Saturday, October 31, 2020
Friday, October 30, 2020
David Crosby tries again...
METALHEAD ZONE October 26, 2020
The vocalist and co-founder of The Byrds and Crosby Stills & Nash, David Crosby has revealed if there’s a possibility that The Byrds may reunite in the future while responding to a question about his former bandmate Roger McGuinn.
During one of his famous Q&A sessions on Twitter, the iconic rock and folk vocalist, David Crosby, has talked about one of the cornerstone bands of the 20th century he was a member of The Byrds. When asked by a fan if they’d return without the frontman, Roger McGuinn, Crosby said they can’t do that.
Though he said he legally owns the name, David Crosby also mentioned that McGuinn was the main guy in The Byrds and it would not be right to do it without him. Crosby has praised his former bandmate by calling him the leader, the best musician and the lead singer.
The Byrds were formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member.
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Claudia Lennear streaming concert with John York (October 29th)
John York is with Claudia Lennear's band October
29th, at 9:15pm.
Saturday, October 24, 2020
R.I.P. Jerry Jeff "Mr. Bojangles" Walker
Real name Ronald Clyde Crosby, country singer/songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker passed away October 23, 2020.
He is best know for writing "Mr. Bojangles".
Michael Clarke plays drums on his 1982 "CowJazz" LP, and also was the drummer for his 1982 concerts in the USA.
Michael Clarke, David "Crosby" and "Clyde" (Skip) Battin; three good reasons to mention his passing here.
Three Mirrors In The Back Street
We know of songs by 2 different artists or bands using the same instrumental backing track for different vocals (for instance, “California Dreamin’” first by Barry McGuire and later by The Mama’s And The Papa’s)…but THREE TIMES??? This must be the only time it happened.
Gene Clark wrote the song, recorded it in 1967, but it wasn’t released at the time and the backing track was first used for David Hemmings’ version on his “Happens” LP from 1967, then by Canadian Kelldecaut Réan on a single in 1967, and Gene Clark’s original version was finally released in 2018.
Chronologically released by:
David Hemmings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZqwD2NUR4E
Kelldecaut Réan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZC98D15jKs
Gene Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu1FzdFhxT4
Thursday, October 22, 2020
The Children Of McGuinn...
...is a song written and performed by Kevin Odegard.
Watch and hear it here:
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Friday, October 16, 2020
Chris Hillman and David Crosby (with Herb Pedersen) - Turn! Turn! Turn! (live 2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr9N_2ga2xY
Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen guested with David Crosby and his band at the Lowell Summer Music Series, June 14, 2018 at the Boarding House Park, Lowell, MA
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Byrds Tribute streaming concert by The Kennedys
Pete and Maura (née Boudreau) Kennedy streamed a full Special Tribute To The Byrds concert on September 13, 2020
Watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZpHFza8fHk
"This week, we paid special tribute to The Byrds! When we first got together, we were coming from two different musical backgrounds -- Maura from a power-pop and Americana background and Pete from the world of rock 'n roll, folk and blues. We did share some common ground in our musical tastes, including a few critical bands like The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Patsy Cline. But the band we both loved above all others was The Byrds. Imagine our joy when Roger McGuinn agreed to play his signature chiming Rickenbacker 12 on our Life Is Large album back in 1995! This week, Pete gave his own 12-string Ricky a good workout and we let those modal harmonies fly as we played our favorite songs by this influential band. Scroll down to see a list of the songs we played along with songwriter credits.
Here's a list of the songs we played during this stream:
1) Mr. Tambourine Man - (Bob Dylan)
2) Chimes of Freedom - (Bob Dylan) (Kennedys version on "Half A Million Miles" CD)
3) I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - (Gene Clark)
4) My Back Pages - (Bob Dylan)
5) Here Without You - (Gene Clark) (Kennedys version on "Evolver" CD)
6) Turn! Turn! Turn! - (Pete Seeger)
7) It Won’t Be Wrong - (Jim McGuinn & Harvey Gerst)
8) Ballad of Easy Rider - (Roger McGuinn, assist from Bob Dylan)
9) Lay Down Your Weary Tune - (Bob Dylan)
10) You Ain’t Going Nowhere - (Bob Dylan)
11) Bells of Rhymney - (music by Pete Seeger; lyrics by Welsh poet Idris Davies)
12) Mr. Spaceman - (Roger McGuinn)
13) She Don’t Care About Time - (Gene Clark)
14) Eight Miles High - (Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn, David Crosby) (Kennedys version on "Songs of the Open Road" CD)"
Saturday, October 10, 2020
The day The Byrds landed at Palos Verdes High School (an article by Toulouse Engelhardt)
The day The Byrds landed
at Palos Verdes High School
by Toulouse Engelhardt
On the Friday before Halloween in 1965, the rumor spread quickly across the campus at Palos Verdes High School, ricocheting from locker to locker, down the halls across the senior park and off campus to the entire South Bay. Could it be true? The Byrds, the third most popular rock and roll band in the world, behind only the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, were going to perform at our high school?
Somehow, Mr. James Kinney, the iconic activities director at Palos Verdes High School since opening day back in 1961 had worked out a deal with the Byrds management’s Eddie Tickner and Jim Dickson to get the Byrds to come to Palos Verdes High School and perform a 45 minute set for the sum of just $300. Proceeds from the concert were to go to the construction of a campus.
I remember seeing small football pep rally cards pinned to the shirts and blouses of the students going down to the gym for the weekly football rally that said in the bright school colors with red, black and white lettering, ”Turn,Turn, Turn the Falcons,” referring to our football rivals from Aviation High School and the arrival of the Byrds.
The night of the gig, at around 6 p.m., a helicopter landed on the edge of the football field on the west side of the campus with all five of the original members of the group: Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke. Greeting the band was none other than, who else, activities director James Kinney. Mr. Kinney and a volunteer student staff escorted the band to the “green room,” which turned out to be the girl’s dance recital room at the rear of the gymnasium. On the large wooden wall of the gym, behind the stage where the roadies were setting up the drum kit and amplifiers, students from the school’s art department had hung large colorful murals of each of the band members.
Shortly before 8 p.m., over 1,500 excited students and faculty packed into the gymnasium. It was warm and humid inside the gym simply because of the huge crowd, even though the Palos Verdes Estates Fire Department had set strict limits on the number of people allowed in the gym. The doors were shut tight when the crowd reached the allowable occupancy. Bouncers at the door had their work cut out for them too, holding back crowds of outsiders hoping to crash the concert.
When the lights suddenly went out and the Byrds entered from stage left, the crowd went wild.
The Byrds performance that evening lived up to everyone’s expectations with their newly invented “folk rock” twang, beautifully interwoven vocal harmonies and intricate interpretations of classic Dylan and Pete Seeger songs. Their set included their two number one hits; “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and Gene Clark’s classic “Feel A Whole Lot Better,” .
To get the dance crowd “stomping” they surprised everyone in attendance with an extended version of Chuck Berry’s classic “Roll Over Beethoven.” “Turn, Turn, Turn” came at the end of their set. After strumming the final chords, the band unplugged their guitars and quickly left the stage. They had been on stage for just 35 minutes.
As they headed down the hall to the exit, they were intercepted by a very angry activities director. Mr. James Kinney dangled his ring of keys in their faces like they were just another bunch of high school delinquents. He pointed his finger right in Roger McGuinn’s face and ordered, “You boys turn right around and march yourselves back on stage. You owe us another couple of songs! We have a contract with you, remember?”
The band quickly turned around and went right back out to rousing applause. They ended their encore with a shimmering performance of Bob Dylan’s classic ”Chimes of Freedom.”.
Earlier that night I made it a point to work my way through the crowd all the way up to the front of the stage. I stood as close to McGuinn as I could, so close I could see the reflections coming off the Ben Franklin glasses that had become one of his trademarks. I was mesmerized by the “twang” of his Rickenbacker 12 string guitar blasting through his Black Fender Bandmaster amp. I was especially impressed with his intricate fingerstyle arrangement of the instrumental bridge in “Turn, Turn Turn,” just as I had been earlier listening to “Bells of Rhymney” from their first Columbia release.
I sensed the unlimited possibilities of the 12 string guitar and more importantly the potential for limitless lyrical expression using all of your fingers to pluck multiple melodic lines in synchronicity, not just a single line with a flat pick. It was a pivotal moment in my musical career. As I continued to watch the band perform, in a moment of serendipity, I Thought to myself, I need to explore the 12 string guitar for its expressive power, tonal range and shimmering chorus of sounds and that’s exactly what I did.
Little did I know at the time that almost eight years to that day, I would join the Byrds on their final American tour through the Rockies and across the plains of America as the band’s support act. That dream didn’t last long. Before I knew it the band was off to the East Coast and I had to pack up my Martin D-12-28 guitar and return home here to a life of normalcy in the South Bay and to ponder my next career move.
Reflecting back now, if it wasn’t for the tour exposure that I received those weeks and the encouragement I received from the band, especially from the Byrds’ brilliant guitarist Clarence White, where would I be? I had no idea then how much his words would help advance my career. The press covering the tour asked Clarence to comment about my performance and he was quoted as saying in his quiet, soft mild mannered way; “I’m becoming a big fan of this young fingerstyle guitarist”. Without that acknowledgement, I probably would have never gotten the attention of Chris Darrow of Kaleidoscope and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fame, who went on to mentor me through my first record contract and introduce me to Denny Bruce the co-owner of Takoma Records and the personal manager of fingerstyle guitar greats John Fahey and Leo Kottke. That turned out to be my first big break in as a solo instrumental guitarist.
I still have the guitar pick Clarence White gave me when we said goodbye in 1973 I keep it as a good luck charm whenever I go. In the mid ‘90s, Hollywood Records released Roger McGuinn’s “Live from Mars,” a series of live recordings and cool folk stories from his solo performances in the post-Byrd years while, at that same time, the same record label re-released my first album, “TouIlusions,” with its iconic “Sailkat” cover design by another Palos Verdes High School alumnus the legendary artist Rick Griffin.
Looking back, 55 years later, I will always remember that concert at Palos Verdes High School with great fondness. Now I know why I keep hearing the words of James M. Barrie, who created “Peter Pan”, dancing in my head. “God gave us memory that we might have roses in December”.
To hear an audio clip from this concert go to
https://www30.zippyshare.com/v/dSpXuB35/file.html
For the record; This is the only known “live” recording of the Byrds in existence with all five of the original members.
For more info on guitarist Toulouse Engelhardt go to:
Byrds Live In Rome 1968 LP to be released
Most Internet vinyl shops announce the release, on October 30, 2020, of an LP by The Byrds, the famous concert at the Piper Club in Rome, Italy, in May 1968 (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Kevin Kelley, Gram Parsons and Doug Dillard).
This concert has been released many times already on various bootleg LPs and CDs, so we think this is just another unofficial release.
Hereunder, that lineup miming to the studio version of Mr. Spaceman, filmed at the Colosseum in Rome during that tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoD0-5DTqpU