rock and blues.

Lucinda Williams is a winner of three Grammy Awards while being nominated ten other times in categories of rock, folk and country. Her music has been covered by an assortment of artists including Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, and Patty Loveless.

William’s first brush with fame came when Mary-Chapin Carpenter covered her song ‘Passionate Kisses’ on her 1992 album Come On Come On. The song was released as a single in January 1993, reaching #4 on the Billboard country charts, and winning Lucinda her first Grammy for Country Song of the Year.

She discovered Joan Baez and folk music through her mother, and country music through her father, an amateur pianist and Hank Williams fan. Lucinda started writing music when she was just 6 years old, and learned guitar when she was 12. When she was 14 she attended a concert by Peter, Paul and Mary and says she was “mesmerized.” At 16 she discovered the writing of Southern novelist Flannery O’Connor, whom she cites as a major influence on her songwriting.

A product of a broken home, Lucinda’s father gained custody of Lucinda and her younger siblings after divorcing her mother in the mid-1960s. The senior Williams worked as a visiting professor, moving the family to varied locations including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Utah. They also lived in Mexico City and Santiago, Chile

Lucinda says her father provided a “culturally rich, but economically poor” upbringing where artistic expression was of primary importance.”

“Thanks to my dad, I grew up around poets and novelists and they all had families and normal lives and most of them didn’t achieve even nominal success until much later in life,” she recalls. “I have to keep reminding people that, yeah, I’m a musician, but first and foremost, I’m an artist and art is about expression, about expressing your feelings about what you’re going through every day.”

In 1970, Williams played publicly for the first time during her family’s stay in Mexico City. She performed as part of duo with her friend Clark Jones, a banjo player. She briefly attended the University of Arkansas, but dropped out by her early 20s to pursue a career in music. She initially performed folk music around New Orleans mixing covers with traditional-styled originals. In 1974, she relocated to Austin, Texas and became part of the burgeoning roots music scene.  She split her time between Austin and Houston, before moving to New York to record and market a demo tape.

In 1978, Lucinda Williams traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to record her first album at Malaco studios, known for its impressive roster of 70′s soul artists. The resulting album was a collection of country, blues and cajun covers released by Smithsonian/Folkways entitled Ramblin’ On My Mind. Her only accompaniment on the album was guitarist John Grimaudo.

In 1980, Lucinda Williams returned to Houston to record an album comprised entirely of her original compositions called Happy Woman Blues. A pure country effort, it contains remarkably mature songwriting for such a young artist. The album’s charm is in the simplicity of its production and the enthusiasm of its performances. It opens with ‘Lafayette,’ a cajun waltz; and ‘I Lost It,’ an early classic featuring Malcolm Smith on fiddle. Other highlights include the uptempo title track ‘Happy Woman Blues,’ with Andre Matthews on slide guitar; ‘Maria,’ a pretty ballad in the style of Joan Baez; ‘One Night Stand,’ with Mickey Moody on pedal steel guitar; and the somber ‘King Of Hearts.’ Other notable cuts include ‘Howling’ At Midnight;’ ‘Hard Road;’ and ‘Sharp Cutting Wings.’ The album features Mickey White on guitar, and Rex Bell on bass – both members of legendary Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt’s band.

In 1984, Williams moved to Los Angeles where she took voice lessons in the style of Joan Baez. She performed on stage in solo acoustic settings, and backed by a rock band. CBS signed her to a development deal that never materialized since neither its rock nor its country divisions knew how to market her. During this time she was briefly married to Greg Sowders, drummer for the L.A. folk-rock band the Long Ryders.

By 1988 Lucinda Williams was settled in Nashville where she released her third album, an upbeat country-rock effort entitled Lucinda Williams on the British punk rock label Rough Trade Records. Co-produced by her guitarist Gurf Morlix, standout tracks include ‘I Just Wanted To See You So Bad,’ a spirited rocker about heartache and yearning; ‘Changed The Locks,’ about a relationship gone bad; and ‘Side Of The Road,’ one of Williams’ prettiest compositions. Other highlights include ‘Passionate Kisses,’ ‘The Night’s Too Long,’ ‘Abandoned,’ ‘Am I Too Blue,’ ‘Crescent City,’ ‘Price To Pay,’ and the joyous ‘Big Red Sun Blues.’

Jim Lauderdale, Pat Quinn, and Gurf Morlix supplied backing vocals on this album.

[In 1998, KOCH International re-released Lucinda Williams with several live bonus tracks including 'Nothing In Rambling,' 'Side Of The Road,' and 'Something About What Happens When We Talk.']

In 1990, Patty Loveless covered “The Night’s Too Long” for her album Down The Line. The song charted for 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart, reaching #20 in December 1990.

Lucinda Williams signed with RCA for a time but left when she felt that the label was pressuring her to release material she didn’t deem ready for public consumption. Instead, she went to the small Elektra-distributed label Chameleon and began work on her next long player.

In 1992, Sweet Old World was released. It was a folksier, more organic effort than its predecessor, with the mood set by the title track, a bittersweet reflection on the suicide of poet Frank Stanford, a family friend.

Highlights include the upbeat opening track ‘Six Blocks Away;’ the tender ‘Something About What Happens When We Talk;’ the impassioned ‘He Never Got Enough Love;’ the funky ‘Hot Blood;’ the swinging dance tune ‘Lines Around Your Eyes;’ and the folksy ‘Prove My Love.’ Other standouts include ‘Little Angle Little Brother,’ ‘Pineola,’ and ‘Memphis Pearl.’ The album concludes with a cover of the Nick Drake song ‘Which Will.’

Sweet Old World drew rave reviews, and Williams promoted it on a tour of Australia with Rosanne Cash and Mary Chapin Carpenter. In 1992, Mary Chapin Carpenter covered Passionate Kisses for her album Come On Come On. The song was released as a single and reached #4 on the Billboard country chart winning Williams her first Grammy for Country Song of the Year.

In 1993, Lucinda Williams performed a duet with Jimmie Dale Gilmore called ‘Reunion’ on his album Spinning Around the Sun.

In 1993, Emmylou Harris covered “Crescent City” for her album Cowgirl’s Prayer. She also recorded “Sweet Old World” for her 1995 alt-country landmark Wrecking Ball

In 1996, Tom Petty covered “Changed the Locks” for the soundtrack of the film She’s the One.

In 1995 Williams signed with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label and began work on her breakthrough album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. Initially, the album was made in collaboration with Williams’s long-time producer and guitar player Gurf Morlix. According to Morlix, the recordings in Austin were “ninety percent done,” but Lucinda shelved them and redid the album from scratch in Nashville. In the middle of the re-recordings, they “butted heads in the studio” and ended their partnership. [The Austin sessions featured accordion master Flaco Jimenez, and keyboardist Ian McLagan.]

Williams recruited Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy to finish the Nashville production. When the recordings were complete, she thought the results sounded over-produced, and so she took the tapes to Los Angeles, where she enlisted Roy Bittan (keyboardist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band) to co-produce a series of overdub sessions. Rick Rubin mixed the final tracks, however the album’s release was further delayed while he negotiated a distribution deal with Columbia. Mercury stepped in to purchase the rights to the album, which was finally released in June 1998.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road put Williams at the forefront of the burgeoning Americana movement, a style of roots music know for combining elements of folk, rock, country and blues. The album includes guest appearances by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris.

Her most accomplished release to date, the album managed to sound both timeless and contemporary while harvesting a batch of new songs that became instant classics including the opener ‘Right In Time;’ ‘Drunken Angel,’ (about doomed Texas songwriter Blaze Foley); the wistful ’2 Kool 2 Be 4 Gotten;’ ’Can’t Let Go,’ featuring Gurf Morlix on electric slide guitar; ‘I Lost It,’ from her 1988 eponymous release is redone as a jubilant rocker; the cajun waltz ‘Still I Long For Your Kiss,’ and the pulsing single chord screamer ‘Joy.’ The album is rounded out with the radio-friendly flag bearer ‘Car Wheels On A Gravel Road,’ the solemn ‘Greenville,’ the folk singalong ‘Concrete And Barbed Wire,’ the soulful ‘Lake Charles,’ a toe-tapping ‘Metal Firecracker,’ and the acoustic lullaby ‘Jackson.’

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was Williams’ first album to go gold, and won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album reached 65 on the Billboard 200 album charts, and was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. In 2003, the album was ranked number 304 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

[In 2006 Polygram released a Deluxe Edition including bonus tracks and a second disc containing a full concert featuring guitarists Kenny Vaughn and Bo Ramsey held at Philadelphia's World Cafe in July 1998.]

After a merger shakeup at Mercury, Williams wound up on Universal Music Group’s (UMG) roots imprint Lost Highway, where she remains to this day.

After three consecutive albums that are now considered classics, expectations were high for Lucinda Williams to keep the streak alive with her 2001 release Essence, produced by Bob Dylan’s guitarist Charlie Sexton. Session players were brought in to back Williams, including Bo Ramsey, who replaced Gurf Morlix on guitar, Jim Keltner on drums, and another Dylan sideman Tony Garnier on bass.

Essence is not as ambitious as its predecessor (although had it been released prior to Car Wheels it may have been seen as a logical progression in Lucinda’s maturing development). The album has an adult contemporary vibe with many of the compositions harkening back to William’s folksier roots.

Highlights include the melodic opener ‘Lonely Girls;’ the angry rocker ‘Out Of Touch;’ the dreamy waltz ‘Bus To Baton Rouge;’ the soulful ‘Are You Down;’ a relaxed ‘Reason To Cry;’ the seductive ‘Essence;’ and the meloncholy ‘Blue.’ Lucinda won her third Grammy for ‘Get Right With God,’ a Delta rave-up which took honors for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

In 2003, Williams turned 50 and celebrated with the release of World Without Tears, produced by Bob Dylan’s engineer Mark Howard and recorded live in the studio with her touring band. World Without Tears was an experimental departure from Americana, introducing elements of rap, ambient and electronica into her palette of sonic textures.

Highlights include ‘Righteously,’ a slick rocker with a fuzzy Hendrix-inspired guitar lead; ‘Overtime,’ a vibrato-drenched ballad; ‘Those Three Days,’ an angry lament; ‘People Talkin,’ with a drum beat borrowed from Levon Helm; and the wistful title track ‘World Without Tears.’ Other standouts include the opener ‘Fruits Of My Labor;’ the dreamy ‘Ventura,’ featuring Doug Pettibone on pedal steel; the trip-hop ‘American Dream;’ ‘Sweet Side,’ where Lucinda tries her hand at rap lyricism; the pop rocker ‘Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings,’ which dips into Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow territory; and the closing track ‘World Fell.’

World Without Tears became Lucinda Williams’ highest-charting effort to date when it debuted in the Top 20.

In 2004 Williams joined with Elvis Costello on ‘There’s a Story in Your Voice’, a pairing for his album The Delivery Man. She performed a duet with Willie Nelson of her song ‘Overtime’ from his 2004 album It Will Always Be. She was also guest vocalist on ‘Factory Girls’ from Irish punk-folk band Flogging Molly’s 2004 album, “Within a Mile of Home.”

In 2005, Lucinda Williams released her first live album, Live @ The Fillmore, recorded at San Francisco’s historic Fillmore Auditorium. Her peformance of ‘Out Of Touch’ is worth the price of admission alone. Other highlights include ‘Righteously,’ ‘Changed The Locks,’ ‘Those Three Days,”Fruits Of My Labor,’ ‘Overtime,’ ‘Reason To Cry,’ ‘Joy,’ ‘I Lost It,’ ‘Essence,’ ‘World Without Tears,’ and ‘Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings.’

In 2006, Williams recorded a version of the John Hartford classic “Gentle On My Mind,” which played over the closing credits of the Will Ferrell film Talladega Nights. She also sang with folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott on the song “Careless Darling” from his 2006 release “I Stand Alone.”

In 2007, Lucinda Williams released West, named for her relocation back to Los Angeles. The album is notable for a switch in songwriting perspective from universal to introspective as she relates the personal suffering brought on by her mother’s death, and by a broken relationship. An experiment in tonalities and sonic textures, West was inspired by the electronic blues of Thievery Corporation and Kruder & Dorfmeister.

Doug Pettibone returned on guitar, with a rhythm section made up of Dylan bassist Tony Garnier and renowned drummer Jim Keltner. Co-producer Hal Willner brought in jazz guitarist Bill Frisell to provide atmoshpherics, and former Tin Hat Trio keyboardist Bob Burger, along with violinist Jenny Scheinman.

The standout track  ’Unsuffer Me,’ is a blues workout characterized by the juxtaposition of Doug Pettibone’s heavily distorted lead guitar played over a cascading symphonic string arrangement.

Other notable songs include the bittersweet opener ‘Are You Alright?;’ ‘Mama Sweet,’ where William’s employs an extended Dylan-style monologue to convey her message; ‘Learning How To Live,’ with its message of renewal; ‘Where Is My Love,’ which employs Django-esque acoustic jazz guitar and violin; the childlike fantasies of ‘What If;’ the warped melancholy of ‘Rescue;’ and the beckoning title track ‘West,’ which closes the album.

West debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200. It was listed No. 18 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007. ‘Are You Alright?’ was No. 34 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

In 2008, Lucinda Williams got her mojo back with the release of Little Honey, a barnburner that captured the spirit and energy of Bakersfield honky tonks and Memphis juke joints.

Co-produced by West engineer Eric Liljestrand and Williams’ fiancé, Tom Overby, she is backed by her touring group: longtime guitarist Doug Pettibone, joined by axman Chet Lyster, bassist David Sutton, and drummer Butch Norton.

Highlights include the opening two tracks ‘Real Love,’ featuring Rob Burger on Wurlitzer, and ‘Circles And X’s,’ both energetic rockers played with joyful abandon. ‘Tears Of Joy’ follows, featuring a nice bluesy guitar lead by Pettibone; ‘Little Rock Star,’ a quiet song that builds to a psychedelic climax; and ‘Well Well Well,’ which frolicks with the abandon of a country jamboree (Jim Lauderdale and Charlie Louvin, of the legendary Louvin Brothers, provide backing vocals on this track. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs contributed backing vocals on Little Rock Star.)

Other notable songs include ‘If Wishes Were Horses;’ ‘Jailhouse Tears,’ featuring Elvis Costello; ‘Knowing;’ and ‘Heaven Blues,’ a spare delta blues featuring Jim Pettibone back on slide guitar.

Williams followed Little Honey by releasing a digital-only EP of protest songs, entitled Lu In 08. Three of the four tracks are covers: Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and the Thievery Corporation/Wayne Coyne collaboration “Marching the Hate Machines Into the Sun.” The fourth cut is the Williams original “Bone of Contention,” which originally was intended for inclusion on “Little Honey.”

In 2009, Lucinda Williams performed with M. Ward on the song ‘Oh Lonesome Me’ from his album Hold Time.

In September of 2009, Williams married Best Buy music executive Tom Overby onstage at Minneapolis’ First Avenue music club. Her father, Miller Williams, performed the ceremony in a homage to Hank Williams, who himself enjoyed public nuptials in New Orleans in the early 1950s.

“Being married and feeling comfortable in my life, I’ve been able to go outside myself and write about other things,” Williams says. “I feel like this album, as a whole, is positive, but it’s not my so-called ‘happy’ album. Yes, I’m in love and I’m happy in my personal life. But my personal life isn’t the only focus. There aren’t all those unrequited love, ‘I’ve been shot down by a bad boy songs’ … well, there’s one of those … but there are songs about all sorts of things. It’s just a lot easier to stretch these days.”

“People buy into this myth that once you’re quote happy unquote, you just die as an artist – that’s inane. It’s ridiculous,” she says. “People have actually asked me, ‘well, will you still be able to write now that your life is happy?’ That’s a somewhat pedantic point of view, the myth that happiness can’t be part of the backbone of creativity.

In 2011, Lucinda Williams released Blessed, a consistently rewarding album with a relaxed Southern California vibe reminiscent of early Jackson Browne or Norah Jones. Produced by Don Was – producer of Bonnie Raitt’s Grammy-winner Nick Of Time – Blessed was recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, and features Elvis Costello playing a mean lead guitar on the many of the tracks. Blessed is William’s most coherent and balanced effort since her Grammy-winning releases from the mid-90′s.

The album kicks off in high gear with the grungy cowpunk of ‘Buttercup;’ followed by the heartfelt ballad ‘I Don’t Know How You’re Livin,’ a song about her younger brother whom she “hasn’t seen in a long time.”  Next up is ‘Copenhagen,’ named for the town she was passing through when she learned of the death of Frank Callari, her former manager. She continues with ‘Born To Be Loved,’ a nice chillout enhanced by Rami Jaffe’s Hammond organ; followed by the atmospheric minor/major key switching structure of ‘Seeing Black,’ inspired by Georgia singer Vic Chestnutt, an overdose victim; then ‘Soldier’s Song,’ a beautiful folk ballad highlighted by a tasty Elvis Costello guitar solo. The title track, ‘Blessed,’ lays an uplifting message over a thick Memphis groove; then the album relaxes into ‘Sweet Love,’ a mellow come-down tune that reflects on her relationship with newfound amour Tom Overby. Next, the album eases into the gentle country-rocker ‘Ugly Truth;’ followed by the groovy jam ‘Convince Me;’ then concludes with the intimate ‘Kiss Like Your Kiss.’

“I had this image in my mind of how a stranger can affect you, and you them, at the same time,” Lucinda says. “We have this concept that someone who is less fortunate than we are in some way has nothing to offer us, and that’s not true at all. Everyone has a gift to give as long as you’re willing to accept it, from the girl selling flowers at a Mexican restaurant to the homeless man on the street. It’s all about the hope that there’s good in humanity if you look for it – which is really the feel of the whole album.”

Video

I Just Wanted To See You So Bad (Austin City Limits, 1989)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOehqlrJqc

Something About What Happens When We Talk (Austin City Limits, 1989)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fT0MDQKew0

Side Of The Road (Austin City Limits, 1989)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1sob8iICHw

Are You Alright (David Letterman, 2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI8-Osa6pbY

Still I Long For Your Kiss (Koln, Germany, 2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10rdtk6Vixw

Righteously (Koln, Germany, 2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx1ffuDoy6I

Real Love (David Letterman, 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oPgZoXZ1Z0

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (Cambridge Folk Festival, 2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ainIBDO6a8E

Over Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2XRVJJ42Y8

Essence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kd3Y-anRlM

Ugly Truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDVMgjxPIqo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YpKKUzF_SA

By: Stephen Rose

Nick Drake was part of the British folk revival movement of the late 60′s, which included Fairport Convention, Pentangle, and The Incredible String Band. He died in 1974 from an accidental overdose of anti-depressants after releasing three albums which failed to find an audience – then became an icon nearly thirty years later sparked in part by Volkswagen licensing one of his songs for a television commercial.

Over the years since his death Nick Drake’s fan base and album sales have steadily risen. Fellow musicians have cited him as an influence and covered his compositions; corporations have licensed his songs for television commercials; and movies have used his music in their soundtracks.  In 2003, Rolling Stone included two of his albums in their list of 500 greatest albums of all time.  Then in 2004, Drake’s resurrection culminated when two singles charted from his Made To Love Magic compilation.

Nick Drake was born in 1948 in Rangoon, Burma, where his father worked as an engineer for the Bombay Burma Trading Company. His mother was the daughter of a senior member of the Indian Civil Service. The family moved back to England in 1952 and resided near the district of Stratford-upon-Avon, in Warwickshire county (the birthplace of William Shakespeare and George Eliot).

Both of his parent’s were musically inclined and wrote their own songs. With his mother’s encouragement Nick learned piano at an early age and began recording his nascent compositions on the family’s reel-to-reel tape recorder. [Recordings of Molly Drake's songs, which have surfaced in recent years, are remarkably similar in tone and outlook to the later work of her son. They share a fragile vocal delivery, and their lyrics echo sentiments of foreboding and fatalism.]

In 1962, Nick Drake attended Marlborough College where he played piano in the orchestra, and learned clarinet and saxophone. He also sang in the school choir, and was adept at sports (he became captain of the rugby team, and holds the school record in track & field for the 100-yard dash). Additionally, he was Head of House in C1, the college’s largest house.

In 1964, Drake formed a band called The Perfumed Gardeners, which played jazz standards and old R&B tunes. They also covered records by The Yardbirds and Manfred Mann.

In 1965, influenced by the folk movement in Britain and America – and artists such as Bert Jansch, Bob Dylan, Jackson C. Frank, and Phil Ochs – he purchased his first acoustic guitar (possibly a Guild M-20) and began experimenting with open tunings and finger-picking techniques. Self-taught, Drake achieved his unique guitar style through the use of alternate tunings and clusters chords (chords comprising at least three adjacent tones in a scale). Difficult to play on a guitar using standard tuning, Drake employed alternate tunings which allowed him to achieve tone clusters while playing conventional chord shapes.

In 1966, Nick Drake won a scholarship to study English literature at Cambridge University. He delayed enrolling for six months to attend the University of Aix-Marseille, France, where he began practicing his guitar in earnest. During this time he developed a serious marijuana habit and possibly began experimenting with LSD. Before returning to England he traveled with friends to Morocco where he had a chance encounter with The Rolling Stones.

The following year at Cambridge, Drake was introduced to Robert Kirby, a music student who recorded several of Nick’s compositions then wrote arrangements with strings and woodwind to perform at the university. [These recordings would later emerge on several posthumous compilations, including Made To Love Magic. Kirby also provided arrangements on Drake's first two albums.]

While at Cambridge, Drake began playing in clubs and coffee houses around London. His big break came when he was included on a bill for a benefit concert headlined by Country Joe and the Fish at the Round House in London. He was discovered by Ashley Hutchings, bassist for Fairport Convention, and signed to a contract by producer Joe Boyd.

Ashley Hutchings: “Nick was performing there with a friend on guitar. I seem to recall that he was standing and the friend was sitting down. I’d never heard about him. I’d never heard any of his music. And the first thing that struck me was not the sound, not the music, but the image. I thought he looked like a star. He looked wonderful. Very tall. He seemed to be seven foot tall. And that very rare commodity, charisma was shining through clearly. That made me want to get a bit closer and so I did. I edged closer and closer to the stage. And as I got closer and closer I started to take in everything else. What a good guitarist he was, his picking. Then the songs, the musical style of the songs which was quite unusual. By then his very short set was coming to an end. I think it must have only been four or five songs perhaps. As soon as he came off stage I made a beeline for him and started to talk to him; introduced myself and said I thought his music was wonderful and could I have a phone number? I went away and immediately contacted Joe Boyd.”

When Boyd called to ask for a tape, Nick was thrilled. Boyd, then in his twenties, was already a local legend. He had come to England straight from Harvard to set up a record company called Witchseason Productions. He took a great personal interest in his artists, nourishing their egos, unraveling their crises, developing their music. When he heard Nick’s tape, he was amazed at the quality. He played it several times, not trusting his first reaction. Boyd gave the 20-year-old a contract and, in 1968, produced Five Leaves Left.

Joe Boyd: “So I called him and he came in. And in those days you didn’t have cassettes; he brought a reel-to-reel tape that he’d done at home. Half way through the first song I felt this was pretty special and I called him up and he came back in and he talked and I just said, ‘I’d like to make a record.’ He stammered, ‘Oh, well, ok.’ Nick was a man of few words; he seemed pleased in his own diffident way and we started talking about where to begin.”

[Joe Boyd was an American sent to Britain in 1965 to establish an overseas office for Elektra Records. He had previously organized European tours for Muddy Waters, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. He was also responsible for the sound at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival - memorable for Bob Dylan's amplified rock set. In 1966, he opened London's first psychedelic ballroom, the UFO Club, and produced recordings by UFO regulars Pink Floyd and The Soft Machine. Other British acts Boyd worked with include Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse, The Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, John Martyn, and Vashti Bunyan.]

Highlights include the country-tinged opening track “Time Has Told Me” (with Richard Thompson on lead guitar, and Paul Harris on piano); “River Man” (noted for its 5/4 time); “Cello Song” (featuring Clare Lowther on cello, and Rocki Dzidzornu on congas); and the jazzy closing track “Saturday Sun” (with Tristan Fry on vibraphone). Other standouts are “Three Hours,” “Man In A Shed,” and “The Thoughts Of Mary Jane.”

[The album's title was a reference to printed notes inserted towards the end of packets of Rizla cigarette papers indicating "Only five leaves left."]

In October 1969, Nick Drake opened for Fairport Convention when they played their famous Liege and Lief concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Although his performance was a relative success, poor audience response at other shows led Drake to gradually withdraw from live performing.

Brian Cullman remembers opening for Nick Drake at Cousins, a dark underground club on Greek Street in London: “His shyness and awkwardness were almost transcendent. A tall man (he stood over 6’3″), his clothes – black corduroy jacket and pants, frayed white shirt – hung around him like bedclothes after a particularly bad night’s sleep. He sat on a small stool, hunched tight over a tiny Guild guitar, beginning songs and, halfway through, forgetting where he was and stumbling back to the start of that song, or beginning an entirely different song which he would then abandon mid-way through if he remembered the remainder of the first. He sang away from the microphone, mumbled, and whispered, all with a sense of precariousness and doom. It was like being at the bedside of a dying young man who wants to tell you a secret, but who keeps changing his mind at the last minute: Come closer; no, on second thought, go away.”

Certain of his abilities and desperate to create momentum for his fledgling career Nick Drake dropped out of Cambridge with only nine months left before graduation and moved to London to pursue music full-time and begin work on his follow-up album.

His father tried to change his mind: “I wrote him a long letter about the safety of staying in Cambridge,” Rodney Drake recalled. “He said the safety of it was the one thing he didn’t want.”

Highlights include “Hazey Jane II,” an upbeat tune featuring Kirby’s horn arrangement and Thompson’s lead guitar; the jazzy “Poor Boy,” featuring Ray Warleigh on alto sax; and “Northern Sky,” a collaboration with underground rock legend John Cale (The Velvet Underground) who played celeste, piano and organ. Other notable songs include “Hazey Jane I,” “At The Chime Of A City Clock,” and the instrumental “Bryter Layter.”

[The albums' title was meant to be a little poke at BBC weather forecasters, who would often refer to the weather as "cloudy now, but brighter later." Nick added the "y's" for visual effect.]

The release of Bryter Layter coincided with the beginning of Drake’s gradual descent into frustration and despair. Despite receiving favorable reviews, sales of both albums were dismal – compounded by his refusal to support his records by performing in public or consenting to do interviews.

Shortly after the release, Joe Boyd sold his production company to Island Records, and moved to Los Angeles to work with Warner Brothers on film scores. The loss of this key mentor figure, coupled with the album’s poor sales, led the already introverted Drake to further withdraw from social contact, move back to his parent’s house, and retreat deeper into depression.

In 1971, Drake was persuaded by his family to visit a psychiatrist at St Thomas’s Hospital, London, where he was prescribed a course of antidepressants.

The stark nudity of the performance and bare honesty of his lyrics may have been Drake’s final attempt to step out from behind the veil of glossy studio productions and leave a final testament to who he was and what he stood for. The album’s brevity serves to increase its emotional impact. At the end of the second session, he told John Wood “That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.”

John Wood recalls, “He arrived at midnight and we started. It was done very quickly. After we had finished I asked him what I should keep, and he said all of it, which was a complete contrast to his former stance. He came in for another evening and that was it. It took hardly any time to mix, since it was only his voice and guitar, with one overdub only (piano on Pink Moon). Nick was adamant about what he wanted. He wanted it to be spare and stark, and he wanted it to be spontaneously recorded.”

Pink Moon contains some of Drake’s most personal and prophetic lyrics, suggesting he foresaw the inevitability of his impending departure. He was always particular about the ordering of the tracks on his albums. On this release in particular the sequence seems intended to convey an overall concept exploring life’s phases, lessons, and ultimate passing. Beginning with the ominous warning of the title track (“And none of you stand so tall. Pink moon gonna get ye all.“); followed by the reflections of “Place To Be” (“When I was young. Younger than before. I never saw the truth hanging from the door.“); to the unanswered questions of “Which Will” (“Which will you go for? Which will you love? Which will you choose from the stars above?“).

The album’s centerpiece summarizes life’s cruel indifference in “Things Behind The Sun” (“Please beware of them that stare. They’ll only smile to see you while your time away.“); followed by the pulsing rhythm of “Know” (“Know that I love you. Know I don’t care. Know that I see you. Know I’m not there.“); the critical self-appraisal of “Parasite” (“Take a look, you may see me on the ground. For I am the parasite of this town.“); to the desperate plea of “Free Ride” (“Hear Me Calling. Won’t you give me a free ride?“).

On the penultimate track “Harvest Breed,” Drake seemed resigned to his fate (“Falling fast and falling free this could just be the end. And you’re ready now for the harvest breed.“). The album concludes on an optimistic note with a hopeful message of renewal in “From The Morning” (“And now we rise and we are everywhere. And now we rise from the ground.“).

[The cover art for Pink Moon featured an illustration by Michael Trevithick, the partner of Drake's sister Gabrielle.]

Pink Moon was released in February 1972, and sold even fewer copies than Nick Drake’s first two records. Shortly after its release he suffered a mental breakdown and checked himself into a psychiatric hospital for five weeks. The hospital prescribed antidepressants, then he returned home to live with his parents in Birmingham. Thereafter, he wrote little music and rarely ventured out.

John Martyn: “I went up to see him in Birmingham, he was living with his parents. He was walking around the garden and was really really withdrawn. He found it very difficult to speak. And I said, ‘Listen what the hell has gone wrong with you? What is wrong with you? Did you think you were going to be a star overnight?’ And he said, ‘Yes I did.’ And I said, ‘Well that’s the problem there, you’re not, just sit down, make some more music and you will be. Don’t worry, you’re beautiful, you’re great…’ And he just proceeded to enter into a tirade about the injustices of the world.”

Joe Boyd: “One day I was sitting in London sitting at home and the phone rang. And Nick was on the phone, a pay phone, and he was very agitated and he said, ‘I want to talk to you.’ And I said, ‘Fine come on over.’ And he came over and I let him in and he came upstairs and he looked terrible; you know, his hair was dirty and he was sort of unshaven and his finger nails were dirty and he was wearing a shabby coat. He wasn’t the sort of diffident quiet person that I had remembered. He was very agitated, very nervous, twitchy. He sat down and he immediately launched into the kind of tirade about his career, about money. And basically it was accusatory, he said, ‘You told me I’m great, but nobody knows me, nobody buys my records, I’m still living on handouts from the publishing company, I don’t understand. What’s wrong? Whose fault is this?’ And he was angry and I tried to explain that there’s no guarantees. That you can make a great record and sometimes it just doesn’t sell.”

In February 1974, Nick Drake returned to the studio and managed to put down four more tracks including “Rider on the Wheel,” “Hanging on a Star.” and “Black Eyed Dog.” [Winston Churchill popularized the phrase "the black dog is here" to describe his severe bouts of depression, taken from Samuel Johnson.]

Joe Boyd: “John Wood and I did the final recording session. He was so – in such a state that he couldn’t sing and play the guitar at the same time. Those last four tracks, Black Eyed Dog and all those, are recorded with guitar and then voice singing over the guitar. Because he was just too nervous, or too, I don’t know how to describe the way he was, but it was very, very agonizing seeing him try to do those recordings. I mean they are extraordinary recordings, but they were – the combination of the lyric and the music and the state of Nick at the time of doing it was a very distressing experience.”

Unable to continue with the session, Drake took several months off, then returned in July 1974 to record his final two tracks “Voices” and “Tow The Line.”

In the early hours of November 25, 1974, Drake’s parents heard him go downstairs to the kitchen, fix a bowl of cereal, then return to bed. Nick often slept late, but by noon his mother went upstairs to ask about breakfast. When she opened the door, she saw Nick lying dead across his bed.

Drake had been taking a very strong tricyclic antidepressant called Tryptizol, and he overdosed. An insomniac, Nick had used the drug as a sleeping pill. Molly Drake never suspected it was dangerous. “We used to be so careful about locking up every aspirin and every pill,” she says, “but we never thought about the medication he had from the doctor.”

The assistant coroner declared it a suicide, even though he left no note. The verdict was disputed by his friends and family. Nick Drake was 26 years old.

Gabrielle Drake: “I don’t believe that anyone commits suicide who doesn’t actually want to somewhere very, very deep inside them. Nevertheless I also think that he took those drugs on the spur of the moment. He didn’t leave a note or anything like that; it was not premeditated and I think that he sort of thought, ‘Well, either I’ll die or I’ll come through this differently.’ Or a different person or something. That’s what I feel.”

In February 1979, the BBC broadcast the documentary “A Stranger Among Us: Searching For Nick Drake.”

In 1979, Island Records released the Fruit Tree retrospective, which included all three albums plus four tracks recorded with John Wood in 1974. However, sales were poor and the album received little press notice, and in 1983 Island deleted Fruit Tree from its catalogue.

In 1985, Dream Academy dedicated their hit song “Life In A Northern Town” to Nick Drake.

In 1986, Gorm Henrik Rasmussen, a Danish poet, wrote the first biography of Nick Drake, entitled “Pink Moon – A Story About Nick Drake.” It includes exclusive interviews with the singer’s parents, Rodney and Molly Drake.

In 1994, Island Records released the compilation “Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake.” Although the album never charted in the UK, it sold consistently over the next few years, gaining a gold disc certification in September 1999 for sales of 100,000 copies in the UK.

In 1998, BBC Radio 2 broadcast a documentary entitled Fruit Tree: The Nick Drake Story, featuring interviews with Joe Boyd, John Wood, Gabrielle and Molly Drake, Paul Wheeler, Robert Kirby and Ashley Hutchings, and narrated by Danny Thompson.

In 1999, BBC2 aired a 40-minute documentary, “A Stranger Among Us—In Search of Nick Drake.”

In 2000, Dutch director Jeroen Berkvens released the documentary “A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake,” featuring interviews with Gabrielle Drake, Joe Boyd, John Wood, and Robert Kirby.

In 2000, The Guardian placed “Bryter Layter” at number 1 in its Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever list.

In 2000, Volkswagen used the song Pink Moon in a television commercial for their Cabriolet, exposing Nick Drake to a new generation of American audiences, and leading to a number-five placing for Pink Moon in Amazon’s sales chart.

In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Five Leaves Left number 280, and Pink Moon number 320, on their list of 500 greatest albums of all time.

In 2004, Nick Drake achieved his first chart placement when two singles (“Magic” and “River Man”) were released to coincide with the Made To Love Magic compilation. [The compilation includes four demos Drake recorded at Cambridge with Robert Kirby, two unreleased tracks from the Five Leaves Left session, two tracks recreated by Kirby and heard for the first time in their original arrangements, and four tracks from Nick Drake's final sessions in 1974.]

In 2004, Brad Pitt narrated the documentary “Lost Boy: In Search of Nick Drake” on BBC Radio 2.

In 2005, Robert Kirby conducted an 18-piece orchestra in Manhattan’s Central Park for a show of Drake’s music, using his original scores. Five Leaves Left was performed in its entirety as well as excerpts from Bryter Later and Made To Love Magic. The show starred guitarist Josh Max and singer Julie James of the Manhattan-based group The Maxes, and was attended by 3,000 Drake fans from all over the US.

In 2009, Joe Boyd curated a concert entitled “Way to Blue: The Songs of Nick Drake,” at the Birmingham Town Hall, with Robert Kirby as musical arranger and a variety of singers and musicians performing Drake’s songs. Among the featured artists were Robyn Hitchcock, Camille O’Sullivan, Martha Wainwright, Graham Coxon, Beth Orton, Harper Simon, Kate St John, Stuart Murdoch and Vashti Bunyan. Following this concert’s success, Boyd staged a short concert tour of the UK in January 2010, followed by performances in Australia. The concert at the London Barbican Centre was filmed and broadcast on BBC Four in April 2010.

In 2010, AT&T used “From the Morning” in an advertisement as part of their “Rethink Possible” campaign.

Nick Drake has been cited as an influence on many artists, including Paul Weller, Peter Buck, Elliott Smith, Tom Verlaine, Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Eitzel, Lou Barlow, and Badly Drawn Boy. Robert Smith of The Cure credited the origin of his band’s name after a line from “Time Has Told Me” (“A troubled cure for a troubled time“).

Nick Drake’s music has also been covered by a diverse array of musicians including Lucinda Williams (“Which Will”), Norah Jones (“Day Is Done”), Brad Mehldau (“River Man”), The Swans (“Black Eyed Dog”), and Millie Small (“Mayfair”). In 2005, Beck uploaded three Drake covers to his Web site (“Pink Moon,” “Which Will,” and “Parasite”).

The song “Black Eyed Dog” was featured in the 1998 film Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Zach Braff used the song “One Of These Things First” in his 2004 film Garden State.

Joe Boyd: “The reasons he wasn’t successful during his lifetime were a combination of fairly simple things. First of all, he didn’t build up a live following or tour. Because Nick’s records weren’t released in America until the early ’70s, it was really down to England to make him a star. He fell, unfortunately, in the period between the demise of the pirates. Really, all you had was BBC Radio One, and there wasn’t really much room for album tracks or for artists like Nick on radio in Britain.”

David Geffen, founder of Asylum Records: “I thought his records were fabulous. And yet he met with complete indifference in this country. I thought Nick Drake should have been a star and that I could help him. I kept asking Island Records about him, and they kept putting me off. And then it was too late.”

Gabrielle Drake: “Of course, the only thing that makes sense of his death is his fame that is now coming about. I think above all it’s not his fame it’s more the fact that a lot of young people have found his music such a help. And that, I think, would have please him so very, very much. He once said to my mother, ‘If only I could feel that my music had ever done anything to help one single person it would have made it worth it.’”

Joe Boyd: “When you put aside the singing, lyrics, the arrangements, and everything else, and you just listen to the guitar playing, you can hear that Nick was an extraordinary musician with very, very strong technique, big strong hands. The guitar playing was incredibly clean and accurate and inventive. The way he developed his tunings, some people still haven’t figured out some of his tunes.”

Video

ABC National Radio, featuring Joe Boyd and Scott Matthews (November 2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zdnFRRRBVw

 
The Songs of Nick Drake: Way To Blue (Barbican Centre, London, January 2010 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X2JDv39tG0

 
A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake (2000)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ji27gOf7VE

 
Volkswagen Cabriolet Commercial (2000)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIOW9fLT9eY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp-q5ceCo8A

By Stephen Rose

Little Feat came out of Los Angeles in the early ’70s and established a unique identity by merging New Orleans funk with country, jazz, and urban rock, resulting in a string of classic songs and albums that have a timeless quality and still remain contemporary sounding today. At the forefront of their musical identity was their visionary leader Lowell George, whose groundbreaking style of slide guitar applied Southern Delta blues technique to R&B and mainstream rock. His influence has extended to a generation of musicians including Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper, blues guitarist Roy Rogers, and bands such as the Radiators, and the Subdudes.

Lowell George was born April 13, 1945 in Hollywood, CA.  At the age of 6 he learned the harmonica and performed a duet with his older brother on Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour (Frank Zappa also performed a puppet show on this program). George started on  guitar when he was 11 with classmate – and future band mate – Paul Barrere, then played flute in the Hollywood High School marching band.

[Lowell George was accomplished enough on wind instruments to play oboe and baritone saxophone on several Frank Sinatra recording sessions.]

In 1965, Lowell George helped found a band called The Factory, and co-authored their single “Smile, Let Your Life Begin.”  The Factory included future Little Feat members Richie Hayward on drums, and lyricist Martin Kibbee (who under the pseudonym Fred Martin co-write several Little Feat classics including “Dixie Chicken,” “Rock & Roll Doctor,” and “Easy To Slip.”  [By using this psuedonym the two songwriters were able to credit their collaborations as "George/Martin," a tribute to the Beatles' producer.]

[Frank Zappa produced two tracks for The Factory, which were later released in 1993 on the album Lightning-Rod Man.  The band also made appearances on the television series F Troop (as The Bed Bugs), and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]

In late 1968, George signed on as second guitarist with Frank Zappa’s Mother of Invention, performing on the album Weasels Ripped My Flesh, which also featured bassist Roy Estrada.  George sang lead on “Here Lies Love” (from the album You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5).

[No consensus exists for why Lowell George left The Mothers Of Invention.  One version has it that after George showed Zappa his song “Willin’” Zappa kicked him out of the Mothers because he felt George was too talented to be a member of his or anyone else’s band and should form a group of his own.  A second version has it that Zappa fired him because “Willin’” contains drug references (“weed, whites and wine”).  The third version is that Zappa fired him after George played a 15-minute guitar solo with his amplifier turned off.  Whatever the reason, Zappa was instrumental in helping Little Feat secure a recording contract with Warner Bros.]

In early 1969, Lowell George  joined his good friend Peter Tork in his post-Monkees band, The Release.

Later in 1969, George rejoined former Factory members Richie Hayward, Warren Klein and Martin Kibbee in  The Fraternity Of Man.  The band also included Roy Estrada, from The Mothers of Invention, on bass.

[The Fraternity of Man is most famous for their 1968 song "Don't Bogart Me," which was featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider.]

In 1970, Lowell George formed Little Feat in Los Angeles with keyboardist Bill Payne ( who had auditioned with The Mothers of Invention), bassist Roy Estrada, and drummer Richie Hayward.  The band’s name came from a comment by Mother’s drummer Jimmy Carl Black about the size of George’s “little feet.” (The spelling was changed as an homage to The Beatles.)

In January 1971, Little Feat released their eponymous debut.  The album’s cover shows the band standing in front of a mural in Venice, CA painted by the L. A. Fine Arts Squad, entitled “Venice in the Snow.” Although not an essential release – it failed commercially as the band had not yet established their unique identity - several tracks contain the seedlings of the southern funk that would blossom on later recordings, including the opener, Bill Payne’s “Snakes On Everything;” followed by “Strawberry Fists;” and the album’s highlight “Crack In Your Door.”  Lowell George’s penchant for tender country ballads is displayed on “Truck Stop Girl,” “Brides Of Jesus,” and “I’ve Been The One” (featuring Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel).  They pay tribute to Howlin’ Wolf on the medley “Forty-Four Blues/How Many More Years; while George’s vicious slide guitar and Richie Hayward’s funky drumming is on full display in “Hamburger Midnight.”  Lowell George’s first songwriting classic “Willin” is given its initial treatment as a duo between George on acoustic guitar and Ry Cooder on slide.

[Ry Cooder was called to duty after Lowell George hurt his hand in a home accident with a model airplane. Ry Cooder first came to prominence as a member of The Native Sons, a mid-60's Los Angeles folk-rock band which included singer Taj Mahal and drummer Ed Cassidy (Spirit). Cooder also performed on Captain Beefheart's 1967 album Safe As Milk; The Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed (1968) and Sticky Fingers (1969); and Randy Newman's 12 Songs (1970).]

In May 1972, Little Feat released their sophomore effort, Sailin’ Shoes, produced by Ted Templeton.  This release, the first to feature Neon Park’s surreal artwork, was more polished than its predecessor, and can be fairly recognized as Little Feat’s first great album.  It contains many classic songs which remain firmly entrenched within their repertoire.

[Ted Templeton produced the Doobie Brothers most successful albums, beginning with Toulouse Street, released July 1972.]

[Neon Park's design for Sailin' Shoes depicts a shoe sailing off the foot of a cake swinging on a tree swing - an allusion to 'The Swing'  by Jean-Honore Fragonard.  He also painted the cover art in 1970 for Frank Zappa's 'Weasel Ripped My Flesh.'  ]

Sailin’ Shoes opens with the Lowell George ballad “Easy To Slip;” followed by “Cold Cold Cold,” which established the band’s soulful style of funk. The acoustic “Trouble” highlights the band’s trademark tempo-changing rhythms; then the funk gives way to the “Tripe Face Boogie” – a contribution from keyboardist Bill Payne and drummer Richie Hayward.  The fifth track is a reworking of Willin’, this time with full accompaniment from the rest of the band (and Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel); then the band gets raunchy on the Muddy Waters-inspired, “Apolitical Blues” (with Ron Elliott of The Beau Brummels on guitar).  Lowell George channels the spirit of The Big Easy on the title track “Sailin’ Shoes,” co-written with Martin Kibbee.  The album concludes with Bill Payne’s “Got No Shadow,” an ensemble piece that perfectly captures the thick groove this band was capable of laying down; while Payne’s “Cat Fever” swings like a jazzy breeze.

Sailin’ Shoes marked the last album original bassist Roy Estrada appeared on. Frustrated by the band’s lack of commercial success the band broke up after the album’s release and Estrada returned to the Mothers of Invention.  During this time, the other band members pursued studio work, including projects such as Van Dyke Parks’ calypso-infused album “Discover America”; Nolan Porter’s Northern Soul classic “Nolan”; and Robert Palmer’s “Sneakin Sally Through The Alley,” recorded in New Orleans.

[Little Feat broke up pretty often throughout the 70's. The title of their fifth album, "The Last Record Album" was a toungue in cheek joke about this phenomenon...every album had a good chance of being the last!]

As the session work wound down, Lowell George began to consider the future musical direction of Little Feat. In a bold move, he essentially re-invented the band’s sound by adding three new members; bassists Kenny Gradney (Delaney and Bonnie), percussionist Sam Clayton, and Paul Barrere on guitar. Gradney and Clayton joined with drummer Richie Hayward to become one of the most renowned rhythm sections in rock & roll and gave the new line-up a funky sound that recalled the music of New Orleans championed in previous decades by Dave Bartholomew and The Meters. The addition of Paul Barrere gave the band more depth as his presence on rhythm guitar allowed Lowell George to concentrate on developing his unique slide technique. This line-up of Little Feat would remain in place until Lowell George’s death in 1979.

In late 1972, the restructured line-up released its first album, Dixie Chicken, a tribute to New Orleans. The record  became a turning point for the band as a newfound assuredness in the studio inspired an increased confidence on stage. Lowell George talked the record label into letting him produce the album, resulting in a classic recording that broke new ground with its mélange of swamp funk, acoustic balladry, country, jazz and rock.

Bill Payne summed it up this way: “…a band that is born half-way between Frank Zappa and the world’s best country truck-driving song is clearly going to cover lots of ground.”

The album kicks off with the title track, “Dixie Chicken,” a tale of lost love and drunken misadventure that must be included in any discussion of all-time great rock songs.  The songwriting brilliance continues with “Two Trains Running;” followed by the acoustic ballad “Roll Um Easy,” a song accented by Lowell George’s liquid slide guitar, and whose power and beauty is complemented by its understated presentation.  Two appropriately chosen covers, Allan Toussaint’s slow burner “On Your Way Down,” and Fred Tackett’s “Fool Yourself,” seamlessly fit in with the cajun spirit of George’s original compositions. The final highlight is the whimsical “Fatman in the Bathtub,” whose upbeat bouncing rhythm stands testament to the old adage that if you aren’t dancing you ain’t got a pulse.  Even some of the less memorable tracks such as “Kiss It Off,” “Juliette,” and the Bill Payne/Paul Barrere original  “Walking All Night” are substantive and contribute to the overall mood and flow of this landmark recording.

On their fourth album, Little Feat abandoned their eclectic mix of previous efforts for a groove album that rocks steady from beginning to end.  Released in 1974, these 8 tracks combine to provide an accurate representation of the band’s live sound, especially the extended jam of “The Fan,” and the resurrected “Tripe Face Boogie.”  Lowell George penned several more classic songs including “Spanish Moon,” “Rock and Roll Doctor,” “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now,” and “Cold Cold Cold.” Other highlights include Bill Payne’s concert standout “Oh Atlanta;” and Paul Barrere’s “Skin It Back.” Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt provided backing vocals on this release, again produced by Lowell George.

Feats Don’t Fail Me Now was released amid growing internal tensions within the band.  Several members of the group were growing frustrated by George’s erratic behavior and drug use.  He increased his songwriting collaborations with high school pal Martin Kibbee (who co-wrote “Rock and Roll Doctor,” and “Feats Don’t Fail Me Last-Record-Album-275.jpg” alt=”" width=”275″ height=”272″ />Although Little Feat was beginning to develop a favorable cult reputation, they were finding commercial success elusive.  On 1975′s The Last Record Album, Lowell George began exhibiting obsessive behavior during frequent all-night recording sessions in a struggle to produce an album that would appeal to mainstream audiences.  The album contained another great batch of songs, but the sterile production values squeezed the life out of the music.  The sound of The Last Record Album has a tight, compressed quality about it that hints at Lowell’s penchant for endlessly overdubbing tracks in search of perfection.

The album’s best songs include George’s poignant ballad, “Long Distance Love;” the group sing-along “Day or Night;” and the Payne/Barrere collaboration “All That You Dream.”  Other highlights include the opening track “Romance Dance,” “One Love Stand,” “Down Below the Borderline,” and the closing track “Mercenary Territory.”

In his book, Mark Brend presents a clear picture of the situation, “George’s artistic energy declined and, crucially, his ability to write great songs seems to have greatly diminished. Within another year, Lowell George woulLast-Record-Album-275.jpg” alt=”" width=”275″ height=”272″ />Although Little Feat was beginning to develop a favorable cult reputation, they were finding commercial success elusive.  On 1975′s The Last Record Album, Lowell George began exhibiting obsessive behavior during frequent all-night recording sessions in a struggle to produce an album that would appeal to mainstream audiences.  The album contained another great batch of songs, but the sterile production values squeezed the life out of the music.  The sound of The Last Record Album has a tight, compressed quality about it that hints at Lowell’s penchant for endlessly overdubbing tracks in search of perfection.

The album’s best songs include George’s poignant ballad, “Long Distance Love;” the group sing-along “Day or Night;” and the Payne/Barrere collaboration “All That You Dream.”  Other highlights include the opening track “Romance Dance,” “One Love Stand,” “Down Below the Borderline,” and the closing track “Mercenary Territory.”

In his book, Mark Brend presents a clear picture of the situation, “George’s artistic energy declined and, crucially, his ability to write great songs seems to have greatly diminished. Within another year, Lowell George would be finished as the leader of Little Feat.”

In response, Bill Payne and Paul Barrere took over as the band’s main songwriters, and were primarily responsible for steering the band’s sound in a new direction towards jazz-fusion and away from New Orleans funk.

In 1977, as the band began work on Time Loves A Hero, George’s abuse of drugs and alcohol finally caught up with him in when he contracted hepatitis and was not able to attend the initial recording sessions. In response, Payne and Barrere replaced George as producer with Ted Templeton, who had produced Sailin’ Shoes.

George’s only songwriting contribution to the album was “Rocket In My Pocket.”  The remainder of the album steered more towards jazz-fusion, including the instrumental “Day at the Dog Races.”

Ted Templeton describes Lowell’s reaction to this departure from the band’s trademark sound, “Lowell was a little upset. He said, ‘What is this, fucking Weather Report?’”

Ted Templeton explains some of the problems George was having during these recording sessions, “Lowell kind of distanced himself on that record… When we did ‘Rocket In My Pocket’… it came time for the solo, he called and said, ‘I can’t do it today. I’m sleeping in.’ So I called Bonnie Raitt and she came down and played a fucking killer solo. So I called Lowell and said ‘Listen to this. What do you think? Doesn’t this burn?’ He actually got out of bed and came down and played the solo…” Incidents like this give further evidence to the dangerous impact that Lowell’s lifestyle was having on his ability to make music.

In 1978, at the height of the band’s  commercial popularity, Little Feat released the live double-album Waiting For Columbus.  Produced  by Lowell George,  and featuring the Tower of Power horns, this progressive jazz-tinged set captured the band in fine form, especially on their most recent compositions such as “All That You Dream;” and “Time Loves A Hero,” which segues directly into “Day Or Night.”  Other standouts include the closing two tracks: “Mercenary Territory,” and the bass-driven “Spanish Moon.”  The encore includes a heartfelt “Willin;’” a bluesy “Apolitical Blues;” and a trip to the crescent city with “Sailin’ Shoes.”

[The 2002 Rhino expanded edition added several worthy outakes including "One Love Stand," "Rock And Roll Doctor," "Cold Cold Cold," Paul Barrere's "Skin It Back," Allan Toussaint's "On Your Way Down," and the jazz-fusion jam "Day At The Dog Races."]

In 1979, Little Feat began work on Down At The Farm. However, Lowell George left the group midway through the project. Increasingly frustrated at the group’s growing improvisational and jazzy nature, he announced the band’s breakup and went to work on his solo album Thanks I’ll Eat It Here.

Thanks I’ll Eat It Here opens with an effective cover of Allen Toussaint’s “What Do You Want The Girl To Do;” and includes several new Lowell George compositions including “20 Million Things,” and “Honest Man” (co-written with Fred Tackett).  Bonnie Raitt provides backing vocals.

[Fred Tackett wrote "Fool Yourself" for  the Dixie Chicken album, and played acoustic guitar on Time Loves A Hero. He became a full time member of Little Feat in 1998.]

After the album’s release Lowell George went on the road to  promote the album.  On June 29, 1979, while on a tour stop in Washington D.C., Lowell George died from a heart attack, possibly brought on by cocaine abuse. He had been up all night working on a tape for an upcoming radio show to promote his solo record.

“He was fantastic, an incredible songwriter,” recalled Paul Barrere. “A wonderful singer, great player. And, just an enigma of a man. It was always this sort of love-hate relationship going on, mood swings that I attribute to the times, and what we were doing in those times.”

Martin Kibbee summed up Lowell’s unique contribution to music, “Perhaps the most important thing Lowell achieved was a seamless blend of his Hollywood/white-boy irony with a totally black musical sensibility.”

Down On The Farm was patched together and released after his death, followed by the rarities collection Hoy Hoy in 1981.

Little Feat regrouped in 1988 to release Let It Roll, featuring new band members Craig Fuller (Pure Praire League) and Fred Tackett.  The album attained R.I.A.A certified gold status in February 1989, and the single “Hate To Lose Your Lovin” earned the band their  first #1 hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.  Other standout tracks include “Long Time Till I Get Over You,” “Changin’ Luck,” and the folk ballad “Voices On The  Wind.”

In 1998, Sanctuary Records released “Rock and Roll Doctor: A Tribute To Lowell George.”  Artists paying tribute include Bonnie Raitt, David Lindley, Taj Mahal, Allen Toussaint, Chris Hillman, Jackson Browne, and Lowell’s daughter Inara George.

Video

Rock and Roll Doctor (Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island, 9/19/1974)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5nRlYZOAmc

Oh Atlanta (Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island, 9/19/1974)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNSV5qWTY_w

Tripe Face Boogie (Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island, 9/19/1974)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qy4aeUxOOE

Willin’ (L’Olympia Theatre, Paris, France, 1975)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhwQqcA3f0o

Teenage Nervous Breakdown (L’Olympia Theatre, Paris, France, 1975)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDXMOxpAsqA

Rock and Roll Doctor (1975)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEOlTZGuLKM

Skin It Back (Pinkpop Music Festival, The Netherlands, June 1976)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns9jGWiF8d0

Fat Man in the Bathtub (Pinkpop Music Festival, The Netherlands, June 1976)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDp3Grz28mE

Dixie Chicken (The Midnight Special, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z-GwdaKrn8

Olds Folks Boogie (The Midnight Special, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_nFwwjBlEc

Dixie Chicken (Rainbow Theatre, London, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FekVR_SC5M

Rock and Roll Doctor (UK TV Performance, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9QxFWnUMCI

All That You Dream (Rockpalast, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8V1olWt8I0

Willin’ (Rockpalast, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNqv85coyTw

Lowell George Interview (Germany, 1977)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7oPHLzEc3Q

Bill Payne – Tragic Deaths: Lowell George and John Belushi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGo65-evvxw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_z4teknuWQ

By Stephen Rose

Gram Parsons was a country-rock pioneer who single-handedly brought country music back into the mainstream  in the face of the psychedelic excesses of the late 60’s.  Before dying of a tragic drug overdose in 1973, his “Cosmic American Music” paved the way for the vanguard of country-rock, alt-country, and roots-rock bands that exploded onto the music scene in the early 70′s and which continue to evolve and attract new audiences today.

By merging  the twang of post-war honky tonk with the hippie culture of late-‘60s ballroom rock, Gram Parsons removed the stigma of pure country music being strictly limited to the providence of Nashville elitists, and made young people and fellow musicians alike believe that country could be cool.

During his brief time as a member of  The Byrds he steered them to the forefront of the nascent country-rock movement with the release of their landmark album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. He hung out with the Rolling Stones, influencing several of their country-flavored compositions including “Wild Horses,” “Sweet Virginia,” “Country Honk,” “Dead Flowers,” and “Loving Cup.” After leaving The Byrds, Parsons and fellow-Byrd Chris Hillman founded The Flying Burrito Brothers and released two seminal country-rock albums including the classic The Gilded Palace of Sin. As a final contribution he mentored Emmylou Harris and introduced her talents to the masses as a member of his Fallen Angels band.

Gram Parsons was born in 1946 in Winter Haven, Florida, to a family who made their fortune in the Florida citrus industry.  He spent his early years growing up in Waycross, Georgia, and decided to become a musician after attending an Elvis Presley concert.  In 1956, he formed a rock & roll band called The Pacers, who played mostly Buddy Holley covers.  In 1958, he formed a folk group called The Legends, which included Jim Stafford, and Kent Lavoie (who would later gain fame as Lobo).

Tragedy struck during the Christmas holiday in 1959 when his father Cecil “Coon Dog” Connors – a decorated World War II flying ace – committed suicide.  His family moved back to Winter Haven, and a year later Gram’s mother married Robert Parsons, prompting Gram to have his name legally changed to Gram Parsons. [Robert Parsons owned a club in Winter Haven where Gram's band, The Legends, headlined.]

In 1963, Gram Parsons joined a group called The Shilos who performed throughout Florida and cut several demos.  Heavily influenced by The Kingston Trio and The Journeymen, the band made several forays into New York City’s Greenwich Village, including appearances at  The Bitter End.

In 1965, tragedy struck a second time when on the day of his high school graduation, Gram’s mother Avis died in the hospital from cirrhosis, the result of sever alcoholism.

After graduating high school, Parsons briefly attended Harvard University, and became close friends with his freshman advisor, Reverend James (“Jet”) Ellison Thomas.  It was there that he met John Nuese, a guitarist in a local band called The Trolls, who turned him on to the “Bakersfield Sound” of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.

Parsons dropped out of Harvard after one semester, then in 1966 he and Nuese moved to New York City where they formed The International Submarine Band with bassist Ian Dunlop, and drummer Mickey Gauvin.  While in New York they recorded two singles for Columbia Records which failed to chart.

In 1967, the band relocated to Los Angeles and signed a contract with Lee Hazelwood’s LHI label.  In early 1968, they released their first album “Safe at Home,” featuring John Nuese on guitar, Chris Etheridge on bass and Jon Corneal on drums.  It contained one of Parson’s best-known songs, “Luxury Liner,” and an early version of “Do You Know How It Feels.”  However, the record’s release was delayed several months, by which time the group disbanded.

[Lee Hazelwood became well known in the 60's for his work with Nancy Sinatra, including writing and producing her hit "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'." He also performed several duets with her including "Summer Wine," "Jackson," and "Some Velvet Morning."]

Later that year Parsons was offered an audition with The Byrds by bassist Chris Hillman, who had met him the previous year. Parsons joined the group in the spring of 1968 and persuaded the band to record their next album in Nashville, resulting in the country-rock classic “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”  Chris Hillman recalls, “We were hiring a keyboard player, but we got George Jones in a rhinestone suit.”

Sweetheart of the Rodeo was originally conceived by band leader Roger McGuinn as a sprawling, double album history of American popular music.  However, McGuinn’s original album concept was jettisoned in favor of a fully fledged country project, which included the Parsons’ compositions “Hickory Wind” and “One Hundred Years from Now.”  Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman co-wrote “I Am A Pilgrim.”  Other songs were covers written by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard, and The Louvin Brothers.  The album featured Nashville session players including Lloyd Green on pedal steel, and future Byrd Clarence White on guitar.

Before leaving Nashville, The Byrds performed a two-song set at the Grand Ole Opry.  They played Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home,” and Gram Parsons’ “Hickory Wind.”  The criticism they received from the Nashville community, and DJ Ralph Emery in particular, was fierce.  In response, Parsons and McGuinn co-wrote the song “Drug Store Truck Driving Man.”

While working with The Byrds, Parsons was still under contract to LHI Records. Consequently, Lee Hazlewood contested Parsons’ appearance on the album and threatened legal action. As a result, McGuinn ended up replacing three of Parsons’ lead vocals with his own singing on the finished album, a move that still rankled Parsons as late as 1973, when he told Rolling Stone journalist Cameron Crowe in an interview that McGuinn “erased it and did the vocals himself and fucked it up.”  The album featured Parsons as lead vocalist on two songs “You’re Still on My Mind” and “Hickory Wind”.

Album producer Gary Usher would later put a different slant on the events surrounding the removal of Parsons’ vocals by telling his biographer Stephen J. McParland that the alterations to the album arose out of creative concerns, not legal ones; Usher and the band were both worried that Parsons’ contributions were dominating the record and so, his vocals were excised in an attempt to increase McGuinn and Hillman’s presence on the album.

[In 2003, the expanded Columbia Legacy Edition of Sweetheart of the Rodeo included Parsons’ original vocals for “The Christian Life,” “Life In Prison,” “You Don’t Miss Your Water,” and “One Hundred Years From Now.”]

Upon its release in August 1968, Sweetheart of the Rodeo officially launched the country-rock movement. Two of Parsons’ songs from the album, “Hickory Wind” and “One Hundred Years from Now,” remain classics of the genre.

[Other notable country-rock albums released during this period include The Band’s ‘Music From The Big Pink' (July 1968); Gene Clark’s ‘The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark' (October 1968); The Beau Brummels ‘Bradley’s Barn' (October 1968); The Dillards’ ‘Wheatstraw Suite' (1968); Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Hand Sown…Home Grown’ (March 1969); Bob Dylan’s ‘Nashville Skyline' (April 1969); and Poco's 'Pickin' Up The Pieces (May 1969).]

Although Parsons was an equal contributor to The Byrds, he was not regarded as a full member by Columbia Records.  He was hired as a sideman and received a salary from Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman.  In later years, this led Hillman to state “Gram was hired. He was not a member of The Byrds, ever — he was on salary. That was the only way we could get him to turn up.”

While The Byrds were touring in England in the summer of 1968, Parsons became acquainted with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.  He had accompanied the two on an outing to Stonehenge (along with McGuinn and Hillman) in the English county of Wiltshire, where Richards had a house near the ancient site.

As The Byrds were preparing to depart England and embark on a South African tour, Parsons left the group, citing an opposition to that country’s apartheid policies.  He stayed behind in England and developed a close friendship with Keith Richards over the next few years.  According to Stones’ confidant and close friend of Parsons, Phil Kaufman, the two would sit around for hours, playing obscure country records and trading off on various songs with their guitars.

In late 1968, Gram Parsons returned to California and reunited with Chris Hillman to form The Flying Burrito Brothers.  They shared a bachelor pad (dubbed Burrito Manor) in the San Fernando Valley, where they composed classics such as “Christine’s Tune,” “Sin City,” and “Hot Burrito #2.”  Parsons had already started working on new material with bassist Chris Ethridge (from The International Submarine Band).  They rounded out the group with Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel, and used session drummers for their first recordings (later Michael Clarke of The Byrds was added on drums).  Gram outfitted the band in iconic “Nudie” suits emblazoned with custom hippie accoutrements.  He described their music as “a Southern soul group playing country and gospel-oriented music with a steel guitar.”

*

In 1969, The Flying Burrito Brothers released their first album, “The Gilded Palace of Sin,” a modernized version of the Bakersfield Sound made popular by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.  Along with Parsons-Hillman originals such as “Christine’s Tune,” “Sin City,” “My Uncle,” “Wheels,” “Juanita,” “Hot Burrito #1” (co-written with Chris Etheridge), “Hot Burrito #2,” and “Hippie Boy,” were versions of soul classics “The Dark End of the Street,” and “Do Right Woman” (the latter featuring David Crosby on high harmony). [The gospel soul influence on this album likely comes from Parson’s frequent jamming with Delaney and Bonnie, and Keith Richards.]

Though not a commercial success, Gilded was measured by rock critic Robert Christgau as “an ominous, obsessive, tongue-in-cheek country-rock synthesis, absorbing rural and urban, traditional and contemporary, at point of impact.”

Although the album only sold a few thousand copies, the group gathered a dedicated cult following that was mainly composed of fellow musicians, including the Rolling Stones.  By this time, Parsons had begun hanging around the Rolling Stones frequently, becoming close friends with Keith Richards. Parsons had experimented with drugs and alcohol before he met Richards, but in 1969 he dove deep into substance abuse, which he supported with his sizable trust fund. [Parson's trust fund allowed him the luxury to pursue his country muse without the financial constraints and obligations that compell most working musicians to perform more commercially viable styles of music.]

Embarking on a cross-country tour via train, Parsons was frequently indulging in massive quantities of LSD and cocaine, so his performances were erratic at best, while much of the band’s repertoire consisted of vintage honky tonk and soul standards, but few originals.

After returning to Los Angeles, the group recorded “The Train Song”, written during an infrequent songwriting session on the train.  Although the Burritos requested that the remnants of their publicity budget be diverted to promotion of the single, it also flopped.  Chris Ethridge departed shortly thereafter – discouraged by poor attendance at their shows – and was replaced by lead guitarist Bernie Leadon (soon to be a founding member of The Eagles), at which point Hillman reverted back to bass.

By this time, Parsons’ use of drugs had increased to the extent that new songs were rare and much of his time was diverted to partying with the Stones – who briefly relocated to America in the summer of 1969 to finish their forthcoming Let It Bleed album and prepare for an autumn cross-country tour. [The singer's dedication to the Rolling Stones was rewarded when the Burrito Brothers were booked as the opening act of the infamous Altamont Music Festival in December 1969.]

In April 1970, The Flying Burrito Brothers released their second album, entitled Burrito Deluxe.  Most of the material was hastily written in the studio by Leadon, Hillman, and Parsons, with two Gilded Palace of Sin outtakes thrown into the mix.

The album is considered less inspired than its predecessor.  But subject to taste, neither album really has a weak track.  Parsons-Hillman originals include the opener “Lazy Days,” “High Fashion Queen,” “Man in the Fog,” “Cody Cody,” and “Down in the Churchyard.  Bernie Leadon co-wrote “Older Guys,” and contributed the original “God’s Own Singer.” The album is notable for its take on Jagger and Richards’ “Wild Horses”—the first recording released of this famous song. [Parsons was inspired to cover the song after hearing an advance tape of the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album sent to Sneaky Pete Kleinow. Jagger consented to the cover version, so long as the Flying Burrito Brothers did not issue it as a single.]

Burrito Deluxe, like its predecessor, underperformed commercially.  Later in 1970, Parsons had a motorcycle accident, and disenchanted with the band, he left the Burritos in mutual agreement with Chris Hillman. [Hillman recorded two more LPs with the Burritos before departing in 1972 to join Stephen Stills in Manassas.]

By the end of 1970, Gram Parsons signed with A&M Records and recorded a handful of songs with producer Terry Melcher but cancelled his intended solo debut in early 1971.  He moved to Europe with model and aspiring actress Gretchen Burrell, and hung out with The Rolling Stones – living with Keith Richards at Villa Nellcote in France during the sessions for Exile on Main Street. [Richards concedes that it is very likely Parsons is among the chorus of singers on "Sweet Virginia.”]

Later in 1971, Gram Parsons married girlfriend Gretchen Burrell at his stepfather’s New Orleans estate in a ceremony performed by his Harvard advisor Jet Thomas.  They went to Disneyland for their honeymoon, then traveled Europe and visited old friends including bassist Ric Grech (Family, Blind Faith, Traffic) who helped Parsons kick his heroin habit.

Parsons returned to the United States for a one-off concert with the Burritos, then on Chris Hillman’s recommendation attended an Emmylou Harris show at a small club inWashington, D.C.  Parsons and Harris became friends, and in the summer of 1972 he asked her out to California to do harmonies on his first solo album.  Also recruited for the album were Ric Grech on bass, and three members of Elvis Presleys band: guitarist James Burton (well known in the late ’50s as a member of Ricky Nelson’s band), Glen D Hardin and Ronnie Tutt.  Barry Tashian (Barry and the Remains) joined Emmylou Harris on vocals.  Parsons asked Merle Haggard to produce the album, but Haggard turned the offer down.  Instead, Parsons and Ric Grech co-produced the album, with assistance in the studio from Hugh Davis, Merle Haggard’s engineer. [Burton, Hardin and Tashian would each go on to become members of Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band.]

The resulting album, G.P., released in January 1973 on Reprise Records, was primarily comprised of Parsons’ originals such as “Still Feeling Blue,” “She” (co-written with Chris Etheridge), “The New Soft Shoe,” “How Much I Lied,” and “Big Mouth Blues.” Ric Grech contributed “Kiss the Children.” The album also contained covers of Joyce Allsup’s “We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning,” Tompall Glaser’s “Streets of Baltimore,” and a song by The J. Geils Band, “Cry One More Time.”  The album masterfully achieved Parson’s vision of making pure country music accessible for the masses.  However, despite receiving enthusiastic reviews it failed to chart.

After G.P.’s release, Gram Parsons and his band, The Fallen Angels, hit the road to promote the album.  Replacing James Burton on the tour was Colorado-based guitarist Jock Bartley (soon to gain fame with Firefall).  Managing the tour was Phil Kaufman, who had met Parsons while working for the Rolling Stones in 1968. [Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt sat in with the group for a televised performance at Liberty Hall in Houston.]

After the tour was completed, Gram Parsons returned to the studio to record his second album, Grievous Angel (also featuring Emmylou Harris and James Burton).  Parsons contributed three new songs to the album, “Return of the Grievous Angel,” “In My Hour of Darkness,” and “Ooh Las Vegas” (co-written with Ric Grech).  The covers he chose served to reflect his now maturing vision for how country, rock and soul could be combined to create a new style of American music.  Highlights include “Hearts On Fire,” “I Can’t Dance,” “Brass Buttons,” and his classic duet with Emmylou Harris “Love Hurts.”

The album was completed towards the end of summer, and Parsons celebrated by taking a vacation near the Joshua Tree National Monument in California, where he spent most of his time consuming drugs and alcohol. On September 19, 1973, he overdosed on morphine and tequila in a hotel room at the Joshua Tree Inn, and was pronounced dead at the age of 26.  His body was to be flown back to New Orleans for burial. However, Phil Kaufman stole the body at the LAX airport and carried it back out to the Joshua Tree desert, where he attempted to cremate the body by pouring 5 gallons of gasoline into the open coffin and igniting it with a match. (Phil Kaufman later revealed that the cremation had fulfilled a pact he and Parsons had made.)  Kaufman was charged with misdemeanor theft of a coffin and fined $708.

Grievous Angel was released posthumously in January 1974 and met with a similar reception to the previous album, peaking at number 195 on the Billboard chart. [In 1976, three additional tracks from Parsons’ last sessions with Emmylou Harris were included on a posthumous collection, entitled 'Sleepless Nights.']

Emmylou Harris was devastated by Gram Parsons’ death, and found herself at an emotional and musical crossroads.  She eventually carried on with her own version of Parsons’ musical vision, and has continued to champion his work throughout her career, being instrumental in bringing attention to his achievements.

Harris has covered a number of Parsons’ songs over the years including “Hickory Wind”, “Wheels”, “Sin City”, “Luxury Liner”, and “Hot Burrito #2″.   Her earliest signature song, and arguably her most personal one, “Boulder to Birmingham,” (from her 1975 album Pieces of the Sky), was written shortly after Gram’s death and showed the depth of her shock and pain at losing Parsons.  Her 1985 album ‘The Ballad of Sally Rose’ is an original concept album that includes many allusions to Parsons in its narrative.  In addition, her song “The Road” (from her 2011 album Hard Bargain) is a tribute to Gram Parsons.

Since his death, Parsons legacy continues to grow, as both country and rock musicians build on the foundation of music he left behind.  His posthumous honors include the Americana Music Association’s ”President’s Award” for 2003; and a ranking at #87 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.  In the Rolling Stone essay, Keith Richards notes that Parsons’ recorded music output was “pretty minimal.” But nevertheless, Parsons “effect on country music is enormous. This is why we’re talking about him now.”

Other country-influenced bands that followed in Parson’s footsteps include Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1967), The Band (1968), Allman Brothers (1969), Linda Ronstadt (1969), Poco (1969), ZZ Top (1970), Willie Nelson (1971), Loggins & Messina (1971), New Riders of the Purple Sage (1971), Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (1971), The Eagles (1972), Pure Prairie League (1972), Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973), Marshall Tucker (1973), Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1973), Amazing Rhythm Aces (1975), Firefall (1976), Lucinda Williams (1979), Blasters (1980), Rank & File (1982), Los Lobos (1984), Steve Earle (1986), Jayhawks (1986), BoDeans (1986), Desert Rose Band (1987), Kentucky Headhunters (1989), Uncle Tupelo (1990), Spanic Boys (1990), The Mavericks (1991), Golden Smog (1992), Wilco (1995), Son Volt (1995), Whiskeytown (1996), BR5-49 (1996), Red Meat (1997), Railroad Earth (2001), and The National (2001).

In 1974, The Eagles included the song “My Man”, a tribute to Gram Parsons written by Bernie Leadon, on their 1974 album On The  Border. [Leadon was a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers during the late 1960s and early 1970s.]

In 1993, Rhino released “Conmemorativo – A Tribute to Gram Parsons,” which includes recordings by Bob Mould, Victoria Williams, Uncle Tupelo, and The Mekons.

In 1997, Rhino released Live 1973, featuring Gram Parsons and The Fallen Angels recorded before an enthusiastic studio audience at the Ultrasonic Recording Studios in Long Island, New York, and broadcast live on WLIR-FM.

Live 1973 finds Parsons and his band playing with fire and looseness, especially Neil Flanz on pedal steel, Jock Bartley on guitar, and the wonderful Emmylou Harris harmonizing so passionately with Gram’s lead vocals.  Most of the material on Live 1973 comes from Parsons’ two solo albums, and his groundbreaking work with the Byrds and Flying Burritos Brothers.  Still, there are a few noteworthy additions to the canon, namely an urgent reading of  Merle Haggard’s  ”California Cottonfields;” a roughshod ’50s-rock medley;  and the relatively obscure sacred tune “Country Baptizing,” which was written by North Carolina fiddler Jim Shumate (a onetime member of both Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys,  and then Flatt & Scrugg’s Foggy Mountain Boys).

In 1999, Emmylou Harris produced the Gram Parsons tribute album “Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute To Gram Parsons.  It features performances by Emmylou Harris, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Chris Hillman, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, and Wilco.

Between 1996 and 2006, a music festival called Gram Fest, or the Cosmic American Music Festival, was held annually in honor of Parsons in Joshua Tree, California. The show featured tunes written by Gram Parsons and Gene Clark as well as influential songs and musical styles from other artists that were part of that era. Performers were also encouraged to showcase their own material. The underlying theme of the event is to inspire the performers to take these musical styles to the next level of the creative process. Past concerts have featured such notable artists as Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Chris Ethridge, Spooner Oldham, Counting Crows, Barry & Holly Tashian, George Tomsco, Lucinda Williams, Phil Kaufman (“The Road Mangler”), and Ben Fong-Torres.

In 2000, Cameron Crowe included a brief tribute to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris practicing together in their hotel room at the Hollywood Hyatt House (“riot house”) in his film Almost Famous.

In 2006, Gandulf Hennig directed a documentary film titled Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel.

In 2007, Amoeba Records released Archives No. 1: Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969.

In February 2008, Gram’s protégée, Emmylou Harris, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. [Despite his influence, however, Parsons has yet to be inducted.]  The working relationship between Harris and Parsons is of great importance in country and country-rock music history. Parsons offered Harris a study in true country music, introducing her to artists like The Louvin Brothers, and provided her with a musical identity; while Harris’s harmony and duet vocals were lauded by those who heard them, and helped inspire Parsons’ performances.

In November 2009, the musical theatre production Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons premiered, starring Anders Drerup as Gram Parsons and Kelly Prescott as Emmylou Harris. Directed by Micheal Bate and co-written by Bate and David McDonald, the production was inspired by a March 1973 interview that Bate conducted with Parsons, which became Parsons’ last recorded conversation.

In 2011, Hip-O Select released Authorized Bootleg: Fillmore East NY Late Show, a live concert from November 1970 featuring Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, and Michael Clarke.

Video

Flying Burrito Brothers – Christine’s Tune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo

Flying Burrito Brothers – Hot Burrito #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg2fJkbpmXs

Flying Burrito Brothers – Altamont (Dec 6, 1969)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIgMN7Kd7u8

Flying Burrito Brothers – Older Guys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bmcT4qieI4

Chris Hillman on Gram Parsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ofYCG_OR0k

The Flying Burrito Brothers – Six Days on the Road (1971)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwPTYimAE7E

Emmylou Harris on Gram Parsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtSw3CR1Xmo

Gram Parsons – How Did You Meet Emmylou Harris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BentUYX_OyA

Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris – Big Mouth Blues (Liberty Hall, 1973)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6koAGZYyL_w

Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris – Drug Store Truck Driving Man (Boston, 1973)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_k1ypXStQ

Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris – A Song For You (New York, 1973)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adkTrPJJWnM

Keith Richards on Gram Parsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlczEy9-aZM

Gram Parsons & Keith Richard – Wild Horses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I48TGYnVUY

Keith Richard – Wild Horses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrGVTuVepro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOps88mTOkE

By: Stephen Rose

Little Axe is the alias for Skip McDonald, a blues guitarist who has spent his career at the forefront of emerging musical trends.   At Sugar Hill Records, he laid down the rhythms for many seminal and classic hip-hop and rap recordings. Then at London’s On-U Sound label, he  formed Tackhead, the house band for Adrian Sherwood’s experiments in techno, dub, and industrial dance music.  Most recently he has been the driving force behind Little Axe, releasing several albums that combine blues, gospel, rock, reggae and funk.

Skip McDonald, was born Bernard Alexander in Dayton, Ohio in 1949.  His musical odyssey began at an early age when he learned to play blues guitar from his father.  By the time he was ten he was playing professionally with local jazz musicians, then at twelve he switched to doo-wop and joined a gospel choir.  After high school, he and several friends moved to New York City and formed a group called The Entertainers, which toured throughout the East Coast.

In 1973, Skip McDonald moved to Hartford Connecticut and joined the disco-funk band Wood, Brass & Steel, which included bassist and future musical collaborator Doug Wimbish.  The group released their self titled debut in 1976 on All Platinum Records (a label owned by Sylvia and Joe Robinson, who would go on to form Sugar Hill Records).  The LP spawned a pair of minor hits including “Always There,” and the underground classic “Funkanova.”

[Sylvia Robinson was half of the R&B duo Mickey & Sylvia, who had a big hit in 1957 with "Love Is Strange," inspired by a Bo Diddley riff.  In 1966, she co-founded All Platinum Records, and in 1968 co-wrote one of the labels biggest hits "Love on a Two-Way Street," performed by The Moments.  In 1973, she had a #3 hit under her own name with the self-penned "Pillow Talk."  In 1979, she co-founded Sugar Hill Records, named for the culturally rich Sugar Hill area of Harlem.  At Sugar Hill, she produced "Rapper's Delight," the first song to popularize hip-hop music in the United States.  She also co-wrote and produced "The Message" for Grandmaster Flash, which is credited as the first rap song to feature socially conscious lyrics.  By commercializing the market for rap records, Sylvia Robinson is credited as the mother of modern hip-hop.]

In 1979, McDonald and Wimbish teamed up with drummer Keith LeBlanc to form the Sugarhill Gang, the house band for Sylvia and Joe Robinson’s pioneering rap label Sugar Hill Records.  For the next three years they performed on several seminal rap and hip-hop recordings including “Rapper’s Delight,” and two early hits for Grandmaster Flash, “The Message” and “White Lines.”  Other Sugarhill artists they recorded with include Afrika Bambaata, Melle Mel, and Force M.D.

[Hip-Hop and Rap music had been popular throughout the 70's in the dance halls and small clubs of the Bronx before Sylvia Robinson "discovered" it in 1979. It originated in Kingston, Jamaica in the 1950's with the mobile sound system street parties hosted by DJ's such as Duke Reid and Clement Dodd. The DJ's would arrive with their equipment loaded on flatbed trucks and spin American R&B music on turntables for live audiences while talking over the dance beats in a technique known as "toasting." As American R&B gave way to Rock 'n' Roll in the early sixties, the DJ's started their own recording studios, such as Studio One and Treasure Isle, and developed a new style of fast-shuffling music with a local Jamaican flair they called Ska. In 1967, a youth from Jamaica named Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc) moved to the Bronx, bringing over the concepts of sound system parties and toasting - which later evolved into hip-hop and rap. DJ Kool Herc is also credited with introducing the "merry-go-round" concept, whereby a copy of the same record was played on parallel turntables to sustain extended rhythm breaks for the B-boys, or break dancers. These sound system parties would go on all night long, making them initially unrecordable, and leading to the hiring of MC's to host the parties. These MC's developed their rhyming skills and evolved into today's rappers. Likewise, remixes - popular in hip-hop and contemporary dance music - can trace its roots back to the Jamaican art of dub rhythms, or "riddims."]

In 1981, drummer Keith LeBlanc began freelancing at Tommy Boy Records where he met famed British producer and mixologist Adrian Sherwood, known for his experimental dub and techno dance records at On-U Sound in London.  Sherwood convinced the trio of McDonald, Wimbish and LeBlanc to relocate across the pond where they rechristened themselves as the industrial-funk outfit Tackhead, helping Sherwood develop a new style of music that combined elements of hip-hop, funk, dub and techno. One of their first collaborations was on Mark Stewart’s “As The Veneer of Democracy Starts To Fade,” an early experiment in industrial dance music. They also performed on Bim Sherman’s reggae classic “Miracle,” which featured Indian percussionist Talvin Singh.

Tackhead also performed at On-U Sound’s live sound system reggae concerts with Gary Clail functioning as MC and Adrian Sherwood operating the mixing board.  Sherwood combined Tackhead’s funky basslines and hammerblow percussions with Gary Clail’s political rants to create a wall of sound effect, resulting in a unique musical experience for British concert goers in the mid-1980s.

Tackhead was based on the belief, stated Sherwood, that there is common ground shared in “the music of Captain Beefheart, Prince Far I, King Tubby and Jimi Hendrix”.  All you have to do is find it.

In 1987, Tackhead released Tackhead Tape Time, featuring Gary Clail’s vocals and Adrian Sherwood’s trademark sample-laden dub production.  The album included early Tackhead classics such as “Hard Left,” “What’s My Mission Now?,” and “Mind at the End of the Tether.”

During this period Keith Leblanc also released two solo LPs: the highly inventive Major Malfunction (1986), which was inspired by the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster; and Stranger than Fiction (1989), which featured the other members of Tackhead.

Around this time the group began to jell as a band, and started adding vocalists to what had been up until then a largely instrumental affair.

In 1989, Tackhead released their first LP proper, Friendly as a Hand Grenade, featuring vocalist Bernard Fowler. Many older instrumental tracks were reworked with the addition of lyrics for this release.

Whereas a lot of dub producers are limited to using samples to create albums, Tackhead provided Adrian Sherwood with the luxury of a house band performing for him, giving his music a more authentic, organic sound.  While the resulting tracks may have sounded like remixes of old funk music, they were in actuality original compositions and live performances.  However, some of Tackhead’s most effective music may have been the songs where Adrian Sherwood’s fingerprints are lightest, such as the album’s standout track “Stealing.” Other highlights on this release include “Tell Me The Hurt,” “Airborn Ranger,” “Ticking Time Bomb,” and “Body To Burn,” featuring Keith LeBlanc’s tour de force drumwork.

In 1990, Tackhead released their final album, Strange Things, and mounted a world tour which marked the zenith of the band’s commercial success.

Despite not recording any new material as Tackhead since 1990, the group members have continued to record as Sherwood’s backing band on various On-U Sound productions with artists such as Sinead O’Connor, Nine Inch Nails, Megadeth, and Living Colour. Subsets of the group have also appeared in various guises such as the Strange Parcels, Videohead, and Barmy Army.

[Skip McDonald continues to work with Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound productions, including artists such as African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, and Junior Delgado. Doug Wimbish joined Living Colour, then later worked with Mos Def. Keith LeBlanc played drums on the first Nine Inch Nails album, while Bernard Fowler is currently a backing vocalist with the Rolling Stones.]

In 1992, Skip McDonald adopted the name Little Axe, taken from the Bob Marley song “Small Axe,” and gospel singer Willmer ‘Little Ax’ Broadnax.  As Little Axe, he created a unique take on delta blues music, blending genres of R&B, gospel, rock, reggae, dub, and funk.

“I want to write, record and perform music that connects with people,” he says, “something they can touch.”

In 1994, Little Axe debuted with the single Ride On (Fight On), which was featured in a Barclay’s Bank commercial.  It was followed later that year by a full length album titled, The Wolf That House Built, a tribute to Howlin’ Wolf and Son House.  The album featured Doug Wimbish and Keith LeBlanc from Tackhead, and Indian percussionist Talvin Singh.

The album is an Adrian Sherwood On-U Sound production,  released on the legendary R’n'B label Okeh.  It contains an eclectic collage of samples, so at any given time it is not always clear who or what you are hearing.  As with any dub album, Sherwood’s production is a significant contributor to the process.

Mostly driven by a fat low end bass, slinky delta blues guitar, and clean, crisp drums, the album is a wholly original exercise in ambient dub blues.  It is a dark and thrilling listen from beginning to end, combining an eclectic mix of samples with live performance and original vocals over funk and reggae rhythms.  Highlights including the opener “Ride On,” which samples Howling Wolf’s discussions of life on the road; and the extended up tempo jam of “Dayton,” where Talvin Singh’s percussion is prominently featured.  Other standouts include the second track “The Time Has Come;” the space-experiment “Crossroads;” the gospel-tinged “Never Turn Back;” and the Appelachian inspired bluegrass of “Another Soulful Day.”  Kevin Gibb’s vocals are at the forefront on “Crossfire;” while Doug Wimbish provides a frenetic bass attack on “Hear My Cry.”

In 1996, the second Little Axe album, Slow Fuse, was released. Both albums featured tabla player Talvin Singh, and added vocals courtesy of Kevin Gibbs and Sas Bell.

For the next six years, McDonald worked on other projects until resuming Little Axe in 2002 with the release of Hard Grind on Fat Possum Records.

The album opens with a brief slide guitar intro establishing the Delta influence, then starts dropping Howlin’ Wolf spoken word samples on the second track “Blues Story II;” which is followed by the drawling southern comfort of “Run Here Boy.”  A heavy dub vide wraps itself around “One Drop Blues;” Alan Glen’s harmonica is featured prominently on “All Night Party;” gospel preaching inspires “Down To The Valley;” then the album closes out with the rasta beats of “Seek The Truth.”

[Two other highlights from Hard Grind, "Midnight Dream" and "Long Way To Go" were featured in 2004 on the Putumayo Blues Lounge compilation.]

In 2004, Tackhead briefly reformed to engage in a limited tour of North America and Europe. The same year, Little Axe released Champagne & Grits, on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records label.

In 2006, Little Axe and the On-U Sound team reunited for another exercise in ambient blues with Stone Cold Ohio, released on the Real World Records label.  Rather than being more experimental, this effort is somewhat more conventional in nature than its predecessors, although equally rewarding.  The album opens with a reworking of the Rev. Gary Davis’ “If I Had My Way;” followed by the socially-conscious spoken piece “Jive Talk.” Next “Same People” recaptures the dub magic from the earlier albums; and “Rockin’ Shoes” provides a satisfying cover of a Little Feat chestnut.  The seventh track “Victims” has a nice mellow vibe; and “Let Me Ride” is a smooth groove.  Other standouts include “Hard Times,” and the instrumental “No Bottom.” Alan Glen provides harmonica parts for this recording.

In 2009, Skip McDonald collaborated with Mauritanian (African) musician Daby Touré on a side-project titled Call My Name.

In 2010, he released another Little Axe album titled  ’Bought For A Dollar, Sold For A Dime,’ on Real World Records, followed in 2011 by ‘If You Want Loyalty Buy A Dog.’

Video

Little Axe – Interview (2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpTXLZI231s

Little Axe – Storm Is Rising (1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L63iDyXqLkc

Little Axe – Ride On (1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IPEdEIt4mg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0BRDFGof8

Little Axe (2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26-b5J04Rhw

Tackhead – Hard Left (1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8MN3XcJf_k

Tackhead – Mind and Movement Control
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFmZsHLC1Wk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tphiy2m3pNw

By Stephen Rose

Brad Wilson is a California-based blues guitarist currently touring up and down the West Coast in support of his new album “Blues Magic.” In concert, he is a charismatic performer who easily engages his audience and develops a quick repertoire with his fans encouraging them to sing, dance, party, have fun and join in the festivities at his shows.

Brad has released 15 albums in total, including his latest offering “Blues Magic.” On this contemporary blues recording he easily mixes styles including slow blues, hard-driving rockers, soulful ballads, mainstream Americana, and acoustic folk.

Standout songs on the album include the jazzy title track “Blues Magic;” the late-night blues of “My One Desire;” the infectious dance-beat of “Hot Stuff;” and the slow burner “I’m Still Breathin’.”

Other highlights include the closing track “Wintergreen,” an acoustic folk tune reminiscent of David Crosby’s dissonant experiments with open tunings on early CSN albums; “The Road Back To You,” an explosive rocker where Brad cuts loose and give his band a high-energy workout; and “Roll With Me,” a hard-driving rhythm rocker similar in style to many of Keith Richard’s classic hits from the Rolling Stones’ golden era.

Produced and mixed by Grammy winner Francis Buckley, Blues Magic is a well-crafted album throughout with all original compositions, tight arrangements and inspired performances.

[ Francis Buckley won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Engineered Album "Q's Jook Joint" with Quincy Jones.]

Brad Wilson’s distinguishing characteristic is the distinctive tone he gets from his custom Stratocaster built by Performance Guitars in Los Angeles. The guitar’s sound is a cross between Peter Green’s out-of-phase humbuckers on early Fleetwood Mac albums, and the stinging bite of Carlos Santana’s Boogie overdrive that wowed the crowds at Woodstock.  He is also gifted at changing the arrangements on covers of common blues and rock standards making these songs into his own.

His first big break came when horror-director John Carpenter used his song “Teaser” in the soundtrack to the film “Vampires.” Brad received a Saturn award for that song, then contributed music to the soundtrack of Carpenter’s next film “Ghosts of Mars,” including the instrumental track “Can’t Let You Go.”

He also provided music for the NBC soap opera “Passions;” and Regis & Kelly played his song “House Of Love” on their ABC morning show.

As a session guitarist for the Robb Brothers at LA’s Cherokee Studios, Brad Wilson played rhythm and lead on Robert Bradley’s CD “Still Loving You.”

Brad Wilson has won the “Best Songwriter” award at the All Access Music Awards in Los Angeles, and has won the “Best Blues Band” award three times at LA’s Rock City News Awards.

Video

Heat Wave (Great Day Television, June 2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a3B6rg-Pmo

Ballad of John Lee (Great Day Television, June 2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsxhhJDMQAI

Blues Magic (Great Day In Fresno, August 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpZCsegzEtM

Got The Feeling (Fresno Television, March 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE6OoXdolEY

Cool Running (Fresno Television, March 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeJ18ZTUufI

She Moves Me (Cozy’s, February 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFq4PRNUGYk

Got The Feeling (Cozy’s, February 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EQ2vPRGenM

Stormy Monday Blues (Cozy’s, February 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6DPZLJT6g

Something Going On (Cozy’s, February 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvTyRAIIi90

Pride & Joy (Cozy’s, February 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSTupDMNrqQ

Ken Nordin Interview (Valley Music Television, December 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1a01VeP1Rk

Home (Valley Music Television, December 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDwN9DVv4XY

Cool Running (Valley Music Television, December 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lK7tixsBc8

She Moves Me (Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 28, 2012)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtVZFoMWXI8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m0rxy7kyPY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7QDxoE2-k

By: Stephen Rose

John Sebastian is another example of a performer who had everything in place for a successful solo career, but was never able to recapture the commercial heights he attained with his first group, the Lovin’ Spoonful, or take full advantage of the fame he received from his unexpected show-stopping performance in the film Woodstock.

John Sebastian was poised to lead the vanguard of singer-songwriters emerging in the early seventies – which included Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and Neil Young – however, due to legal hassles the release of his first solo album was delayed for a year and a half while the suits and lawyers representing competing record labels fought in court over who owned the rights to his music.

There is a certain romantic idealism associated with a career in music that is out of touch with the reality of the music industry – corporations in the businesses of pumping out recordings for profit. The chance of a musician becoming the next Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix is no better than the chance of the next computer engineer becoming the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates – and being a working musician is a much tougher gig! It is said that making a career of the arts is not something one does simply because they would like to, but something one only does because they must.

John Sebastian was born in 1944 in New York City and grew up in the company of artists and musicians. His father was a much-recorded and technically accomplished classical harmonica player.  His mother wrote scripts for radio programs.

Sebastian grew up in the Greenwich Village section of lower Manhattan, where he applied the knowledge of harmonica learned from his father to the music of the folk revival that was blossoming in his neighborhood in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s.

By the age of 16, John Sebastian was performing in local coffeehouses and folk clubs. When he was 18, he started working as a sideman in the Even Dozen Jug Band, a group heavily influenced by Jim Kweskin. In 1964, the Even Dozen Jug Band made a self-titled album for Elektra Records before splitting up. [The Even Dozen Jug Band also included David Grisman, and a young singer named Maria d’Amato who would later change her name to Maria Muldaur after joining Kweskin’s group and marrying its lead singer, Geoff Muldaur.]

Before forming the Lovin’ Spoonful, Sebastian worked as a sideman on several recordings – playing harmonica on sessions by folkies like Tom Rush, Fred Neil and Tim Hardin.  He also played bass on Bob Dylan’s first electric album, Bringing It All Back Home.

[As an instrumentalist - primarily playing harmonica - John Sebastian has accompanied a wide range of artists including Judy Collins, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Doors, The Everly Brothers, Art Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Laura Nyro, Graham Parker, Dolly Parton, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Prine, and Bonnie Raitt.]

In early 1965, while the “British Invasion” dominated the American music scene, John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, two folkies based in the Greenwich Village, teamed up with two rockers from Long Island, Steve Boone (bass) and Joe Butler (drums), to form the Lovin’ Spoonful. Sebastian and Yanovsky had briefly worked together in a bohemian folk group called The Mugwumps, playing local coffee houses and small clubs. [The Mugwumps included Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, would later join with John and Michelle Phillips to form The Mamas & The Papas.]

Sebastian recalls, “The Spoonful brought together two different mentalities, and both were essential to what the band became. Zally and I came out of the hipster Village sensibility, but Steve and Joe knew the reality of playing danceband rock & roll in the bars of Long Island. So they’d say, ‘Guys, we gotta play this faster or people won’t dance’ or ‘Look, you can’t play blues all night or nobody’ll care.’ Those were basic, common sense rock & roll band things that we needed to hear. Without what the rhythm section brought, the Spoonful might have been just another bad white blues band that never got out of Greenwich Village.”

The name Lovin’ Spoonful was inspired by one of John Sebastian’s primary mentors, Mississippi John Hurt, from a song called the “Coffee Blues” – a tribute to Maxwell House Coffee (“good to the last drop”). In the song’s introduction Hurt says “a spoonful of Maxwell House is just as good as two or three cups of other coffee.” During the chorus he repeats the line, “just got to have my lovin’ spoonful.”

The Lovin’ Spoonful wrote most of their own songs and played all the instruments on their albums (a rarity during an era when session musicians were routinely called in to provide backing instrumental tracks during  recording sessions).

Their sound – probably best characterized as good-time electric jug band music,  rather than folk rock – resulted in a string of hits that would dominate the charts and establish them among the great acts of the mid-sixties era.

The group’s first recordings were made for Elektra Records in exchange for the company giving them amplifiers. They recorded four tracks in early 1965 that were later released in 1966 on the Elektra compilation What’s Shakin’. Two of the tracks are John Sebastian originals: “Good Time Music,” and “Don’t Bank On It Baby.” They also cover Chuck Berry’s “Almost Grown,” and “Searchin” by the Coasters. [The compilation also includes tracks from The Butterfield Blues Band, Tom Rush, Al Kooper, and pre-Cream Eric Clapton.]

During a residency at the Night Owl Café in the Village, the Lovin’ Spoonful decided to sign a contract with Kama Sutra Records (a subsidiary of MGM). Working with producer Erik Jacobsen, the band released a series of folk-flavored pop hits, that beginning with their first single, the Sebastian-penned “Do You Believe in Magic,” began a string of seven straight singles that went to the top ten. [The independently-produced master of “Magic” sat in Erik Jacobsen’s satchel for months, eventually accumulating rejection slips from every major label in New York. Only after Phil Spector caught their show at the Night Owl and considered producing them did things begin to change. Kama Sutra finally released the single in August 1965.]

Propelled by John Sebastian’s autoharp, “Do You Believe In Magic” reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, The Spoonful followed “Magic” with “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice”, which reached #10; and “Daydream,” which went to #2. Other hits included “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” (another #2 hit); and the hard driving “Summer in the City,” which reached #1 and went gold (August 1966). Later that year, the #10 hit “Rain On The Roof,” and the #8 hit “Nashville Cats” completed their first seven consecutive top ten hits, all produced by Erik Jacobsen.

They toured almost constantly during this period and were one of the first rock bands to perform on college campuses almost as much as for teenage concert goers.

[The Spoonful were so successful they even had an influence on The Beatles, as Paul McCartney wrote “Good Day Sunshine” in direct response to their song “Daydream.”]

In 1966, The Lovin’ Spoonful’s song “Pow!” was used as the opening theme of Woody Allen’s first feature film, What’s Up, Tiger Lily. (They also have a brief cameo in the film.) Also that year, John Sebastian composed the music for Francis Ford Coppola’s second film, You’re a Big Boy Now. The Lovin’ Spoonful played the music for the soundtrack, resulting in several of the band’s classic songs including the movie’s title track, the instrumental “Lonely (Amy’s Theme),” and one of John Sebastian’s most heartfelt ballads, the hit single “Darlin’ Be Home Soon,” which reached #15 on the charts.

[In 1966, in response to the massive popularity of The Beatles first two movies,  filmmakers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider decided to do an American version of A Hard Day’s Night, as a weekly television program. At first, the producers determined the easiest path forward was to get an already established band and build the series around them. They zeroed in on the Lovin’ Spoonful, as the band definitely had a certain zany, lighthearted spirit about them. However, after an audition process, the producers decided using a real band would be more trouble than they expected. For one thing, the Spoonful were writing their own music at this point, and the show was not interested in giving up the publishing rights to the songs written for the show, so it really did not make sense for either parties. The producers instead turned to open auditions for the show, using the now famous ad in Variety, and the program went on to become the smash hit, The Monkees.]

Zal Yanovsky left the band in May 1967, primarily due to a drug bust in San Francisco. He and Steve Boone were arrested for possession of marijuana, and pressured by the police to name their supplier.  Yanovsky, fearing deportation to his native Canada, fingered his source, which lead to the band falling out of favor with the hip community.  [The drug bust fueled a simmering controversy in mainstream circles regarding the band's name, which some believed was a reference to heroin abuse.]

Yanovsky’s replacement in the group was Jerry Yester, formerly of the Modern Folk Quartet, and the producer for The Association. [In 1969, Yanovsky released a solo album, Alive and Well in Argentina, produced by Jerry Yester. He then retired from music and moved back to Canada, operating a restaurant in Kingston, Ontario until his death in 2002.]

In September 1967, the group released their fourth album, the ambitious Everything Playing. It was the first attempt for a rock band to record an album on the new Ampex 16 track tape recorder, resulting in several progressive new singles such as “Six O-Clock,” “Money,” “She’s Still A Mystery To Me,” and “Younger Generation.”

John Sebastian left The Lovin’ Spoonful in June 1968 to go solo (after considering, but ultimately rejecting, an offer to join a trio of his friends who went on to become Crosby, Stills & Nash). Warner Bros. Records seemed like a logical home for Sebastian’s solo recordings, as the label was at the forefront of signing artists who were part of the emerging singer-songwriter boom. [Other Warner Bros. artists during this era included Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Frank Zappa, Rod Stewart, Gordon Lightfoot, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, and Van Dykes Parks.]

John Sebastian was eager to do an album with some of the musician friends he’d long admired. With the Spoonful, he explains, “Although it had been a tremendously popular thing, what we were finding at the point at which we were sort of on our last record was it felt like we were at the upper limits of our own musical abilities. I wanted this opportunity to play with the same guys I’d been playing with when we were all broke.”

His first album was produced by Paul Rothchild, who met John Sebastian back when he was a sideman in the Even Dozen Jug Band, and produced some early Elektra folk recordings which Sebastian participated in. [Rothchild also produced the Doors’ Morrison Hotel album in November 1969, recruiting John Sebastian to play harmonica on the song “Roadhouse Blues.” Sebastian is credited on the Doors album as G. Puglese, an old family name.]

Sebastian’s solo debut, titled John B. Sebastian (released on the Warner Bros. subsidiary Reprise) featured Dallas Taylor (drums), Harvey Brooks (bass), and Paul Harris (keyboards).  It also had notable guest appearances from Stephen Stills (guitar on “Baby, Don’t Ya Get Crazy”), David Crosby, Graham Nash (high harmony on “What She Thinks About”), pedal steel player Buddy Emmons (featured on country-ish “Rainbows All Over Your Blues”), and Buzzy Linhart (vibes on the jazzy “Magical Connection).” Danny Weiss, the guitarist from Rhinocerous (who had a hit with “Apricot Brandy”) also played on “Baby Don’t Ya Crazy,” which featured The Ikettes on harmony. Other highlights include the upbeat opener “Red Eye Express;” a solo acoustic remake of the Spoonful’s “You’re A Big Boy Now;” the experimental “How Have You Been;” and a trippy instrumental “Fa-Fana-Fa.” The album closes with the heavily orchestrated waltz, “I Had A Dream.”

While in Los Angeles waiting for the album’s release, John Sebastian got an unexpected kick-start to his solo career when his producer, Paul Rothchild, called and suggested that he attend the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in upstate New York. Sebastian was not scheduled to perform at the festival, but after the delay caused by the rainstorm, he was asked by Chip Monck (the MC), to play an acoustic set while the rain was swept off the stage. He borrowed a guitar from Tim Hardin and delivered a memorable set of songs which seemed to capture the atmosphere of the moment perfectly.  His inclusion on the Woodstock soundtrack (released May 1970), and in the documentary film (released August 1970), catapulted John Sebastian into one of the most recognized singer-songwriters of the year.

Unfortunately, his album’s release by Reprise was tied up in court a year and a half by MGM who wanted to release it as a Lovin’ Spoonful album. MGM contended that the Lovin’ Spoonful, though now defunct, owed it another album, and that it had the right to release Sebastian’s LP. While the case was being decided in court, MGM released a sonically inferior bootleg version of the album, taken from a second-generation master.

Eventually, the courts decided in Sebastian’s favor, and the album came out in January 1970. However, the unauthorized release of the MGM version, combined with the delay in issuing the release, diluted the album’s impact and hurt Sebastian commercially.

“It hurt everything,” emphasized John. “It made for confusion that didn’t need to be there. Who knows, it might have done a little better [if MGM hadn't put out its LP]. But the important thing was losing that year and a half. Because music, especially our popular music, changes so fast that the shelf life on a style can be six months, and I was very aware of that. It was one of the first [albums] of the sort of singer-songwriter guys out of the box, but you couldn’t realize it by the time the album came out, ’cause so many other guys with the same approach by then had gotten out there.”

Fortunately, Sebastian’s music remained unaffected, and John B. Sebastian became his most commercially successful solo LP, reaching #20 upon its release.

He also continued working as a sideman, playing harmonica on the song “Déjà Vu,” with Crosby Stills Nash & Young (released March 1970).

Unfortunately, MGM wasn’t finished harassing him. In July 1970, while performing at a festival in New Orleans, John Sebastian was asked to fly to New York and do a show for a crowd near the city of Woodstock whom were in need of entertainment. Primitive equipment was used to record the concert and MGM released it without his consent under the title John Sebastian Live.

“Again, here was this odd situation where I was faced with the release of an album that comes out, and nobody knew that it was a bootleg because it’s got MGM’s name on it,” recalled Sebastian. “They put it out and they again hoped to sell a few more before the final curtain on their tenure as my record company ended.”

“When I saw this album was out, I already had a few things in the can for my next album. Paul Rothchild and I were looking at this album together, because we were kind of the two creative heads at what had been my solo career up to that point, and we said ‘Oh my God, this is bad enough that we have to make another album. We have to make something so people can see what I can do live.”

Cheapo Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John Sebastian was released in April 1971 as an alternative to the MGM bootleg. Paul Harris, who also played piano on Sebastian’s debut, provides his only accompaniment.

“I didn’t feel like I wanted to go out and get some big symphonic background or anything, and so the ‘Cheapo Cheapo’ part of it was sort of flying in the face of what was going on in rock at that point, which was very inflated. And so, I just said, ‘Look, let’s just go out, real cheapo, one guitar with Paul Harris, and we’ll record it. So, out of that experience, that live album was made. I was very much playing things that worked well on a single guitar with a simple piano accompaniment, and having fun with the audience.”

The album included several Lovin’ Spoonful classics, including “Lovin’ You,” “Younger Girl,” “Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind,” “Nashville Cats,” “Younger Generation,” and “Darlin’ Be Home Soon.” Other highlights include “My Gal,” and “Waiting For A Train.”

On his next studio effort, “The Four of Use,” released August 1971, John Sebastian was at the top of his game throughout the album. It was his most polished and consistent effort to date, loaded with tracks that should have received favorable reviews and radio airplay.

“By this time, my wife and I had really become a couple. We were probably, at that point, beginning her pregnancy, or were inches away from it. It was a very, very happy time in my life and so I was writing quite a lot about my happiness for these songs,” recalls Sebastian.

“I enjoyed making that album tremendously. In some ways it was kind of a selfish album. I was just permitting myself to go wherever I wanted to, including letting this seventeen-minute side of a record by kind of a continuing continuum, or a kind of adventure. But, it certainly was not a very big seller.”

“Over the years, I have been thrilled by the number of people who have come up to me and said that they were a couple when ‘The Four Of Us’ came out and they very much enjoyed it when it came out. I have received a number of very warm compliments about the album, but at the time I was taking a lot of flack for that album.”

There are no weak tracks on The Four Of Us, although the title track – an experimental four-part suite which occupies all of side two – is an interesting departure from John Sebastian’s more typical radio-friendly fare. Satisfying individual tracks are “Apple Hill,” “We’ll See,” “I Don’t Want Nobody Else,” and “Sweet Muse.” Other highlights include the opener, “Well, Well, Well,” “Black Snake Blues,” and “Black Satin Kid.”

The Rhino boxed set, Faithful Virtue: The Reprise Recordings, includes the single “Give Us A Break,” released in February 1972. The flip side is an instrumental called “Music For People Who Don’t Speak English.” It was a song John Sebastian wrote for his son because he didn’t speak English yet.

“He was little,” John said. “Also, the song is sort of a second cousin to ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ soundtrack. We felt it was kind of French.”

[The Rhino box also includes John Sebastian’s complete set at Woodstock, plus several tracks recorded October 4, 1969 at Bill Graham’s Winterland Arena in San Francisco, CA.]

Sebastian’s next album, Tarzana Kid, was released in September 1974. It was a reunion with Erik Jacobsen, producer for the first three Lovin’ Spoonful albums. Guests on the sessions include Lowell George, Emmylou Harris, Ry Cooder, and David Lindley. Sebastian’s old friend David Grisman plays mandolin on the instrumental “Wild Wood Flower.”

Tarazana Kid is an easy album to appreciate with a relaxed back-porch acoustic vibe. Sebastian performs a nice remake of the Spoonful’s “Wild About My Lovin’,” and performs several covers, including Jimmy Cliff’s “Sitting In Limbo;” and Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken.” Other highlights include the jugband piece “Friends Again;” the acoustic blues of “Sportin’ Life;” a country number “Stories We Could Tell;” the funky instrumental “Harpoon;” and “Singing The Blues.”

John Sebastian’s last album with Reprise was a surprise hit in the spring of 1976 that came about as a result of an offer to write the theme song for the television program “Welcome Back Kotter.” The program premiered in September 1975 and became a huge success, prompting Warner Bros. to release the theme song as a single the following year. The song became the biggest hit of Sebastian’s career, reaching number 1 on the charts in May 1976 and going gold.

The accompanying album is a pleasant affair with an adult contemporary feel about it containing many songs of comparable quality to the title track. Sebastian recaptures some of his old Spoonful magic on “She’s Funny;” swings the blues on “Warm Baby;” drops in some country twang on “A Song A Day In Nashville (featuring Jeff Baxter on pedal steel);” remakes an old Spoonful hit into a late-night chillout on “Didn’t Want To Have To Do It;” and laments “I Needed Her Most When I Told Her To Go.” The album – and his brief career with Warner Bros. – concluded on an appropriate note with an instrumental that allows him to stretch out on harmonica one last time with “Let This Be Our Time To Get Along.”

For the next 17 years, Sebastian performed concerts, made guest appearances on other artists’ records, and did occasional soundtrack work.

In 1993, the independent Shanachie Records label finally put out his fifth studio album, Tar Beach. He then teamed up with a group of old friends and returned to playing the jug band music he had started with back in Greenwich Village more than 30 years before, forming a group he called John Sebastian and the J-Band and issuing I Want My Roots (1996) and Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost (1999).

As part of the Lovin’ Spoonful, John Sebastian was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

In 2007, Sebastian teamed up with old friend David Grisman and released Satisfied. (The two met 41 years earlier as members of The Even Dozen Jug Band in 1964.)

Steve Boone, Joe Butler and Jerry Yester released 1999′s Live at the Hotel Seville (produced by Jerry Yester), the first new Lovin’ Spoonful album in three decades.

Video

Do You Believe in Magic (TAMI Show, 1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hh-U7sScQg

You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice (Hullabaloo, 1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpZI8biFsn8

Daydream (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7RZDaF-VI

Summer in the City (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbQK-w2ARsw

Rain on the Roof (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVffH93biI4

Darlin’ Be Home Soon (1967)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qCezXycdkE

She Is Still A Mystery To Me (1967)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITG-P7_MCY0

Darlin’Be Home Soon (Woodstock, August 16, 1969)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBXL7FaPod4

Darlin’ Be Home Soon (Winterland, San Francisco, July 21, 1970)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBXPoPJXwCY

Daydream (BBC, October 16, 1970)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU8COHUrGi0

Travelin’ Light (Soundstage, Chicago, December 30, 1974)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxS1HIUPlv4

Nashville Cats (1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRFLEJjW0Ss

You and Me Go Way Back (1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwzphA0Wpko

Late Night With Conan O’Brien (1995)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckGZZ40ifeQ

Jug Band Music (Canadian Music Hall of Fame, March 1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f-0L20Bvkc

Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind (Canadian Music Hall of Fame, March 1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqyWDoMbuDk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcow4bKQiCY

By: Stephen Rose

Ty Curtis is a 25-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist based in Salem, Oregon, who already has four albums under his youthful belt. His band has performed at Portland’s Waterfront Music Festival, The Winthrop Blues Festival in Washington, and The Montreal Jazz Festival. He has opened for the likes of The Doobie Brothers, Los Lonely Boys, Coco Montoya, George Thorogood, Roy Rogers, and local favorites in the Pacific Northwest such as Curtis Salgado, and the late Paul deLay who praised Curtis by observing, “Ty plays it like a young man should, straight ahead and from the heart.” In 2009, the Ty Curtis Band gained national recognition by earning 2nd place, in the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.

Ty Curtis discovered the blues early in his teens, listening to guitarists such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Roy Rodgers, and Malford Milligan. He plays a Gibson ES-335 in deference to his hero, Chris Cain. “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him multiple times at Lefty’s in Salem and gotten to play with him a couple of times,” Curtis said. “It’s great being able to play guitar with your idol.”

Ty’s first introduction to guitar was watching his father teach the instrument to his older brother. He began by playing on what he calls a “kid’s toy Western guitar” from the 1970s. The guitar is still part of his arsenal, resurrected for the occasional show. “It’s got this old Delta sound,” Curtis said, laughing. “It’s really trippy, really unique. Anyway, I started on that and kept going with it, trying to pick up styles and songs that I liked – which I still do.”

While attending Sprague High School, Curtis preferred sports to music, pitching for the Olympians baseball team. “Early on I didn’t like singing and I didn’t grow into my voice, so to speak, until later on,” Curtis said. “That’s when I gained the confidence and got into the vibe of the style I was going for. Sports helped me a lot in playing music, no doubt.”

The original incarnation of the Ty Curtis Band, featuring drummer Davis Brown, was formed shortly after high school graduation. Portland’s Willamette Live wrote of the band, “Whether you see him as a 19-year-old with the voice and guitar chops of a 60-year-old blues master, or a wet-behind-the-ears Mike Bloomfield wannabe, attention must be paid to Ty Curtis.”

In 2006, the Ty Curtis Band released their inaugural CD “Stubborn Mind.” The self-produced effort has a warm, intimate tone and a rich presence, containing material that would spin nicely on any blues programmer’s playlist. Consisting entirely of original compositions, the album contains red hot blues playing, ferocious jams, and a variety of styles including the ballad “What Kind of Fool;” the juke joint of “No Regrets;” and the Texas blues of “Stubborn Mind.” Other highlights include “I Lit A Fire,” and “What Do I Know About Love.” This album was chosen to go to Memphis for consideration as Best Self-Produced Release of 2006.

*

In 2008, The Ty Curtis Band completed their sophomore effort “Down on My Luck.” Once again, this album was self-produced by Ty Curtis and contains all original compositions. Hank Shreve joined the lineup for this outing, and put his wailing harp to good use on the opener “Cherry City Boogie,” and the delta stylings of “Coming Back Baby.” Other highlights include the stutter-step rhythm of “Been Down That Road;” the funky R&B of “Give It Up;” the Texas funk of “I’m Going Away;” the late night chillout of “Lose Yourself;” and the down-tempo groove of the title track “Down On My Luck.”  The production, arrangements, and songwriting throughout are outstanding, especially on the closing anthem “Out in the Country.”

The Ty Curtis Band was awarded a Muddy by the Cascade Blues Association for Best New Act in 2008.  Down on my Luck appeared nationally on a number of 2009 top Blues album lists as did the song “Cherry City Boogie.”

In 2009, the Ty Curtis Band took 2nd place in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The Challenge started with more than 2,000 bands in nine countries and 36 states. One hundred bands earned the right to come to Memphis, ten made it to the Finals and The Ty Curtis Band was voted 2nd place by a panel of judges made up of industry professionals.

“It was an incredible experience,” Curtis said. “I got into the zone and played it to the best of my ability. Hank and I trading off was a real crowd-pleaser. It was a big thrill to play in that place before that many people. It’s a highlight of my musical career, no doubt.”

Blues Challenge panelist and Grammy award winning producer David Z (Prince, Etta James, Jonny Lang) took a special interest in the band, which lead to his work as producer/engineer on the band’s final album, “Cross That Line,” released May 2010.

Cross That Line would be Curtis’ first attempt to break out of a strictly blues mold. The disc opens with a bit of Texas nastiness on “Fools Game;” and contains a variety of styles for every taste including several tracks targeted for the adult contemporary audience such as “Tell Me,” and “What He Don’t Know.” Curtis bares his soul on the standout track, the late night burner “Five Long Years.” The band lays down a groovin’ dance beat on “Low Down Broken and Blue;” then falls back into the comfort zone with the blues rocker “Do I Love You Too Much.” Other highlights include the mainstream rockers “What He Don’t Know,” and “Cross That Line.” The album has gained radio airplay throughout North America, and attracted an audience in such wide-ranging markets as Europe, Australia, and South America.

In 2009, the Ty Curtis Band received Muddy Awards from the Cascade Blues Association for Best Regional Act (repeated in 2011), and Best Harmonica Player to Hank Shreve. The band was awarded a Rainy Day Blues Society Rooster Award for Best New Act in 2009, and Best Contemporary Blues Act in 2010.

Also in 2010, the Ty Curtis Band won Muddys for Best Contemporary Blues Act, and Cross That Line won Best Northwest Recording. Curtis also took home that year’s Curtis Salgado Male Vocalist award.

Described by a music critic as “A multi-talented line-up, that is packing blues-lovers in and keeping them on their feet,” the band’s three part vocal harmonies were augmented by the addition of  bassist Willie Barber (Blues Brothers, Steve Miller, Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones) who came on board in the second half of 2010.

In 2012, Ty Curtis dissolved his band and embarked on the second phase of his musical career with the release of his fourth album, entitled “Ty Curtis.”

“This CD is really a lot more personal to me,” he said. “I feel it, because I’ve lived what I’m singing. That’s what I’ve strived to do since I started – to play music that you care about and feel.

“The more that I live, the more I’ll be able to diversify,” he continued. “I wanted to prove with this album that I’m not just a blues guitarist and singer. I want to be more universal. I’ve been doing stuff lately with hip-hop artists as well as my own acoustic shows. I’m trying to fit in with as many people as I can.

“It’s funny — I was watching a ‘Behind the Music’ with Lil Wayne, and one thing that I took from it was that he just tried to play with everybody. When you do that, and you don’t limit yourself to any one style, it diversifies you as an artist. Plus, you learn a lot and you grow. I really enjoy doing that.”

Produced by fellow guitarist Jacob Petersen (Steve Miller) at Ken Tondre’s Compound Recording Studios in Austin,Texas, Curtis is supported on the album by an impressive array of musicians including  bassist Glen Fukunaga (Chuck Berry, Robert Plant, Bob Dylan) ; drummer and co-producer Brian Ferguson (Aaron Watson); singer Casey McPherson (Alpa Rev); trumpeter Ephraim Owens (Sheryl Crow); and former band mate, drummer Jerry Jacques.

“And the recording process was awesome,” Curtis recalls. “Those guys laid it down. They know what they’re doing; they do it every day. They live and breathe music. Working with top pros like that makes you a better musician and makes you rise up to show what you’ve got. We were kind of like a big family down there in Austin. It was an amazing experience, making that music. I’m really proud of what’s out right now.”

 Hank Shreve, Ty Curtis and Willie Barber at JJ’s Blues, San Jose, CA. Nov. 27, 2010

Video

Ty Curtis Band at the Redwood Run (2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urbP496SHMM

Do I Love You Too Much (Poor House Bistro, San Jose, CA. May 1, 2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7vM7_W6U7o

Portland Waterfront Blues Festival (July 2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5KGEazhKuw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbcOnAU0Gqg

By: Stephen Rose

Gene Clark was a folk-singer who gained fame in 1964 as founding member and chief songwriter for folk-rock pioneers the Byrds.  He made two albums with the Byrds and was responsible for some of their best songs and biggest hits, but was never able to jump start his solo career after leaving the group. Despite releasing several outstanding albums for major labels he spent most of his career toiling in relative obscurity.

Gene Clark was born November 17, 1944 in Tipton, Missouri. The third of thirteen children, he grew up in Kansas City and learned guitar from his father when he was nine years old. When he was thirteen he joined a local rock and roll combo, then switched to folk after hearing the Kingston Trio. In August 1963 he joined The New Christy Minstrels (along with Barry McGuire and Kenny Rogers), but quit the group in early 1964 after discovering The Beatles playing on a jukebox in Toronto.  He moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of joining a rock band patterned after the energetic new style of  music coming from across the pond.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Gene Clark struck up a professional relationship with Jim McGuinn and David Crosby, whom he met one evening at the Troubadour. Both had also worked professionally as folk artists – Jim McGuinn (later Roger McGuinn) had been a songwriter at the Brill Building in New York, and performed with The Limeliters; while David Crosby performed with Les Baxter’s Balladeers. Together they combined their folk upbringing with the rock sensibilities of the Beatles and lyricism of Bob Dylan to champion a new style of music that came to be known as Folk Rock. Rounding out the group were Chris Hillman (a former bluegrass mandolin player) on bass, and Michael Clarke on drums.

[Not only did The Beatles influence The Byrds, but The Byrds had a big impact on The Beatles. The two bands became acquainted when The Byrds toured Britain in July 1965, leading The Beatles to broaden their sound with influences drawn from The Byrds and Bob Dylan. The album cover on The Beatles “Rubber Soul” (released December 1965) is photographed with a fisheye lens similar to that used on the The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man,” released six months earlier. George Harrison wrote “If I Needed Someone” after hearing The Byrds’ “Bells of Rhymney,” and John Lennon liked Jim McGuinn’s little rectangular sun glasses so much that he began wearing a round version. ]

Primitive demo recordings made in 1964 of the Byrds (then known as the Jet Set) developing their new style were released in 1969 on the album “Preflyte.” Gene Clark’s songwriting skills and mastery of the new idiom were already on display on tracks such as “Here Without You,” “She Has A Way,” “You Won’t Have To Cry,” “For Me Again,” “I Knew I’d Want You,” and “Boston.” David Crosby also contributed a fine early vocal lead on “The Airport Song.” Another demo on the album that Clark co-wrote with Jim McGuinn, “You Showed Me,” was never released by the Byrds, but became a big hit for The Turtles in 1969.

[Other notable folk-rock groups who follwed in The Byrd's footsteps include Simon & Garfunkle, and The Mamas & The Papas. Also, Jefferson Airplane’s first album, “Takes Off,” released in September 1966, is another prime example of the genre.]

Gene Clark recorded two albums with the Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man (June 1965), and Turn! Turn! Turn! (December 1965), and was at work on a third, Fifth Dimension (July 1966) when his tenure with the band ended. In February 1966 – just prior to the release of his last single with the group, “Eight Miles High” (one of the first psychedelic rock hits on the radio) he had a panic attack as the band boarded a flight to New York. Gene Clark had witnessed a fatal airplane crash as a youth, which led to a lifelong fear of flying. He disembarked and refused to take the flight – prompting Roger McGuinn to tell him if he can’t fly then he can’t be a Byrd. (The joke at the time was he was the Byrd who couldn’t fly.) Internal tensions within the band resulting from the extra royalties he collected as the band’s primary songwriter also contributed to his leaving the band. His compositions while with The Byrds included “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better,” “You Won’t Have To Cry,” “Here Without You,” “She Has A Way,” “The World Turns All Around Her,” “She Don’t Care About Time,” and “Set You Free This Time.”

Bassist Chris Hillman noted years later, “People don’t give enough credit to Gene Clark. He came up with the most incredible lyrics. I don’t think I appreciated Gene Clark as a songwriter until the last two years. He was awesome! He was heads above us! Roger wrote some great songs then, but Gene was coming up with lyrics that were way beyond what he was. He wasn’t a well-read man in that sense, but he would come up with these beautiful phrases. A very poetic man – very, very productive. He would write two or three great songs a week. He was the songwriter. He had the gift that none of the rest of us had developed yet…. What deep inner part of his soul conjured up songs like “Set You Free This Time,” “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better,” “I’m Feelin’ Higher,” “Eight Miles High”? So many great songs! We learned a lot of songwriting from him and in the process learned a little bit about ourselves. At one time, he was the power in the Byrds, not McGuinn, not Crosby—it was Gene who would burst through the stage curtain banging on a tambourine, coming on like a young Prince Valiant. A hero, our savior. Few in the audience could take their eyes off this presence.”

After leaving the Byrds, Gene Clark took time off to relax at his home in Laurel Canyon – a critical decision during an era when bands were pressured to release two albums a year to stay in the public eye. In May 1966 he formed a group called “Gene Clark & and The Group,” debuting with a series of summer concerts at the Whiskey A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip. This was followed by an aborted recording session before he disbanded The Group.

In December 1966, ten months after leaving the Byrds, Gene Clark re-signed with Columbia Records and went back to work on his first solo album. He was assisted in the studio by Leon Russell and Glen Campbell (of the legendary Wrecking Crew), who had contributed session work on the Byrds’ earlier albums. Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke, of the Byrds, rejoined Gene Clark on bass and drums, while Van Dykes Parks performed on keyboards.

The resulting album, released by Columbia Records in January 1967, was titled “Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers.” Despite the misleading title, the album was strictly a Gene Clark solo project with all of the tracks being his original compositions. Vern and Rex Gosdin – bluegrass musicians who had played with Chris Hillman in the Hillmen – contributed effective vocal harmonies on songs such as “Think I’m Gonna Feel Better, “I Found You,” “The Same One,” “Couldn’t Believe Her,” and “Needing Someone;” while future Byrd Clarence White planted the seeds of Country Rock with his electric guitar picking on “Tried So Hard,” “Keep On Pushin”, and ”Needing Someone.” White also wove intricate guitar interplay with Glen Campbell on “The Same One.” Another track, “Elevator Operator” has George Harrison’s “Taxman” written all over it, down to the bouncing bass lines and fadeout harmonies.

Listening to many of these tracks is like discovering a cachet of lost 60’s gems. Certainly two of the album’s highlights “Is Yours Is Mine” and “I Found You” could have been top 10 hits if given better promotion by Columbia or released while Gene Clark was still a member of the Byrds.

Unfortunately, the album was derailed by Columbia’s decision to release it the same week they released the Byrds fourth album “Younger Than Yesterday,” thus stealing much of its thunder. Also, Leon Russell sabotaged two of the tracks, “Echoes” and “So You Say You Lost Your Baby,” by adding psychedelic baroque string arrangements – somewhat fashionable at the time, but which have dated badly through the years – thus ruining any chance these two otherwise fine Gene Clark compositions had of gaining radio airplay.

[Most of these tracks are also available on the Sony anthology "Echoes," which supplements the Gosdin Brothers album with demos from the Preflyte album, a few tracks that Clark recorded with the Byrds, and some unreleased songs.]

David Crosby was fired from the Byrds shortly after the Monterey Pop Festival in July 1967, and Gene Clark briefly rejoined the group as his replacement – including an appearance on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour – but left after only three weeks. He co-wrote the song “Get To You” with Roger McGuinn from the Byrds’ fifth album “The Notorious Byrd Brothers,” and contributed background vocals on the tracks “Goin’ Back” and “Space Odyssey”.

In 1968, Clark signed with A&M Records and began a collaboration with Laramy Smith in a group called Phoenix. They recorded a number of songs, including “Los Angeles”, but prior to completing an album the group disbanded when Clark and Smith could not agree on a common style. [“Los Angeles” is included in the “Flying High” Gene Clark anthology.]

In October 1968, Gene Clark and bluegrass banjo player Doug Dillard (of The Dillards) formed the duo Dillard & Clark and released “The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark” on A&M records. The Dillards were among the first country musicians to perform on electric instruments, and their 1968 album “Wheatstraw Suite” is considered a country-rock classic. Also contributing to the project were Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke of the Byrds on mandolin and drums, and future Eagle Bernie Leadon on guitar. The album was released August 30, 1968 and was an early foray into country-rock – following by a few months the Byrds’ groundbreaking country-rock classic “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” featuring Gram Parsons.

Gene Clark’s characteristic minor key, melancholy melodies and introspective lyrics permeated this work. He wrote nearly every song on the album including the opening track “Out On The Side,” “With Care From Someone,” “In The Plan,” and “Something’s Wrong.” Bernie Leadon co-wrote “She Darked The Sun,” and “Train Leaves Here This Morning.” [In 1972, the Eagles covered “Train Leaves Here This Morning” on their self-titled debut.]

In August 1969, Dillard & Clark released “Through The Morning, Through The Night.” Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke and Bernie Leadon returned, and were joined by Sneaky Pete Kleinow (Flying Burrito Brothers) on pedal steel and Doug Dillard’s girlfriend Donna Washburn on vocals. The album was more bluegrass in nature than its predecessor and contains more covers. In addition to the title track, Gene Clark contributed “Corner Street Bar,” “Kansas City Southern,” and “Polly.” The album also includes a cover of the Everly Brothers “So Sad,” and closes with a bluegrass version of John Lennon’s “Don’t Let Me Down.”

[In 1972, the Dillard & Clark song "Through The Morning Through The Night" was used in Quincy Jones's soundtrack of the Sam Peckinpah movie The Getaway. In 1975, Pure Prairie League covered “Kansas City Southern” on their “Two Lane Highway” album. In 2007, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss covered “Through The Morning Through The Night,” and "Polly" on their Grammy-winning release "Raising Sand."]

In 1970, Gene Clark recorded two songs with the original members of the Byrds for release as a single. The band was in fine form – especially Chris Hillman on bass – however, due to legal problems the two tracks, “She’s the Kind of Girl” and “One in a Hundred” were not released at the time. [In 1973, these songs were included in the Roadmaster compilation.]

In 1970 and 1971, Gene Clark contributed vocals and two compositions, “Tried So Hard” and “Here Tonight” to albums by the Flying Burrito Brothers. [“Here Tonight” was also included in the Roadmaster compilation.]

A study in contrasts: While Gram Parsons stayed true to – and cultivated – his vision, pioneering country rock with the Byrds and introducing the world to alt-country in February 1969 with the first Flying Burrito Brothers album. Gene Clark, on the other hand, after making significant contributions to the birth of folk rock, psychedelic rock, baroque rock, newgrass and country rock, seemed slightly adrift in developing and maintaining a consistent style throughout his career. After Dillard & Clark disbanded in late 1969, he and his new wife Carlie relocated to a secluded spot in Mendocino on the Northern California coast to escape the hectic L.A. lifestyle and began work on a new batch of songs.

Gene Clark returned to the studio in 1971 and recorded the folk masterpiece “White Light,” an album of understated beauty containing all new compositions bursting with love, hope and optimism. Jesse Ed Davis, of Taj Mahal’s band, produced the album, providing Gene with sympathetic arrangements and solid production values. He also accompanied most tracks on slide guitar (including the final track, “1975,” which fades out with an extended slide guitar solo). Gene returned to his roots on this album, playing acoustic guitar and harmonica, and performing some of his most heartfelt compositions to date including the opening track “The Virgin,” “One In A Hundred” (a reworking of the single he recorded in 1970 with the Byrds), “Because Of You,” and the title track “White Light.” He also covers Bob Dylan’s “Tears Of Rage,” making it sound like one of his own.

.

White Light was released to critical acclaim, including Rolling Stone which declared it “a fresh and innovative look at what came before in a new framework. One of the most interesting and exciting records of 1971.” In the Netherlands, it was voted album of the year by rock music critics. However, Gene Clark’s refusal to promote White Light by touring adversely affected its sales.

In 1971, Gene Clark was commissioned by Dennis Hopper to contribute two tracks, “American Dreamer” and “Outlaw Song,” to the film American Dreamer. [A re-recorded, longer version of the song “American Dreamer,” plus a re-recorded version of “Outlaw Song,” was later used in the 1977 film “The Farmer.”]

In 1972, Gene Clark began work on the follow-up to White Light for A&M records. Intended as a country rock album, Clarence White was brought back on guitar, Sneaky Pete Kleinow played pedal steel, ex-Byrd Michael Clarke sat in on drums, and Spooner Oldham played piano. Eight tracks were recorded including “She Don’t Care About Time,” a reworking of the Byrds classic, before the project was terminated by the record company. In 1973, these tracks were included in the Roadmaster compilation for release in Europe, and later issued in the states. However, this album is not a good starting point for the novice Gene Clark fan. Apparently the recording session was a non-stop party for all involved, but the finished results sound more like a bad hangover. The production is missing spark and several tracks are down tempo to the point of being dirge-like – including the Byrds cover. The best song “Full Circle” was recorded again for the Byrds reunion album, released in 1973. Highlights include “Shooting Star,” “I Remember The Railroad,” and “Roadmaster,” written by Spooner Oldham.

In September 1972, all five original members of the Byrds reunited at Wally Heider’s studio in San Francisco to record a reunion album for Asylum Records. Gene Clark contributed the standout tracks “Full Circle” and “Changing Heart,” plus sang the lead on two Neil Young covers “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “See the Sky About to Rain.” The album, released in February 1973, was produced by David Crosby, and reached number 20 on the charts. Clark then briefly joined Roger McGuinn’s solo group, and premiered the song “Silver Raven,” which would be included on his next solo effort.

Based on his work on the Byrds reunion album, Gene Clark was offered a contract with David Geffen’s Asylum Records label, and returned to the studio in early 1974 to begin work on “No Other.” A trendsetter earlier in his career, Clark was now trying to keep up with changing tastes and fashions in the singer/songwriter era of the early 70’s, and searching for an audience for his post-Byrds solo excursions. No Other would prove to be his last chance at grabbing the brass ring, and he was in fine form on this album. His producer, Thomas Jefferson Kaye, delivered a well-crated, finely-orchestrated recording that proceeded along at an unhurried, leisurely pace. The most effective tracks on No Other were those with the simplest arrangements, taking advantage of Gene Clark’s vocal and songwriting skills. Songs such as “Life’s Greatest Fool,” “Silver Raven,” “From a Silver Phial,” “The True One,” and “Lady of the North” harkens back to the best of Gene Clark’s earlier country-inspired classics. However, other tracks such as “No Other,” and “Strength of Strings” are tainted by over-production and artistic excesses. A producer must walk a fine line between helping an artist achieve his vision, while not imposing a vision of his own on the artist. For example, on the title track, Kaye employs studio wizardry to double-track Clark’s vocal, then channels the results through a telephone in order to create a cavernous effect. Also, “Some Misunderstanding” is almost too leisurely, clocking in at over 8 minutes. [The CD reissue includes a reworking of “Train Leaves Here This Morning” first issued in 1968 by Dillard & Clark.]

David Geffen was outraged at the $100,000 studio cost of producing just eight tracks. Additionally, Gene Clark’s refusal to tour deprived the album of generating any buzz or gaining sales momentum, thus causing it to stall at #86 on Billboard’s pop album charts. More damaging was Gene Clark’s reversion to a hedonistic lifestyle during the recording session in Los Angeles which led to the disintegration of his marriage.

His career in shambles, Gene Clark spent the next two years touring the country in his Dodge van, performing in small clubs in an attempt to promote his albums and recapture a fan base. His backup group at the time, The Silverados, featured Roger White on Telecaster guitar, and Duke Bardwell, who had previously performed with Elvis Presley and Loggins & Messina, on electric bass and banjo

A 1975 performance of Gene Clark and the Silverados from Ebbets Field in Denver was broadcast for radio, then issued on CD in 2006 by Collector’s Choice Music. “Silverado ’75 Live & Unreleased” contains two Byrds covers “Here Without You” and “Set You Free This Time;” three songs from Dillard & Clark: “Kansas City Southern,” “She Darked The Sun,” and “Train Leaves Here This Morning;” and two songs from No Other: “Silver Raven” and “No Other.” Other highlights include “Home Run King” from Two Sides to Every Story, and an unreleased Clark original, “Daylight Line.”

In 1977, producer Thomas Jefferson Kaye dismissed the Silverados and brought in studio musicians to back Gene Clark on his next album “Two Sides to Every Story,” released on RSO Records. Stylistically the album was a return to Country Rock, with Doug Dillard rejoining Clark for this project. Once again the album failed to find chart success although Gene Clark overcame his fear of flying to promote the album with an international tour.

While performing in Britain, Clark reunited with ex-Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. They regrouped as a trio and signed with Capitol Records to release a self-titled debut in 1979. It included the Roger McGuinn composition, “Don’t You Write Her Off,” which reached #33 on the charts. On their second release, Gene Clark contributed “Won’t Let You Down,” before leaving the group over artistic differences prior to the album’s release.

Gene Clark moved to Hawaii with Jesse Ed Davis to try to overcome his drug dependency, remaining there until the end of 1981. Upon his return to L.A., he assembled a new band and began work on what would eventually become the Firebyrd album (the title reflects how the group was comprised of members from Firefall and the Byrds.)

Firebyrd, released in 1984, would be the last solo outing for Gene Clark. The album is not one of his best efforts, although there are several good Clark compositions, including “Rain Song,” “Something About You Baby,” and “Blue Raven.” Overall, the production is too slick and synthetic sounding, which does not serve well Gene’s organic, folk roots. Thomas Jefferson Kaye co-produced the album.

Firebyrd’s release coincided with the emergence of jangle rockers like R.E.M. and Tom Petty who sparked a new interest in the Byrds. Clark also began developing new fans among L.A.’s Paisley Underground scene (in particular, The Bangles, and the Three O’Clock). Later in the decade, he embraced his new status by appearing as a guest vocalist with The Long Ryders on the song “Ivory Tower” from their Native Sons release.

In 1985, Clark approached McGuinn, Crosby, and Hillman about reforming the Byrds in time for the 20th anniversary of the release of “Mr. Tambourine Man”. The three of them showed no interest, so Clark decided to assemble a “superstar” collection of musicians, including ex-Flying Burrito Brothers member Rick Roberts, ex-Beach Boys singer/guitarist Blondie Chaplin, and Richard Manuel of The Band, with ex-Byrds Michael Clarke and John York. Clark initially called his band “The 20th Anniversary Tribute to The Byrds” and began performing on the lucrative nostalgia circuit. As the band continued to tour, their agent decided to shorten their name to “The Byrds”, much to the chagrin of McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman. [David Crosby finally secured rights to the Byrds name in 2002.]

During this time, Gene Clark collaborated with Pat Robinson and John York in a side-project called CRY. They recorded several demos which were later released on the album “Under The Silvery Moon.” Nicky Hopkins played piano with the group, and Rick Danko of The Band was on bass. Although the production values of the album are primitive, the album contains several spirited performances of new and old new Gene Clark material including “Mary Sue,” “Nothing But An Angel,” “More Than That Now,” “Immigrant Girl,” and “Fair and Tender Ladies.” John York closes the album with the rollicking, “You Just Love Cocaine.”

In 1987, Gene Clark and Carla Olson (of the Textones) released “So Rebellious a Lover.” A true collaboration, Olson handles the vocal lead on several tracks including the opener “The Drifter,” as well as “Every Angel in Heaven,” “Deportee,” and “Are We Still Making Love.” The album is well produced by session drummer Michael Huey, with stripped down arrangements and a country-ish, adult contemporary feel about it. At this point in his career Gene Clark needed vocal accompaniment to help carry the singing load. Years of alcohol abuse and a heavy tobacco habit had taken a toll on his voice, leaving it thin and frail sounding. He captures some of his old magic on tracks such as “Gypsy Rider,” “Fair and Tender Ladies,” and “Why Did You Leave Me Today.” Other highlights include an effective cover of Gram Parson’s “I’m Your Toy,” and John Fogarty’s “Almost Saturday Night.”

The album was a modest commercial success, but Clark soon began to develop serious health problems; he developed ulcers, aggravated by years of heavy drinking (often used to alleviate his chronic travel anxiety). In 1988, he underwent surgery, during which much of his stomach and intestines had to be removed. A period of abstinence and recovery followed until Tom Petty’s cover of “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” on his 1989 album Full Moon Fever yielded a huge amount of royalty money to Clark who then quickly reverted back to drug and alcohol abuse.

On February 3, 1990, Gene Clark and Carla Olson performed before a small audience at McCabe’s, in Santa Monica, CA. The resulting album, “Silhouetted In Light,” is a modest document of the duo performing songs such as “Fair and Tender Ladies” from their studio album; “Train Leaves Here This Morning,” from Dillard & Clark; “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” and “Set You Free This Time” from the Byrds. Gene Clark also performs his original “Your Fire Burning;” and Carla Olson contributes, “Number One Is To Survive,” and “Photograph.” The album also includes covers of Tom Paxton’s “Last Thing On My Mind,” and John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness.”

In January 1991, The Byrds set aside their differences long enough to appear together at their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They performed several songs together, including Clark’s “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better.” However, Clark’s health continued to decline as his drinking accelerated. He died of a heart attack on May 24, 1991 at age 46, brought on by a bleeding stomach ulcer. He was buried in his hometown of Tipton, Missouri under a simple headstone inscribed “Harold Eugene Clark – No Other.”

Video

The Byrds – I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better (May 11, 1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cuWjHoEB0Q

The Byrds – Mr. Tambourine Man(May 11, 1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPqAvgN6Tyw

The Byrds – All I Really Want To Do (Top of the Pops, 1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjAI9R94X-M

The Byrds – Set You Free This Time (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxd4kFmIWeU

The Byrds – The Times They Are A Changin’ (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZUL6cPc26g

Gene Clark & the Firebyrds – Rodeo Rider
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3plt9tfdR38

Gene Clark – Silver Raven (1985)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3kb-FB_08M

Gene Clark – Eight Miles High (1985)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuWDk2tb-HE

Gene Clark & Carla Olson – Gypsy Rider
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5ruo6h6AGk

Gene Clark & Carla Olson – The Drifter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KavgvB2ePyk

Gene Clark & Carla Olson – Almost Saturday Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgFFDEljqLw

Gene Clark Interview (1984)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0IwK3EM9_A

Words

The Byrds Speak About Gene Clark
href=”http://die-augenweide.de/byrds/speak/aboutclark.htm

The Byrds Speak About The Beatles
http://die-augenweide.de/byrds/speak/aboutbeatles.htm

John Einarson – Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrd’s Gene Clark
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Tambourine-Man-Legacy-Byrds/dp/0879307935/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334622447&sr=8-2-fkmr0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBdHTKBVOVU

By: Stephen Rose

Steppenwolf was a successful rock band in the late 60’s and early 70’s who are still remembered for their hit singles and top selling albums. However, time has forgotten their revolutionary political stances, outspoken protests against social injustice, and challenges to mainstream values which still ring true and remain relevant today. Steppenwolf was never about peace and love, and they never wore flowers in their hair. They represented the dark undercurrent of the hippie revolution. Their protests began with the war in Viet Nam, but extended to all facets of American society, and challenged the very political and commercial foundations upon which our republic stands.

Steppenwolf toured to promote their albums, but like many top-selling acts of the 60′s their main accomplishments were in the studio.  They were known for writing and producing songs with catchy hooks, strong melodies, tight arrangements, and provocative lyrics.  Most importantly, they had a gifted singer songwriter, and charismatic leader in their front man John Kay.

John Kay (Joachim Fritz Krauledat) was born in 1944 in East Germany and grew up during the Cold War learning first hand what political and military suppression was all about.  During the closing days of World War II, his father was killed fighting the Russians a month before he was born.  When John was 4 years old he escaped with his mother into West Germany where he developed a strong appreciation for freedom and democracy.  It was during this time that he learned to speak English and fell in love with American Rock ‘n’ Roll by listening to the Armed Forces Radio.

John Kay

In 1958, John Kay immigrated to Canada with his mother and stepfather and began developing his skills as a folk singer and blues artist.  In September 1965 he joined the Canadian blues-rock band The Sparrow, led by guitarist Dennis Edmonton (also known as Mars Bonfire, composer of Born To Be Wild).  The group included future Steppenwolf members Jerry Edmonton on drums, Nick St. Nicholas on bass, and Goldy McJohn on keyboards.

In early 1966 The Sparrow began performing at clubs in New York and recorded several singles for Columbia records which failed to chart.  By the end of the summer they relocated to California and shared stages in Los Angeles and San Francisco with many of the other top acts of the day including The Doors, Steve Miller, The Youngbloods, and Moby Grape. [One of The Sparrow’s shows at the Matrix in San Francisco during this period was recorded then released in July 1969 as “Early Steppenwolf,” reaching #29 on the U.S. album charts.)

The Sparrow broke up in June 1967 when guitarist Dennis Edmonton left the band to embark on a solo career.  He was replaced by Michael Monarch at which point the group signed a recording contract with ABC Dunhill Records.  At producer Gabriel Meckler’s suggestion, they changed their name to Steppenwolf, the name of a popular underground novel by Herman Hesse.  [Gabriel Meckler produced Steppenwolf’s first four studio albums, assisted by surf rock legend Richard Podolor.]

Steppenwolf’s first album was released in January 1968.  The album peaked at #6 on the U.S. charts and contained the hit single “Born To Be Wild” which reached #2 on the charts. It was a near perfect debut by a relatively unheralded band. The album is loaded with great tracks including the opener “Sookie Sookie;” the rocking Chuck Berry tribute “Berry’s Next One;” the Chicago blues of Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man;” a cover of Hoyt Axton’s anti-drug anthem “The Pusher;” and the social commentary of the “The Ostrich.”

Steppenwolf’s next album, The Second, was released in October 1968.  The album, and hit single “Magic Carpet Ride,” both reached #3 on the U.S. charts.  Other highlights include the Junior Wells tribute “Tighten Up Your Wig;” the pop rocker “None of Your Doing;” the extended blues suite “Disappointment Number (Unknown);” and the plea to Uncle Sam for leniency in drug laws “Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam.”

Steppenwolf’s third album “At Your Birthday” was released in March 1969 and reached #7 on the U.S. charts.  The hit single “Rock Me” (written for the film “Candy”) with an amazing extended bridge went to #10.  Another single “It’s Never Too Late,” which topped at #51, encouraged its listeners with the positive message to take stock of their lives and pursue a more positive direction.  Other highlights include the FM staple “Jupiter’s Child;” and “Chicken Wolf” where John Kay mocks the hypocrisy of the military.

Steppenwolf’s most powerful political messages came in their fourth album “Monster,” released in November 1969.  Monster is a concept album containing a call to arms in a fight against war, greed, and capitalism run amuck.  Musically and lyrically, Monster was the band’s most consistent album from beginning to end since their debut.

Larry Byrom replaced Michael Monarch as lead guitarist for this album, which reached #17 on the pop charts. Two singles (“Move Over” and “Monster”) cracked the top 40.

Pressures from Steppenwolf’s record label to produce two albums each year – then promote them with constant touring and television appearances – resulted in some of their albums being of uneven quality.  To help carry the load of the songwriting burden, producer Gabriel Meckler co-wrote several songs with John Kay, while drummer Jerry Edmonton contributed vocals and lyrics to a few tracks which did not always reach the same heights as the John Kay numbers.

Steppenwolf’s singles and albums continued to chart through 1972, then the original quintet disbanded on Valentine’s Day 1972 (a day that L.A. Mayor Sam Yorty officially designated as “Steppenwolf Day”).

At last count, Steppenwolf’s worldwide record sales have exceeded 25 million units, and their songs have been licensed for use in approximately 50 motion pictures and an even greater number of commercials and television programs. [Two songs from the first album (Born To Be Wild, and The Pusher) were featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider, contributing to the band’s popularity.]

Their hard-driven, punchy musical style, and the phrase “heavy metal thunder” – a reference to the sound of a motorcycle’s engine – gave name to an entire genre of music and foreshadowed the direction rock music would take into the 70’s. However, their lasting contribution to pop culture – which keeps them relevant today – is not only the power of their music, but the power of their message.  John Kay’s experience growing up in Europe during the Cold War gave him an extra appreciation for freedom and liberty which was continuously reflected in his music and the lyrics of his songs.

Epilogue

John Kay currently resides in Tennessee and continues to support social and environmental causes through the Maue Kay Foundation’s Wild Life conservation and human rights projects.  In 2004, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in recognition of his early years as a Canadian citizen and the beginnings of his musical career in Toronto.

Goldy McJohn, Michael Monarch, John Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, Jerry Edmonton

Notable Performances

July 5, 1968 – The Hollywood Bowl,Hollwyood,CA, with The Doors.

August 4, 1968 – TheNewportPop Festival,Costa Mesa,CA, with The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Canned Heat and Sonny & Cher.

August 27, 1968 – The Fillmore West,San Francisco,CA, with Santana, The Staple Singers.

September 11, 1968 – The Avalon Ballroom,San Francisco,CA, with Santana.

December 6, 1968 – The Spectrum,Philadelphia,PAwith The Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone, and Iron Butterfly.

November 28, 1969 – The Miami Pop Festival, Palm Beach, FL, with The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Chambers Brothers, Sly & The Family Stone, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Spirit, Pacific Gas & Electric, Sweetwater, Country Joe & The Fish, Johnny Winter, Grand Funk Railroad, and King Crimson.

June 20, 1969 – Devonshire Downs,Northridge,CA, with Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, The Byrds, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

June 26, 1970 –BathFestival,Somerset,England, with Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, Donovan, Frank Zappa, and Santana.

August 6, 1970 –Shea Stadium,NY, with Paul Simon, Janis Joplin and Johnny Winter.

Video

Born To Be Wild (Beat Club)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_81PchgI7A

Audio

Wolfgang’s Vault – Steppenwolf at the Fillmore West, 08-27-1968
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/steppenwolf/concerts/fillmore-west-august-27-1968.html
Wolfgang’s Vault – Steppenwolf at the Fillmore West, 08-28-1968
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/steppenwolf/concerts/fillmore-west-august-28-1968.html