The Gosdin Brothers - One Hundred Years From Now (1966-1968)

Compilation
The Gosdin Brothers were a country-rock duo active in the 1960s.

The Gosdin Brothers (Vern & Rex) began their music career singing gospel, and then moved to California and started playing bluegrass. They were in a band called The Hillmen in the early 60s, which also featured future Byrds bassist Chris Hillman on mandolin. Years later they were signed to Gary Paxton's Bakersfield International label. They were part of the studio crew, and appeared on various records by other artists on the label, usually alongside Clarence White, Gib Guilbeau, Gene Parsons and Wayne Moore (aka The Reasons, or Nashville West). They also appeared as backing vocalists on Gene Clark's first post-Byrds solo album, Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers (which also featured Clarence White).
They recorded their own album, backed by The Reasons, which was released in 1968. Sounds Of Goodbye is a vastly underrated country-rock classic. In 2003 it was reissued with thirteen bonus tracks, which included non-album singles, b-sides, outtakes and other loose ends, all recorded during their time with Bakersfield International. I've put these extra tracks together here into one album.
Some of the songs were recorded during the Gene Clark sessions in 1966, so feature the same musicians (presumably Clarence White on guitar, Chris Hillman on bass and Michael Clarke on drums). Others were recorded between '66 and '68, featuring The Reasons as their backing group (some of which were written by Guilbeau). Compared to Sounds Of Goodbye, this compilation has a greater diversity of sounds. Many of the songs have more of a Byrds-style folk-rock edge, complete with jangling 12-string guitar, whilst others are pure country. The most well-known song is "Hangin' On", which was their most successful single.

More from The Gosdin Brothers

Download

The Gosdin Brothers - Sounds Of Goodbye (1968)

The Gosdin Brothers were a country-rock duo active in the 1960s.

The Gosdin Brothers were Rex and Vern Gosdin, and they put out this great album in the late 60s, a relatively obscure country-rock masterpiece. Previously they had been members of bluegrass group The Hillmen (Vern played guitar and Rex played bass, and they both sang) with mandolin player Chris Hillman (who later found fame as bassist for The Byrds). They also sang on Gene Clark's first solo release. As The Gosdin Brothers they released this one album and several singles, mostly on Gary Paxton's Bakersfield International label. The instrumental backing came from the Bakersfield International studio band - Nashville West.
Sounds Of Goodbye fits in nicely with much of the American country-rock being made in the late 60s, though it definately falls on the more conservative side of country-rock. Whilst all the other country-rock groups had for the most part made the move back to the roots after playing in electric folk-rock groups, it seems for the Gosdins it was a move from their traditonal roots into the rock scene (the album cover suggests they weren't exactly part of the hippie crowd!).
Includes covers of Donovan’s “Catch The Wind”, Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", Gib Guilbeau's "Woman's Disgrace", The Everly Brothers' "Bowling Green" and Doug Kershaw's "Lousiana Man", among others.

Download