Podcasts about Clarence White

My guest this week is Wayne Erbsen, professor of old-time and bluegrass music at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.Wayne joins me to talk about half a century of writing about old-time and bluegrass music, including his latest book Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen.Over the past 50 years Wayne has interviewed many legendary figures in Appalachian music, as well as many lesser known names (including the guitarist who acted as AP Carter's 'human tape recorder'), often being the first and only person to collect their stories. These articles come together to create a fascinating history of bluegrass and old-time music in Appalachia.The book profiles many pioneers of old-time and bluegrass music, alongside chapters on brother duets from the 1930s, legendary banjo pickers and fiddle players and tales of 19th-century songwriters whose songs still populate bluegrass music. Wayne also shares some great stories, including the time Charlie Cline's powerful snoring led to the Bluegrass Boys spending a night out in the cold and the gig where Clarence White borrowed his guitar.You can buy Wayne's book at the MacFarland Books website. Check out Wayne's YouTube channel tooHappy picking!MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the show===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

Marty Stuart rocked the country radio in the early 90s and albums that blended Steve Earle-esque country rock with badass guitar playing and a nod to traditional country. In this episode, we take a listen to the trajectory of Marty's music. Traditional country to modern country to where his music lives now: as rock music.   Did that really happen? Stuart has more than 20 studio albums, has charted more than 30 times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, won five Grammy Awards, and is an engaged member of the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.  It is a fascinating truckload of music.  Let's go. Email the show: rockpoprollpodcast@gmail.com website: www.rockpopandroll.com   NOTES: The Fabulous Superlatives, Marty Stuart's band since 2002, includes Stuart on guitar and mandolin, Kenny Vaughan on guitar, and Harry Stinson on drums, and from 2002 until 2008, Brian Glenn on bass. From 2008 until 2015, Paul Martin was on bass. In 2015, Chris Scruggs replaced Paul Martin on bass, and also played steel guitar. Every member sings. Stuart's guitars also include "Clarence", a two-tone Fender Telecaster, once owned by Clarence White. This instrument is the original B-Bender guitar, built and designed by White and Gene Parsons (Byrds) in 1967, to allow the guitarist to manually raise the guitar's 'B' string one whole step to play in a style similar to a pedal steel guitar. Stuart bought the guitar in 1980 from White's widow.   Mavis Staples of the Staple Singers gave one of her father "Pops" Staples' guitars to Marty Stuart after Pop's death. "My father was Marty's godfather. My sisters and I took him in as our brother. He's the only one that I've heard who -- when he's playing guitar, sounds like Pop. He can play just like him."  

Send us a Text Message.The River Arkansas initially formed when frontman Mike Clark (guitar, banjo, and singer-songwriter) and Macon Terry (bass) met as members of other bands in 2014, and realized soon after that they both lived in Colorado Springs. Clark and Terry ended up performing in the studio together and releasing the band's debut album, Golden Light.Terry then brought players from his own band Clouds and Mountains, Robin Chestnut (drums) and Rachel Sliker (violin), and toured the West Coast for a month before releasing the second River Arkansas album, You Animal. They've since released a third album, Any Kind of Weather, and three EPs, “Damn Good Dog,” “Waiting on the Rain,” and “Green Bridge”.Before Clark became a musician, he started as a semi-professional trials bike rider, taking his first big road trip across the West Coast at the age of 27 with a friend of his to ride their bikes and meet other riders to compete with. Clark's friend, Patrick, would play his guitar many times throughout the trip (Clark didn't know he had a guitar before this trip), and Patrick's playing inspired Clark enough that he bought a harmonica during a stop at a Seattle music shop. He practiced during the rest of the trip, and that was his first venture into music.Jack Cloonan's grandfather and father played accordion, and his father also played tenor banjo. Cloonan started playing accordion at seven years old and violin at nine, focusing on traditional Irish jigs. Around the age of fourteen, he picked up a guitar and started playing more contemporary rock tunes, such as those by Led Zeppelin. He picked up a mandolin for the first time during high school, and eventually, he found bands such as Leftover Salmon and String Cheese Incident, who took Irish tunes and fused them with American stylings. At around nineteen, he started writing his own songs, with some of his guitar influences including Doc Watson, Clarence White, Tony Rice, Larry Keel, and Jake Workman.Cloonan has also been able to spend time with banjo influence Andy Thorn from Leftover Salmon, as well as perform many times with Silas Herman, son of Vince Herman, founding member of the iconic band. Silas Herman, while also performing many times with his dad, has performed in dozens of music festivals and has shared the stage and recorded with groups and individuals such as Drunken Hearts, Terrapin Family Band with Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Chris Thile of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers, and The Kitchen Dwellers (just within the last couple of months). Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear podcast featuring the news and culture from peak to peak. If you would like to be featured in the podcast, contact the host at media@themountainear.com!SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the COUPON CODE PODCAST FOR A 10% Discount for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS https://www.themtnear.com/subscribe/ You can find us online by visiting https://www.themtnear.com/Find us on Facebook @mtnearShare this podcast around wherever you've found it or by sharing the link https://themtnearpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ or https://www.themtnear.com/the-mountain-ear-podcast/You can contact our editor at info@themountainear.com.Thank you for listening.

My guest this week is Alister Atkin of Atkin Guitars.I've been following Atkin's progress for a few years now and have been blown away by the quality of guitars they're producing. They combine some cutting edge techniques with a bespoke approach, to bring out the uniqueness of every guitar they make. As Alister puts it: 'We're all about getting the feel and the sound of the instrument, and the aura of a great instrument.'We talk about some of these processes, including baking wood, freezing guitar bodies and even 3D printing moulds, as well as how Alister got into guitar making in the first place. We also chat about Atkin's White Rice model, a tribute to the Martin D28 owned by Clarence White, then Tony Rice (hence the name!) and the new range of electric guitars they're making.You can find info and drool over their guitars at https://atkinguitars.com/ and follow the Atkin Guitars Instagram feed for updates.But what I'd really urge you to do is to find one and play it, which you can do by checking the list of Atkin Guitar dealers around the world.It was a fascinating chat - I hope you enjoy it.Happy picking,MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the Show.===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

Dan Tyminski, Alison Krauss, Dailey & Vincent, Hot Rize, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, are all featured in this episode of Back Porch Bluegrass, along with some fine picking from Clarence White & the Kentucky Colonels, the Sonoran Dogs and even NZ's own HCBB get a chance to show their skills. Not to be missed.

117 - Gene Parsons (Nashville West, the Byrds, Stringbender inventor) In episode 117 of “Have Guitar Will Travel”, presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine host James Patrick Regan speaks with guitarist and pedal steel guitarist and inventor of the B-bender (string bender) the legendary Gene Parsons. He was lucky enough to be able to interview Gene in his shop on the Northern California coast. In their conversation they cover his childhood in the southern California desert and what brought him to the remote Northern California coast. They go through his musical history including playing drums for Nashville West, the Byrds. His friendship with guitarist Clarence White. They go into detail about his pedal steel guitar playing and how he invented the B-Bender (string bender) with Clarence White and his interactions with Leo Fender. They discuss building string benders for Jimmy Page's Red Les Paul while in Led Zeppelin and Pete Townsend as well. They discuss all the instruments that Gene has installed string benders on… electric guitars (of course), acoustic guitars, baritone guitars, banjos and mandolins. They discuss Gene's passion for steam trains, which he also builds. Gene at the end of the interview gives a demo of his acoustic string bender and his Fender 800 pedal steel… James will post the videos to the Have Guitar Will Travel social media sites. . You can get in touch with Gene through his website: http://stringbender.com . Please subscribe, like, comment, share and review this podcast! . #VintageGuitarMagazine #GeneParsons #theByrds #NashvilleWest #GeneParsonsBand #theFlyingBurritoBrothers #guitar #Guitar #StringBender #B-Bender #BBender #GuitarHero #PedalSteel #theDeadlies #guitarfinds #Telecaster #Fender800PedalSteel #LeoFender #haveguitarwilltravelpodcast #guitarcollector #Travelwithguitars #haveguitarwilltravel #hgwt #HGWT . Please like, comment, and share this podcast! Download Link

"Behind the Scenes with Rob Bleetstein: Archiving the Legacy of the NRPS"Larry's guest, Rob Bleetstein, is known for his role as the host of the live concerts on the Sirius XM Grateful Dead station and as the voice of Pearl Jam Radio. In today's episode, he discusses the recently released live album "Hempsteader" by the New Riders Of The Purple Sage (NRPS), where he serves as the archivist and producer.The New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band that emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969, with original members including some from the Grateful Dead. Their roots trace back to the early 1960s folk and beatnik scene around Stanford University, where Jerry Garcia and David Nelson played gigs together. Influenced by American folk music and rock and roll, the band formed, including Garcia on pedal steel guitar initially.The discussion delves into the background of the NRPS, their albums, and notable tracks like "Panama Red," written by Peter Rowan and popularized by the band. The album "New Riders of the Purple Sage" features Garcia on pedal steel guitar and includes tracks like "Henry," a humorous tale of marijuana smuggling.Throughout the show, various NRPS tracks are highlighted, showcasing the band's eclectic style and songwriting. Additionally, news segments cover topics such as the DEA's agreement to reschedule marijuana and updates from the music industry, including rare concert appearances and tour plans.Overall, the episode provides insights into the NRPS's music, their influence on the country rock genre, and relevant news in the marijuana and music industries. Larry's Notes Rob Bleetstein who many folks know as the host of the three live concerts played every day on the Sirius XM Grateful Dead station.  Also the voice of Pearl Jam Radio. And, most importantly for today's episode, the archivist for the New Riders Of The Purple Sage and the producer of the Hempsteader album. Today, featuring recently released NRPS live album, “Hempsteader” from the band's performance at the Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead, NY on June 25, 1976, just shy of 48 years ago.New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969 and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead.[2] The band is sometimes referred to as the New Riders or as NRPS.The roots of the New Riders can be traced back to the early 1960s Peninsulafolk/beatnikscene centered on Stanford University's now-defunct Perry Lane housing complex in Menlo Park, California where future Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia often played gigs with like-minded guitarist David Nelson. The young John Dawson (also known as "Marmaduke") also played some concerts with Garcia, Nelson, and their compatriots while visiting relatives on summer vacation. Enamored of the sounds of Bakersfield-style country music, Dawson would turn his older friends on to the work of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and provided a vital link between Timothy Leary's International Federation for Internal Freedom in Millbrook, New York (Dawson having boarded at the Millbrook School) and the Menlo Park bohemian coterie nurtured by Ken Kesey.Inspired by American folk music, rock and roll, and blues, Garcia formed the Grateful Dead (initially known as The Warlocks) with blues singer Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, while Nelson joined the similarly inclined New Delhi River Band (which would eventually come to include bassist Dave Torbert) shortly thereafter.  The group came to enjoy a cult following in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties through the Summer of Love until their dissolution in early 1968.In 1969, Nelson contributed to the Dead's Aoxomoxoa album in 1969.  During this period Nelson and Garcia played intermittently in an early iteration of High Country, a traditional bluegrass ensemble formed by the remnants of the Peninsula folk scene.By early 1969, Dawson had returned to Los Altos Hills and also contributed to Aoxomoxoa.  After a mescaline experience at Pinnacles National Park with Torbert and Matthew Kelly, he began to compose songs on a regular basis working in a psychedelic country fusion genre not unlike Gram Parsons' Flying Burrito Brothers.Dawson's vision was prescient, as 1969 marked the emergence of country rock via Bob Dylan, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, the Dillard & Clark Band, and the Clarence White-era Byrds. Around this time, Garcia was similarly inspired to take up the pedal steel guitar, and an informal line-up including Dawson, Garcia, and Peninsula folk veteran Peter Grant (on banjo) began playing coffeehouse and hofbrau concerts together when the Grateful Dead were not touring. Their repertoire included country standards, traditional bluegrass, Dawson originals, and a few Dylan covers ("Lay Lady Lay", "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere", "Mighty Quinn"). By the summer of 1969 it was decided that a full band would be formed and David Nelson was recruited to play lead guitar.In addition to Nelson, Dawson (on acoustic guitar), and Garcia (continuing to play pedal steel), the original line-up of the band that came to be known as the New Riders of the Purple Sage (a nod to the Foy Willing-led Western swing combo from the 1940s, Riders of the Purple Sage, which borrowed its name from the Zane Grey novel) consisted of Alembic Studio engineer Bob Matthews on electric bass and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead on drums; bassist Phil Lesh also played sporadically with the ensemble in lieu of Matthews through the end of the year, as documented by the late 1969 demos later included on the Before Time Began archival release. Lyricist Robert Hunter briefly rehearsed with the band on bass in early 1970 before the permanent hiring of Torbert in April of that year.[8] The most commercially successful configuration of the New Riders would come to encompass Dawson, Nelson, Torbert, Spencer Dryden (of Jefferson Airplane fame), and Buddy Cage.After a few warmup gigs throughout the Bay Area in 1969, Dawson, Nelson, and Torbert began to tour in May 1970 as part of a tripartite bill advertised as "An Evening with the Grateful Dead". An acoustic Grateful Dead set that often included contributions from Dawson and Nelson would then segue into New Riders and electric Dead sets, obviating the need to hire external opening acts. With the New Riders desiring to become more of a self-sufficient group and Garcia needing to focus on his other responsibilities, the musician parted ways with the group in November 1971. Seasoned pedal steel player Buddy Cage was recruited from Ian and Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird to replace Garcia. In 1977 and 1978, NRPS did open several Dead and JGB shows, including the final concert preceding the closure of Winterland on December 31, 1978.In 1974, Torbert left NRPS; he and Matthew Kelly co-founded the band Kingfish (best known for Bob Weir's membership during the Grateful Dead's late-1974 to mid-1976 touring hiatus) the year before. In 1997, the New Riders of the Purple Sage split up. Dawson retired from music and moved to Mexico to become an English teacher. By this time, Nelson had started his own David Nelson Band. There was a reunion performance in 2001. In 2002, the New Riders accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times magazine. Allen Kemp died on June 25, 2009.[13][14] John "Marmaduke" Dawson died in Mexico on July 21, 2009, at the age of 64.[15][16]Pedal steel guitarist Buddy Cage died on February 5, 2020, at age 73. (Rob – this is mostly notes for me today so I can sound like I know what I'm talking about.  I'll go through some of it to set some background for the band, but feel free to take the lead on talking about those aspects of the band, and its musicians, that you enjoy most or find most interesting – keeping in mind that our target audience presumably are fans of marijuana and the Dead.)   INTRO:                Panama Red                                Track #1                                Start – 1:49 Written by Peter Rowan “Panama Red” is well known in the jam-grass scene, but it's perhaps not as widely known that Peter Rowan wrote the song.It was originally a 1973 hit for the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the first popular version with Rowan singing and playing it came when the supergroup Old & In the Way, released their eponymous album in 1975, two years after their seminal time, in 1973, and a year after they disbanded. Jerry Garcia was the connective tissue between the two projects, playing pedal steel in the early New Riders and banjo in Old & In the Way. “I wrote ‘Panama Red' after leaving my first project with David Grisman, Earth Opera, around the summer of the Woodstock music festival [1969],” Rowan explains. “It's a fun song because it captures the vibe of the time. I was from the East Coast, but I found there to be more creativity on the West Coast during that time period.“Nobody wanted to do ‘Panama Red' on the East Coast. I took it to Seatrain [the roots fusion band in which Rowan played from 1969 to 1972], and when it eventually became a hit, the manager of Seatrain claimed it. I never saw any money, even though it became the title of an album for the New Riders of the Purple Sage [1973's The Adventures of Panama Red]. “The subject was "taboo" in those days. You did jail time for pot. So that might have scared commercial interests. But Garcia was a green light all the way! "Oh sure" was his motto, both ironically and straight but always with a twinkle in his eye! After Seatrain management kept all the money, Jerry suggested I bring the song to Marmaduke and Nelson!" “When David Grisman and I got back together for Old & In the Way in 1973 with Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements and John Khan, we started playing it.”From the NRPS album “The Adventures of Panama Red”, their fourth country rock album released in October 1973. It is widely regarded as one of the group's best efforts, and reached number 55 on the Billboard charts.The album includes two songs written by Peter Rowan — "Panama Red", which became a radio hit, and "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy". Another song, "Kick in the Head", was written by Robert Hunter. Donna Jean Godchaux and Buffy Sainte-Marie contribute background vocals on several tracks.  SHOW No. 1:   Fifteen Days Under The Hood                                Track #41:55 – 3:13 Written by Jack Tempchin and Warren Hughey.  Jack Tempchin is an American musician and singer-songwriter who wrote the Eagles song "Peaceful Easy Feeling"[1] and co-wrote "Already Gone",[2] "The Girl from Yesterday",[3]"Somebody"[4]and "It's Your World Now".[5] Released as the opening song on the NRPS album, “New Riders”, their seventh studio album, released in 1976 SHOW No. 2:   Henry                                Track #6                                1:19 – 3:05 "Henry", written by John Dawson, a traditional shuffle with contemporary lyrics about marijuana smuggling.  From the band's debut album, “New Riders of the Purple Sage”, released by Columbia Records in August, 1971.  New Riders of the Purple Sage is the only studio album by the New Riders to feature co-founder Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead on pedal steel guitar. He is also featured on the live albums Vintage NRPS and Bear's Sonic Journals: Dawn of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.Mickey Hart and Commander Cody play drums and piano, respectively, on two tracks—"Dirty Business" and "Last Lonely Eagle".Then, there's a swerving left turn away from romance tunes on this album with ‘Henry‘, whose titular hero has stepped right out of a Gilbert Shelton underground comic.  At a frenetic pace the story of Henry's run to Mexico to fetch twenty kilos of (Acapulco?) gold unravels, with Henry driving home after sampling the wares “Henry tasted, he got wasted couldn't even see – how he's going to drive like that is not too clear to me.”  It's a joke, but a joke that sounds pretty good even after repeat listens.SHOW No. 3:   Portland Woman                                Track #9                                :34 – 2:00 Another Marmaduke tune from the NRPS album released in August, 1971.A bittersweet love song progressing from touring boredom to be relieved by a casual hook-up with the pay-off with the realization that the Portland Woman who “treats you right” has actually made a deeper connection “I'm going back to my Portland woman, I don't want to be alone tonight.”   SHOW No. 4:   You Never Can Tell                                Track #15                                :51 – 2:26 You Never Can Tell", also known as "C'est La Vie" or "Teenage Wedding", is a song written by Chuck Berry. It was composed in the early 1960s while Berry was in federal prison for violating the Mann Act.[2] Released in 1964 on the album St. Louis to Liverpool and the follow-up single to Berry's final Top Ten hit of the 1960s: "No Particular Place to Go", "You Never Can Tell" reached number 14, becoming Berry's final Top 40 hit until "My Ding-a-Ling", a number 1 in October 1972.  Berry's recording features an iconic piano hook played by Johnnie Johnson.  The piano melody was influenced by Mitchell Torok's 1953 hit "Caribbean". The song has also been recorded or performed by Chely Wright, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Jerry Garcia Band, Bruce Springsteen, the Mavericks, and Buster Shuffle.  JGB performed it almost 40 times in the early ‘90's. The song became popular again after the 1994 release of the film Pulp Fiction, directed and co-written by Quentin Tarantino. The music was played for a "Twist contest" in which Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) competed (and were the only contestants shown in the film). The music added an evocative element of sound to the narrative and Tarantino said that the song's lyrics of "Pierre" and "Mademoiselle" gave the scene a "uniquely '50s French New Wave dance sequence feel".  OUTRO:              Glendale Train                                Track #17                                1:30 – 3:14 Still another Marmaduke tune from the “New Riders of the Purple Sage” album released in late summer 1971.   MJ News:Just one MJ News story today important enough to take a few minutes to talk MJ:  DEA's agreement to reschedule MJ to Schedule 3 from Schedule 1.DEA Agrees To Reschedule Marijuana Under Federal Law In Historic Move Following Biden-Directed Health Agency's Recommendation - Marijuana Moment Benefits:  banking services, no 280(e) restrictions on what expenses retailers can deduct and allows for full medical research of MJ. Negatives:  Still illegal, all drugs on Schedules I, II and III must be prescribed by a licensed health care provider with prescription privileges and can only be dispenses by licensed pharmacists.  Music News:A few quick hits re Music (no real need to get into any of these but I like to see what's going on so I don't miss anything interesting, these are the first things that get cut when we decide we want to keep talking): Jaimoe makes rare public concert appearance with Friends of the Brothers in Fairfield CN, plays ABB hitsJaimoe Takes Part in Rare Public Concert Appearance, Revisits Allman Brothers Band Classics (relix.com) Mike Gordon sits in at the Dodd's Dead Residency at Nectar's in Burlingtron, VT as part of “Grateful Dead Tuesday”.  Plays He's Gone and Scarlet (we have some Phish fans as listeners so try to toss a few bones to them)Listen: Mike Gordon Offers Grateful Dead Classics at Nectar's (A Gallery + Recap) (relix.com) David Gilmour may be planning first tour since 2016, won't play any Pink Floyd songs from the ‘70's – like the old Doonesbury strip where Elvis comes back from the Dead, Trump hires him to play in one of his casinos and at the start of the show, Elvis announces that he is only playing the songs of the late great John Denver.David Gilmour Plots First Tour Since 2016 (relix.com) Roy Carter, founder of High Sierra Music Festival passes away.Roy Carter, High Sierra Music Festival Founder, Passes Away at 68 (relix.com) .Produced by PodConx Deadhead Cannabis Show - https://podconx.com/podcasts/deadhead-cannabis-showLarry Mishkin - https://podconx.com/guests/larry-mishkinRob Hunt - https://podconx.com/guests/rob-huntJay Blakesberg - https://podconx.com/guests/jay-blakesbergSound Designed by Jamie Humiston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-humiston-91718b1b3/Recorded on Squadcast

For those who haven't heard the announcement I just posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a multi-episode look at the Byrds in 1966-69 and the birth of country rock. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a half-hour bonus episode, on "With a Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Resources No Mixcloud at this time as there are too many Byrds songs in the first chunk, but I will try to put together a multi-part Mixcloud when all the episodes for this song are up. My main source for the Byrds is Timeless Flight Revisited by Johnny Rogan, I also used Chris Hillman's autobiography, the 331/3 books on The Notorious Byrd Brothers and The Gilded Palace of Sin, I used Barney Hoskyns' Hotel California and John Einarson's Desperadoes as general background on Californian country-rock, Calling Me Hone, Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock by Bob Kealing for information on Parsons, and Requiem For The Timeless Vol 2 by Johnny Rogan for information about the post-Byrds careers of many members. Information on Gary Usher comes from The California Sound by Stephen McParland. And this three-CD set is a reasonable way of getting most of the Byrds' important recordings. The International Submarine Band's only album can be bought from Bandcamp. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Before we begin, a brief warning – this episode contains brief mentions of suicide, alcoholism, abortion, and heroin addiction, and a brief excerpt of chanting of a Nazi slogan. If you find those subjects upsetting, you may want to read the transcript rather than listen. As we heard in the last part, in October 1967 Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman fired David Crosby from the Byrds. It was only many years later, in a conversation with the group's ex-manager Jim Dickson, that Crosby realised that they didn't actually have a legal right to fire him -- the Byrds had no partnership agreement, and according to Dickson given that the original group had been Crosby, McGuinn, and Gene Clark, it would have been possible for Crosby and McGuinn to fire Hillman, but not for McGuinn and Hillman to fire Crosby. But Crosby was unaware of this at the time, and accepted a pay-off, with which he bought a boat and sailed to Florida, where saw a Canadian singer-songwriter performing live: [Excerpt: Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides Now (live Ann Arbor, MI, 27/10/67)"] We'll find out what happened when David Crosby brought Joni Mitchell back to California in a future story... With Crosby gone, the group had a major problem. They were known for two things -- their jangly twelve-string guitar and their soaring harmonies. They still had the twelve-string, even in their new slimmed-down trio format, but they only had two of their four vocalists -- and while McGuinn had sung lead on most of their hits, the sound of the Byrds' harmony had been defined by Crosby on the high harmonies and Gene Clark's baritone. There was an obvious solution available, of course, and they took it. Gene Clark had quit the Byrds in large part because of his conflicts with David Crosby, and had remained friendly with the others. Clark's solo album had featured Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke, and had been produced by Gary Usher who was now producing the Byrds' records, and it had been a flop and he was at a loose end. After recording the Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers album, Clark had started work with Curt Boettcher, a singer-songwriter-producer who had produced hits for Tommy Roe and the Association, and who was currently working with Gary Usher. Boettcher produced two tracks for Clark, but they went unreleased: [Excerpt: Gene Clark, "Only Colombe"] That had been intended as the start of sessions for an album, but Clark had been dropped by Columbia rather than getting to record a second album. He had put together a touring band with guitarist Clarence White, bass player John York, and session drummer "Fast" Eddie Hoh, but hadn't played many gigs, and while he'd been demoing songs for a possible second solo album he didn't have a record deal to use them on. Chisa Records, a label co-owned by Larry Spector, Peter Fonda, and Hugh Masekela, had put out some promo copies of one track, "Yesterday, Am I Right", but hadn't released it properly: [Excerpt: Gene Clark, "Yesterday, Am I Right"] Clark, like the Byrds, had left Dickson and Tickner's management organisation and signed with Larry Spector, and Spector was wanting to make the most of his artists -- and things were very different for the Byrds now. Clark had had three main problems with being in the Byrds -- ego clashes with David Crosby, the stresses of being a pop star with a screaming teenage fanbase, and his fear of flying. Clark had really wanted to have the same kind of role in the Byrds that Brian Wilson had with the Beach Boys -- appear on the records, write songs, do TV appearances, maybe play local club gigs, but not go on tour playing to screaming fans. But now David Crosby was out of the group and there were no screaming fans any more -- the Byrds weren't having the kind of pop hits they'd had a few years earlier and were now playing to the hippie audience. Clark promised that with everything else being different, he could cope with the idea of flying -- if necessary he'd just take tranquilisers or get so drunk he passed out. So Gene Clark rejoined the Byrds. According to some sources he sang on their next single, "Goin' Back," though I don't hear his voice in the mix: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Goin' Back"] According to McGuinn, Clark was also an uncredited co-writer on one song on the album they were recording, "Get to You". But before sessions had gone very far, the group went on tour. They appeared on the Smothers Brothers TV show, miming their new single and "Mr. Spaceman", and Clark seemed in good spirits, but on the tour of the Midwest that followed, according to their road manager of the time, Clark was terrified, singing flat and playing badly, and his guitar and vocal mic were left out of the mix. And then it came time to get on a plane, and Clark's old fears came back, and he refused to fly from Minneapolis to New York with the rest of the group, instead getting a train back to LA. And that was the end of Clark's second stint in the Byrds. For the moment, the Byrds decided they were going to continue as a trio on stage and a duo in the studio -- though Michael Clarke did make an occasional return to the sessions as they progressed. But of course, McGuinn and Hillman couldn't record an album entirely by themselves. They did have several tracks in a semi-completed state still featuring Crosby, but they needed people to fill his vocal and instrumental roles on the remaining tracks. For the vocals, Usher brought in his friend and collaborator Curt Boettcher, with whom he was also working at the time in a band called Sagittarius: [Excerpt: Sagittarius, "Another Time"] Boettcher was a skilled harmony vocalist -- according to Usher, he was one of the few vocal arrangers that Brian Wilson looked up to, and Jerry Yester had said of the Modern Folk Quartet that “the only vocals that competed with us back then was Curt Boettcher's group” -- and he was more than capable of filling Crosby's vocal gap, but there was never any real camaraderie between him and the Byrds. He particularly disliked McGuinn, who he said "was just such a poker face. He never let you know where you stood. There was never any lightness," and he said of the sessions as a whole "I was really thrilled to be working with The Byrds, and, at the same time, I was glad when it was all over. There was just no fun, and they were such weird guys to work with. They really freaked me out!" Someone else who Usher brought in, who seems to have made a better impression, was Red Rhodes: [Excerpt: Red Rhodes, "Red's Ride"] Rhodes was a pedal steel player, and one of the few people to make a career on the instrument outside pure country music, which is the genre with which the instrument is usually identified. Rhodes was a country player, but he was the country pedal steel player of choice for musicians from the pop and folk-rock worlds. He worked with Usher and Boettcher on albums by Sagittarius and the Millennium, and played on records by Cass Elliot, Carole King, the Beach Boys, and the Carpenters, among many others -- though he would be best known for his longstanding association with Michael Nesmith of the Monkees, playing on most of Nesmith's recordings from 1968 through 1992. Someone else who was associated with the Monkees was Moog player Paul Beaver, who we talked about in the episode on "Hey Jude", and who had recently played on the Monkees' Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd album: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Star Collector"] And the fourth person brought in to help the group out was someone who was already familiar to them. Clarence White was, like Red Rhodes, from the country world -- he'd started out in a bluegrass group called the Kentucky Colonels: [Excerpt: The Kentucky Colonels, "Clinch Mountain Backstep"] But White had gone electric and formed one of the first country-rock bands, a group named Nashville West, as well as becoming a popular session player. He had already played on a couple of tracks on Younger Than Yesterday, as well as playing with Hillman and Michael Clarke on Gene Clark's album with the Gosdin Brothers and being part of Clark's touring band with John York and "Fast" Eddie Hoh. The album that the group put together with these session players was a triumph of sequencing and production. Usher had recently been keen on the idea of crossfading tracks into each other, as the Beatles had on Sgt Pepper, and had done the same on the two Chad and Jeremy albums he produced. By clever crossfading and mixing, Usher managed to create something that had the feel of being a continuous piece, despite being the product of several very different creative minds, with Usher's pop sensibility and arrangement ideas being the glue that held everything together. McGuinn was interested in sonic experimentation. He, more than any of the others, seems to have been the one who was most pushing for them to use the Moog, and he continued his interest in science fiction, with a song, "Space Odyssey", inspired by the Arthur C. Clarke short story "The Sentinel", which was also the inspiration for the then-forthcoming film 2001: A Space Odyssey: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Space Odyssey"] Then there was Chris Hillman, who was coming up with country material like "Old John Robertson": [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Old John Robertson"] And finally there was David Crosby. Even though he'd been fired from the group, both McGuinn and Hillman didn't see any problem with using the songs he had already contributed. Three of the album's eleven songs are compositions that are primarily by Crosby, though they're all co-credited to either Hillman or both Hillman and McGuinn. Two of those songs are largely unchanged from Crosby's original vision, just finished off by the rest of the group after his departure, but one song is rather different: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Draft Morning"] "Draft Morning" was a song that was important to Crosby, and was about his -- and the group's -- feelings about the draft and the ongoing Vietnam War. It was a song that had meant a lot to him, and he'd been part of the recording for the backing track. But when it came to doing the final vocals, McGuinn and Hillman had a problem -- they couldn't remember all the words to the song, and obviously there was no way they were going to get Crosby to give them the original lyrics. So they rewrote it, coming up with new lyrics where they couldn't remember the originals: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Draft Morning"] But there was one other contribution to the track that was very distinctively the work of Usher. Gary Usher had a predilection at this point for putting musique concrete sections in otherwise straightforward pop songs. He'd done it with "Fakin' It" by Simon and Garfunkel, on which he did uncredited production work, and did it so often that it became something of a signature of records on Columbia in 1967 and 68, even being copied by his friend Jim Guercio on "Susan" by the Buckinghams. Usher had done this, in particular, on the first two singles by Sagittarius, his project with Curt Boettcher. In particular, the second Sagittarius single, "Hotel Indiscreet", had had a very jarring section (and a warning here, this contains some brief chanting of a Nazi slogan): [Excerpt: Sagittarius, "Hotel Indiscreet"] That was the work of a comedy group that Usher had discovered and signed to Columbia. The Firesign Theatre were so named because, like Usher, they were all interested in astrology, and they were all "fire signs".  Usher was working on their first album, Waiting For The Electrician or Someone Like Him, at the same time as he was working on the Byrds album: [Excerpt: The Firesign Theatre, "W.C. Fields Forever"] And he decided to bring in the Firesigns to contribute to "Draft Morning": [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Draft Morning"] Crosby was, understandably, apoplectic when he heard the released version of "Draft Morning". As far as Hillman and McGuinn were concerned, it was always a Byrds song, and just because Crosby had left the band didn't mean they couldn't use material he'd written for the Byrds. Crosby took a different view, saying later "It was one of the sleaziest things they ever did. I had an entire song finished. They just casually rewrote it and decided to take half the credit. How's that? Without even asking me. I had a finished song, entirely mine. I left. They did the song anyway. They rewrote it and put it in their names. And mine was better. They just took it because they didn't have enough songs." What didn't help was that the publicity around the album, titled The Notorious Byrd Brothers minimised Crosby's contributions. Crosby is on five of the eleven tracks -- as he said later, "I'm all over that album, they just didn't give me credit. I played, I sang, I wrote, I even played bass on one track, and they tried to make out that I wasn't even on it, that they could be that good without me." But the album, like earlier Byrds albums, didn't have credits saying who played what, and the cover only featured McGuinn, Hillman, and Michael Clarke in the photo -- along with a horse, which Crosby took as another insult, as representing him. Though as McGuinn said, "If we had intended to do that, we would have turned the horse around". Even though Michael Clarke was featured on the cover, and even owned the horse that took Crosby's place, by the time the album came out he too had been fired. Unlike Crosby, he went quietly and didn't even ask for any money. According to McGuinn, he was increasingly uninterested in being in the band -- suffering from depression, and missing the teenage girls who had been the group's fans a year or two earlier. He gladly stopped being a Byrd, and went off to work in a hotel instead. In his place came Hillman's cousin, Kevin Kelley, fresh out of a band called the Rising Sons: [Excerpt: The Rising Sons, "Take a Giant Step"] We've mentioned the Rising Sons briefly in some previous episodes, but they were one of the earliest LA folk-rock bands, and had been tipped to go on to greater things -- and indeed, many of them did, though not as part of the Rising Sons. Jesse Lee Kincaid, the least well-known of the band, only went on to release a couple of singles and never had much success, but his songs were picked up by other acts -- his "Baby You Come Rollin' 'Cross My Mind" was a minor hit for the Peppermint Trolley Company: [Excerpt: The Peppermint Trolley Company, "Baby You Come Rollin' 'Cross My Mind"] And Harry Nilsson recorded Kincaid's "She Sang Hymns Out of Tune": [Excerpt: Harry Nilsson, "She Sang Hymns Out of Tune"] But Kincaid was the least successful of the band members, and most of the other members are going to come up in future episodes of the podcast -- bass player Gary Marker played for a while with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, lead singer Taj Mahal is one of the most respected blues singers of the last sixty years, original drummer Ed Cassidy went on to form the progressive rock band Spirit, and lead guitarist Ry Cooder went on to become one of the most important guitarists in rock music. Kelley had been the last to join the Rising Sons, replacing Cassidy but he was in the band by the time they released their one single, a version of Rev. Gary Davis' "Candy Man" produced by Terry Melcher, with Kincaid on lead vocals: [Excerpt: The Rising Sons, "Candy Man"] That hadn't been a success, and the group's attempt at a follow-up, the Goffin and King song "Take a Giant Step", which we heard earlier, was blocked from release by Columbia as being too druggy -- though there were no complaints when the Monkees released their version as the B-side to "Last Train to Clarksville". The Rising Sons, despite being hugely popular as a live act, fell apart without ever releasing a second single. According to Marker, Mahal realised that he would be better off as a solo artist, but also Columbia didn't know how to market a white group with a Black lead vocalist (leading to Kincaid singing lead on their one released single, and producer Terry Melcher trying to get Mahal to sing more like a white singer on "Take a Giant Step"), and some in the band thought that Terry Melcher was deliberately trying to sink their career because they refused to sign to his publishing company. After the band split up, Marker and Kelley had formed a band called Fusion, which Byrds biographer Johnny Rogan describes as being a jazz-fusion band, presumably because of their name. Listening to the one album the group recorded, it is in fact more blues-rock, very like the music Marker made with the Rising Sons and Captain Beefheart. But Kelley's not on that album, because before it was recorded he was approached by his cousin Chris Hillman and asked to join the Byrds. At the time, Fusion were doing so badly that Kelley had to work a day job in a clothes shop, so he was eager to join a band with a string of hits who were just about to conclude a lucrative renegotiation of their record contract -- a renegotiation which may have played a part in McGuinn and Hillman firing Crosby and Clarke, as they were now the only members on the new contracts. The choice of Kelley made a lot of sense. He was mostly just chosen because he was someone they knew and they needed a drummer in a hurry -- they needed someone new to promote The Notorious Byrd Brothers and didn't have time to go through a laborious process of audtioning, and so just choosing Hillman's cousin made sense, but Kelley also had a very strong, high voice, and so he could fill in the harmony parts that Crosby had sung, stopping the new power-trio version of the band from being *too* thin-sounding in comparison to the five-man band they'd been not that much earlier. The Notorious Byrd Brothers was not a commercial success -- it didn't even make the top forty in the US, though it did in the UK -- to the presumed chagrin of Columbia, who'd just paid a substantial amount of money for this band who were getting less successful by the day. But it was, though, a gigantic critical success, and is generally regarded as the group's creative pinnacle. Robert Christgau, for example, talked about how LA rather than San Francisco was where the truly interesting music was coming from, and gave guarded praise to Captain Beefheart, Van Dyke Parks, and the Fifth Dimension (the vocal group, not the Byrds album) but talked about three albums as being truly great -- the Beach Boys' Wild Honey, Love's Forever Changes, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers. (He also, incidentally, talked about how the two songs that Crosby's new discovery Joni Mitchell had contributed to a Judy Collins album were much better than most folk music, and how he could hardly wait for her first album to come out). And that, more or less, was the critical consensus about The Notorious Byrd Brothers -- that it was, in Christgau's words "simply the best album the Byrds have ever recorded" and that "Gone are the weak--usually folky--tracks that have always flawed their work." McGuinn, though, thought that the album wasn't yet what he wanted. He had become particularly excited by the potentials of the Moog synthesiser -- an instrument that Gary Usher also loved -- during the recording of the album, and had spent a lot of time experimenting with it, coming up with tracks like the then-unreleased "Moog Raga": [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Moog Raga"] And McGuinn had a concept for the next Byrds album -- a concept he was very excited about. It was going to be nothing less than a grand sweeping history of American popular music. It was going to be a double album -- the new contract said that they should deliver two albums a year to Columbia, so a double album made sense -- and it would start with Appalachian folk music, go through country, jazz, and R&B, through the folk-rock music the Byrds had previously been known for, and into Moog experimentation. But to do this, the Byrds needed a keyboard player. Not only would a keyboard player help them fill out their thin onstage sound, if they got a jazz keyboardist, then they could cover the jazz material in McGuinn's concept album idea as well. So they went out and looked for a jazz piano player, and happily Larry Spector was managing one. Or at least, Larry Spector was managing someone who *said* he was a jazz pianist. But Gram Parsons said he was a lot of things... [Excerpt: Gram Parsons, "Brass Buttons (1965 version)"] Gram Parsons was someone who had come from a background of unimaginable privilege. His maternal grandfather was the owner of a Florida citrus fruit and real-estate empire so big that his mansion was right in the centre of what was then Florida's biggest theme park -- built on land he owned. As a teenager, Parsons had had a whole wing of his parents' house to himself, and had had servants to look after his every need, and as an adult he had a trust fund that paid him a hundred thousand dollars a year -- which in 1968 dollars would be equivalent to a little under nine hundred thousand in today's money. Two events in his childhood had profoundly shaped the life of young Gram. The first was in February 1956, when he went to see a new singer who he'd heard on the radio, and who according to the local newspaper had just recorded a new song called "Heartburn Motel".  Parsons had tried to persuade his friends that this new singer was about to become a big star -- one of his friends had said "I'll wait til he becomes famous!" As it turned out, the day Parsons and the couple of friends he did manage to persuade to go with him saw Elvis Presley was also the day that "Heartbreak Hotel" entered the Billboard charts at number sixty-eight. But even at this point, Elvis was an obvious star and the headliner of the show. Young Gram was enthralled -- but in retrospect he was more impressed by the other acts he saw on the bill. That was an all-star line-up of country musicians, including Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, and especially the Louvin Brothers, arguably the greatest country music vocal duo of all time: [Excerpt: The Louvin Brothers, "The Christian Life"] Young Gram remained mostly a fan of rockabilly music rather than country, and would remain so for another decade or so, but a seed had been planted. The other event, much more tragic, was the death of his father. Both Parsons' parents were functioning alcoholics, and both by all accounts were unfaithful to each other, and their marriage was starting to break down. Gram's father was also, by many accounts, dealing with what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder from his time serving in the second world war. On December the twenty-third 1958, Gram's father died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Everyone involved seems sure it was suicide, but it was officially recorded as natural causes because of the family's wealth and prominence in the local community. Gram's Christmas present from his parents that year was a reel-to-reel tape recorder, and according to some stories I've read his father had left a last message on a tape in the recorder, but by the time the authorities got to hear it, it had been erased apart from the phrase "I love you, Gram." After that Gram's mother's drinking got even worse, but in most ways his life still seemed charmed, and the descriptions of him as a teenager are about what you'd expect from someone who was troubled, with a predisposition to addiction, but who was also unbelievably wealthy, good-looking, charming, and talented. And the talent was definitely there. One thing everyone is agreed on is that from a very young age Gram Parsons took his music seriously and was determined to make a career as a musician. Keith Richards later said of him "Of the musicians I know personally (although Otis Redding, who I didn't know, fits this too), the two who had an attitude towards music that was the same as mine were Gram Parsons and John Lennon. And that was: whatever bag the business wants to put you in is immaterial; that's just a selling point, a tool that makes it easier. You're going to get chowed into this pocket or that pocket because it makes it easier for them to make charts up and figure out who's selling. But Gram and John were really pure musicians. All they liked was music, and then they got thrown into the game." That's not the impression many other people have of Parsons, who is almost uniformly described as an incessant self-promoter, and who from his teens onwards would regularly plant fake stories about himself in the local press, usually some variant of him having been signed to RCA records. Most people seem to think that image was more important to him than anything. In his teens, he started playing in a series of garage bands around Florida and Georgia, the two states in which he was brought up. One of his early bands was largely created by poaching the rhythm section who were then playing with Kent Lavoie, who later became famous as Lobo and had hits like "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo". Lavoie apparently held a grudge -- decades later he would still say that Parsons couldn't sing or play or write. Another musician on the scene with whom Parsons associated was Bobby Braddock, who would later go on to co-write songs like "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" for Tammy Wynette, and the song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", often considered the greatest country song ever written, for George Jones: [Excerpt: George Jones, "He Stopped Loving Her Today"] Jones would soon become one of Parsons' musical idols, but at this time he was still more interested in being Elvis or Little Richard. We're lucky enough to have a 1962 live recording of one of his garage bands, the Legends -- the band that featured the bass player and drummer he'd poached from Lobo. They made an appearance on a local TV show and a friend with a tape recorder recorded it off the TV and decades later posted it online. Of the four songs in that performance, two are R&B covers -- Little Richard's "Rip It Up" and Ray Charles' "What'd I Say?", and a third is the old Western Swing classic "Guitar Boogie Shuffle". But the interesting thing about the version of "Rip it Up" is that it's sung in an Everly Brothers style harmony, and the fourth song is a recording of the Everlys' "Let It Be Me". The Everlys were, of course, hugely influenced by the Louvin Brothers, who had so impressed young Gram six years earlier, and in this performance you can hear for the first time the hints of the style that Parsons would make his own a few years later: [Excerpt: Gram Parsons and the Legends, "Let it Be Me"] Incidentally, the other guitarist in the Legends, Jim Stafford, also went on to a successful musical career, having a top five hit in the seventies with "Spiders & Snakes": [Excerpt: Jim Stafford, "Spiders & Snakes"] Soon after that TV performance though, like many musicians of his generation, Parsons decided to give up on rock and roll, and instead to join a folk group. The group he joined, The Shilos, were a trio who were particularly influenced by the Journeymen, John Phillips' folk group before he formed the Mamas and the Papas, which we talked about in the episode on "San Francisco". At various times the group expanded with the addition of some female singers, trying to capture something of the sound of the New Chrisy Minstrels. In 1964, with the band members still in school, the Shilos decided to make a trip to Greenwich Village and see if they could make the big time as folk-music stars. They met up with John Phillips, and Parsons stayed with John and Michelle Phillips in their home in New York -- this was around the time the two of them were writing "California Dreamin'". Phillips got the Shilos an audition with Albert Grossman, who seemed eager to sign them until he realised they were still schoolchildren just on a break. The group were, though, impressive enough that he was interested, and we have some recordings of them from a year later which show that they were surprisingly good for a bunch of teenagers: [Excerpt: The Shilos, "The Bells of Rhymney"] Other than Phillips, the other major connection that Parsons made in New York was the folk singer Fred Neil, who we've talked about occasionally before. Neil was one of the great songwriters of the Greenwich Village scene, and many of his songs became successful for others -- his "Dolphins" was recorded by Tim Buckley, most famously his "Everybody's Talkin'" was a hit for Harry Nilsson, and he wrote "Another Side of This Life" which became something of a standard -- it was recorded by the Animals and the Lovin' Spoonful, and Jefferson Airplane, as well as recording the song, included it in their regular setlists, including at Monterey: [Excerpt: Jefferson Airplane, "The Other Side of This Life (live at Monterey)"] According to at least one biographer, though, Neil had another, more pernicious, influence on Parsons -- he may well have been the one who introduced Parsons to heroin, though several of Parsons' friends from the time said he wasn't yet using hard drugs. By spring 1965, Parsons was starting to rethink his commitment to folk music, particularly after "Mr. Tambourine Man" became a hit. He talked with the other members about their need to embrace the changes in music that Dylan and the Byrds were bringing about, but at the same time he was still interested enough in acoustic music that when he was given the job of arranging the music for his high school graduation, the group he booked were the Dillards. That graduation day was another day that would change Parsons' life -- as it was the day his mother died, of alcohol-induced liver failure. Parsons was meant to go on to Harvard, but first he went back to Greenwich Village for the summer, where he hung out with Fred Neil and Dave Van Ronk (and started using heroin regularly). He went to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium, and he was neighbours with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay -- the three of them talked about forming a band together before Stills moved West. And on a brief trip back home to Florida between Greenwich Village and Harvard, Parsons spoke with his old friend Jim Stafford, who made a suggestion to him -- instead of trying to do folk music, which was clearly falling out of fashion, why not try to do *country* music but with long hair like the Beatles? He could be a country Beatle. It would be an interesting gimmick. Parsons was only at Harvard for one semester before flunking out, but it was there that he was fully reintroduced to country music, and in particular to three artists who would influence him more than any others. He'd already been vaguely aware of Buck Owens, whose "Act Naturally" had recently been covered by the Beatles: [Excerpt: Buck Owens, "Act Naturally"] But it was at Harvard that he gained a deeper appreciation of Owens. Owens was the biggest star of what had become known as the Bakersfield Sound, a style of country music that emphasised a stripped-down electric band lineup with Telecaster guitars, a heavy drumbeat, and a clean sound. It came from the same honky-tonk and Western Swing roots as the rockabilly music that Parsons had grown up on, and it appealed to him instinctively.  In particular, Parsons was fascinated by the fact that Owens' latest album had a cover version of a Drifters song on it -- and then he got even more interested when Ray Charles put out his third album of country songs and included a version of Owens' "Together Again": [Excerpt: Ray Charles, "Together Again"] This suggested to Parsons that country music and the R&B he'd been playing previously might not quite be so far apart as he'd thought. At Harvard, Parsons was also introduced to the work of another Bakersfield musician, who like Owens was produced by Ken Nelson, who also produced the Louvin Brothers' records, and who we heard about in previous episodes as he produced Gene Vincent and Wanda Jackson. Merle Haggard had only had one big hit at the time, "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers": [Excerpt: Merle Haggard, "(My Friends are Gonna Be) Strangers"] But he was about to start a huge run of country hits that would see every single he released for the next twelve years make the country top ten, most of them making number one. Haggard would be one of the biggest stars in country music, but he was also to be arguably the country musician with the biggest influence on rock music since Johnny Cash, and his songs would soon start to be covered by everyone from the Grateful Dead to the Everly Brothers to the Beach Boys. And the third artist that Parsons was introduced to was someone who, in most popular narratives of country music, is set up in opposition to Haggard and Owens, because they were representatives of the Bakersfield Sound while he was the epitome of the Nashville Sound to which the Bakersfield Sound is placed in opposition, George Jones. But of course anyone with ears will notice huge similarities in the vocal styles of Jones, Haggard, and Owens: [Excerpt: George Jones, "The Race is On"] Owens, Haggard, and Jones are all somewhat outside the scope of this series, but are seriously important musicians in country music. I would urge anyone who's interested in them to check out Tyler Mahan Coe's podcast Cocaine and Rhinestones, season one of which has episodes on Haggard and Owens, as well as on the Louvin Brothers who I also mentioned earlier, and season two of which is entirely devoted to Jones. When he dropped out of Harvard after one semester, Parsons was still mostly under the thrall of the Greenwich Village folkies -- there's a recording of him made over Christmas 1965 that includes his version of "Another Side of This Life": [Excerpt: Gram Parsons, "Another Side of This Life"] But he was encouraged to go further in the country direction by John Nuese (and I hope that's the correct pronunciation – I haven't been able to find any recordings mentioning his name), who had introduced him to this music and who also played guitar. Parsons, Neuse, bass player Ian Dunlop and drummer Mickey Gauvin formed a band that was originally called Gram Parsons and the Like. They soon changed their name though, inspired by an Our Gang short in which the gang became a band: [Excerpt: Our Gang, "Mike Fright"] Shortening the name slightly, they became the International Submarine Band. Parsons rented them a house in New York, and they got a contract with Goldstar Records, and released a couple of singles. The first of them, "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming" was a cover of the theme to a comedy film that came out around that time, and is not especially interesting: [Excerpt: The International Submarine Band, "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming"] The second single is more interesting. "Sum Up Broke" is a song by Parsons and Neuse, and shows a lot of influence from the Byrds: [Excerpt: The international Submarine Band, "Sum Up Broke"] While in New York with the International Submarine Band, Parsons made another friend in the music business. Barry Tashian was the lead singer of a band called the Remains, who had put out a couple of singles: [Excerpt: The Remains, "Why Do I Cry?"] The Remains are now best known for having been on the bill on the Beatles' last ever tour, including playing as support on their last ever show at Candlestick Park, but they split up before their first album came out. After spending most of 1966 in New York, Parsons decided that he needed to move the International Submarine Band out to LA. There were two reasons for this. The first was his friend Brandon DeWilde, an actor who had been a child star in the fifties -- it's him at the end of Shane -- who was thinking of pursuing a musical career. DeWilde was still making TV appearances, but he was also a singer -- John Nuese said that DeWilde sang harmony with Parsons better than anyone except Emmylou Harris -- and he had recorded some demos with the International Submarine Band backing him, like this version of Buck Owens' "Together Again": [Excerpt: Brandon DeWilde, "Together Again"] DeWilde had told Parsons he could get the group some work in films. DeWilde made good on that promise to an extent -- he got the group a cameo in The Trip, a film we've talked about in several other episodes, which was being directed by Roger Corman, the director who worked a lot with David Crosby's father, and was coming out from American International Pictures, the company that put out the beach party films -- but while the group were filmed performing one of their own songs, in the final film their music was overdubbed by the Electric Flag. The Trip starred Peter Fonda, another member of the circle of people around David Crosby, and another son of privilege, who at this point was better known for being Henry Fonda's son than for his own film appearances. Like DeWilde, Fonda wanted to become a pop star, and he had been impressed by Parsons, and asked if he could record Parsons' song "November Nights". Parsons agreed, and the result was released on Chisa Records, the label we talked about earlier that had put out promos of Gene Clark, in a performance produced by Hugh Masekela: [Excerpt: Peter Fonda, "November Nights"] The other reason the group moved West though was that Parsons had fallen in love with David Crosby's girlfriend, Nancy Ross, who soon became pregnant with his daughter -- much to Parsons' disappointment, she refused to have an abortion. Parsons bought the International Submarine Band a house in LA to rehearse in, and moved in separately with Nancy. The group started playing all the hottest clubs around LA, supporting bands like Love and the Peanut Butter Conspiracy, but they weren't sounding great, partly because Parsons was more interested in hanging round with celebrities than rehearsing -- the rest of the band had to work for a living, and so took their live performances more seriously than he did, while he was spending time catching up with his old folk friends like John Phillips and Fred Neil, as well as getting deeper into drugs and, like seemingly every musician in 1967, Scientology, though he only dabbled in the latter. The group were also, though, starting to split along musical lines. Dunlop and Gauvin wanted to play R&B and garage rock, while Parsons and Nuese wanted to play country music. And there was a third issue -- which record label should they go with? There were two labels interested in them, neither of them particularly appealing. The offer that Dunlop in particular wanted to go with was from, of all people, Jay Ward Records: [Excerpt: A Salute to Moosylvania] Jay Ward was the producer and writer of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Peabody & Sherman, Dudley Do-Right and other cartoons, and had set up a record company, which as far as I've been able to tell had only released one record, and that five years earlier (we just heard a snippet of it). But in the mid-sixties several cartoon companies were getting into the record business -- we'll hear more about that when we get to song 186 -- and Ward's company apparently wanted to sign the International Submarine Band, and were basically offering to throw money at them. Parsons, on the other hand, wanted to go with Lee Hazlewood International. This was a new label set up by someone we've only talked about in passing, but who was very influential on the LA music scene, Lee Hazlewood. Hazlewood had got his start producing country hits like Sanford Clark's "The Fool": [Excerpt: Sanford Clark, "The Fool"] He'd then moved on to collaborating with Lester Sill, producing a series of hits for Duane Eddy, whose unique guitar sound Hazlewood helped come up with: [Excerpt: Duane Eddy, "Rebel Rouser"] After splitting off from Sill, who had gone off to work with Phil Spector, who had been learning some production techniques from Hazlewood, Hazlewood had gone to work for Reprise records, where he had a career in a rather odd niche, producing hit records for the children of Rat Pack stars. He'd produced Dino, Desi, and Billy, who consisted of future Beach Boys sideman Billy Hinsche plus Desi Arnaz Jr and Dean Martin Jr: [Excerpt: Dino, Desi, and Billy, "I'm a Fool"] He'd also produced Dean Martin's daughter Deana: [Excerpt: Deana Martin, "Baby I See You"] and rather more successfully he'd written and produced a series of hits for Nancy Sinatra, starting with "These Boots are Made for Walkin'": [Excerpt: Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots are Made for Walkin'"] Hazlewood had also moved into singing himself. He'd released a few tracks on his own, but his career as a performer hadn't really kicked into gear until he'd started writing duets for Nancy Sinatra. She apparently fell in love with his demos and insisted on having him sing them with her in the studio, and so the two made a series of collaborations like the magnificently bizarre "Some Velvet Morning": [Excerpt: Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, "Some Velvet Morning"] Hazlewood is now considered something of a cult artist, thanks largely to a string of magnificent orchestral country-pop solo albums he recorded, but at this point he was one of the hottest people in the music industry. He wasn't offering to produce the International Submarine Band himself -- that was going to be his partner, Suzi Jane Hokom -- but Parsons thought it was better to sign for less money to a label that was run by someone with a decade-long string of massive hit records than for more money to a label that had put out one record about a cartoon moose. So the group split up. Dunlop and Gauvin went off to form another band, with Barry Tashian -- and legend has it that one of the first times Gram Parsons visited the Byrds in the studio, he mentioned the name of that band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and that was the inspiration for the Byrds titling their album The Notorious Byrd Brothers. Parsons and Nuese, on the other hand, formed a new lineup of The International Submarine Band, with bass player Chris Ethridge, drummer John Corneal, who Parsons had first played with in The Legends, and guitarist Bob Buchanan, a former member of the New Christy Minstrels who Parsons had been performing with as a duo after they'd met through Fred Neil. The International Submarine Band recorded an album, Safe At Home, which is now often called the first country-rock album -- though as we've said so often, there's no first anything. That album was a mixture of cover versions of songs by people like Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard: [Excerpt: The International Submarine Band, "I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known"] And Parsons originals, like "Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome?", which he cowrote with Barry Goldberg of the Electric Flag: [Excerpt: The International Submarine Band, "Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome?"] But the recording didn't go smoothly. In particular, Corneal realised he'd been hoodwinked. Parsons had told him, when persuading him to move West, that he'd be able to sing on the record and that some of his songs would be used. But while the record was credited to The International Submarine Band, everyone involved agrees that it was actually a Gram Parsons solo album by any other name -- he was in charge, he wouldn't let other members' songs on the record, and he didn't let Corneal sing as he'd promised. And then, before the album could be released, he was off. The Byrds wanted a jazz keyboard player, and Parsons could fake being one long enough to get the gig. The Byrds had got rid of one rich kid with a giant ego who wanted to take control of everything and thought his undeniable talent excused his attempts at dominating the group, and replaced him with another one -- who also happened to be signed to another record label. We'll see how well that worked out for them in two weeks' time.  

For those who haven't heard the announcement I just posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a multi-episode look at the Byrds in 1966-69 and the birth of country rock. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a half-hour bonus episode on "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Resources No Mixcloud at this time as there are too many Byrds songs in this chunk, but I will try to put together a multi-part Mixcloud when all the episodes for this song are up. My main source for the Byrds is Timeless Flight Revisited by Johnny Rogan, I also used Chris Hillman's autobiography, the 331/3 books on The Notorious Byrd Brothers and The Gilded Palace of Sin, For future parts of this multi-episode story I used Barney Hoskyns' Hotel California and John Einarson's Desperadoes as general background on Californian country-rock, Calling Me Hone, Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock by Bob Kealing for information on Parsons, and Requiem For The Timeless Vol 2 by Johnny Rogan for information about the post-Byrds careers of many members. Information on Gary Usher comes from The California Sound by Stephen McParland. And this three-CD set is a reasonable way of getting most of the Byrds' important recordings. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript When we left the Byrds at the end of the episode on "Eight Miles High", they had just released that single, which combined folk-rock with their new influences from John Coltrane and Ravi Shankar, and which was a group composition but mostly written by the group's lead singer, Gene Clark. And also, as we mentioned right at the end of the episode, Clark had left the group. There had been many, many factors leading to Clark's departure. Clark was writing *far* more material than the other band members, of whom only Roger McGuinn had been a writer when the group started, and as a result was making far more money than them, especially with songs like "She Don't Care About Time", which had been the B-side to their number one single "Turn! Turn! Turn!" [Excerpt: The Byrds, "She Don't Care About Time"] Clark's extra income was making the rest of the group jealous, and they also didn't think his songs were particularly good, though many of his songs on the early Byrds albums are now considered classics. Jim Dickson, the group's co-manager, said "Gene would write fifteen to twenty songs a week and you had to find a good one whenever it came along because there were lots of them that you couldn't make head or tail of.  They didn't mean anything. We all knew that. Gene would write a good one at a rate of just about one per girlfriend." Chris Hillman meanwhile later said more simply "Gene didn't really add that much." That is, frankly, hard to square with the facts. There are ten original songs on the group's first two albums, plus one original non-album B-side. Of those eleven songs, Clark wrote seven on his own and co-wrote two with McGuinn. But as the other band members were starting to realise that they had the possibility of extra royalties -- and at least to some extent were starting to get artistic ambitions as far as writing goes -- they were starting to disparage Clark's work as a result, calling it immature. Clark had, of course, been the principal writer for "Eight Miles High", the group's most experimental record to date: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Eight Miles High"] But there he'd shared co-writing credit with David Crosby and Roger McGuinn, in part because that was the only way he could be sure they would agree to release it as a single. There were also internal rivalries within the band unrelated to songwriting -- as we've touched on, Crosby had already essentially bullied Clark off the guitar and into just playing tambourine (and McGuinn would be dismissive even of Clark's tambourine abilities). Crosby's inability to get on with any other member of any band he was in would later become legendary, but at this point Clark was the major victim of his bullying. According to Dickson "David understood when Gene left that ninety-five percent of why Gene left could be brought back to him." The other five percent, though, came from Clark's fear of flying. Clark had apparently witnessed a plane crash in his youth and been traumatised by it, and he had a general terror of flying and planes -- something McGuinn would mock him for a little, as McGuinn was an aviation buff. Eventually, Clark had a near-breakdown boarding a plane from California to New York for a promotional appearance with Murray the K, and ended up getting off the plane. McGuinn and Michael Clarke almost did the same, but in the end they decided to stay on, and the other four Byrds did the press conference without Gene. When asked where Gene was, they said he'd "broken a wing". He was also increasingly having mental health and substance abuse problems, which were exacerbated by his fear, and in the end he decided he just couldn't be a Byrd any more. Oddly, of all the band members, it was David Crosby who was most concerned about Clark's departure, and who did the most to try to persuade him to stay, but he still didn't do much, and the group decided to carry on as a four-piece and not even make a proper announcement of Clark's departure -- they just started putting out photos with four people instead of five. The main change as far as the group were concerned was that Hillman was now covering Clark's old vocal parts, and so Crosby moved to Clark's old centre mic while Hillman moved from his position at the back of the stage with Michael Clarke to take over Crosby's mic. The group now had three singer-instrumentalists in front, two of whom, Crosby and McGuinn, now thought of themselves as songwriters. So despite the loss of their singer/songwriter/frontman, they moved on to their new single, the guaranteed hit follow-up to "Eight Miles High": [Excerpt: The Byrds, "5D (Fifth Dimension)"] "5D" was written by McGuinn, inspired by a book of cartoons called 1-2-3-4 More More More More by Don Landis, which I haven't been able to track down a copy of, but which seems to have been an attempt to explain the mathematical concept of higher dimensions in cartoon form. McGuinn was inspired by this and by Einstein's theory of relativity -- or at least by his understanding of relativity, which does not seem to have been the most informed take on the topic. McGuinn has said in the past that the single should really have come with a copy of Landis' booklet, so people could understand it. Sadly, without the benefit of the booklet we only have the lyrics plus McGuinn's interviews to go on to try to figure out what he means. As far as I'm able to understand, McGuinn believed -- completely erroneously -- that Einstein had proved that along with the four dimensions of spacetime there is also a fifth dimension which McGuinn refers to as a "mesh", and that "the reason for the speed of light being what it is is because of that mesh." McGuinn then went on to identify this mesh with his own conception of God, influenced by his belief in Subud, and with a Bergsonian idea of a life force. He would talk about how most people are stuck in a materialist scientific paradigm which only admits to  the existence of three dimensions, and how there are people out there advocating for a five-dimensional view of the world. To go along with this mystic view of the universe, McGuinn wanted some music inspired by the greatest composer of sacred music, and he asked Van Dyke Parks, who was brought in to add keyboards on the session, to play something influenced by Bach -- and Parks obliged, having been thinking along the same lines himself: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "5D (Fifth Dimension)"] Unfortunately for the group, McGuinn's lyrical intention wasn't clear enough and the song was assumed to be about drugs, and was banned by many radio stations. That plus the track's basically uncommercial nature meant that it reached no higher than number forty-four in the charts. Jim Dickson, the group's co-manager, pointed to a simpler factor in the record's failure, saying that if the organ outro to the track had instead been the intro, to set a mood for the track rather than starting with a cold vocal open, it would have had more success. The single was followed by an album, called Fifth Dimension, which was not particularly successful. Of the album's eleven songs, two were traditional folk songs, one was an instrumental -- a jam called "Captain Soul" which was a version of Lee Dorsey's "Get Out My Life Woman" credited to the four remaining Byrds, though Gene Clark is very audible on it playing harmonica -- and one more was a jam whose only lyrics were "gonna ride a Lear jet, baby", repeated over and over. There was also "Eight Miles High" and the group's inept and slightly-too-late take on "Hey Joe". It also included a third single, a country track titled "Mr. Spaceman": [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Mr. Spaceman"] McGuinn and, particularly, Hillman, had some country music background, and both were starting to think about incorporating country sounds into the group's style, as after Clark's departure from the group they were moving away from the style that had characterised their first two albums. But the interest in "Mr. Spaceman" was less about the musical style than about the lyrics. McGuinn had written the song in the hopes of contacting extraterrestrial life -- sending them a message in his lyrics so that any aliens listening to Earth radio would come and visit, though he was later disappointed to realise that the inverse-square law means that the signals would be too faint to make out after a relatively short distance: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Mr. Spaceman"] "Mr. Spaceman" did better on the charts than its predecessor, scraping the lower reaches of the top forty, but it hardly set the world alight, and neither did the album -- a typical review was the one by Jon Landau, which said in part "This album then cannot be considered up to the standards set by the Byrds' first two and basically demonstrates that they should be thinking in terms of replacing Gene Clark, instead of just carrying on without him." Fifth Dimension would be the only album that Allen Stanton would produce for the Byrds, and his replacement had actually just produced an album that was a Byrds record by any other name: [Excerpt: Gene Clark, "So You Say You've Lost Your Baby"] We've looked at Gary Usher before, but not for some time, and not in much detail. Usher was one of several people who were involved in the scene loosely centred on the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, though he never had much time for Jan Berry and he had got his own start in the music business slightly before the Beach Boys. As a songwriter, his first big successes had come with his collaborations with Brian Wilson -- he had co-written "409" for the Beach Boys, and had also collaborated with Wilson on some of his earliest more introspective songs, like "The Lonely Sea" and "In My Room", for which Usher had written the lyrics: [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "In My Room"] Usher had built a career as a producer and writer for hire, often in collaboration with Roger Christian, who also wrote with Brian Wilson and Jan Berry. Usher, usually with Christian, and very occasionally Wilson wrote the songs for several of American International Pictures' Beach Party films: [Excerpt: Donna Loren, "Muscle Bustle"] And Usher and Christian had also had bit parts in some of the films, like Bikini Beach, and Usher had produced records for Annette Funicello, the star of the films, often with the Honeys (a group consisting of Brian Wilson's future wife Marilyn plus her sister and cousin) on backing vocals. He had also produced records for the Surfaris, as well as a whole host of studio-only groups like the Four Speeds, the Super Stocks, and Mr. Gasser and the Weirdoes, most of whom were Usher and the same small group of vocalist friends along with various selections of Wrecking Crew musicians making quick themed albums. One of these studio groups, the Hondells, went on to be a real group of sorts, after Usher and the Beach Boys worked together on a film, The Girls on the Beach. Usher liked a song that Wilson and Mike Love had written for the Beach Boys to perform in the film, "Little Honda", and after discovering that the Beach Boys weren't going to release their version as a single, he put together a group to record a soundalike version: [Excerpt: The Hondells, "Little Honda"] "Little Honda" made the top ten, and Usher produced two albums for the Hondells, who had one other minor hit with a cover version of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Younger Girl". Oddly, Usher's friend Terry Melcher, who would shortly produce the Byrds' first few hits, had also latched on to "Little Honda", and produced his own version of the track, sung by Pat Boone of all people, with future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston on backing vocals: [Excerpt: Pat Boone, "Little Honda"] But when Usher had got his version out first, Boone's was relegated to a B-side. When the Byrds had hit, and folk-rock had started to take over from surf rock, Usher had gone with the flow and produced records like the Surfaris' album It Ain't Me Babe, with Usher and his usual gang of backing vocalists augmenting the Surfaris as they covered hits by Dylan, the Turtles, the Beach Boys and the Byrds: [Excerpt: The Surfaris, "All I Really Want to Do"] Usher was also responsible for the Surfaris being the first group to release a version of "Hey Joe" on a major label, as we heard in the episode on that song: [Excerpt: The Surfaris, "Hey Joe"] After moving between Capitol, Mercury, and Decca Records, Usher had left Decca after a round of corporate restructuring and been recommended for a job at Columbia by his friend Melcher, who at that point was producing Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Rip Chords and had just finished his time as the Byrds' producer. Usher's first work at Columbia was actually to prepare new stereo mixes of some Byrds tracks that had up to that point only been issued in mono, but his first interaction with the Byrds themselves came via Gene Clark: [Excerpt: Gene Clark, "So You Say You've Lost Your Baby"] On leaving the Byrds, Clark had briefly tried to make a success of himself as a songwriter-for-hire in much the same mould as Usher, attempting to write and produce a single for two Byrds fans using the group name The Cookie Fairies, while spending much of his time romancing Michelle Phillips, as we talked about in the episode on "San Francisco". When the Cookie Fairies single didn't get picked up by a label, Clark had put together a group with Bill Rinehart from the Leaves, Chip Douglas of the Modern Folk Quartet, and Joel Larson of the Grass Roots. Just called Gene Clark & The Group, they'd played around the clubs in LA and cut about half an album's worth of demos produced by Jim Dickson and Ed Tickner, the Byrds' management team, before Clark had fired first Douglas and then the rest of the group. Clark's association with Douglas did go on to benefit him though -- Douglas went on, as we've seen in other episodes, to produce hits for the Turtles and the Monkees, and he later remembered an old song by Clark and McGuinn that the Byrds had demoed but never released, "You Showed Me", and produced a top ten hit version of it for the Turtles: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "You Showed Me"] Clark had instead started working with two country singers, Vern and Rex Gosdin, who had previously been with Chris Hillman in the country band The Hillmen. When that band had split up, the Gosdin Brothers had started to perform together as a duo, and in 1967 they would have a major country hit with "Hangin' On": [Excerpt: The Gosdin Brothers, "Hangin' On"] At this point though, they were just Gene Clark's backing vocalists, on an album that had been started with producer Larry Marks, who left Columbia half way through the sessions, at which point Usher took over. The album, titled Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers, featured a mix of musicians from different backgrounds. There were Larson and Rinehart from Gene Clark and the Group, there were country musicians -- a guitarist named Clarence White and the banjo player Doug Dillard. Hillman and Michael Clarke, the Byrds' rhythm section, played on much of the album as a way of keeping a united front, Glen Campbell, Jerry Cole, Leon Russell and Jim Gordon of the Wrecking Crew contributed, and Van Dyke Parks played most of the keyboards. The lead-off single for Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers, "Echoes", is one of the tracks produced by Marks, but in truth the real producer of that track is Leon Russell, who wrote the orchestral arrangement that turned Clark's rough demo into a baroque pop masterpiece: [Excerpt: Gene Clark, "Echoes"] Despite Clark having quit the band, relations between him and the rest were still good enough that in September 1966 he temporarily rejoined the band after Crosby lost his voice, though he was gone again as soon as Crosby was well. But that didn't stop the next Byrds album, which Usher went on to produce straight after finishing work on Clark's record, coming out almost simultaneously with Clark's and, according to Clark, killing its commercial potential. Upon starting to work with the group, Usher quickly came to the conclusion that Chris Hillman was in many ways the most important member of the band. According to Usher "There was also quite a divisive element within the band at that stage which often prevented them working well together. Sometimes everything would go smoothly, but other times it was a hard road. McGuinn and Hillman were often more together on musical ideas. This left Crosby to fend for himself, which I might add he did very well." Usher also said "I quickly came to understand that Hillman was a good stabilising force within the Byrds (when he wanted to be). It was around the time that I began working with them that Chris also became more involved in the songwriting. I think part of that was the fact that he realised how much more money was involved if you actually wrote the songs yourself. And he was a good songwriter." The first single to be released from the new sessions was one that was largely Hillman's work. Hillman and Crosby had been invited by the great South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela to play on some demos for another South African jazzer, singer Letta Mbulu. Details are sparse, but one presumes this was for what became her 1967 album Letta Mbulu Sings, produced by David Axelrod: [Excerpt: Letta Mbulu, "Zola (MRA)"] According to Hillman, that session was an epiphany for him, and he went home and started writing his own songs for the first time. He took one of the riffs he came up with to McGuinn, who came up with a bridge inspired by a song by yet another South African musician, Miriam Makeba, who at the time was married to Masekela, and the two wrote a lyric inspired by what they saw as the cynical manipulation of the music industry in creating manufactured bands like the Monkees -- though they have both been very eager to say that they were criticising the industry, not the Monkees themselves, with whom they were friendly. As Hillman says in his autobiography, "Some people interpreted it as a jab at The Monkees. In reality, we had immense respect for all of them as singers and musicians. We weren't skewering the members of the Monkees, but we were taking a shot at the cynical nature of the entertainment business that will try to manufacture a group like The Monkees as a marketing strategy. For us, it was all about the music, and we were commenting on the pitfalls of the industry rather than on any of our fellow musicians." [Excerpt: The Byrds, "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?"] The track continued the experimentation with sound effects that they had started with the Lear jet song on the previous album. That had featured recordings of a Lear jet, and "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?" featured recordings of audience screams. Those screams were, according to most sources, recorded by Derek Taylor at a Byrds gig in Bournemouth in 1965, but given reports of the tepid response the group got on that tour, that doesn't seem to make sense. Other sources say they're recordings of a *Beatles* audience in Bournemouth in *1963*, the shows that had been shown in the first US broadcast of Beatles footage, and the author of a book on links between the Beatles and Bournemouth says on his blog "In the course of researching Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Beatles & Bournemouth I spoke to two people who saw The Byrds at the Gaumont that August and neither recalled any screaming at all, let alone the wall of noise that can be heard on So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star." So it seems likely that screaming isn't for the Byrds, but of course Taylor had also worked for the Beatles. According to Usher "The crowd sound effects were from a live concert that Derek Taylor had taped with a little tape recorder in London. It was some outrageous crowd, something like 20,000 to 30,000 people. He brought the tape in, ran it off onto a big tape, re- EQ'd it, echoed it, cleaned it up and looped it." So my guess is that the audience screams in the Byrds song about the Monkees are for the Beatles, but we'll probably never know for sure: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?"] The track also featured an appearance by Hugh Masekela, the jazz trumpeter whose invitation to take part in a session had inspired the song: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?"] While Hillman was starting to lean more towards folk and country music -- he had always been the member of the band least interested in rock music -- and McGuinn was most interested in exploring electronic sounds, Crosby was still pushing the band more in the direction of the jazz experimentation they'd tried on "Eight Miles High", and one of the tracks they started working on soon after "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?" was inspired by another jazz trumpet great. Miles Davis had been partly responsible for getting the Byrds signed to Columbia, as we talked about in the episode on "Mr. Tambourine Man", and so the group wanted to pay him tribute, and they started working on a version of his classic instrumental "Milestones": [Excerpt: Miles Davis, "Milestones"] Sadly, while the group worked on their version for several days -- spurred on primarily by Crosby -- they eventually chose to drop the track, and it has never seen release or even been bootlegged, though there is a tiny clip of it that was used in a contemporaneous documentary, with a commentator talking over it: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Milestones (TV)"] It was apparently Crosby who decided to stop work on the track, just as working on it was also apparently his idea. Indeed, while the biggest change on the album that would become Younger Than Yesterday was that for the first time Chris Hillman was writing songs and taking lead vocals, Crosby was also writing more than before. Hillman wrote four of the songs on the album, plus his co-write with McGuinn on "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star?", but Crosby also supplied two new solo compositions, plus a cowrite with McGuinn, and Crosby and McGuinn's "Why?", the B-side to "Eight Miles High", was also dug up and rerecorded for the album. Indeed, Gary Usher would later say "The album was probably 60% Crosby. McGuinn was not that involved, nor was Chris; at least as far as performing was concerned." McGuinn's only composition on the album other than the co-writes with Crosby and Hillman was another song about contacting aliens, "CTA-102", a song about a quasar which at the time some people were speculating might have been evidence of alien life. That song sounds to my ears like it's had some influence from Joe Meek's similar records, though I've never seen McGuinn mention Meek as an influence: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "CTA-102"] Crosby's growing dominance in the studio was starting to rankle with the other members. In particular two tracks were the cause of conflict. One was Crosby's song "Mind Gardens", an example of his increasing experimentation, a freeform song that ignores conventional song structure, and which he insisted on including on the album despite the rest of the group's objections: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Mind Gardens"] The other was the track that directly followed "Mind Gardens" on the album. "My Back Pages" was a song from Dylan's album Another Side of Bob Dylan, a song many have seen as Dylan announcing his break with the folk-song and protest movements he'd been associated with up to that point, and his intention to move on in a new direction: [Excerpt: Bob Dylan, "My Back Pages"] Jim Dickson, the Byrds' co-manager, was no longer on speaking terms with the band and wasn't involved in their day-to-day recording as he had been, but he'd encountered McGuinn on the street and rolled down his car window and suggested that the group do the song. Crosby was aghast. They'd already recorded several songs from Another Side of Bob Dylan, and Fifth Dimension had been their first album not to include any Dylan covers. Doing a jangly cover of a Dylan song with a McGuinn lead vocal was something they'd moved on from, and he didn't want to go back to 1964 at the end of 1966. He was overruled, and the group recorded their version, a track that signified something very different for the Byrds than the original had for Dylan: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "My Back Pages"] It was released as the second single from the album, and made number thirty. It was the last Byrds single to make the top forty. While he was working with the Byrds, Usher continued his work in the pop field, though as chart pop moved on so did Usher, who was now making records in a psychedelic sunshine pop style with acts like the Peanut Butter Conspiracy: [Excerpt: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, "It's a Happening Thing"] and he produced Chad and Jeremy's massive concept album Of Cabbages and Kings, which included a five-song "Progress Suite" illustrating history from the start of creation until the end of the world: [Excerpt: Chad and Jeremy, "Editorial"] But one of the oddest projects he was involved in was indirectly inspired by Roger McGuinn. According to Usher "McGuinn and I had a lot in common. Roger would always say that he was "out of his head," which he thought was good, because he felt you had to go out of your head before you could really find your head! That sums up McGuinn perfectly! He was also one of the first people to introduce me to metaphysics, and from that point on I started reading everything I could get my hands on. His viewpoints on metaphysics were interesting, and, at the time, useful. He was also into Marshall McLuhan; very much into the effects of electronics and the electronic transformation. He was into certain metaphysical concepts before I was, but I was able to turn him onto some abstract concepts as well" These metaphysical discussions led to Usher producing an album titled The Astrology Album, with discussions of the meaning of different star signs over musical backing: [Excerpt: Gary Usher, "Leo"] And with interviews with various of the artists he was working with talking about astrology. He apparently interviewed Art Garfunkel -- Usher was doing some uncredited production work on Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends album at the time -- but Garfunkel declined permission for the interview to be used. But he did get both Chad and Jeremy to talk, along with John Merrill of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy -- and David Crosby: [Excerpt: Gary Usher, "Leo"] One of the tracks from that album, "Libra", became the B-side of a single by a group of studio musicians Usher put together, with Glen Campbell on lead vocals and featuring Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys prominently on backing vocals. "My World Fell Down" was credited to Sagittarius, again a sign of Usher's current interest in astrology, and featured some experimental sound effects that are very similar to the things that McGuinn had been doing on recent Byrds albums: [Excerpt: Sagittarius, "My World Fell Down"] While Usher was continuing with his studio experimentation, the Byrds were back playing live -- and they were not going down well at all. They did a UK tour where they refused to play most of their old hits and went down as poorly as on their previous tour, and they were no longer the kings of LA. In large part this was down to David Crosby, whose ego was by this point known to *everybody*, and who was becoming hugely unpopular on the LA scene even as he was starting to dominate the band. Crosby was now the de facto lead vocalist on stage, with McGuinn being relegated to one or two songs per set, and he was the one who would insist that they not play their older hit singles live. He was dominating the stage, leading to sarcastic comments from the normally placid Hillman like "Ladies and gentlemen, the David Crosby show!", and he was known to do things like start playing a song then stop part way through a verse to spend five minutes tuning up before restarting. After a residency at the Whisky A-Go-Go where the group were blown off the stage by their support act, the Doors, their publicist Derek Taylor quit, and he was soon followed by the group's co-managers Jim Dickson and Eddie Tickner, who were replaced by Crosby's friend Larry Spector, who had no experience in rock management but did represent Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, two young film stars Crosby was hanging round with. The group were particularly annoyed by Crosby when they played the Monterey Pop Festival. Crosby took most lead vocals in that set, and the group didn't go down well, though instrumentally the worst performer was Michael Clarke, who unlike the rest of the band had never become particularly proficient on his instrument: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star (live at Monterey)"] But Crosby also insisted on making announcements from the stage advocating LSD use and describing conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination: [Excerpt: David Crosby on the Warren Commission, from the end of "Hey Joe" Monterey] But even though Crosby was trying to be the Byrds' leader on stage, he was also starting to think that they maybe didn't deserve to have him as their leader. He'd recently been spending a lot of time hanging out with Stephen Stills of the Buffalo Springfield, and McGuinn talks about one occasion where Crosby and Stills were jamming together, Stills played a blues lick and said to McGuinn "Can you play that?" and when McGuinn, who was not a blues musician, said he couldn't, Stills looked at him with contempt. McGuinn was sure that Stills was trying to poach Crosby, and Crosby apparently wanted to be poached. The group had rehearsed intensely for Monterey, aware that they'd been performing poorly and not wanting to show themselves up in front of the new San Francisco bands, but Crosby had told them during rehearsals that they weren't good enough to play with him. McGuinn's suspicions about Stills wanting to poach Crosby seemed to be confirmed during Monterey when Crosby joined Buffalo Springfield on stage, filling in for Neil Young during the period when Young had temporarily quit the group, and performing a song he'd helped Stills write about Grace Slick: [Excerpt: Buffalo Springfield, "Rock 'n' Roll Woman (live at Monterey)"] Crosby was getting tired not only of the Byrds but of the LA scene in general. He saw the new San Francisco bands as being infinitely cooler than the Hollywood plastic scene that was LA -- even though Crosby was possibly the single most Hollywood person on that scene, being the son of an Oscar-winning cinematographer and someone who hung out with film stars. At Monterey, the group had debuted their next single, the first one with an A-side written by Crosby, "Lady Friend": [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Lady Friend"] Crosby had thought of that as a masterpiece, but when it was released as a single, it flopped badly, and the rest of the group weren't even keen on the track being included on the next album. To add insult to injury as far as Crosby was concerned, at the same time as the single was released, a new album came out -- the Byrds' Greatest Hits, full of all those singles he was refusing to play live, and it made the top ten, becoming far and away the group's most successful album. But despite all this, the biggest conflict between band members when they came to start sessions for their next album wasn't over Crosby, but over Michael Clarke. Clarke had never been a particularly good drummer, and while that had been OK at the start of the Byrds' career, when none of them had been very proficient on their instruments, he was barely any better at a time when both McGuinn and Hillman were being regarded as unique stylists, while Crosby was writing metrically and harmonically interesting material. Many Byrds fans appreciate Clarke's drumming nonetheless, saying he was an inventive and distinctive player in much the same way as the similarly unskilled Micky Dolenz, but on any measure of technical ability he was far behind his bandmates. Clarke didn't like the new material and wasn't capable of playing it the way his bandmates wanted. He was popular with the rest of the band as a person, but simply wasn't playing well, and it led to a massive row in the first session: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Universal Mind Decoder (alternate backing track)"] At one point they joke that they'll bring in Hal Blaine instead -- a reference to the recording of "Mr. Tambourine Man", when Clarke and Hillman had been replaced by Blaine and Larry Knechtel -- and Clarke says "Do it. I don't mind, I really don't." And so that ended up happening. Clarke was still a member of the band -- and he would end up playing on half the album's tracks -- but for the next few sessions the group brought in session drummers Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon to play the parts they actually wanted. But that wasn't going to stop the bigger problem in the group, and that problem was David Crosby's relationship with the rest of the band. Crosby was still at this point thinking of himself as having a future in the group, even as he was increasingly convinced that the group themselves were bad, and embarrassed by their live sound. He even, in a show of unity, decided to ask McGuinn and Hillman to collaborate on a couple of songs with him so they would share the royalties equally. But there were two flash-points in the studio. The first was Crosby's song "Triad", a song about what we would now call polyamory, partly inspired by Robert Heinlein's counterculture science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. The song was meant to portray a progressive, utopian, view of free love, but has dated very badly -- the idea that the *only* reason a woman might be unhappy with her partner sleeping with another woman is because of her mother's disapproval possibly reveals more about the mindset of hippie idealists than was intended. The group recorded Crosby's song, but refused to allow it to be released, and Crosby instead gave it to his friends Jefferson Airplane, whose version, by having Grace Slick sing it, at least reverses the dynamics of the relationship: [Excerpt: Jefferson Airplane, "Triad"] The other was a song that Gary Usher had brought to the group and suggested they record, a Goffin and King song released the previous year by Dusty Springfield: [Excerpt: Dusty Springfield, "Goin' Back"] Crosby was incandescent. The group wanted to do this Brill Building pap?! Hell, Gary Usher had originally thought that *Chad and Jeremy* should do it, before deciding to get the Byrds to do it instead. Did they really want to be doing Chad and Jeremy cast-offs when they could be doing his brilliant science-fiction inspired songs about alternative relationship structures? *Really*? They did, and after a first session, where Crosby reluctantly joined in, when they came to recut the track Crosby flat-out refused to take part, leading to a furious row with McGuinn. Since they were already replacing Michael Clarke with session drummers, that meant the only Byrds on "Goin' Back", the group's next single, were McGuinn and Hillman: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "Goin' Back"] That came out in late October 1967, and shortly before it came out, McGuinn and Hillman had driven to Crosby's home. They told him they'd had enough. He was out of the band. They were buying him out of his contract. Despite everything, Crosby was astonished. They were a *group*. They fought, but only the way brothers fight. But McGuinn and Hillman were adamant. Crosby ended up begging them, saying "We could make great music together." Their response was just "And we can make great music without you." We'll find out whether they could or not in two weeks' time.

The 37th Sid Griffin Podcast is ready to be heard and enjoyed. No holiday theme this year as Sid has done in past podcasts but…get ready for a surprise…he HAS done an entire show devoted to his fave act, The Byrds.

Join me this month for some far out sounds, trips to the lower East Side and India as well as Miles Davis, Clarence White and Scott Walker.Tune into new broadcasts of Iron Leg Radio Show, LIVE, the First Sunday from 8 - 10 PM EST / 1 - 3 AM GMT.(Monday)For more info visit: https://thefaceradio.com/iron-leg-radio///Dig this show? Please consider supporting The Face Radio: http://support.thefaceradio.com Support The Face Radio with PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/thefaceradio. Join the family at https://plus.acast.com/s/thefaceradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YouTube personality turned R&B superstar, Queen Naija, is here! Queen's new EP, "After The Butterflies," is available now and she is finally ready to step back into the spotlight. We talk about music, her relationship with Clarence White, and her journey as an artist. Plus, Queen Naija finally addresses the viral hoax that suggested that she was responsible for the imploded Titanic-bound submarine.  Queen Naija's new EP, "After The Butterflies," is available on all music platforms! Hosts: Wyld Young & Steph Williams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Clarence White - one of the undisputed greats of bluegrass guitar.To mark the occasion, and to celebrate Clarence, I've been speaking to people who knew and played with him, as well as musicians who were influenced by his playing.This is part 2, featuring all new interviews with Russ Barenberg, Diane Bouska, Michael Daves and Tim Stafford.Russ produced the first book of transcriptions of Clarence's playing and Diane, who was married to Clarence's brother Roland, oversaw the more recent book of transcriptions.You can order Diane and Roland's book 'The Essential Clarence White Bluegrass Guitar Leads' via Roland's website.Michael has also taught in-depth Zoom courses on Clarence's playing. Check out Michael's Instagram and Facebook for updates and to find out about future courses.Don't forget to check out part 1, which features all new interviews with David Grier and Alan Munde!These interviews were a joy to be part of. I hope you enjoy them.Matt Support the show===- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Clarence White - one of the undisputed greats of bluegrass guitar.To mark the occasion, and to celebrate Clarence, I've been speaking to people who knew and played with him, as well as musicians who were influenced by his playing.This is part 1, featuring all new interviews with David Grier, who knew Clarence in the final year of his life, and Alan Munde, who played with Clarence in those final months, most famously on The New Kentucky Colonels - Live In Sweden 1973.Part 2 will feature interviews with Russ Barenberg, Tim Stafford and Michael Daves. I've chosen to focus mostly on Clarence's flatpicking and his contribution to bluegrass guitar, although the reality is he had just as seismic an influence on country rock.These interviews were a joy to be part of. I hope you enjoy them.Matt Support the show===- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

Enter promo code "ASKZAC30" to save 30%Truefire https://prf.hn/l/LbY3nGLTo Support the Channel:Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZacTip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZacVenmo @AskZac  Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.comToday we spotlight Clarence White's former #1 Telecaster, which he used on some of The Byrd's "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" tracks, and likely the "Nashville West" recordings. After Gene Parsons installed the B-Bender on his sunburst backup Tele, it knocked the white Tele to the #2 position, and it was soon traded to his bandmate Bob Warford for a Nobel acoustic guitar.  Wanting to also use a B-Bender, Warford & his dad engineered their own system based on Gene's original design, but with a few improvements including the allowance for a slimmer body to fit in a standard guitar case. Once learning the ropes of the mechanism, Bob would feature the B-Bender-equipped Tele with such greats as the Everly Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Herb Pedersen, and Chris Hillman. Today's video drills down on the modifications done to it, and we look at the ingredients to his rig to produce the memorable tones he featured on Ronstadt's "Willin'" and "Dark End Of The Street."Spotify Playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/2kK...Bender plans and photoshttps://www.askzac.com/post/bob-warfo...Gear Used:Crook Paisley Tele.Strings: Webstrings pure nickel 9-42 Pick:Blue Chip TPR 35Amp:2021 Fender Handwired 64 Princeton Reverb with a Jensen Neo 10-100 speaker.#askzac #clarencewhite  #bobwarfordSupport the show

Fleetwood Mac [01:08] "I Don't Want to Know" Rumours Warner Bros. Records BSK 3010 1977 Funny how the classic rock radio format ruined so much music for me through it's incessant repetition of what it deemed classic, and yet I still thoroughly enjoy Rumours. A fun little number originally from the Buckingham Nicks days. Deerhoof [04:22] "Twin Killers" The Runners Four Children of the Hoof #1 2006 Maybe it's my Gemini nature (certainly not my killer nature) that draws me to this song. Arlo Guthrie [06:41] "Coming in to Los Angeles" Running Down the Road Reprise Records RS 6346 1969 Some solid country rock on this sophomore album from Woody's son. Support musicians include Clarence White, Ry Cooder, Gene Parsons, James Burton, Chris Ethridge and Jim Gordon. Ah the joys of travelling while holding. Neil Young & Crazy Horse [10:48] "Pocahontas" Rust Never Sleeps Reprise Records HS 2295 1979 Neil, I can probably tell you how she felt. The Rutles [14:10] "Cheese and Onions" The Rutles Warner Bros. Records HS 3151 1978 Yes indeed, the Prefab Four: Ron, Dirk, Stig, and Barry (https://youtu.be/sEwySvgfwLE). While my favorite Rutles song is "I Must Be in Love (https://youtu.be/54KBPA20b9Q)", "Cheese and Onions runs a close second, thank in no small part to the Galaxie 500 cover (https://youtu.be/pAzdSeAwKpg) of that song. Boston Pops/Arthur Fiedler w. Hugh Downs, Narrator [16:51] "Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 (Theme)" Carnival Of The Animals / The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2596 1964 Benjamin Britten's helpful introduction to the orchestra, interestingly used for an documentary film: Intstruments of the Orchestra (https://youtu.be/vkwgihr1hMM) from 1946. The Philadelphia Orchestra [21:26] "Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78 ("Organ Symphony") - Allegro Moderato; Presto; Maestoso" Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78 Columbia Masterworks MS 6469 1963 Hopefully you used your recently refreshed knowledge to listen to this piece, with the addition of ORGAN! Lou Reed [36:36] "Sally Can't Dance" Sally Can't Dance RCA CPL1-0611 1974 Another vivid Manhattan story from Lou's best chart performing album. Neko Case with the Pine Valley Cosmonauts [40:43] "Right or Wrong" Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills - The King of the Western Bloodshot Records BS 029 1998 A fine assortment of late-90s Bloodshot Records luminaries headed by Jon Langford give Neko Case a hand on this jazz standard that Bob Wills turned into a Western Swing classic. The Clash [43:57] "The Magnificent Seven" Sandinista! Epic FSLN 1 1980 Track one, side one from this 3 record release from The Clash. It features a pretty dope bass groove performed by the Blockheads' Norman Watt-Roy. Sarah Vaughan [49:29] "Just Squeeze Me" Sarah + 2 Roulette SR 52118 1965 The plus two being Joe Comfort on bass and Barney Kessel on guitar. A fine rendition of this Ellington standard. Music behind the DJ: "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes" by Terry Baxter and his Orchestra

To Support the Channel:Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZacOr check out my store at  - www.askzac.comMy son told me, "Dad, you ought to do a video on your favorite Telecaster licks." So here are my 10 favorite Telecaster licks of all time.1. Cornell Dupree "Rainy Night in Georgia."2. Reggie Young "Memphis Soul Stew."3. James Burton "Suzy Q."4. Jesse Ed Davis "Six Days On The Road."5. Pete Anderson "Guitars Cadillacs."6. Bobby Womack "I'm In Love."7. Clarence White "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere."8. John Jorgenson "Highlander Boogie."9. Luther Perkins "Folsom Prison Blues."10. James Honeyman-Scott "Kid."Bonus lick11. Jimmy Olander "Meet In The Middle."Spotify playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1au...Gear for this video:1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.Strings: Gabriel Tenorio NíquelPuro Pure Nickel Strings 10-46Pick:Blue Chip TPR 35Amp:1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.Effects used:Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecasterSupport the show

When Merle Travis recorded his beloved (and never-out-of-print) Folk Songs from the Hills album in 1947, he included a version of “I Am a Pilgrim” that would inspire decades of loving imitations by artists such as Bill Monroe and Doc Watson, Johnny Cash and The Byrds.Some people figured Travis must have written the song himself — after all, the same album included two of his best-known originals, “Dark as a Dungeon” and “Sixteen Ton” — but actually “I Am a Pilgrim” is a traditional gospel tune that has deep roots among white and African-American musicians alike.From Camp Meetings … and, well, from jail …In an introduction on his recording 75 years ago, Travis can be heard saying, “When I first got big enough to start running around by myself at night, the first place I wanted to go was to the camp meetings and to the brush arbor meetings and hear them sing the good old songs. I learned a lot of the old songs, but there was one specially that I liked better than all the rest, and I remember it today just as well as I did the day I learned it.”Nice story. Actually, though, Kentucky-born Travis had a mentor: legendary fingerpicking stylist Mose Rager of Muhlenberg County. Legend has it that Mose's brother Lyman learned "I Am a Pilgrim" while in jail in Russellville, Ky, when he heard it being sung by a black prisoner in a nearby cell. Another version of the yarn places the jailhouse in Elkton, Ky. Wherever lockup actually was, Lyman was said to have later taught the song to his brother, Mose, who in turn taught it to their young neighbor, Merle Travis.Mose Rager RemembersIn a early 1960s film, Mose Rager is heard telling folklorist D.K. Wilgus about the tune's origin. “We sang that old song around here years ago,” he said. “It's just an old brush arbor song. Everybody sang it; Merle Travis and my two brothers, we'd all get together out here … out to the edge of town and just sit out there till about 12 o'clock and sing old hymns.”We don't know the name of the black singer whom Lyman Rager heard in that Kentucky jail, but as Asheville, NC, musician/author Wayne Erbsen has noted, “I Am A Pilgrim” was recorded “by 14 African-American groups before it was even a gleam in Merle Travis' eyes."  Pre-Merle RenditionsThe first of those groups was the Norfolk Jubilee Quartette, which recorded the song in 1924 for Paramount Records. The Tidewater Virginia group released dozens of records between 1921 and 1940 — much of it gospel, but also blues and jazz numbers — and in their hands, “I Am a Pilgrim” has a bit of the kick that would come down to Travis two decades later.Among other little known groups to record it were The Good Will Male Chorus (1927), South Carolina Quartette (1928), Mound City Jubilee Quartette (1935), Heavenly Gospel Singers (1936), Golden Gate Quartet (1939) and Southern Wonder Quartet (1940).Bluegrass AttachmentsOf course, the song also has strong bluegrass attachments. Carl Story, considered the father of bluegrass gospel sound starting in the 1940s, said he knew the song from the repertoire of Georgia country music pioneer Riley Puckett.Story learned it as a little boy when his father took him to hear Puckett play in Lenoir, NC. Puckett's recordings were to inspire everyone from Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs on. Many bluegrass lovers also came to know the tune as strictly an instrumental, because of guitarist Clarence White's picking on the Kentucky Colonels' iconic 1964 album, Appalachian Swing!A Possible Origin StoryBut how did the song come about in the first place? A good question, that. Our research has turned up no definitive author, but it does find this to be an excellent example of how folk songs evolve.A connection to classic Christian hymn writing seems obvious, because the lyrics cite some rather esoteric New Testament verses. The title, for instance, seems to refer to The Epistle to the Hebrews (11:13), which reads in part, “…and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Also, one verse says, "If I could just touch the hem of his garment" which appears to allude to a story in the Book of Matthew (9:20) in which a woman is healed after touching Jesus' robe.All this might mean we should look for an origin in an 1841 composition by South Carolina poet Mary Dana Shindler, whose hymn “I Am a Pilgrim and I Am a Stranger” contained such Bible references. A rendering of that song actually was one of the first records ever released, specifically a 1917 disc pressed on Victor by The Imperial Quartet.However, the melody there is absolutely nothing like what's come down to us from Merle Travis. In other words, it is highly unlikely that any of those 14 African-American groups recording “I Am a Pilgrim” between 1924 and 1947 were listening to that thing. A better theory is that concurrent with white churchified rendering were more soulful African-American versions. We do know that in 1925 — just one year after the Norfolk Quartette's Paramount recording — the song showed up in a book called, The Negro and His Songs: A Study of Typical Negro Songs in the South by Howard W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson. In addition, folklorists John and Ruby Lomax also collected a version of it during their 1939 Southern states recording trip.Our Take on the TuneFor The Flood, it all began a few weeks ago when Charlie took his first stumbling steps — slipping and a-sliding, as it were — in learning some bottleneck technique on his new resonator guitar. Right away, what came out reminded him of the old gospel tune from his youth — he even recalled Grandma Robertson humming it while she washed dishes — but he just couldn't seem to get the song down. Then Danny came along, took one listen and started just naturally channeling an old Doc-Watson-cum-Chet-Atkins vibe, laying down an absolutely rock solid foundation. Sam grabbed his “E” harp and found his groove, Randy jumped in with some beautiful harmony for the choruses, and suddenly “I Am a Pilgrim” landed righteously in the repertoire. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

Auctioneer Clarence White has been crowned the best in his field, but he's the first to admit it's been a long journey of rejections and close finishes to get to where he is today.

On this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Grace Ormsby is joined by auctioneer Clarence White to discuss the changes in the realm that have occurred during the past eight months and how best practice today differs from best practice during Sydney's peak auction cycle at the end of 2021. Mr White analyses the current market cycle and what it's like on the ground during a slow start to spring selling season. He outlines how auctioneers assist buyers in overcoming their fear of the market and keeping them engaged in the sales process in a softening market, as well as the importance of competition. In this episode, you will also hear:   High-performing auctioneer attributes   The importance of separating emotion from strategic decisions    Managing expectations and fears in any climate Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing to us now on Apple Podcasts. Did you like this episode? Show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (REB Podcast Network) and by liking and following Real Estate Business on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend a voice to the show, email editor@realestatebusiness.com.au for more insights. 

We had a great conversation with Jimmy Olander From Diamond Rio on The Chris & Sandy Show. We talked about so many things from his story, family, music, sacrifices, he told some really amazing stories PLUS a whole lot more! This was a raw and candid conversation!When Jimmy was 12 years old, his father took him to see a musician named Gene Johnson, who played the mandolin, in a small club near Detroit, MI. Gene became one of Jimmy's bluegrass hero's and later on….his partner in the group Diamond Rio.Jimmy was born in Minneapolis, MN on August 26 and when he was a teenager he had already mastered the banjo and gave lessons, however, by the time he was in college in Nashville, he found out that guitar players were more in demand than banjo pickers, so he mastered the guitar.Jimmy joined the Tennessee River Boys in 1984 at Opryland theme park alongside Marty and Dan. His musical influences are Earl Scruggs, Leon Rhodes and Clarence White and one of his all time favorite singers is Ella Fitzgerald.Jimmy is married and he and his wife adopted two boys and are enjoying family life. Jimmy also enjoys sky diving and weight training." I remember that [co-producer] Mike Clute once asked me a very poignant question, He said, 'If this was your last album, what would you record?' I told him that I want to make records that will be played by friends in late-night listening parties, like I used to do, pulling out George Jones doing 'The Grand Tour,' The Dixie Dregs' 'Pride of the Farm' or Ella Fitzgerald singing 'Round Midnight.' "

This is a look back on one of the greatest American bands of all time, The Byrds. They started a genre that combined folk music with a rock beat and forged the sound of Bob Dylan and The Beatles. They created a unique sound that was quickly imitated by others. This is a tribute to The Byrds and their recorded legacy. Also:Listen to previous shows at the main webpage at:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1329053Pamela Des Barres Home page for books, autographs, clothing and online writing classes.Pamela Des Barres | The Official Website of the Legendary Groupie and Author (pameladesbarresofficial.com)Listen to more music by Laurie Larson at:Home | Shashké Music and Art (laurielarson.net)View the most amazing paintings by Marijke Koger-Dunham (Formally of the 1960's artists collective, "The Fool").Psychedelic, Visionary and Fantasy Art by Marijke Koger (marijkekogerart.com)For unique Candles have a look at Stardust Lady's Etsy shopWhere art and armor become one where gods are by TwistedByStardust (etsy.com)View and purchase wonderful art by Patricia Rodriguez at:patriciarodriguez (tigerbeearts.com)Tarot card readings by Kalinda available atThe Mythical Muse | FacebookI'm listed in Feedspot's "Top 10 Psychedelic Podcasts You Must Follow". https://blog.feedspot.com/psychedelic_podcasts/

F. Scott Fitzgerald's Gatsby is now in the public domain. This gives us the opportunity to dig deeper and fuller into the cultural image of our iconic literary figure. Join the East Side Freedom Library and literary curator Danny Klecko at The University Club in welcoming AJ Odasso in conversation with Maryanne Grossmann! We will also be joined by special guests Doug Green, Kasey Payette, Klecko, Anthony Cebellos and emcee Clarence White. The queering of Gatsby takes form in the new novel, The Pursued and the Pursuing by AJ Odasso. In their tale, Odasso explores what might have been had it left Gatsby with another chance at happiness. Find it he does, although not in the arms of Daisy Buchanan. As Gatsby travels the world with Nick Carraway, his friend and narrator, he sheds wealth, performance, and glamor in favor of honesty, intimacy, and love. A. J. Odasso's poetry has appeared in a variety of publications, including Sybil's Garage, Mythic Delirium, Midnight Echo, Not One of Us, Dreams & Nightmares, Goblin Fruit, Strange Horizons, Stone Telling, Farrago's Wainscot, Liminality, Battersea Review, Barking Sycamores, and New England Review of Books. A.J.'s debut collection, Lost Books (Flipped Eye Publishing), was nominated for the 2010 London New Poetry Award and was also a finalist for the 2010–11 People's Book Prize. Her second collection with Flipped Eye, The Dishonesty of Dreams, was released in 2014; their third collection, Things Being What They Are, was shortlisted for the 2017 Sexton Prize. They hold an MFA in creative writing from Boston University, and works in the Honors College at the University of New Mexico. A.J. has served in the Poetry Department at Strange Horizons since 2012. They live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. View the video here: https://youtu.be/PLBmwyW_jOk

Hi everyone.This is the first in a new series of episodes called 'Food for Thought'. Each one introduces an interesting (and short!) thought or idea about music that got me thinking about how I play and what music means to me.  I'm sharing them in the hope you'll find them interesting and come and join the conversation.The first is the result of reading an interview with Tony Rice on the Bluegrass Situation website, about how he found his style by trying (and failing!) to sound like Clarence White. You can read the full interview on thebluegrasssituation.com.It made me think about my playing, as you'll hear in the episode. I'd love it if you listen then head over to Bluegrass Jamalong's Instagram or Facebook to tell us what you think.Happy picking!Matt

Hoy mismo hubiera cumplido 81 años Eric Hilliard Nelson, el nombre completo de Rick Nelson, nacido en 1940 en Teaneck, New Jersey. Fue estrella de la radio y la televisión junto a sus padres, se convirtió en un ídolo de quinceañeras con un enorme éxito discográfico, aunque sus inclinaciones musicales derivaban al rock’n’roll más encendido hasta que se inclinó por el country rock formando la Stone Canyon Band, a la que se unió Randy Meisner tras abandonar Poco y donde encontramos a Allen Kemp y Pat Shanahan ‑antiguos compañeros de Meisner en The Poor‑ y Tom Brumley, de los Buckaroos de Buck Owens. Y con todos ellos colaboró James Burton, Clarence White y Glen Campbell. En la primera parte de nuestro programa de hoy le hemos recordado al frente de aquella banda indispensable y, por otro lado, hemos escuchado algunas de sus canciones más populares en las voces de John Fogerty junto a Don Henley y Timothy B. Schmit, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Don Williams e incluso Emmylou Harris. En nuestro TOMA UNO de hoy también nos hemos fijado en novedades como el debut de Lindsay Ellyn, redactora publicitaria inclinada a contar historias personales. Insistimos con Shannon McNally que nos has dejado un álbum tan inesperado como The Waylon Sessions, matizando el espíritu de algunas de las canciones más conocidas del mítico músico tejano. Y ya que ella es una excelente letrista que a menudo recuerda a Lucinda Williams, hemos querido compartir la noticia de que la artista de Louisiana sufrió un derrame cerebral a finales del pasado año del que, por suerte, se va recuperando muy positivamente. Ahora coincide con la publicación del álbum que recoge el primero de los seis conciertos temáticos emitidos en video HD. Se trata de Runnin’ Down A Dream: A Tribute To Tom Petty, justo cuando se completa la reedición de Wildflowers del fallecido músico de Florida con la publicación de Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions). Los Lobos se han apuntado a la norma no escrita de utilizar la pandemia para revisar canciones de otros y esta vez han querido escribir una carta de amor a la ciudad de Los Angeles con Native Sons, en que que han realizado una selección convincente en el fondo, pero no tanto en las formas. Con menos ínfulas, Randy Rogers Band y La Maquinaria Norteña han colaborado juntos en un divertimento, con baile incluido, que marida las tonalidades mexicano-americanas recordando la leyenda del chupacabras. Para despedirnos por hoy hemos dejado que los Pink Stones evidencien su cariño por los sonidos del country rock con ecos de Gram Parsons que se extendieron en el tiempo con bandas como Green on Red y Dream Syndicate.  Escuchar audio

In this episode of Can't Find My Way Home, we rediscover some of the Lost Top 5 episodes from Season 1. Justin Jardine, from Episode 18, and in his Top 5 we talk all things ACDC, why you should be listening to Gillian Welsh and David Rawlins, the genius that is Clarence White...who's credited with inventing the ‘B Bender'...Justin explains in more detail. The Highwomen and Robert Earl Keen, Steelism's ‘Caught In A Pickle'...as well as Justin's own background with the pedal steel guitar. All this and why Axl Rose is such an arsehole...and is Noraebang a Scottish thing? I was joined by Trevor Clements and Chris Johnson for Episode 21 of Can't Find My Way Home. We set up a Zoom call between Dortmund and Bandar Seri Begawan, in Brunei and we talked Expat lifestyles and musical adventures. In thie Top 5, Trevor and Chris tell us about Justin Timberlake, Eyes for Telescopes, Gary Moore, Herbie Hancock, the ultimate rock trio, as well as unexpected surprises during gigs. All things and playing at Ming's Cafe, in Miri, Malaysia. I spoke with Zahra Jaan from her home in London, in episode 17. Zahra takes us through her Expat journey of several years living and working in Seoul, South Korea, on to graduating with an MA in Sustainable Textile Design, and then working as a licenced designer for Disney and Warner Bros in London. We get into Zahra's new business ‘JaanSmithStudio' and how motherhood has helped spark new creative ideas and energy. Her concept is to produce children's wall art, incorporating bold, playful, colourful imagery. And it looks fantastic… Zahra and her husband have also just become parents for the second time. Big congratulations to you all. In the Top 5, there's cheesy 90's pop, Bjork not playing her good stuff in concert, songs that send babies to sleep and Pink Floyd exhibitions. Although those two things are not necessarily linked...Zahra takes us through her views on women in the design industry and gender equality. All this and shouting to Oasis at Karaoke and why are Travis just so moany...And The Horseshoe Bar in Glasgow. You can follow Justin Jardine Raindance Kid https://www.facebook.com/raindancekid/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/25j5sfXQ0Nyd3dH8Ia2thp https://youtu.be/A8bfYnyuGQo https://timezonerecords.lnk.to/Swayer https://www.instagram.com/raindance_kid/ Chris and Trevor You can check out Mama Got a Jukebox's video for 'Dolores' here https://youtu.be/EeyJ1zqFNTs Zahra Jaan https://www.jaansmithstudio.com/ Facebook @jaansmithstudio/ Instagram @jaansmithstudio/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craig-branch/message

In this introductory episode, host Ash Seiter discusses the genesis and premise of the show and introduces his father, Jimmi Seiter. Jimmi had a long career in the music business from 1966 to 1983 as a musician, roadie, road manager, manager, engineer and producer.He worked with a long list of different artists and producers during his career, including The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Bros, Flo & Eddie, The Runaways, David Cassidy, Rocky Burnette, Terry Melcher, Kim Fowley, Brian Wilson, Dobie Gray, Gram Parsons, Jim Morrison, Alice Cooper, and many others.Jimmi's experiences, stories and commentary on events he was directly involved in are the core of this show.  A firsthand take from someone who was actually there for arguably the most consequential time in modern music history with some of the most influential artists of the day.You can learn more about the show and get updates on future episodes by visiting the website or following on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Today we celebrate a charming woman who became known as the Apple Blossom Lady. We'll also learn about the man who raised the best begonias in the world back in the early 1900s. We hear some thoughts on tussie-mussies. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an informative and delightful book about Fungi ("funj-eye") - and it’s loaded with incredible photography. And then we’ll wrap things up with a dream - an inspired horticultural vision for the botanical building in Balboa Park by the Begonia man, Alfred Robinson.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated News Foliage Plants: How To Use Green Foliage Plants In Your Garden | Gardens Illustrated | Alasdair Cameron   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events February 26, 1834 Today is the birthday of the woman who came up with the State Flower for Michigan: Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock. Born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Anna moved to Michigan after marrying her husband, David. She had a beautiful voice, and Anna was well-known in Lansing as an actress and a singer in local productions and events. On April 19, 1897, Anna clipped some branches from her flowering apple tree, loaded them up in a wheelbarrow, and then rolled them down North Capitol Avenue to the Michigan Statehouse. When she got there, Anna adorned the office of the Speaker of the House with the blooming branches. It turns out, 63-year-old Anna had been looking out her kitchen window at 309 Capital Avenue North in Lansing and was moved by the sight of her beautiful Apple tree in bloom. It suddenly occurred to her that the Apple Blossom would make a great state flower. Knowing that the Michigan Legislature would be voting on a state flower, she hoped her Apple Blossom branches would have some influence... and they did. Just nine days after wheeling her branches one block down the street to the Capital, the Michigan legislature approved the resolution making the apple blossom the State Flower, and they said, “Our blossoming apple trees add much to the beauty of our Landscape, and Michigan apples have gained a worldwide reputation.” In her old age, Anna remembered, “When the selection of the State Flower was voted on, blossoms from my snow apple tree trimmed the speaker’s desk at Lansing, and the vote was unanimous for the Apple Blossom.” In 1930, Anna passed away in Minnesota at the age of 96. (I know this because, in researching Anna, I actually had to create a tree for her on Ancestry). Sixty years after Anna's death, the Michigan Legislature posthumously honored Anna with a title: Apple Blossom Lady. Anna's victory with the Michigan Legislature sparked a passion for Apple Blossoms in the twilight of her life. Anna began creating apple blossoms using silk ribbon, and she always took cuttings to sell for her favorite charities. Anna once said, "I feel my Apple Blossoms have taken me to the top of the world."   February 26, 1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry, Alfred D. Robinson. Along with his wife Marion, Alfred’s passion was flowers. In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and Marion moved to Point Loma. Yet, their fresh start in Point Loma, which included buying ten acres of land, was irreparably damaged when their young daughter Lenora died of a heart issue. Losing Lenora devastated the Robinsons, and they left Point Loma and began building a new home in San Diego. As the gardens were getting established, their 15,000 square foot mansion was being built - and that mansion was called Rosecroft. The Rosecroft property became the home base for Alfred’s Gegonia breeding program. And as Rosecroft’s high-quality Begonias made their way to nurseries and botanists around the country, Alfred solidified his reputation as a high-quality Begonia  grower. Now Alfred came up with the idea to use Lath houses for growing his begonias. Now, if you need help picturing a Lath House, imagine a pergola with sides. Webster’s defines a Lath House as a structure made of laths or slats that are spaced to reduce excessive sunlight while permitting air circulation. Lath Houses are great for plants that need more shade and also protection from strong winds. In 1933, the LA Times ran a story called The Useful Lath House by Eva Dale, and in it, Eva described the Rosecroft Lath House. “Lath offers the desired protection as well as effecting a substantial saving in water. By lathing the sides and part of the roof of a garden, a barren wind-swept space can be transformed into a thing of beauty affording shelter to man and plant alike.  This may be done on a grand scale, as at "Rosecroft" at Point Loma, where Alfred Robinson has about an acre under Lath, or at Whitehill, Redlands, where Clarence White has an acre and a half of sun protection; but it can also give a great deal of satisfaction when done in a very modest fashion.  Mr. Robinson is an authority on Begonias and Mr. White on Roses, but they both declare that these and many other plants do infinitely better in partial shade. Mr. White says that "besides the conservation of bloom and vigor and the transpiration of water, there is also a moderation of the extremes of heat and cold." He adds that "there is less frost, and better recovery when it does penetrate."  Walter Merrill, former president of the San Diego Rose Society, has varied the idea somewhat by using Bamboo instead of Lath... After a year and a half, he says he would not, for anything, return to full sun for his roses.” An early Rosecroft pamphlet described their growing operation this way: “Rosecroft is on Point Loma, the head of land that forms the Northwest boundary of the Bay of San Diego California, and…  enjoys the year-round mildness of climate coupled with a moist atmosphere… [which] permits the cultivation of the Begonia with a simple Lath protection.  In such a shelter, Rosecroft grows… the best exposition of this family in the world.  The so-called Tree Begonias attain a height of 24 ft and all sorts flourish.” In 1907, Albert and Marion, along with the great Kate Sessions, formed the San Diego Floral Association, and Albert served as the first president. Two years later, the group started a little publication called California Garden… and it is still published today. And it was the botanist Charles Plumier ("Ploo-me") named the Begonia in honor of a man he much admired: Michel Bégon ("ME-shell Bay-GO-n"), a French amateur botanist. Charles discovered the Begonia growing on the island of Santo Domingo. Although they are beautiful, most Begonias have no scent. And if you’ve been growing Begonias in full sun, you’ll immediately understand why Albert grew his under a Lath House because they really prefer part shade. In the wild, Begonias grow under filtered light. The Begonia traditionally symbolizes caution or hesitation. I always found this curious until I researched the family name Bégon, which is rooted in Old French as a slang word for a person who stuttered. I thought happened to be a meaningful coincidence - the meaning of caution or hesitation with a stutter. And you may be surprised to learn that the flowers and leaves of the Begonia are edible; some cultures around the world add begonias to salads. Finally, the Begonia is known as the flower that produces the smallest seeds. In fact, Begonia seeds are so fine that they are often compared to dust. This is why, if you grow Begonias from seed, they are often pelleted. In 1932, the California Begonia Society was formed, and in a few short years, they started a little bulletin called The Begonian. In 1935, it was Alfred Robinson that suggested the group broaden their reach - and the American Begonia Society was born.   Unearthed Words A dear neighbour brought me a tussie-mussie this week. The dictionary defines tuzzy-muzzy, or tussie-mussie, as a bunch or posy of flowers, a nosegay, and then disobligingly adds that the word is obsolete. I refuse to regard it as obsolete.  It is a charming word; I have always used it and shall continue to use it, whatever the great Oxford Dictionary may say; and shall now take my neighbour's tussie-mussie as a theme to show what ingenuity, taste, and knowledge can produce from a small garden even in February. — Vita Sackville West, English author and garden designer, In Your Garden, The Tussie-Mussie   Grow That Garden Library Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets ("Stam-its") This coffee-table book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is How Mushrooms can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet (Official Book of Smash Hit Documentary). As Paul likes to say, “Mushrooms can heal you. They can feed you. They can kill you.”  And for all their power, Fungi ("funj-eye") remain misunderstood, understudied, and often just plain old ignored as an aspect of our world. This book is the result of Paul’s incredible documentary called “Fantastic Fungi,” It features a collection of essay contributions from doctors, explorers, and ecologists that help us better understand the magical world of Fungi. And there's a great piece of information about Fungi for gardeners to know, and that is that Fungi eat rocks. And by eating rocks, Fungi liberate the minerals from rocks and put these minerals back into the soil for plants. And when Fungi join with algae (“al-jee”) they form lichens. So when you lichens, remember that marriage between Fungi and algae. Finally, Fungi are the foundation of the food web. There are more than eight miles of Fungi in a single cubic inch of soil, and all around the planet, there are gigatons of mycelium. For now, the field of mycology hasn’t been a priority, and so Fungi remain an unchartered frontier. Only about 10 percent of all Fungi have been identified. With any luck, our focus on Fungi will change as we look to the future. As for gardeners, Paul is a fan of the Garden Giant Mushrooms. They are fast-growing, and they do so much for the soil. For example, Garden Giant Mushrooms can take twelve inches of wood chips and create one inch of soil in about four or five months. In a nutshell, Mushrooms begin a domino effect that starts with Fungi and ends with ecological restoration and soil expansion. Paul believes that keystone species like the Garden Giant Mushroom lead to healthier gardens and ecosystems. And fortunately for us, these Garden Giant Mushrooms can be grown virtually anywhere - from sweltering climates to very cool environments. This book is 184 pages of astounding information regarding Mushrooms and Fungi that hopefully will change your perspective, your garden – and help the planet. You can get a copy of Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $24   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In researching Alfred Robinson, I ran across an article by Richard Amero that was published by the San Diego History Center. The article shares Alfred’s grand dream for a large Lath House to grace the Panama-California Exposition. San Diego was the host city for this event on January 1, 1915. Alfred’s idea for this Lath House met with approval, yet the actual design differed drastically from Albert’s vision. Still, it is delightful to hear what Albert had in mind originally - his dream for the Botanical Building in Balboa Park: “Where was I?  I had entered the garden of Eden.  Palms and ferns and flowering plants and vines on all sides, sending out their delicate scents upon the night air to mingle with the odor of the moist earth and recent rain, a draught as intoxicating as champagne.  Where the band played… was a great central dome, 500 feet in diameter... Up its supporting columns ran choice vines, Jasmines of such sweet savor, Begonias, and Tecomas of gaudy hue, and the curious Dutchman’s Pipe. Palms from many lands and many forms lined the borders and were in beds here and there while Begonias and other foliage plants nestled at their feet.  In the air hung Orchids with their strangely beautiful blossoms. From this central court ran out six great arms or aisles, and in each were ... a great family of plants. There were thousands and thousands of varieties, and each was plainly labeled. (Now we definitely know this is clearly a dream!) The lighting had been carefully planned so as not to strike the eye offensively, and the whole effect was absolutely entrancing.”   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

On episode 2 of our limited series, Toy Heart: Remembering Tony Rice, host Tom Power begins with Béla Fleck, talking about the making of two legendary albums: Drive and The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol.2. Fleck relates what it was like to work with Tony in studio and some wild stories about their touring together. Also in the episode, mandolinist and instructor Sharon Gilchrist displays a rare perspective on Tony's life. Something of a recluse, Tony would often drive by himself after gigs, hours and hours overnight. Gilchrist had the rare opportunity to join him for some of these drives and tells some stories of what she learned on those trips to and from Quartet shows. Later in the episode, a conversation with Peter Rowan about his early memories of Tony – and how he compared with his mentor Clarence White. To conclude, Josh Williams talks about being Tony Rice's "voice" in his band, the Unit, how Tony helped him get through one of the darkest periods in his life, and why Tony was and is his hero

We lost a great musician on Christmas Day when Tony Rice passed at the age of 69. His friend Ricky Skaggs described Tony as “the single most influential acoustic guitar player in the last 50 years.” This week’s show, we’ll pay tribute by sharing some great recordings featuring Tony, as well as some selections from players who were inspired by him. We'll hear Bryan Sutton, Molly Tuttle and David Grier … and we’ll also hear some players who inspired Tony, including Doc Watson, Clarence White and Maybelle Carter. Farewell to Tony Rice … this week on the Sing Out! Radio Magazine. Episode #21-04: Tony Rice, RIP Host: Tom Druckenmiller Artist/”Song”/CD/Label Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer”(excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle / Smithsonian Folkways The Bluegrass Album Band / “Foggy Mountain Rock” / Sweet Sunny South / Rounder The Tony Rice Unit / “Jerusalem Ridge” / Unit of Measure / Rounder Tony Rice / “Go My Way” / Sings Gordon Lightfoot / Rounder The Tony Rice Unit / “My Favorite Things” / Backwaters / Rounder The Kentucky Colonels / “Beaumont Rag” / Long Journey Home / Vanguard The Kentucky Colonels / “Nine Pound Hammer” / Appalachian Swing / EMI Clarence White / “Alabama Jubilee” / Flatpick / Sierra Doc & Merle Watson / “Texas Gales” / Ballads from Deep Gap / Vanguard Doc Watson / “Black Mountain Rag” / Live at Club 47 / Yep Roc David Grisman / “Minor Swing” / Hot Dawg / A+M Norman Blake / “The Old Brown Case” / The Fields of November / Flying Fish Maybelle Carter / “Wildwood Flower” / Wildwood Pickin' / Vanguard Mark O'Connor / “Dixie Breakdown” / Retrospective / Rounder Molly Tuttle / “Take the Journey” / When You're Ready / Compass David Grier / “Billy in the Lowground” / Ways of the World / Dreadnaught Bryan Sutton / “Ragtime Annie” / Not Too Far From the Tree / Sugar Hill Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer”(excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle / Smithsonian Folkways

Hello legendaries, get your tea cups ready because this tea is HOT. In this podcast episode, I discuss about Queen Naija’s drama with her boyfriend, Clarence White, ex Leslie. Leslie accused Queen of being a home wrecker and getting pregnant on purpose. Second, I talk about Kim Kardashians sweet birthday surprise from Kanye West. Then I proceed to discuss about Lil Wayne uniting with Donald Trump and Netflix prices increasing. Finally, I talk about Saweetie wanted to remaster the song “Bootylicous” by Destiny’s Child. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ameenha/support

My guest today is the greatest banjo player the world has ever seen. That could be because of the advent of air travel but probably not. He was born in Boston, MA a city rich with history and prose and fiddling. This breadbasket of culture lent itself to my guest who was bubbling with an urge to play burning music- bluegrass music. From the Ash Grove Fiddlers Convention to Farms in Appalachia my guest found himself playing with the father of bluegrass Bill Monroe. In time he recognized Monroe's expectation that he develop his own sound on the banjo, be inventive, lead don't follow, I'll take A Melody. Which is what my guest did developing a style of playing that focused on the melody. Chromatic hits that required listening to his bandmates, taking chances and learning how to improvise melodically. Just like Ed Cassady and the Georgia Corn Stompers or Earl Skruggs or Bill Emerson. With this new style of banjo playing Keith joined Muleskinner with a bunch of pranksters including Richard Greene, David Grisman, Peter Rowan and the late great Clarence White- another inventor. My guest played in road worthy bands and was an in demand session player on both banjo and pedal steel. Might be Ian and Sylvia or a little Pottery Pie with Geoff Muldaur, relaxin his mind with Jim Rooney or playing on the back porch with Tony Trishka. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jake-feinberg/support

How do I download this Mp3? Mp3: Farther Along – Click To Play This is a traditional gospel song. We sang this in the Byrds and Clarence White did such a great vocal. We sang this at Clarence’s wake. This is the 300th post in the Folk Den. Lyrics: CH: [G] Farther along we’ll [C] […]

Are you ready to learn some guitar history AND learn 5 awesome picking patterns? I'm covering these 5 picking patterns because they essentially transformed how we listen and play to the acoustic guitar. In this video, I'll introduce each picking pattern and explain it's origins. From there, you'll get an awesome example of what the picking pattern sounds like and who has continued to use and innovate on the original pattern. Also in this video, I'm featuring Halland Guitars in Livingston, Montana. This is an excellent builder who is making some seriously crafted acoustic guitars. Last but not least, I want to feature an Acoustic Tuesday viewer who is combining the spirit of heavy metal music with the sound of acoustic guitar. So, without further ado, let's dive right into the 5 picking patterns that changed acoustic guitar forever! Picking Pattern #5: The Carter Scratch While the Carter scratch is typically associated with Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family, it actually originated with Lesley Riddle. Using the thumb to predominantly play melodies, the Carter scratch was revolutionary in its day. Instead of being primarily a rhythm instrument, the Carter scratch allowed the guitar in folk and country music to become a melody instrument. Other names for the Carter scratch include the 'thumb brush' technique, the 'Carter lick,' and also the 'church lick.' Picking Pattern #4: Travis Picking Stemming from the Carteeer scratch, Travis picking gets its name from Merle Travis. You see, Merle Travis used an alternating thumb technique to drive the bass while the rest of his picking hand played a syncopated melody gets played on the higher strings. What's interesting is that Travis didn't necessarily invent Travis picking as we know it today. He often referred to his style of playing as "thumb picking", possibly because the only pick he used when playing was a banjo thumb pick, or "Muhlenberg picking", after his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where he learned this approach to playing from Mose Rager and Ike Everly. Picking Pattern #3: Flatpicking So, this specific conversation revolves around not just using a pick but using a pick to play fiddle tunes on guitar. While we can't tie this style of playing to one specific player, some of the early adopters of this flatpicking style include George Shuffler, Alton Delmore, Johnny Bond, Don Reno, and Bill Napier. Prior to these players, the lead guitar was sparsely used — when it was used, it was a novelty instead of being the norm that it is today. From these early players, we have artists like Riley Puckett, Clarence White, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and so many others who made bluegrass and country guitar the huge success that it is today. Those artists have now handed the torch to younger artists like Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle. Picking Pattern #2: Crosspicking Think of crosspicking as combining the momentum of the banjo with the melodic qualities of flatpicking. It has a harp-like texture that can be simultaneously delicate and powerful. George Shuffler is credited with creating the crosspicking technique as a way to "fill-in" sound while playing with the Stanley Brothers. Because he was playing in the "lean" years of bluegrass, the touring groups didn't use large bands with mandolin, banjo, drums, or bass. As a result, George created a unique style to cover the Stanley Brothers in between vocal phrases. Picking Pattern #1: Percussive Fingerstyle While simultaneously an approach to guitar and a picking pattern, percussive fingerstyle really changed the way acoustic guitarists approach the instrument. Moving beyond the traditional restrictions of just playing fretting and plucking the strings, percussive fingerstyle utilizes the body of the guitar, harmonics, alternate tunings, tapping, and more to create a wide range of tones, sounds, and textures. We can trace a lot of percussive fingerstyle techniques back to Michael Hedges who really revolutionized this style. ★ Request your invite to Tony's Acoustic Challenge today: https://tonypolecastro.com/al-request-invite/?ref=INVITE&src=AL ★ All show notes and links: https://acousticlife.tv/at147/ ★ Get the show: https://tonypolecastro.com/get-acoustic-tuesday

Con su más reciente álbum, Early Morning Rain, Steve Forbert ha querido que la gente renueve su aprecio por la artesanía musical que suponen las 11 canciones seleccionadas por el artista de Mississippi, encuadradas en el folk y el rock y con una exquisita diversidad. Desde un trovador como Gordon Lightfoot, de quien ha tomado el nombre genérico del álbum, hasta Elton John, pasando por Danny O’Keefe, los Kinks o la sorpresa de escuchar “Box oF Rain” que compusieron Phil Lesh y Robert Hunter para el colosal American Beauty de Grateful Dead hace medio siglo, Steve Forbert se recrea en canciones que han sido emblema de varias generaciones. En el caso de “Box Of Rain”, los músicos elegidos por Forbert han propuesto un ritmo más acelerado que el original, recordando en ocasiones las viejas grabaciones de bandas como Poco, con el exquisito protagonismo de la guitarra y el Steel guitar. Por suerte, esta situación excepcional no ha impedido que podamos compartir nuevas propuestas sonoras de algunos de nuestros artistas favoritos de la escena de la Americana. De esta forma, Will Hoge nos regala un nuevo álbum, Tiny Little Movies, para finales del próximo mes de junio. Este trabajo tiene sonidos que recuerdan los himnos de Tom Petty, la crudeza de los Stones y la brillantez del timbre vocal de Buck Owens. Además, las letras de este nativo de Nashville siguen teniendo un poderío narrativo incalculable. "The Curse" es su adelanto. Grabado en los East Iris Studios de Music City junto a su banda de acompañamiento habitual, resalta la química que existe entre todos ellos. Lamentations ha pasado a ser la más reciente propuesta de American Aquarium. Su título está inspirado en el Libro de las Lamentaciones del Viejo Testamento y el álbum trata precisamente sobre todo aquello que nos destroza y a su vez nos prueba en nuestra fe en los demás y en nosotros mismos. Las canciones hablan de la pérdida de un ser querido, las adicciones, las separaciones, la ruina financiera o los vicios". BJ Barham envió varias maquetas de aquellas composiciones a Soother Jennings y este empezó a trabajar con ellas. La banda se reunió en Los Angeles, a la sombra de Laurel Canyon, y surgió un trabajo mucho más esperanzador y brillante de lo que se presuponía. Así ocurre, por ejemplo, en “Stars With You” con versos como "Las canciones tristes son lo único que me hace feliz". Un tema poderoso con ecos evidentes de Tom Petty. En las últimas semanas hemos ido conociendo el nuevo disco de Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Reunion, donde un tema de la categoría de "Dreamsicle" destaca sobre una altísima media. Con la guitarra acústica y el piano como rasgos fundamentales de su envoltorio sonoro, esta vez, Jason Isbell canta desde la perspectiva de un chaval de 14 años que atraviesa tiempos difíciles. Y fantasea con el futuro cuando pueda independizarse. Drive-By Truckers no han dejado de trabajar a pesar del aislamiento imprescindible debido a la pandemia, y de manera muy especial Patterson Hood, que compuso una canción como “Quarantine Together” en los primeros días de confinamiento y compartió la maqueta con el resto de la banda. Ellos grabaron su parte y David Barbe se encargó de hacer la mezcla. Es un tema de amor que propone ponerse en cuarentena juntos y, por el contrario, ser miserables solos. Todo con toques acústicos y un ambiente placentero y relajado. Hablan de su último álbum, el octavo de su carrera, como de una obra maestra del gótico sureño. Se trata de Caleb Caudle y su Better Hurry Up, un trabajo que se generó en la mítica Cash Cabin tres días después de mudarse a Nashville el pasado año desde su natal Carolina del Norte. Un artista que como él creció en las estribaciones de los Apalaches y que siempre ha tenido a Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, Little Feat o The Band como referentes, tenía que acogerse a músicos que coincidieran con sus raíces. De esta forma, en este octavo álbum de Caudle han coincidido el productor John Jackson y Elizabeth Cook, John Paul White, Courtney Marie Andrews o Gary Louris. Aquellas sesiones han resultado perfectas para que las canciones se oscurezcan, se empapen a veces de whisky y resistan un viaje por carreteras secundarias a través del corazón de su país en estos tiempos. “Front Porch” es contundente a pesar de lo sutil de su bella melodía. La capacidad de Daniel Romano para crear está por encima de toda duda y la de conformar todo ello en nuevas grabaciones supera lo esperado. Su más reciente entrega supone el cuarto álbum del artista canadiense en lo que llevamos de año 2020, todos ellos con una calidad suprema. Se trata de Content to Point the Way, grabado con The Outfit, su banda de acompañamiento, con un regreso de tintes sentimentales y decididos al country, destacando sobre una selección magnífica “Diamonds And Dogs”, con Gram Parsons y Emmylou Harris en el horizonte gracias a la intervención vocal de Julianna Riolino con una atmósfera llena de melancolía. Dentro de poco menos de un mes estará publicado Mountain Standard Time, el nuevo proyecto de Chris Roberts, uno de los más refutados miembros de la comunidad musical de Nashville, desde sus facetas de compositor, vocalista y productor. Ha sido responsable de musicales, autor de canciones de éxito, colaborador con a artistas de prestigio e incluso se ha aventurado en la creación de bandas sonoras cinematográficas. Pero el bluegrass es una de sus debilidades y para este nuevo álbum vez ha querido llevar a ese terreno canciones tan deliciosas como “Right On Time”, cuya composición ha compartido con Mike Reid. Una guitarra acústica, réplica de la legendaria Martin de Clarence White que heredó el enorme Tony Rice, mandolina y mandocello, dobro, banjo, guitarra barítono de 8 cuerdas y contrabajo... todo ello puesto en manos de Ramón Arroyo, que ha incorporado su voz, pocas veces escuchada, para rendir homenaje a John Prine con esta versión de “Paradise”, que el artista recientemente desaparecido compuso para su padre y formó parte de su álbum de debut en 1971. Ramón Arroyo, al que casi todo el mundo conoce como miembro de Los Secretos, pero que tiene una larga andadura en proyectos muy diversos, desde aquellos legendarios Flying Gallardos, pasando por multitud de colaboraciones y apariciones en directo, hasta llegar a Roadrunners junto a su gran amigo Jeff Espinoza. Ojalá que Ramón se anime definitivamente a explorar esos caminos como solista aunque, seguro, estará rodeado de todos esos amigos a los que ha acompañado tantas veces. Esta vez nuestro viaje sonoro nos lleva hasta Winchester, en Virginia, para encontrarnos con Gina Furtado, que conformó su propia aventura tras dejar a Chris Jones & The Night Drivers. Gina, que era conocida como Gina Clowes, decidió recuperar su apellido de soltera y fundó The Gina Furtado Project. Sus formas combinan el bluegrass y el swing, con su experiencia como banjista y la incorporación de su hermana, Malia Furtado al violín, Drew Matulich en la guitarra y Max Johnson al contrabajo. “The Things I Saw” tiene que ver con su infancia en las orillas del río Shenandoah. De nuevo encontramos un ambiente natural, acogedor y familiar que supone su primera grabación desde la publicación del álbum I Hope You Have a Good Life en el pasado 2019. Hace unos días, Sunny Sweeney compartía una nueva canción en sus redes sociales. Era "Poet's Prayer", grabada en Nashville y donde echa de menos a los amigos y a sus seguidores, que suelen viajar durante horas para asistir a sus conciertos y encontrar el poder en una canción. Una mujer como ella, nativa de Houston y crecida en la escena de los bares tejanos, con su gente cerca, a la que siempre tiene muy presente en sus canciones, llenas de guiños y con un toque de humor, no puede por menos que esperanzarse con volver a la carretera lo antes posible. Desde la publicación hace tres años de su álbum Trophy, no sabíamos nada nuevo de Sunny Sweeney, excepto su dúo con Randy Rogers en "Between You and Me" para el álbum Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay, editado a primeros de 2016. En su nuevo álbum Neon Cross, sin duda el mejor de su carrera, Jaime Wyatt ha logrado compartir abiertamente su verdad, con la importancia que tiene todo ello en una mujer con traumáticas experiencias personales desde muy joven. Y eso que tiene tan solo 34 años. La producción de Shooter Jennings ha dotado a este disco de la exuberancia que parecería resistirse a unos textos tan personales y llenos de altibajos como la historia de la propia Jaime Wyatt. Neon Cross es el mejor ejemplo del Outlaw country por parte de una mujer que compuso “By Your Side” tras perder a dos personas muy importantes en su vida, como su padre y su querido amigo Anthony Agosti. Es una canción sobre el dolor y, a la vez, sobre el intento de comprender y reponerse a situaciones así. Escuchar audio

★ All show notes and links: https://acousticlife.tv/at136 ★ Get the show: https://tonypolecastro.com/get-acoustic-tuesday   Tony Rice is one of the most important bluegrass guitarists in history. Why? On today's episode of Acoustic Tuesday, I'm answering that question in the best way I know how: by playing the 6 degrees of Tony Rice. The thing is, the best way to understand Tony Rice's impact is to look at his influences, to see how much he borrowed and blended to create some unforgettable music. Now, I'd feature Tony Rice's covers on this episode of Acoustic Tuesday, but copyright laws be darned, I can't. So, instead, I'll feature other covers of the songs that Tony Rice covered! If you want links to the actual Tony Rice covers, be sure to head to www.acousticlife.tv/at136 To kick things off, let's talk about the 6 most influential guitar players in Tony Rice's music. 6) Clarence WhiteFrom his flatpicking to owning his actual guitar, Tony Rice was heavily influenced by Clarence White. Tony Rice went as far as owning the exact Martin D-28 that Clarence White owned. Now, for those of you who don't know Clarence White was a member of The Kentucky Colonels, The Byrds, and many more bands. As you listen to Clarence White, you can absolutely hear how the rolling flatpicking sounds influenced Tony Rice. 5) Tom PaxtonFor those of you who don't know, Tom Paxton is an incredible songwriter. Paxton led the charge on the folk revival. Born in Chicago, he relocated to New York City and frequented the Gaslight Cafe. Tony Rice pays homage to Tom Paxton by covering "The Last Thing on My Mind," on Church Street Blues. If you listen to the acoustic tone and song selection, Tom Paxton was a huge influence on Tony Rice. 4) Jim CroceIn 1994, Tony Rice covered Jim Croce's "Age" on the Bluegrass Band Vol. 4 album. Now, besides this album featuring some of the best musicians out there, Jim Croce's influence on Tony Rice is apparent. And, while I can't feature the Croce original or Rice's cover, I can show you Seth Avett's cover of "Operator," so be sure to listen to it today! 3) Ian TysonIan Tyson is a huge influence on Tony Rice. In fact, Tony Rice covered his song "Summer Wages" not once but twice. The time Tony Rice covered it was on Native American and the second time was on J.D. Crowe and the New South's self-titled album. If you haven't heard that album, you need to hear it! 2) Joni MitchellIn Tony Rices 1992 album Native American, he covered Joni Mitchell's gentle seasonal ballad "Urge for Going." Now, if you haven't heard the original, I highly recommend it. The lyrics are great, the phrasing is fantastic, and I love Joni's voice. All of this is to say that Tony Rice definitely tried to borrow from Joni Mitchell's lyricism. To help illustrate it and show the profound impact that Joni Mitchell had on the scene and how it further influenced Tony Rice, I've featured a clip of Dave Van Ronk covering "Urge for Going." 1) Gordon LightfootThe first degree of influence, of course, is Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot's influence on Tony Rice can be seen in his songwriting, flatpicking, and overall style and tone. See, Lightfoot led the charge on the folk revival in Canada. As such, Tony Rice actually dedicated an entire album to Gordon Lightfoot.

This Episode of The Connected Experience Podcast is sponsored by Author S.L. Jackson. Order the new Urban Fantasy Novel “Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle” by clicking the link https://linktr.ee/sljacksonPress play on the new episode of The Connected Experience (@tcepod). We sit and kick it with Clarence, owner of brand management company I Define Progress (@Idefineprogress). Clarence takes us on his path to what led him becoming one of the most influential people with in the industry.Contact us at pr@tcohh.orgFollow us on https://www.instagram.com/tcepodhttps://www.twitter.com/tcepodListen to “The Podcast Album” by The Connected Experience now via Tidal https://tidal.com/browse/album/84652887See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clarence White joins the ladies of Lip Service this week and opens up about his love for being naked. The ladies help plan his Valentine's Day with his girlfriend, Queen Naija, they discuss the importance of manscaping, and much more. Shouts to Astra for joining us as a special guest host. Enjoy!

Part 2- "One Step Closer" - with Special Guest Tim J Coy interviewing Clarence White Jr.  Clarence White Jr talks about his journey from being a jet mechanic to owning a trucking company and how it lead to his passion of being a business coach. In the end, Clarence shares his 1 Step process that's created his current success. @TimothyJCoy - Facebook & @TimothyJCoy - Instagram. Conversations and inspirational thoughts to help you pull your head out of the clouds and live the life you're supposed to.

Dan Erlewine is, quite simply, a legend when it comes to lutherie. Through his countless videos and articles for StewMac, he's helped thousands of aspiring and veteran guitarmakers hone their craft. On this week's podcast, he reflects upon two of his most famous creations: A Strat-style guitar he built for Jerry Garcia and the Flying V he built for Albert King. Erlewine is building all-new replicas of both guitars and had examples at the 2020 NAMM Show. We also talk about naming Iggy Pop (his former bandmate), Dan's latest guitar creations, taking lessons from Clarence White and a lot more. A must-listen episode...  This podcast is sponsored by Mono Creators and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.  

What's up Kings and Queens!! This is the Kings and Queens Podcast, a podcast where you will be entertained and informed. Today's episode I will be talking about the difference between men and boys, why Clarence White symbolizes men while Chris symbolizes boys, marriage at 18, and sex at 12 am? If you want questions answered or want to be on this podcast hit me up on social media Snapchat: lg3_legend Instagram: lchalla_19 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lewis-geter/message

Welcome to the Uncle Sunny Live project! Where we host conversations with business owners to better understand the mind of an entrepreneur. We will learn all about what he says is the best mindset for a business owner to have and how to obtain it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mindfulmoneymakers/message

Most guitarists have seen a StringBender installed on a Telecaster at some point. But on an acoustic? That’s a pretty wild concept. On this week’s podcast, we talk to two of the finest flatpicking guitarists around - Trey Hensley & Chris Luquette – about the StringBenders that will soon be installed as an upgrade option on Preston Thompson Guitars. These two Thompson artists talk about the feel of a StringBender-equipped dreadnought, describe how it changes their playing and much more. Midway through the call, we patch in the one-and-only Gene Parsons, the device's storied inventor. He tells us how the StringBender was developed (thanks to Clarence White's inspiration) and even lets us know about a rather historic Martin D-18 that now has a StringBender installed in it. Want to know more? Check out our video with Try and Chris here: https://youtu.be/0SYOSsy4p20 Get a digital subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer  This episode is sponsored by Roberto-Venn, Gibson, Carter Vintage and Martin guitars. 

Vandaag aandacht in voor de Fender Stratocaster Bender, waardoor de Byrds aan hun geluid kwamen dit dankzij gast Jeff Zimberlin. Je hoort ook Clarence White, Fleetwood Mac, Al Stewart, Pacific Gas & Electric en Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Art Neville, Dr John, Robert Cray.

Country Nuggets Volume 2 featuring Clarence White

Throughout his career, Paul Romer has enjoyed sampling and sifting through an ever-growing body of knowledge. He sometimes jokingly refers to himself as a random idea generator, relying on others to filter out the bad ones so his contributions are good. Not a bad strategy, as it turns out, for starting a successful business and winning a Nobel Prize. Just before accepting that Prize, he joined Tyler for a conversation spanning one filtered set of those ideas, including the best policies for growth and innovation, his new thinking on the trilemma facing migration, how to rework higher education, general-purpose technologies, unlocking the power of reading for all kids, fixes for the English language, what economics misses about the ‘inside of the head,’ whether he’s a Jane Jacobs or Gouverneur Morris type, what Kanban taught him about management, his recent sampling of Pierce’s semiotics, Clarence White vs. Gram Parsons, his favorite Hot Tuna song, and more. Transcript and links Follow Paul on Twitter Follow Tyler on Twitter More CWT goodness: Facebook Twitter Instagram Email

David Grier is a 3 time IBMA Guitar Player Of The Year and he talks about how the great, Clarence White befriended him when he was a kid.

Dans cet épisode, je vous parle du magnifique album de Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives et en profite pour revenir sur l'histoire du country-rock et de Clarence White, ainsi que sa légendaire Telecaster à B-Bender. par Julien Bitoun Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives - Mojave The Byrds - Hickory Wind The Byrds - Lover Of The Bayou Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives - Way Out West Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives - Time Don't Wait

Gene Victor Parsons es un músico, compositor e ingeniero de sonido estadounidense, conocido por tocar con The Byrds entre 1968 y 1972. Parsons también ha publicado álbumes en solitario y con bandas como Nashville West, The Flying Burrito Brothers y Parsons Green. Se le acredita haber inventado el B-Bender (también conocido como String Bender) junto a Clarence White.

Gene Victor Parsons es un músico, compositor e ingeniero de sonido estadounidense, conocido por tocar con The Byrds entre 1968 y 1972. Parsons también ha publicado álbumes en solitario y con bandas como Nashville West, The Flying Burrito Brothers y Parsons Green. Se le acredita haber inventado el B-Bender (también conocido como String Bender) junto a Clarence White.

The High Summer Sid Griffin podcast has a summer theme and features The Four Freshmen, surf music legends The Gamblers, The Beach Boys, Sid's late pal Gene Clark and more.

The book Saint Paul Almanac was created in 2005 to bring together the diverse community of Saint Paul, Minnesota through literary arts. In 2017, the Saint Paul Almanac released their 11th volume, On A Collected Path. On A Collected Path is a collection of stories and artwork and is celebrated by being read at various venues throughout Saint Paul. On Monday May 22. 2017, readers gathered at Golden Thyme Coffee Cafe in St. Paul to read their fabulous work. Clarence White reading Nagasaki Sister on p. 76

These week, we talk to acclaimed guitarmaker Mark Whitebook. In the 1970s, Whitebook had a cult following for his handmade guitars and a client list that included James Taylor, Carly Simon, Phil Keaggy and Clarence White. But in 1980, having built around 70 instruments total, Whitebook left the world of lutherie and pursued a career outside of the music industry. Thirty five years later, Whitebook has returned to building instruments (he kept all of his original tools and equipment all of these years). During this two-hour long talk, we chat about his background, how he taught himself to build his first guitar (with help from Irving Sloane's now legendary book on guitar construction), the Southern California guitar scene of the 1970s (including his time spent with David Russell Young and Chuck “The Duke of Pearl” Erikson) and how his dreadnought instruments stray from traditional Martin construction. We also learn just how hard it is to make a living building guitars. Whitebook is a near-mythical figure in the world of guitars; we hope you enjoy this exclusive chat. This week's sponsors are Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music. Check them out and tell them the Fretboard Journal sent you. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and save $5 just by using the discount code PODCAST when you check out.

A podcast about cyberspace, Clarence White, flat earth, Satan, murder, and mayhem

The city of Bakersfield served as an unlikely centre of a new kind of country music, one tinged with electricity, which catapulted musicians Buck Owens and Merle Haggard to international acclaim.  We take a different approach for this show and interview a practitioner - Dallas Good of the Toronto-based Sadies. The Sadies have cross-polinated a number of styles, creating their own unique brand of contemporary music, which draws upon 60s garage rock, psychedelia, surf, roots and of course country. The Sadies have collaborated with the likes of Neko Case, Andre Williams, John Doe and Neil Young.  In this 12-minute podcast, Good discusses the influence of musicians Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. He also reflects on the importance of the Fender Telecaster and Mosrite guitars in the music, and pays homage to Don Rich, Roy Nichols and Clarence White of the Byrds and to the lesser-known session player Alvino Ray, considered to be the father of the pedal steel guitar. The interview fades out with a portion of the song “The Trial” from The Sadies.   Next episode, "Re-Coding California" - urban development and its challenges in the Golden State with UCLA's Jon Christensen.  Thanks for listening, subscribing and sharing. 

This edition of BMR features a book club style exploration of Blues Vision with special guests Lisa Brimmer and Valérie Déus. Blues Vision is a stunning anthology of essays co-edited by Alex Pate, Pam Fletcher, and J. Otis Powell ?!, with cover art by Ta-coumba Aiken, and co-published by Minnesota Humanities Center and Minnesota Historical Society Press. Blues Vision features writing by Minnesota luminaries Tish Jones, Rohan Preston, Mary Moore Easter, E.G Bailey, Frank B. Wilderson III, Sha Cage, Andrea Jenkins, Shannon Gibney, Kim Hines, Carolyn Holbrook, Arleta Little, Clarence White, Angela Shannon and more. Cultural producers Erin Sharkey and Junauda Petrus. Brought to you by the Givens Foundation for African American Literature in partnership with iDream.tv

John Warren & Clarence White - Part 2 by South Bend Kroc Studio

John Warren & Clarence White - Part 1 by South Bend Kroc Studio

On this week's podcast, we talk to luthier Dana Bourgeois about a truly special one-off guitar he recently built to benefit Tony Rice. This is Dana's first (and likely last) attempt at an enlarged soundhole D-28-style guitar, just like the famous Martin belonging to Rice and, formerly, Clarence White. Dana's creation is a truly special instrument, with a Bourgeois Aged Tone top, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, a bound fretboard sans position markers and more. Dana will be holding a two week-long auction from his site starting December 1, 2014. read more

Great song from the Dueling banjo's record ......also known as New Dimmensions in Bluegrass...with Clarence White on guitar!!WOW!!

Great song from the Dueling banjo's record ......also known as New Dimmensions in Bluegrass...with Clarence White on guitar!!WOW!!

Great song from the Dueling banjo's record ......also known as New Dimmensions in Bluegrass...with Clarence White on guitar!!WOW!!

Great song from the Dueling banjo's record ......also known as New Dimmensions in Bluegrass...with Clarence White on guitar!!WOW!!

Nashville flatpicker David Grier is no stranger to our magazine, he was the cover story of our 16th issue. In this hour-long interview, part of our new Fretboard Journal Live video series, the acoustic guitarists talks about his unique background (his dad played banjo for Bill Monroe), some of the fateful encounters he had with Clarence White as a boy and how he's developed the phenomenal technique he has today. Grier's playing, as always, is otherworldly. He plays a few tunes in this podcast, including “King Wilkie's Run” and “Red Haired Boy.” Grier is playing a guitar built for him by Bellingham, Washington builder Dake Traphagen. Podcast duration: 1:05. read more

New Edgar Winter, Bonnie Raitt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alan Parsons, Lettuce, Bound16, Charlie Musselwhite, Banditos + Squeeze, Indigo Girls, Stevie Wonder, The Cars, Wayne Shorter, Rosie Flores, The Clash, Izzy Spring, Robert Palmer... Birthdays for Prince, Clarence White, Dean Martin, Tom Jones