For our Italian-speaking visitors

For our Italian readers : the current issue of the LATE FOR THE SKY music magazine has a long article about Gene Parsons.



Writes Paolo :

"...the current issue has a 12 page special about Gene Parsons, with special interview with Gene that I made last spring and an interview with John Delgatto, discography, reviews of Gene's records, memories from Beppe Gambetta about his playing with Gene, italian translation of Gene's lyrics and more..."

http://www.lateforthesky.org/

http://www.lateforthesky.org/organo-ufficiale/

Skip Battin Long Lost Album finally released...soon

Sierra Records is proud to announce the compact disc release, "SKIP BATTIN: TOPANGA SKYLINE" on October 17, 2009. Exactly 40 years ago on this date, Skip Battin made his first concert appearance as a member of the Byrds at Carl Edward King Memorial Gymnasium, Morris Harvey University, Charleston West Virginia!

This was to be Skip's second solo album, recorded in late July 1973, just days after the tragic death of Clarence White. Produced by the legendary Kim Fowley, it would include backup for the most part by the Country Gazette (Byron Berline, Roger Bush, Alan Munde and Roland White) along with Al Perkins. The album unfortunately never saw the light of day, until now. A decade ago Skip and I talked about releasing the album but it took all this time to make his dream come true. After Skip's passing in 2004, his son Brent took up the cause to see this album become a reality.

Taken from the original master audio tapes, each song (mostly Battin/Fowley originals) is as sharp and pointed as ever. Just wait until you hear Skip's bluegrass version of "Hully Gully", the old 1959 "Olympics" rock and roll classic. With the help of the Country Gazette's bluegrass chops, this album's sound could have predated Leon Russell's "Hank Wilson's Back" effort.

"Topanga Skyline" also boasts some additional bonus material. Two Battin songs from his 1981 release on the Italian Appaloosa label have been added, "Willow in the Wind" and my favorite all time Battin song,"China Moon" with the late, great Sneaky Pete on pedal steel.

At the end of the last song, there is a hidden track from Skip's rehearsals for the album with Clarence White on guitar. It is brief and very rough but it was was recorded just a few days before Clarence's untimely death, his last recordings in any form.

To further enhance this release, there is also a bonus MPEG video clip on the disc (accessed by PC or MAC computer only) of a rare 1965 solo appearance of Skip on a local L.A. TV teenage dance party show! With a 12-string guitar in his hand and sporting an Elvis hairdo, Skip lip syncs his latest 45 single!

"Skip Battin: Topanga Skyline" was to be part of a five album release back in 1973 that would include the album releases of Gene Parsons' "Kindling", Country Gazette's "Don't Give Up Your Day Job", Gram Parsons' "Sleepless Nights" later released as "Grievous Angel", and what turned out to be the never released "Clarence White" solo album on Warner Bros. Records. All five releases were to promote a Fall 1973 Concert tour with all these performers on stage with Skip providing the bass playing and adding his vocals. I wonder what a Gram Parsons/Skip Battin duet would have sounded like! The tour was to be kicked off by a "Folk/Bluegrass/Country" Festival in September 1973 in Lancaster CA. Sadly, it too never materialized because of "city fathers" did not want a music festival with "long hairs" and by then Clarence and Gram were gone.

SONGS:SALTY DOG BLUES/BOLTS OF BLUE/STONE SOBER/RELAX WITH ME/DON'T GO DOWN THE DRAIN/WILLOW IN THE WIND/ROLL IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS/HULLY GULLY/FOGGY MOUNTAIN TOP/WINTERGREEN/CHINA MOON

Place your order by paying now the prerelease price of only $15.00 and the shipping is FREE anywhere. After it's release on October 17, 2009, the price will be $19.00 plus shipping. Even then, this new Sierra release will only be available direct from Sierra through the end of 2009 with the commercial release scheduled for February 2010. Think of it as an early Christmas present to yourself.

Just double click the "Add to Cart" button below which takes you directly to Sierra order form where you can purchase this CD with Free Shipping.

It is also listed at the web store at http://sierra-records.com or http://sierrarecords.net under "NEW SKIP BATTIN CD".

You can also order by check, money order, credit card by mail to: P.O. Box 5753, Pasadena CA 91117 (postmarked prior to October 17, 2009) or by email with your credit card at: mailorder@sierra-records.com

Paypal is accepted only via the Paypal website (paypal.com) by sending payment using the Sierra Paypal account: mailorder@sierra-records.com

(PLEASE NOTE: WHEN PLACING AN ORDER DIRECTLY FROM THIS EMAIL WITH THE "ADD TO CART" BUTTON, THE "CONTINUE SHOPPING" FUNCTION ON THE ORDER PAGE CURRENTLY DOES NOT WORK. YOU WILL NEED TO GO DIRECTLY TO SIERRA WEB SITE TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE AT THAT TIME.)

It is exciting to approach the end of the first decade of the 2000's with the release of a missing jewel like Skip Battin's "Topanga Skyline". Sierra Records hopes to have many more releases like this as the Company approaches it's 40th Anniversary in 2011.

Best personal regards,

John Delgatto, Founder/Owner/One Man Band

Woodstock and The Byrds

The Byrds were invited to perform at the Woodstock Festival, but chose not to participate, not figuring Woodstock to be any different from all the other music festivals that summer. In addition, there were concerns about money.

As bassist John York remembers:

"We were flying to a gig and Roger [McGuinn] came up to us and said that a guy was putting on a festival in upstate New York. But at that point they weren't paying all of the bands. He asked us if we wanted to do it and we said, 'No'. We had no idea what it was going to be. We were burned out and tired of the festival scene. So all of us said, 'No, we want a rest' and missed the best festival of all".

Byrds roadie Dinky Dawson writes about his life on the road

Crawdaddy! magazine just posted an article by Byrds roadie/writer Dinky Dawson about their live gear and cutting-edge sound system on tour in 1970.

Check it out here: http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article/Byrds-for-Gearheads.html

Byrds Induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame to be released soon on DVD

The Byrds Induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will soon be available on DVD (october 20, 2009).

From the internet:

"If all those special moments from the Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, especially the legendary jam sessions, have been on your "I wish they'd release those" list, you're in luck.

Time-Life has just announced the release of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live DVD boxed set on Oct. 20.

The nine-DVD collection will contain 125 performances, plus speeches, toasts and roasts rock royalty saluting each other. Eight of the DVDs will feature an assortment of performances spanning more than two decades of ceremonies, as well as induction and acceptance speeches, and never-before-seen backstage and rehearsal footage.

The ninth DVD will feature "The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," a star-studded concert event which opened the Rock Hall Museum in Cleveland in 1995.

The set will be available only online at for $119.96 though www.RockHallDVDs.com or www.TimeLife.com.

Here are the set's list of performers, as announced in the press release:

AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, The Band, Jeff Beck, Bee Gees, Chuck Berry, Blondie, Bon Jovi, Ruth Brown, Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Burdon, Jerry Butler, Solomon Burke, The Byrds, Johnny Cash, Chubby Checker, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Cream, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, Bo Diddley, The Doors, Melissa Etheridge, Flea, Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Green Day, Dave Grohl, Buddy Guy, Emmylou Harris, Dhani Harrison, Taylor Hawkins, Isaac Hayes, Don Henley, John Lee Hooker, Bruce Hornsby, The Isley Brothers, Etta James, Mick Jagger, Jefferson Airplane, Billy Joel, Kid Rock, B.B. King, Ben E. King, The Kinks, Jonny Lang, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Jeff Lynne, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Mamas & The Papas, Martha & the Vandellas, Dave Mason, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Stevie Nicks, The O’Jays, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Page, Parliament-Funkadelic, Joe Perry, Tom Petty, Wilson Pickett, The Pretenders, Prince, Queen, Bonnie Raitt, The Rascals, R.E.M., Lou Reed, The Righteous Brothers, Robbie Robertson, The Ronettes, Axl Rose, Santana, Percy Sledge, Soul Asylum, Bruce Springsteen, The Staple Singers, Patti Smith, Booker T. & the MG’s, James Taylor, Traffic, Tina Turner, U2, The Who, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, ZZ Top."

R.I.P. Larry Knechtel

Larry Knechtel, a well-known studio musician who was a member of "the wrecking crew" and as such, played bass on The Byrds' first single (Mr Tambourine Man b/w I Knew I'd Want You), died on August 20, aged 69. He also played keyboards on The Byrds' Byrdmaniax LP.

He was also a member of David Gates' band Bread ('Guitar Man', 'Baby I'm-A Want You') during the seventies.

You can see an impressive but uncomplete list of his session work by visiting http://home.cogeco.ca/~mansion3/larryknechtel.html.

Manassas album of outtakes to be released in September

On September 22, 2009, Stephen Stills, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist will release "Manassas - Pieces", a 15-song collection of outtakes and rarities.

"The bits and pieces we were silly enough to leave off", Stills writes in the liner notes. Manassas, the country rock band he formed in 1971 with Chris Hillman of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, released two albums: a self-titled two-disc set in 1972 and "Down the Road" in 1973.

"Pieces" includes alternate versions of two "Down the Road" songs, "Do You Remember the Americans" and "Lies", the latter featuring Joe Walsh on guitar. It also features Manassas versions of "Word Game" and "Sugar Babe", which first appeared on "Stephen Stills 2" in 1971, as well as "Like a Fox", which features a then-fledgling Bonnie Raitt on backing vocals.

In the "Pieces" liner notes, Stills writes fondly of Manassas as "the first steel-guitar-driven country/rock band that any of us can remember...Whatever else has been said about this time of immense creativity, what Manassas turned out was a collection of material that remains the precursor of virtually all of the Nashville country rock productions that followed during the next decade. The energy is unrepentant, the creativity irrepressible, and the value of these recordings irrefutable.""

MANASSAS "PIECES"

(*previously unreleased)

"Witching Hour"*
"Sugar Babe"*
"Lies" * (with Joe Walsh)
"My Love Is A Gentle Thing"
"Like a Fox"*
"Word Game"*
"Tan Sola Y Triste"*
"Fit To Be Tied"*
"Love and Satisfy"*
"High & Dry"*
"Panhandle Rag"*
"Uncle Pen"*
"Do You Remember the Americans"*
"Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud, Loud Music)"*
"I Am My Brother"*