Fergus Hambleton vs. The Byrds

Since it's Gene Clark's birthday, we're celebrating with Fergus Hambleton's version of his Byrds tune "The World Turns All Around Her" 

Happy Birthday Chris Hillman!

Celebrating the birthday of country rock innovator Chris Hillman with a couple of interviews and performances worth checking.

Marshall Crenshaw is working on a film about producer Tom Wilson

Marshall Crenshaw is doing a documentary about Tom Wilson who produced recordings by Bob Dylan, Sun Ra, The Velvet Underground and others

 

Writes Marshall Crenshaw...

Producer Tom Wilson, whose name is on lots of records by Bob Dylan, The Velvet Underground, Simon & Garfunkel,  The Mothers Of Invention, Eric Burdon and The Animals, et. al., was also an important producer of Modern Jazz, and an important discoverer of jazz talent, starting with the establishment of his own Transition Records label in 1955. Here are a few examples thereof!...

I put this list together for private consumption, but have been encouraged to take it public, so here goes!.. Hopefully you can listen to these great sounds on some decent speakers or headphones.

Cheers,

MC

Check out Marshall Crenshaw's Tom Wilson jazz recordings playlist right here (track list below). 

Read a New York Times Magazine interview with Tom Wilson from Sept. 29, 1968 over here. And a brief profile on Tom Wilson by Michael Cocoran from 2015 right here.  

TRACKS:

Perry Robinson- Farmer Alfalfa - (Perry Robinson; clarinet, Kenny Barron; piano,  Henry Grimes; bass, Paul Motian; drums) from “Funk Dumpling”- Savoy LP (1962)

Herbie Mann- African Suite, Bedouin Pt. 1 (Herbie Mann; flute,  Johnny Rae; vibraphone, Bob Corwin; piano, Jack Six; bass, Carlos “Patata” Valdes; congas, Jose Mangual; bongos) from “Herbie Mann’s African Suite”- United Artists LP (1959)

Walt Dickerson- Bacon and Eggs - (Walt Dickerson; vibraphone, Sun Ra; piano, Bob Cunningham; bass, Roger Blank; drums) from “Impressions of ’A Patch Of Blue’”- MGM LP (1965)

Bill Hardman- Capers - (Bill Hardman; trumpet, Sonny Red; alto saxophone, Ronnie Matthews; piano, Bob Cunningham; bass, Jimmy Cobb; drums) from “Saying Something”- Savoy LP (1962) 

Sun Ra- Where Is Tomorrow? - (Sun Ra; piano, Bernard McKinney; trombone, euphonium, Marshall Allen; alto sax, flute, John Gilmore; tenor sax, bass clarinet, Pat Patrick; bass saxophone, Willie Jones; drums, Leah Ananda; conga) from “The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra”- Savoy LP (1961)

Cecil Taylor/John Coltrane- Just Friends - (Cecil Taylor; piano, Kenny Dorham; trumpet, John Coltrane; tenor saxophone, Chuck Israels; bass, Louis Hayes; drums) from “Hard Driving Jazz”- United Artists LP (1959), reissued in 1963 as “Coltrane Time”  

Hugh Masekela- Unhlanhia - (Hugh Masekela; cornet, Hal Dotson; bass, Larry Willis; piano, Henry Jenkins; drums) from “The Americanization of Ooga Booga”- MGM LP (1966)

Donald Byrd- El Sino - (Donald Byrd; trumpet, Joe Gordon; trumpet, Horace Silver; piano, Doug Watkins; bass, Art Blakey; drums) from “Byrd’s Eye View”- Transition LP (1956)

Curtis Fuller- I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone - (Curtis Fuller; trombone, Lee Morgan; trumpet, Hank Mobley; tenor saxophone, Tommy Flanagan; piano, Paul Chambers; bass, Elvin Jones; drums, Benny Golson; arranger) from “Sliding Easy”- United Artists LP (1959)

Cecil Taylor- Little Lees - (Cecil Taylor; piano, Buell Neidlinger; bass, Denis Charles; drums, Bill Barron; tenor saxophone, Ted Curson; trumpet) from “Love For Sale”- United Artists LP (1959)

Art Farmer- Stella By Starlight - (Art Farmer; trumpet, Lee Morgan; trumpet, Ernie Royal; trumpet, Julius Watkins; French horn, Jimmy Cleveland; trombone, Curtis Fuller; trombone, James Haughton; baritone horn, Don Butterfield; tuba, Percy Heath; bass, Philly Joe Jones; drums, Benny Golson; arranger and conductor)

from “Brass Shout”- United Artists LP (1959)

Eddie Harris- Hip Hoppin’ - (Eddie Harris; tenor saxophone, Warren Stephens; guitar, Melvin Jackson; bass, Bucky Taylor; drums, unidentified organist) from “Cool Sax, Warm Heart”- Columbia LP (1964) 

Cecil Taylor- Aure - (Cecil Taylor; piano, Buell Neidlinger; bass, Denis Charles; drums) from “Jazz Advance”- Transition LP (1956)

Sun Ra and His Arkestra- Future - (Sun Ra; piano, Art Hoyle; trumpet, percussion, Dave Young; trumpet, percussion, Julian Priester; trombone, percussion, James Scales; alto saxophone, John Gilmore; tenor saxophone, percussion, Pat Patrick; baritone saxophone, percussion, Richard Evans; bass, Wilbur Green; Fender bass, percussion, Robert Barry; drums, Jim Herndon; tympani) from “Jazz by Sun Ra”- Transition LP (1957)

Roger McGuinn vs. Ralph Emery

Roger McGuinn recalls the time Ralph Emery refused to play the new Byrds single "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" on WSM.  

Gene Clark's "Lost" studio sessions issued by Sierra Records

THE LOST STUDIO SESSIONS 1964-1982 

At long last, these 24 thought-to-be-lost recordings by the late, great Gene Clark is being released Sierra Records this month as The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982. These incredible recordings, which have never been released commercially, are from the original analog master studio recording sessions held in Los Angeles between 1964 and 1982. Here's the source material...

1964 SESSIONS
The Way I Am/I'd Feel Better/That Girl/A Worried Heart/If There's No Love
These Jim Dickson-produced tracks reveal a sensitive acoustic balladeer honing his songwriting craft. Already apparent are the unexpected chord changes, soaring tenor and preoccupation with heartache that would characterize his later, more well-known work, both with The Byrds and as a solo artist.

HUGH MASEKELA SESSIONS, 1967
Back Street Mirror/Don't Let It Fall Through
On the verge of being dropped by Columbia following disappointing performance of his debut album, Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers, Gene hooked up with South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela to record several songs in the spring of 1967. "Back Street Mirror," released later that fall by actor David Hemmings (produced by Dickson as well) on his Happens LP (using the same backing track), recalls the rich baroque stylings of "Echoes"; while the spirited "Don't Let It Fall Through" shows Gene was no slouch singing swinging, R&B-based rock.



1969-1970 SESSIONS-SOLO
Back To The Earth Again/The Lighthouse/The Awakening Within/Sweet Adrienne/Walking Through This Lifetime/The Sparrow/Only Yesterday's Gone
Virtually an album within an album, these seven tracks constitute a convincing, cohesive testament to Clark?s extraordinary growth as a writer, especially when juxtaposed with the 1964 material. Temporarily eschewing the pressures of life in LA for the pastoral peace of his Northern California retreat, Gene's music reflected uncommon maturity, grace and scope, with songs that embraced philosophy, ecology and spirituality.



WITH THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS
She Darked The Sun
Recorded in spring of 1970 before Gram Parsons' firing, Gene revives a song that first appeared on the first Dillard and Clark album (also covered by Linda Ronstadt). This uptempo interpretation shows how effortlessly Gene could have slipped into another band situation had he chosen to do so. One can't help but think that this version, paired with Gene's other Burritos-backed song, "Here Tonight," would have made a dynamite 45.



1972 SESSIONS
Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms/She Don't Care About Time/Don't This Road Look Rough and Rocky/Bars Have Made a Prisoner Out Of Me
Similar to the situation with "Back Street Mirror," two of these tracks eventually saw release on Terry Melcher's self-titled album from 1974; Gene's vocals having been wiped and replaced by Melcher's. Thankfully, Chris Hinshaw had the good sense and vision to record these featuring Gene's original vocals. Jim Dickson always maintained that "these were the best Gene ever sounded!" One would be hard pressed to argue.

1982  NYTEFLYTE - Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, Al Perkins, Michael Clarke
One Hundred Years From Now/ (The) Letter/ Still Feeling Blue/No Memories Hangin' Round/I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
The July 1982 "Nyteflyte" sessions were an effort by the team of Tickner & Dickson to re-energize country-rock in Nashville. Alas, they were too early; so-called "New Country" had not yet hit Nashville tune masters.  Nyteflyte's music, featuring Gene as lead singer, may not have caught on with the 16th Avenue Music Row crowd, but we may now enjoy these exciting, previously unreleased recordings. Sadly, this would be the final occasion in which ex-Byrds Clark, Hillman and Clarke would record together.

Listen to a Lost Studio Sessions sampler below...

The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982 is available in three configurations:

SACD/CD (aka Hybrid SACD) is playable on all conventional home CD players, automobile CD players, computer disc players, play-stations, etc. just like you regular 16 bit/44.1 compact discs. But played on a SACD player, you hear the music in higher definition that you can heard on the standard compressed compact discs.

AUDIOPHILE VINYL 2LP SET (Unnumbered, Pre-release, advance order)
Manufactured with exclusive Ultra High Definition (UHD) Sierra High Fidelity technology, mastered at the Abbey Road Studios on Direct Metal Master (DMM), the LPs are pressed on 200-gram vinyl. It includes, a 12 page full booklet with detail liner, technical and production annotations plus a Digital Download Card (DDC) that provides secure one-time access to MP3 files of all 24 songs on the album plus 6 additional songs.

ULTIMATE LIMITED EDITION set includes a limited edition holographic numbered 200-gram Vinyl 2LP set and 24-track Hybrid CD/SACD with extensive booklets for each; 1985 Gene Clark interview on DVD; Digital Download Card (DDC) that provides secure one-time access to MP3 files of all 24 songs on the album plus the 4 additional songs on the Bonus Acoustic CD;
Limited Edition 4-Song Bonus CD. You can order directly from Sierra Records.

Gene Clark's Birthday Show @ The Dakota Tavern, tonight

Remembering the great Gene Clark on his day with a couple of timeless tunes before tonight's tribute.