Dillard & Clark - Through The Morning, Through The Night (1969)

Dillard & Clark were a pioneering country-rock group based around singer-songwriter Gene Clark and banjo virtuoso Doug Dillard, along with a shifting lineup of other well-known musicians.

In 1968 the Dillard & Clark Expedition had released a fantastic debut album which fused country, folk and bluegrass. This was followed by two singles through a number of lineup changes. Dillard's girlfriend Donna Washburn was brought in, and this frustrated multi-instrumentalist Bernie Leadon as she took over his harmony vocal chores. Leadon left the band. They were then joined by fiddle player Byron Berline (who had previously appeared on The Dillards' Pickin' and Fiddlin' LP). This gave them the new lineup of Gene Clark (vocals/guitar/harmonica), Doug Dillard (banjo/fiddle/guitar/vocals), Donna Washburn (guitar/vocals), Byron Berline (fiddle) David Jackson (bass/piano) and John Corneal (drums). The second album, Though The Morning, Through The Night, came out in 1969.
Though it contained some of Clark's best songs (the title track in particular), most of the album was made up of covers, and for this reason it is often referred to as a dissapointing follow-up. Nevertheless it is still some first class country rock, with a strong rootsy bluegrass vibe throughout. The covers include the bluegrass classic "Rocky Top", the Everly Brothers' "So Sad" and the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down". Washburn and Dillard were both given opportunities to sing lead vocals, and it is very much a band effort rather than a Gene Clark solo album. There are also guest appearances from Leadon, Chris Hillman and pedal steel guitar virtuoso Sneaky Pete Kleinow.
However the album was not very successful commercially, and Gene Clark soon left to resume his solo career. Dillard persevered as Doug Dillard & The Expedition for a little while longer, but the band was pretty much over.

The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark (1968) <|>

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