Gene Clark - Gypsy Angel: The Gene Clark Demos 1983-1990

Posthumous release (2001)
Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

In 2001 this collection of Gene Clark demos was released. Most of them come from 1990, as he was planning a second duet album with Carla Olson (after their 1987 release So Rebellious A Lover). However he died in 1991, so the album was never started, leaving the songs as just demos. A few other demos from years earlier complete the set. The result is a very interesting acoustic album, all the songs being solo performances (with the exception of one which features some electric slide guitar). The recording quality is not great, but this arguably adds to its appeal. Many of the songs are very long, and so with a total running time of over an hour it could be argued that it is too much of the same thing, but the best songs here are undeniable gems, given truly moving, deeply intimate performances. Nearing the end of his life, after many years of struggle with alcohol, drugs and resultant illnesses, and with a distinct lack of commercial success, Clark was still penning wonderful songs.

Also includes a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing On My Mind".

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Gene Clark - Two Sides To Every Story (1977)

Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

Three years passed since 1974's No Other before Gene Clark released another album. By then he had left Geffen records and signed with RSO. Two Sides To Every Story came out in 1977, and for the most part offered more characteristic Gene Clark country-rock, including a rendition of the traditional tune "In The Pines". Two songs stood out for having a hard bluesy rock sound - a cover of Young Jessie's "Mary Lou" and a new version of his own "Kansas City Southern" (which he originally recorded with Dillard & Clark). Elsewhere it featured some truly spectacular ballads, always Clark's strong point, including a stirring string-laden cover of James Talley's "Give My Love To Marie", the tragic tale of a dying coal miner.
Featured guest musicians included Emmylou Harris, Byron Berline, Doug Dillard and Al Perkins.
Like most of Clark's albums, it failed to get far on the charts.

No Other (1974) <|> Firebyrd (1984)
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Gene Clark - No Other (1974)

Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

Since his last album in early 1973, Clark had briefly reunited with all the original members of The Byrds for one album. It was generally seen as a disappointment, but Clark's songwriting contributions were considered the high points. Based on this, David Geffen signed him to his Asylum Records label, which was home to all the hip singer-songwriters of the day. Things looked set to be looking up for him, with perhaps some true recognition and success around the corner.
He retired to Mendocino, and began writing material for his new album. He began recording in the spring of 1974, with Thomas Jefferson Kaye producing, and utilising the cream of L.A. session players - guitarist Danny Kortchmar, keyboard player Craig Doerge, bassist Lee Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel (the four of them known as the session supergroup The Section), and many others (including guitarists Stephen Bruton and Jesse Ed Davis, and Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks). The recording costs reportedly rose to over $100,000, which greatly worried Geffen. In the end, Clark presented him with an album of eight finished songs. Coming from a still relatively obscure artist who hadn't seen success since his original tenure with The Byrds around ten years ago, lacking in radio-friendly hit material, and with huge recording costs, it made Geffen begin to see Clark as perhaps not the wisest of investments.
No Other came out in late '74, and only reached a disappointing #144 (perhaps because the label seemingly failed to promote it). Though at the heart of it was the same sorrowful balladry Clark had been building his career on for almost ten years, the songs were dressed differently. Rather than the rootsy country-folk sounds of White Light and Roadmaster, No Other had a lush, richly orchestrated style, with synthesizers and hosts of backing singers. This sound has often been criticized as being overproduced and indulgent... not that it sounds bad, but perhaps it just didn't suit Clark. Nevertheless, the album contained some fantastic songs, including what has got to be one of his best, "Silver Raven". Clark himself has often referred to the album as his masterpiece, and expressed disappointment at its lack of commercial success. He followed its release with his first solo tour. At the same time, living in L.A., he reverted to a hedonistic lifestyle and subsequently his marriage disintegrated.

Roadmaster (1972) <|> Two Sides To Every Story (1977)
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Gene Clark - Roadmaster (1973)

Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

Clark's third solo album was actually pieced together from three different sessions, and was originally only released in Holland, so it's surprising that it remains one of his most consistent and highly-regarded records - a true lost classic. The first two songs ("She's The Kind Of Girl" and "One In A Hundred") were recorded in early 1970, shortly after he left Dillard & Clark, and feature all the original members of The Byrds backing him (though this was done through overdubbing, so it wasn't actually a reunion). The two songs were supposed to be released as a single, but it never happened, and they were put aside for the time being. In 1971 a different version of "One In A Hundred" was included on his album White Light. "Here Tonight" was recorded in January 1971 with the Rick Roberts-era Flying Burrito Brothers backing him (the song also appeared on a Burrito Brothers compilation album). The rest of the songs were from 1972, recorded with such noted session musicians as guitarist Clarence White, fiddle player Byron Berline, pedal steel guitarist Pete Kleinow and keyboard player Spooner Oldham. With the exception of the uncharacteristically uptempo title track, they were more sombre Clark balladry, and included a new slowed-down version of the old Byrds b-side "She Don't Care About Time".

White Light (1971) <|> No Other (1974)
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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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Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark (1968)

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.

Gene Clark had originally been a member of the folk-rock pioneers The Byrds. He had left them due to a fear of flying, and released a solo album entitled Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers. This album had featured an appearance from banjo player Doug Dillard, who had previously been with bluegrass group The Dillards. The two of them got on well, and decided to record together some more. Though generally referred to as a duo, the reality is that The Dillard & Clark Expedition was a full band fronted by Clark, though its membership was never exactly concrete throughout its short tenure.
The first album is often considered an important early example of country-rock - in line with what the Byrds were doing at the same time with Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. The Expedition fused folk, country, rock and bluegrass, and played almost exclusively in an acoustic context. Clark sang lead and played acoustic guitar and harmonica, and Dillard played banjo, fiddle and guitar. The rest of the group was made up of Bernie Leadon (lead guitar, bass, banjo and vocals), David Jackson (bass) and Don Beck (mandolin and dobro). The songs were originals written by Clark, Dillard and Leadon together, along with a bluegrass cover. The album was definately much more country than rock, mosty performed in an acoustic bluegrass-style format, the notable exception being the opening tune "Out On The Side" (which featured drums, organ and a bit of electric guitar). It also featured guest appearances from Clark's old Byrds bandmate Chris Hillman (on mandolin), fiddler Byron Berline and Andy Belling on harpsichord.
The album proved to be a hit with the critics, but unfortunately missed the charts completely (a fate that would shadow most of Clark's post-Byrds adventures).
After its release, they were joined by drummer Michael Clarke (another old bandmate of Clark's) to help with live performances. Around this time Don Beck also dropped out. This lineup recorded one non-album single, "Lyin' Down The Middle", which had more of an electric rock sound, and was a country radio hit in California. It's b-side was a cover of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel".
Clarke then left to join the Flying Burrito Brothers, and was replaced by John Corneal (who had been one of the session drummers on the first Burritos album). Dillard's girlfriend Donna Washburn also joined as harmony vocalist, and this lineup released another single, "Why Not Your Baby", which was again a bit different in its use of strings.
This version of the album includes both singles as bonus tracks, including "Don't Be Cruel".

|> Through The Morning, Through The Night (1969)

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Gene Clark - Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers (1967)

Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

By 1967 Clark had left The Byrds, reportedly due to his fear of flying. He was ready for a solo career, as he had been greatly respected as a songwriter during his time with the group. His first solo album was Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers, stylistically much along the same lines as the folk-rock of the Byrds' early albums. However working in a solo context rather than as part of a band gave him more freedom and variety in his approaches to material and instrumentation. Backing him on the album were past Byrd bandmates Chris Hillman (bass) and Michael Clarke (drums), as well as guitarists Clarence White (who would later be a Byrd himself) and Glen Campbell, banjo player Doug Dillard (of The Dillards), keyboardists Van Dyke Parks and Leon Russell (who also contributed string arrangements), and Vern and Rex Gosdin, the brothers of the album's title, who sang backing vocals throughout.
The album was a hit with the critics, and proved Clark's worth as a singer-songwriter. However it failed to do well commercially, perhaps as it was released at the same time as The Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday. This would prove to be the fate of much of Clark's career - hailed as a great by the critics, but never selling as many records as he would have liked to.
Also of note are the tracks "Tried So Hard" and "Keep On Pushin'", which are often cited as among the earliest examples of country-rock. The former would later become a classic of the genre, being covered by numerous other artists.

|> White Light (1971)
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Gene Clark - White Light (1971)

Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, best remembered as a founding member of The Byrds.

White Light was Clark's second solo album proper, with two albums with the country-rock band Dillard & Clark since his first. It had a sombre, folky, mostly acoustic tone, with eight fantastic original songs alongside the Dylan/Manuel classic “Tears Of Rage”. The band backing him consisted of guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, bassist Chris Ethridge, organist Mike Utley, drummer Gary Mallaber and pianist Ben Sidran (the latter two from the Steve Miller Band). It became very popular with the critics (it was voted album of the year by rock critics in the Netherlands), but like most of Clark’s solo albums, fail to do well commercially. It's definately not his most accessible album, with a dry, sparse sound, but perhaps is the best example of Clark as the serious singer-songwriter poet.

Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers (1967) <|> Roadmaster (1973)
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