fbpx
Wikipedia

Gene Clark

Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944[1] – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds.[2] He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best-known originals from this period, including "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "She Don't Care About Time", "Eight Miles High" and "Set You Free This Time".[2] Although he did not achieve commercial success as a solo artist, Clark was in the vanguard of popular music during much of his career, prefiguring developments in such disparate subgenres as psychedelic rock, baroque pop, newgrass, country rock, and alternative country. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Byrds.

Gene Clark
Background information
Birth nameHarold Eugene Clark
Born(1944-11-17)November 17, 1944
Tipton, Missouri, U.S.
DiedMay 24, 1991(1991-05-24) (aged 46)
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
Years active1963–1991
Labels

Biography edit

Life edit

Clark was born in Tipton, Missouri, the third of 13 children in a family of Irish, German, and Native American heritage.[3] His family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where as a boy he began learning to play the guitar and harmonica from his father.[4] He was soon playing Hank Williams tunes as well as songs by early rockers such as Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers. He began writing songs at the age of 11.[5] By the time he was 15, he had developed a rich tenor voice, and he formed a local rock and roll combo, Joe Meyers and the Sharks.[6] Like many of his generation, Clark developed an interest in folk music because of the popularity of The Kingston Trio. When he graduated from Bonner Springs High School, in Bonner Springs, Kansas, in 1962, he formed a folk group, the Rum Runners.[7]

Formation of the Byrds edit

 
Clark (second from left) as a member of the Byrds in 1965

Clark was invited to join an established regional folk band, the Surf Riders, based in Kansas City at the Castaways Lounge, owned by Hal Harbaum.[8] On August 12, 1963, he was performing with them when he was discovered by the New Christy Minstrels.[9] They hired him, and he recorded two albums with the ensemble before leaving in early 1964.[10] After hearing the Beatles, Clark quit the New Christy Minstrels and moved to Los Angeles, where he met fellow folkie and Beatles convert Jim (later Roger) McGuinn at the Troubadour Club. In early 1964 they began to assemble a band that would become the Byrds.[11]

Clark wrote or co-wrote many of the Byrds' best-known originals from their first three albums, including "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "Set You Free This Time", "Here Without You", "You Won't Have to Cry", "If You're Gone", "The World Turns All Around Her", "She Don't Care About Time" and "Eight Miles High". He initially played rhythm guitar in the band, but relinquished that position to David Crosby and became the tambourine and harmonica player.[12] Bassist Chris Hillman noted years later in an interview remembering Clark, "At one time, he was the power in the Byrds, not McGuinn, not Crosby—it was Gene who would burst through the stage curtain banging on a tambourine, coming on like a young Prince Valiant. A hero, our savior. Few in the audience could take their eyes off this presence. He was the songwriter. He had the 'gift' that none of the rest of us had developed yet.... What deep inner part of his soul conjured up songs like 'Set You Free This Time,' 'I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better,' 'I'm Feelin' Higher,' 'Eight Miles High'? So many great songs! We learned a lot of songwriting from him and in the process learned a little bit about ourselves."[13]

A management decision gave McGuinn the lead vocals for their major singles and Bob Dylan songs. This disappointment, combined with Clark's dislike of traveling (including a chronic fear of flying) and resentment by other band members about the extra income he derived from his songwriting, led to internal squabbling, and he left the group in early 1966.[14] He briefly returned to Kansas City before moving back to Los Angeles to form Gene Clark & the Group with Chip Douglas, Joel Larson, and Bill Rhinehart.[15]

Solo career, brief return to the Byrds and Dillard and Clark edit

Columbia Records (the Byrds' record label) signed Clark as a solo artist, and in 1967 he released his first solo album, Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers. The Gosdin Brothers were selected to back him because they shared the same manager, Jim Dickson, and because Chris Hillman, who played bass on the album, had worked with the Gosdin Brothers in the mid-1960s when he and they were members of the Southern California bluegrass band the Hillmen.[16] The album was a unique mixture of pop, country rock and baroque psychedelic tracks. It received favorable reviews, but unfortunately for Clark, it was released almost simultaneously with the Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday, also on Columbia, and (partly because of his 18-month absence from public attention) was a commercial failure.[17]

With the future of his solo career in doubt, Clark briefly rejoined the Byrds in October 1967 as a replacement for the recently departed David Crosby; following an anxiety attack in Minneapolis, he left after only three weeks.[18] During this brief period with the Byrds, he appeared with the band on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, lip-synching the group's current single, "Goin' Back"; he also performed "Mr. Spaceman" with the band.[19] Although there is some disagreement among the band's biographers, Clark is generally viewed as having contributed background vocals to the songs "Goin' Back" and "Space Odyssey" for the forthcoming Byrds' album The Notorious Byrd Brothers and was an uncredited co-author, with McGuinn, of "Get to You", also from that album.[18]

In 1968, Clark signed with A&M Records and began a collaboration with the banjo player Doug Dillard.[20] Guitarist Bernie Leadon (later with The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Eagles), bassist Dave Jackson and mandolinist Don Beck joined them to form the nucleus of Dillard & Clark; in addition, Michael Clarke briefly drummed for the group before joining The Flying Burrito Brothers.[21] They produced two albums, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark (1968) and Through the Morning, Through the Night (1969).

The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark was a pivotal work of acoustic country rock. It included such enduring songs as "Train Leaves Here This Morning" (a collaboration between Clark and Leadon prominently covered by the latter in 1972 on The Eagles' debut album) and "She Darked the Sun" (covered by Linda Ronstadt on her 1970 album Silk Purse). In contrast, Through the Morning, Through the Night was more indebted to traditional bluegrass but also employed electric instrumentation. By this juncture, Dillard's girlfriend Donna Washburn had joined the group as a backing vocalist, a factor that precipitated the departure of Leadon.[22] The shift to traditional bluegrass also caused Clark to lose interest.[23] Written by Clark, the title song was used by Quincy Jones in the soundtrack of the 1972 Sam Peckinpah film The Getaway; it was also covered by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (along with "Polly," another Clark-penned track from the album) on their 2007 album Raising Sand. Both albums by Dillard & Clark fared poorly on the charts, but they are now regarded as seminal exemplars of the country rock and progressive bluegrass genres.[24] The collaboration with Dillard rejuvenated Clark's creativity but greatly contributed to his growing drinking problem.[25] Dillard & Clark disintegrated in late 1969 after the departures of Clark and Leadon. During this period, Clark, Leadon, Jackson and Beck contributed to the debut album of Steve Young, Rock Salt & Nails, released in November 1969.[26]

In 1970, Clark began work on a new single, recording two tracks with the original members of the Byrds (each recording his part separately). The resulting songs, "She's the Kind of Girl" and "One in a Hundred", were not released at the time, because of legal problems; they were included later on the 1973 album Roadmaster.[27] In 1970 and 1971, Clark contributed vocals and two compositions ("Tried So Hard" and "Here Tonight") to albums by the Flying Burrito Brothers.[28]

Frustrated with the music industry, Clark bought a house in Albion, California and married former go-go dancer and Bell Records production assistant Carlie Lynn McCummings in June 1970, with whom he had two sons (Kelly and Kai Clark). In semi-retirement, he subsisted on his still-substantial Byrds royalties throughout the early 1970s, augmented by income from The Turtles' 1969 American Top Ten hit "You Showed Me", a previously unreleased composition by McGuinn and Clark from 1964 rearranged for the band by Chip Douglas.[29][30]

White Light and Roadmaster edit

In 1971, Clark released his second solo album, White Light (the title was not on the cover sleeve, and thus some later reviewers mistakenly assumed that the title was Gene Clark).[31] The album was produced by the Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, with whom Clark developed a great rapport, partly due to their common ancestry.[32] An intimate, poetic and mostly acoustic work supplemented by Davis's slide guitar, the album contained many introspective tracks, such as "With Tomorrow", "Because of You", "Where My Love Lies Asleep" and "For a Spanish Guitar" (which Bob Dylan reportedly hailed as one of the greatest songs ever written).[33] All of the material was written by Clark, with the exception of Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel's "Tears of Rage". Launched to considerable critical acclaim, the album failed to gain commercial success, except in the Netherlands, where it was voted album of the year by rock music critics.[34] Once more, modest promotion and Clark's refusal to undertake promotional touring adversely affected sales.[35]

In the spring of 1971, Clark was commissioned by Dennis Hopper to contribute the tracks "American Dreamer" and "Outlaw Song" to American Dreamer, a documentary that chronicled the fractious editing process of The Last Movie.[31] A rerecorded, longer version of the song "American Dreamer" was later used in the 1977 film The Farmer, along with an instrumental version of the same song plus "Outside the Law (The Outlaw)", a re-recording of "Outlaw Song".[31]

In 1972, Clark attempted to record a follow-up album. Progress was slow and expensive, and A&M terminated the project before completion.[36] The resulting eight tracks, including "Full Circle Song" and "In a Misty Morning", along with those recorded with the Byrds in 1970 and 1971 ("She's the Kind of Girl" and "One in a Hundred") and with the Flying Burrito Brothers ("Here Tonight"), were released in 1973 as Roadmaster in the Netherlands only.[37]

Byrds edit

Clark left A&M in late 1972 to join a reunion of the original five Byrds. They cut the album Byrds, which was released in March 1973 by Asylum Records. While the album charted relatively well (U.S. No. 20), its placement did not live up to the label's initial expectations in the wake of the recent success of Crosby (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and Hillman (a member of Stephen Stills's band Manassas). Clark's compositions "Full Circle" and "Changing Heart" and the Neil Young covers on which he sang the lead vocal ("See the Sky About to Rain" and "Cowgirl in the Sand") were widely regarded as the standout tracks on the critically divisive album.[38] Disheartened by the bad reviews and unhappy with Crosby's performance as the record's producer, the group members chose to dissolve the band.[39] Clark briefly joined McGuinn's solo group, with which he premiered "Silver Raven", arguably his most celebrated post-Byrds song.[38]

No Other edit

On the basis of the quality of Clark's contributions to Byrds, David Geffen signed him to Asylum Records in early 1974.[40] The label was the home of the most prominent exponents of the singer-songwriter movement of the era and carried the kind of hip cachet that Clark hadn't experienced since his days with the Byrds.[41] While composing the album, he spent long periods with a notebook and an acoustic guitar at the picture window of his home, deriving inspiration from staring at the Pacific Ocean.

Produced by Thomas Jefferson Kaye with a vast array of session musicians (including members of The Section and the Allman Brothers Band) and backing singers, the ensuing No Other fused elements of country rock, folk, gospel, soul and choral music with poetic, mystical lyrics.[42] Although the album was praised by critics, its unconventional arrangements (which anticipated the later innovations of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie)[43] limited public appeal. Furthermore, its high production costs (exceeding $100,000) prompted Geffen to publicly berate Clark and Kaye.[44] The album was minimally promoted and stalled in the Billboard album chart at No. 144.[45] In 2013, members of the bands Beach House, The Walkmen, Grizzly Bear, and Fleet Foxes performed the album in its entirety in a series of concerts.[46]

Clark's return to Los Angeles to record the album resulted in his reversion to a hedonistic lifestyle and accelerated the disintegration of his marriage.[47] Disillusioned by professional and marital failure, he mounted his first solo tour by road, playing colleges and clubs with Roger White (lead guitar and backing vocals) and Duke Bardwell (electric bass, backing vocals and acoustic guitar); the drumless trio was billed as Gene Clark and the Silverados.[48]

In 2019, a remastered/remixed version of No Other was released.

Two Sides to Every Story edit

After the commercial failure of No Other, Clark was confused about his artistic direction. Throughout 1975 and 1976, he had hinted to the press that he was assembling a set of "cosmic" songs fusing country rock with R&B and funk, elaborating on the soundscapes of his most recent album. In 1976, he recorded a set of ten demos that combined country and folk music with a light touch of cosmic consciousness. These were submitted to RSO Records, which promptly bought out Clark's Asylum contract and issued the long-gestating Two Sides to Every Story in 1977. The album—a melange of bluegrass, traditional honky tonk, echoes of No Other ("Sister Moon") and strident country rock (a new arrangement of "Kansas City Southern")—was produced by Kaye with an understated touch.[49]

The emotional fallout from his divorce is reflected in the album title and several of Clark's compositions, including the aforementioned "Sister Moon", "Lonely Saturday", "Past Addresses", "Silent Crusade" and "Hear the Wind". The album also contains covers of the traditional "In the Pines" (a key component of Clark's live repertoire with the Silverados) and "Give My Love to Marie" by James Talley. Once again, his style of sensitive balladry failed to achieve success on the U.S. charts. In a belated attempt to find an appreciative public, he reluctantly overcame his travel anxiety and launched an international promotional tour with the KC Southern Band.[50] Some six weeks before his death in 1991, Clark told interviewer Bill Wasserzieher that he considered Two Sides to Every Story his best album, rivaled only by No Other.[51]

McGuinn, Clark & Hillman edit

For his British tour dates, Clark found himself on the same bill as ex-Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman, each fronting their own bands.[52] Shortly after returning to the United States, Clark and McGuinn began touring as an acoustic duo. After Hillman joined his former bandmates, the reformed trio named themselves McGuinn, Clark & Hillman and signed with Capitol Records.[53] Produced by the Albert Brothers (who had recently recorded Crosby, Stills & Nash's 1977 comeback album), the ensuing McGuinn, Clark & Hillman (1979) was a rebirth in both performing and songwriting for Clark, who ensconced himself as the group's dominant creative force. He wrote four songs for the album, including "Backstage Pass" (a rumination on the ennui of touring and his fear of flying), "Release Me Girl" (a disco-inflected collaboration with Thomas Jefferson Kaye), the UFO-inspired "Feelin' Higher" and "Little Mama".[54]

Many critics felt that the album's slick production and disco-influenced soft rock rhythms didn't flatter the group, but the album reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200 (underpinned by the McGuinn-penned "Don't You Write Her Off", which peaked at No. 33 in May 1979) and earned a RIAA gold certification, selling well enough to generate a follow-up.[55] McGuinn, Clark and Hillman's second release was to have been a full group effort entitled City; although it was ultimately released in 1980, a combination of Clark's unreliability (including experimentation with heroin) and his dissatisfaction with their musical direction (mostly regarding Ron and Howard Albert's production) resulted in the album being credited to "Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman featuring Gene Clark." Despite the turmoil, Clark penned the song "Won't Let You Down". By 1981, Clark had left, and the group recorded one more album as "McGuinn/Hillman".[56]

Rehabilitation, Firebyrd and So Rebellious a Lover edit

Clark moved to Hawaii with Jesse Ed Davis to try to overcome his drug dependency, remaining there until the end of 1981.[57] Upon his return to Los Angeles, he assembled a new band, the Firebyrds, and in 1982 proceeded to record what would eventually become the album Firebyrd. While waiting for the album to be released, Clark joined up with Chris Hillman and others in an abortive venture called Flyte, which failed to secure a recording contract and was quickly dissolved.[58] The eventual release of Firebyrd in 1984 coincided with the emergence of jangle rockers like R.E.M. and Tom Petty, who had sparked a new interest in the Byrds. Clark also began developing new fans among LA's roots-conscious Paisley Underground scene.[59] Later in the decade, he embraced his new status by appearing as a guest with the Long Ryders, in a session arranged by Saul Davis and he cut an acclaimed duo album with Carla Olson of the Textones titled So Rebellious a Lover (including the notable "Gypsy Rider" and "Del Gato") in 1986. The album included contributions from Chris Hillman, Stephen McCarthy (of The Long Ryders) and Randy Fuller (of the Bobby Fuller Four) and was produced and arranged by session drummer Michael Huey.[60]

Later career, illness and death edit

In 1985, Clark approached McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman regarding a reformation of the Byrds in time for the 20th anniversary of the release of "Mr. Tambourine Man".[61] The three of them showed no interest. Clark decided to assemble a "superstar" collection of musicians, including ex-Flying Burrito Brothers and Firefall member Rick Roberts, ex-Beach Boys singer and guitarist Blondie Chaplin, ex-Band members Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, and ex-Byrds Michael Clarke and John York. Clark initially called his band "The 20th Anniversary Tribute to the Byrds" and began performing on the lucrative nostalgia circuit in early 1985.[62] A number of concert promoters began to shorten the band's name to "the Byrds" in advertisements and promotional material.[61] As the band continued to tour throughout 1985, their agent decided to shorten the name to "the Byrds" permanently, to the displeasure of McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman. Clark eventually discontinued performing with his own "Byrds" band, but drummer Clarke continued on with Skip Battin (occasionally with ex-Byrds York and Gene Parsons), forming another "Byrds" group, prompting McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby to go on the road as "the Byrds" in an attempt to establish a claim to the rights to the name. Their effort failed this time; Clark was not included in the reunion, primarily because of his involvement with the act that didn't include them. Crosby finally secured rights to the name in 2002.[63][64]

Despite the critical success of So Rebellious a Lover, which led to several TV appearances (including Nashville Now), Clark was increasingly afflicted with serious health problems, including ulcers and alcohol dependence. In 1988, he underwent surgery to remove a malignant ulcer.

A period of abstinence and recovery followed until Tom Petty covered "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" on Full Moon Fever (1989), yielding a windfall of royalties from the album (which peaked at No. 3 in the United States) to Clark. Flush with money, he began to neglect his professional obligations. Although the circumstances remain nebulous (with Carla Olson citing alleged financial improprieties), the binge also precipitated his final break-up with Terri Messina, who had had a two-decade on-again, off-again relationship with Clark.[65]

During this period, The Byrds set aside their differences long enough to appear together at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1991, at which the original lineup performed several songs together, including Clark's "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better".[66]

Clark's health continued to decline as his substance abuse accelerated, and he was diagnosed with throat cancer in early 1991. He died on May 24, 1991, at the age of 46 from a heart attack as a result of a bleeding ulcer. Drug and alcohol addiction were determined to have contributed to his death.[67] He was buried at St. Andrews Catholic Cemetery in Tipton, Missouri, beneath an epitaph that reads "No Other."[68]

Covers and tribute songs edit

During his career and after his death, Clark's songs have been covered by a number of artists. Iain Matthews was an early promoter of Clark's songs, covering "Polly" on his 1972 album Journeys from Gospel Oak and "Tried So Hard" on his 1974 album Some Days You Eat the Bear. "Tried So Hard" was later covered by Yo la Tengo on Fakebook in 1990. Death in Vegas and Paul Weller covered his song "So You Say You Lost Your Baby" on their 2003 album Scorpio Rising. In 1993 the Scottish band Teenage Fanclub recorded a tribute entitled "Gene Clark" on their album Thirteen.

In 2007, two of his songs were recorded by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant on the T-Bone Burnett–produced Raising Sand: "Polly Come Home" and "Through the Morning, Through the Night." Also in 2007, Chris and Rich Robinson released a live version of "Polly" on their album Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy. This Mortal Coil covered "Strength of Strings" from his album No Other and "With Tomorrow" from his album White Light. Soulsavers with Mark Lanegan recorded a version of "Some Misunderstanding" from No Other on their 2009 release, Broken. The song "Gorgeous" from Kanye West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is based on elements of The Turtles' cover of "You Showed Me".[69]

Documentary edit

A documentary about Clark's life and career, entitled The Byrd Who Flew Alone, was released in 2013, featuring contributions from family, friends, the three surviving original members of the Byrds, latter-day Byrd John York and late-era collaborators Carla Olson and Pat Robinson. The documentary revealed that Clark was suffering from throat cancer at the time of his death.[70]

Discography edit

With The Byrds edit

Studio albums edit

Title Album details
Mr. Tambourine Man
  • Released: June 21, 1965
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP
Turn! Turn! Turn!
  • Released: December 6, 1965
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP
Byrds
  • Released: March 7, 1973
  • Label: Asylum
  • Format: LP

Extended plays edit

Title Released
The Times They Are a-Changin' February 1966
Eight Miles High October 1966

Singles edit

Title Date
"Please Let Me Love You" /

"Don't Be Long"

October 7, 1964
"Mr. Tambourine Man" /

"I Knew I'd Want You"

April 12, 1965
"All I Really Want to Do" /

"I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better"

June 14, 1965
"Turn! Turn! Turn!" /

"She Don't Care About Time"

October 1, 1965
"Set You Free This Time" January 10, 1966
"It Won't Be Wrong" (B-side)
"Eight Miles High" /

"Why"

March 14, 1966
"Full Circle" /

"Long Live the King"

April 11, 1973
"Things Will Be Better" /

"For Free"

April 24, 1973
"Cowgirl in the Sand" /

"Long Live the King"

June 1973

Solo edit

Albums edit

  • Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers (aka Echoes) (1967)
  • White Light (1971)
  • Collector's Series – Early L.A. Sessions (1972)
  • Roadmaster (1973)
  • No Other (1974)
  • Two Sides to Every Story (1977)
  • Firebyrd (1984)
  • Gypsy Angel – The Gene Clark Demos 1983–1990 (2001)
  • Under the Silvery Moon (2003)
  • Silverado Live & Unreleased (2008)
  • Here Tonight – The White Light Demos (2013)
  • Back Street Mirror (2018)
  • The Lost Studio Sessions 1964–1982 (2018)

Collaborations edit

References edit

  1. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 6. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  2. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Gene Clark Biography". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  3. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 2–4. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  4. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 23. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  5. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 24. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  6. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 25. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  7. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 28. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  8. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  9. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 31. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  10. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 33–39. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  11. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 44. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  12. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  13. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited, the Sequel. London: Rogan House. pp. 512–513. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  14. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 88. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  15. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 97–109. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  16. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 113. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  17. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 116–117. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  18. ^ a b Einarson, John. (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 126–127. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  19. ^ Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  20. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 130. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  21. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 131. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  22. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 147. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  23. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 149. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  24. ^ Hoskyns, Barney (2006). Hotel California: The True-Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles and Their Many Friends. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 65. ISBN 0-471-73173-0.
  25. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 134. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  26. ^ Unterberger, Richie (2003). Eight Miles High: Folk-Rock's Flight from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 191. ISBN 0-87930-743-9.
  27. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. pp. 161–162. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  28. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 164. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  29. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London: Rogan House. p. 487. ISBN 978-0-9529540-1-9.
  30. ^ Bush, John. "The Turtles | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  31. ^ a b c Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 167. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  32. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 4. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  33. ^ Hoskyns, Barney (2006). Hotel California: The True-Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles and Their Many Friends. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 157. ISBN 0-471-73173-0.
  34. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 168. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  35. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited, the Sequel. London: Rogan House. p. 486. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  36. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 176. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  37. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 487. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  38. ^ a b Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 182. ISBN 0-95295-401-X.
  39. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited, the Sequel. London: Rogan House. p. 354. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  40. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 369. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  41. ^ Hoskyns, Barney (2006). Hotel California: The True Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles and Their Many Friends. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 140. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  42. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 488. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  43. ^ "No Other – Gene Clark – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  44. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 192. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  45. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 193. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  46. ^ "Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Walkmen, Grizzly Bear Members to Perform Gene Clark's No Other on Tour | News". Pitchfork. December 3, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  47. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 189. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  48. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. p. 194. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  49. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  50. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. pp. 490–491. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  51. ^ Wasserzieher, Bill. In Memoriam: The Byrds' Gene Clark (1944–1991). www.rocksbackpages.com, September 1991.
  52. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  53. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 382. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  54. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. pp. 385–387. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  55. ^ "McGuinn, Clark & Hillman – Chart history". Billboard. May 12, 1979. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  56. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. pp. 227–231. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  57. ^ Rogan, Johnny (2008). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel. London England: Rogan House. p. 492. ISBN 978-0-95295-401-9.
  58. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. pp. 239–242. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  59. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco CA: Backbeat Books. pp. 250–251. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  60. ^ "Michael Huey – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  61. ^ a b Connors, Tim. . ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  62. ^ Einarson, John. (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. p. 255. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  63. ^ Rogers, Terry Jones. . terryjonesrogers.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  64. ^ Varga, George (September 24, 2006). . San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  65. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 286. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  66. ^ "The Byrds Setlist at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony #6". setlist.fm. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  67. ^ Torn, Luke (September 20, 2019). "Gene Clark remembered: "Genius and insanity hand in hand…"". Uncut. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  68. ^ "What happened to GENE CLARK?". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  69. ^ My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (CD booklet). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2010. p. 11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  70. ^ ""The Byrd Who Flew Alone: The Triumphs And Tragedy Of Gene Clark" Documentary". www.foursunsproductions.com. Retrieved October 30, 2013.

External links edit

gene, clark, other, people, named, disambiguation, harold, eugene, clark, november, 1944, 1991, american, singer, songwriter, founding, member, folk, rock, band, byrds, byrds, principal, songwriter, between, 1964, early, 1966, writing, most, band, best, known,. For other people named Gene Clark see Gene Clark disambiguation Harold Eugene Clark November 17 1944 1 May 24 1991 was an American singer songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds 2 He was the Byrds principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966 writing most of the band s best known originals from this period including I ll Feel a Whole Lot Better She Don t Care About Time Eight Miles High and Set You Free This Time 2 Although he did not achieve commercial success as a solo artist Clark was in the vanguard of popular music during much of his career prefiguring developments in such disparate subgenres as psychedelic rock baroque pop newgrass country rock and alternative country He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Byrds Gene ClarkBackground informationBirth nameHarold Eugene ClarkBorn 1944 11 17 November 17 1944Tipton Missouri U S DiedMay 24 1991 1991 05 24 aged 46 Sherman Oaks California U S GenresRockcountry rockfolk rockfolkcountrybluegrassAmericanaOccupation s Musician singer songwriterInstrument s VocalsguitarharmonicatambourineYears active1963 1991LabelsColumbiaA amp MAsylumRSOCapitolTakomaSierra Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Life 1 2 Formation of the Byrds 1 3 Solo career brief return to the Byrds and Dillard and Clark 1 4 White Light and Roadmaster 1 5 Byrds 1 6 No Other 1 7 Two Sides to Every Story 1 8 McGuinn Clark amp Hillman 1 9 Rehabilitation Firebyrd and So Rebellious a Lover 1 10 Later career illness and death 1 11 Covers and tribute songs 2 Documentary 3 Discography 3 1 With The Byrds 3 1 1 Studio albums 3 1 2 Extended plays 3 1 3 Singles 3 2 Solo 3 2 1 Albums 3 2 2 Collaborations 4 References 5 External linksBiography editLife edit Clark was born in Tipton Missouri the third of 13 children in a family of Irish German and Native American heritage 3 His family moved to Kansas City Missouri where as a boy he began learning to play the guitar and harmonica from his father 4 He was soon playing Hank Williams tunes as well as songs by early rockers such as Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers He began writing songs at the age of 11 5 By the time he was 15 he had developed a rich tenor voice and he formed a local rock and roll combo Joe Meyers and the Sharks 6 Like many of his generation Clark developed an interest in folk music because of the popularity of The Kingston Trio When he graduated from Bonner Springs High School in Bonner Springs Kansas in 1962 he formed a folk group the Rum Runners 7 Formation of the Byrds edit nbsp Clark second from left as a member of the Byrds in 1965Clark was invited to join an established regional folk band the Surf Riders based in Kansas City at the Castaways Lounge owned by Hal Harbaum 8 On August 12 1963 he was performing with them when he was discovered by the New Christy Minstrels 9 They hired him and he recorded two albums with the ensemble before leaving in early 1964 10 After hearing the Beatles Clark quit the New Christy Minstrels and moved to Los Angeles where he met fellow folkie and Beatles convert Jim later Roger McGuinn at the Troubadour Club In early 1964 they began to assemble a band that would become the Byrds 11 Clark wrote or co wrote many of the Byrds best known originals from their first three albums including I ll Feel a Whole Lot Better Set You Free This Time Here Without You You Won t Have to Cry If You re Gone The World Turns All Around Her She Don t Care About Time and Eight Miles High He initially played rhythm guitar in the band but relinquished that position to David Crosby and became the tambourine and harmonica player 12 Bassist Chris Hillman noted years later in an interview remembering Clark At one time he was the power in the Byrds not McGuinn not Crosby it was Gene who would burst through the stage curtain banging on a tambourine coming on like a young Prince Valiant A hero our savior Few in the audience could take their eyes off this presence He was the songwriter He had the gift that none of the rest of us had developed yet What deep inner part of his soul conjured up songs like Set You Free This Time I ll Feel A Whole Lot Better I m Feelin Higher Eight Miles High So many great songs We learned a lot of songwriting from him and in the process learned a little bit about ourselves 13 A management decision gave McGuinn the lead vocals for their major singles and Bob Dylan songs This disappointment combined with Clark s dislike of traveling including a chronic fear of flying and resentment by other band members about the extra income he derived from his songwriting led to internal squabbling and he left the group in early 1966 14 He briefly returned to Kansas City before moving back to Los Angeles to form Gene Clark amp the Group with Chip Douglas Joel Larson and Bill Rhinehart 15 Solo career brief return to the Byrds and Dillard and Clark edit Columbia Records the Byrds record label signed Clark as a solo artist and in 1967 he released his first solo album Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers The Gosdin Brothers were selected to back him because they shared the same manager Jim Dickson and because Chris Hillman who played bass on the album had worked with the Gosdin Brothers in the mid 1960s when he and they were members of the Southern California bluegrass band the Hillmen 16 The album was a unique mixture of pop country rock and baroque psychedelic tracks It received favorable reviews but unfortunately for Clark it was released almost simultaneously with the Byrds Younger Than Yesterday also on Columbia and partly because of his 18 month absence from public attention was a commercial failure 17 With the future of his solo career in doubt Clark briefly rejoined the Byrds in October 1967 as a replacement for the recently departed David Crosby following an anxiety attack in Minneapolis he left after only three weeks 18 During this brief period with the Byrds he appeared with the band on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour lip synching the group s current single Goin Back he also performed Mr Spaceman with the band 19 Although there is some disagreement among the band s biographers Clark is generally viewed as having contributed background vocals to the songs Goin Back and Space Odyssey for the forthcoming Byrds album The Notorious Byrd Brothers and was an uncredited co author with McGuinn of Get to You also from that album 18 In 1968 Clark signed with A amp M Records and began a collaboration with the banjo player Doug Dillard 20 Guitarist Bernie Leadon later with The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Eagles bassist Dave Jackson and mandolinist Don Beck joined them to form the nucleus of Dillard amp Clark in addition Michael Clarke briefly drummed for the group before joining The Flying Burrito Brothers 21 They produced two albums The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard amp Clark 1968 and Through the Morning Through the Night 1969 The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard amp Clark was a pivotal work of acoustic country rock It included such enduring songs as Train Leaves Here This Morning a collaboration between Clark and Leadon prominently covered by the latter in 1972 on The Eagles debut album and She Darked the Sun covered by Linda Ronstadt on her 1970 album Silk Purse In contrast Through the Morning Through the Night was more indebted to traditional bluegrass but also employed electric instrumentation By this juncture Dillard s girlfriend Donna Washburn had joined the group as a backing vocalist a factor that precipitated the departure of Leadon 22 The shift to traditional bluegrass also caused Clark to lose interest 23 Written by Clark the title song was used by Quincy Jones in the soundtrack of the 1972 Sam Peckinpah film The Getaway it was also covered by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss along with Polly another Clark penned track from the album on their 2007 album Raising Sand Both albums by Dillard amp Clark fared poorly on the charts but they are now regarded as seminal exemplars of the country rock and progressive bluegrass genres 24 The collaboration with Dillard rejuvenated Clark s creativity but greatly contributed to his growing drinking problem 25 Dillard amp Clark disintegrated in late 1969 after the departures of Clark and Leadon During this period Clark Leadon Jackson and Beck contributed to the debut album of Steve Young Rock Salt amp Nails released in November 1969 26 In 1970 Clark began work on a new single recording two tracks with the original members of the Byrds each recording his part separately The resulting songs She s the Kind of Girl and One in a Hundred were not released at the time because of legal problems they were included later on the 1973 album Roadmaster 27 In 1970 and 1971 Clark contributed vocals and two compositions Tried So Hard and Here Tonight to albums by the Flying Burrito Brothers 28 Frustrated with the music industry Clark bought a house in Albion California and married former go go dancer and Bell Records production assistant Carlie Lynn McCummings in June 1970 with whom he had two sons Kelly and Kai Clark In semi retirement he subsisted on his still substantial Byrds royalties throughout the early 1970s augmented by income from The Turtles 1969 American Top Ten hit You Showed Me a previously unreleased composition by McGuinn and Clark from 1964 rearranged for the band by Chip Douglas 29 30 White Light and Roadmaster edit In 1971 Clark released his second solo album White Light the title was not on the cover sleeve and thus some later reviewers mistakenly assumed that the title was Gene Clark 31 The album was produced by the Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis with whom Clark developed a great rapport partly due to their common ancestry 32 An intimate poetic and mostly acoustic work supplemented by Davis s slide guitar the album contained many introspective tracks such as With Tomorrow Because of You Where My Love Lies Asleep and For a Spanish Guitar which Bob Dylan reportedly hailed as one of the greatest songs ever written 33 All of the material was written by Clark with the exception of Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel s Tears of Rage Launched to considerable critical acclaim the album failed to gain commercial success except in the Netherlands where it was voted album of the year by rock music critics 34 Once more modest promotion and Clark s refusal to undertake promotional touring adversely affected sales 35 In the spring of 1971 Clark was commissioned by Dennis Hopper to contribute the tracks American Dreamer and Outlaw Song to American Dreamer a documentary that chronicled the fractious editing process of The Last Movie 31 A rerecorded longer version of the song American Dreamer was later used in the 1977 film The Farmer along with an instrumental version of the same song plus Outside the Law The Outlaw a re recording of Outlaw Song 31 In 1972 Clark attempted to record a follow up album Progress was slow and expensive and A amp M terminated the project before completion 36 The resulting eight tracks including Full Circle Song and In a Misty Morning along with those recorded with the Byrds in 1970 and 1971 She s the Kind of Girl and One in a Hundred and with the Flying Burrito Brothers Here Tonight were released in 1973 as Roadmaster in the Netherlands only 37 Byrds edit Clark left A amp M in late 1972 to join a reunion of the original five Byrds They cut the album Byrds which was released in March 1973 by Asylum Records While the album charted relatively well U S No 20 its placement did not live up to the label s initial expectations in the wake of the recent success of Crosby Crosby Stills Nash amp Young and Hillman a member of Stephen Stills s band Manassas Clark s compositions Full Circle and Changing Heart and the Neil Young covers on which he sang the lead vocal See the Sky About to Rain and Cowgirl in the Sand were widely regarded as the standout tracks on the critically divisive album 38 Disheartened by the bad reviews and unhappy with Crosby s performance as the record s producer the group members chose to dissolve the band 39 Clark briefly joined McGuinn s solo group with which he premiered Silver Raven arguably his most celebrated post Byrds song 38 No Other edit On the basis of the quality of Clark s contributions to Byrds David Geffen signed him to Asylum Records in early 1974 40 The label was the home of the most prominent exponents of the singer songwriter movement of the era and carried the kind of hip cachet that Clark hadn t experienced since his days with the Byrds 41 While composing the album he spent long periods with a notebook and an acoustic guitar at the picture window of his home deriving inspiration from staring at the Pacific Ocean Produced by Thomas Jefferson Kaye with a vast array of session musicians including members of The Section and the Allman Brothers Band and backing singers the ensuing No Other fused elements of country rock folk gospel soul and choral music with poetic mystical lyrics 42 Although the album was praised by critics its unconventional arrangements which anticipated the later innovations of Lindsey Buckingham Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie 43 limited public appeal Furthermore its high production costs exceeding 100 000 prompted Geffen to publicly berate Clark and Kaye 44 The album was minimally promoted and stalled in the Billboard album chart at No 144 45 In 2013 members of the bands Beach House The Walkmen Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes performed the album in its entirety in a series of concerts 46 Clark s return to Los Angeles to record the album resulted in his reversion to a hedonistic lifestyle and accelerated the disintegration of his marriage 47 Disillusioned by professional and marital failure he mounted his first solo tour by road playing colleges and clubs with Roger White lead guitar and backing vocals and Duke Bardwell electric bass backing vocals and acoustic guitar the drumless trio was billed as Gene Clark and the Silverados 48 In 2019 a remastered remixed version of No Other was released Two Sides to Every Story edit After the commercial failure of No Other Clark was confused about his artistic direction Throughout 1975 and 1976 he had hinted to the press that he was assembling a set of cosmic songs fusing country rock with R amp B and funk elaborating on the soundscapes of his most recent album In 1976 he recorded a set of ten demos that combined country and folk music with a light touch of cosmic consciousness These were submitted to RSO Records which promptly bought out Clark s Asylum contract and issued the long gestating Two Sides to Every Story in 1977 The album a melange of bluegrass traditional honky tonk echoes of No Other Sister Moon and strident country rock a new arrangement of Kansas City Southern was produced by Kaye with an understated touch 49 The emotional fallout from his divorce is reflected in the album title and several of Clark s compositions including the aforementioned Sister Moon Lonely Saturday Past Addresses Silent Crusade and Hear the Wind The album also contains covers of the traditional In the Pines a key component of Clark s live repertoire with the Silverados and Give My Love to Marie by James Talley Once again his style of sensitive balladry failed to achieve success on the U S charts In a belated attempt to find an appreciative public he reluctantly overcame his travel anxiety and launched an international promotional tour with the KC Southern Band 50 Some six weeks before his death in 1991 Clark told interviewer Bill Wasserzieher that he considered Two Sides to Every Story his best album rivaled only by No Other 51 McGuinn Clark amp Hillman edit For his British tour dates Clark found himself on the same bill as ex Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman each fronting their own bands 52 Shortly after returning to the United States Clark and McGuinn began touring as an acoustic duo After Hillman joined his former bandmates the reformed trio named themselves McGuinn Clark amp Hillman and signed with Capitol Records 53 Produced by the Albert Brothers who had recently recorded Crosby Stills amp Nash s 1977 comeback album the ensuing McGuinn Clark amp Hillman 1979 was a rebirth in both performing and songwriting for Clark who ensconced himself as the group s dominant creative force He wrote four songs for the album including Backstage Pass a rumination on the ennui of touring and his fear of flying Release Me Girl a disco inflected collaboration with Thomas Jefferson Kaye the UFO inspired Feelin Higher and Little Mama 54 Many critics felt that the album s slick production and disco influenced soft rock rhythms didn t flatter the group but the album reached No 39 on the Billboard 200 underpinned by the McGuinn penned Don t You Write Her Off which peaked at No 33 in May 1979 and earned a RIAA gold certification selling well enough to generate a follow up 55 McGuinn Clark and Hillman s second release was to have been a full group effort entitled City although it was ultimately released in 1980 a combination of Clark s unreliability including experimentation with heroin and his dissatisfaction with their musical direction mostly regarding Ron and Howard Albert s production resulted in the album being credited to Roger McGuinn amp Chris Hillman featuring Gene Clark Despite the turmoil Clark penned the song Won t Let You Down By 1981 Clark had left and the group recorded one more album as McGuinn Hillman 56 Rehabilitation Firebyrd and So Rebellious a Lover edit Clark moved to Hawaii with Jesse Ed Davis to try to overcome his drug dependency remaining there until the end of 1981 57 Upon his return to Los Angeles he assembled a new band the Firebyrds and in 1982 proceeded to record what would eventually become the album Firebyrd While waiting for the album to be released Clark joined up with Chris Hillman and others in an abortive venture called Flyte which failed to secure a recording contract and was quickly dissolved 58 The eventual release of Firebyrd in 1984 coincided with the emergence of jangle rockers like R E M and Tom Petty who had sparked a new interest in the Byrds Clark also began developing new fans among LA s roots conscious Paisley Underground scene 59 Later in the decade he embraced his new status by appearing as a guest with the Long Ryders in a session arranged by Saul Davis and he cut an acclaimed duo album with Carla Olson of the Textones titled So Rebellious a Lover including the notable Gypsy Rider and Del Gato in 1986 The album included contributions from Chris Hillman Stephen McCarthy of The Long Ryders and Randy Fuller of the Bobby Fuller Four and was produced and arranged by session drummer Michael Huey 60 Later career illness and death edit In 1985 Clark approached McGuinn Crosby and Hillman regarding a reformation of the Byrds in time for the 20th anniversary of the release of Mr Tambourine Man 61 The three of them showed no interest Clark decided to assemble a superstar collection of musicians including ex Flying Burrito Brothers and Firefall member Rick Roberts ex Beach Boys singer and guitarist Blondie Chaplin ex Band members Rick Danko and Richard Manuel and ex Byrds Michael Clarke and John York Clark initially called his band The 20th Anniversary Tribute to the Byrds and began performing on the lucrative nostalgia circuit in early 1985 62 A number of concert promoters began to shorten the band s name to the Byrds in advertisements and promotional material 61 As the band continued to tour throughout 1985 their agent decided to shorten the name to the Byrds permanently to the displeasure of McGuinn Crosby and Hillman Clark eventually discontinued performing with his own Byrds band but drummer Clarke continued on with Skip Battin occasionally with ex Byrds York and Gene Parsons forming another Byrds group prompting McGuinn Hillman and Crosby to go on the road as the Byrds in an attempt to establish a claim to the rights to the name Their effort failed this time Clark was not included in the reunion primarily because of his involvement with the act that didn t include them Crosby finally secured rights to the name in 2002 63 64 Despite the critical success of So Rebellious a Lover which led to several TV appearances including Nashville Now Clark was increasingly afflicted with serious health problems including ulcers and alcohol dependence In 1988 he underwent surgery to remove a malignant ulcer A period of abstinence and recovery followed until Tom Petty covered I ll Feel a Whole Lot Better on Full Moon Fever 1989 yielding a windfall of royalties from the album which peaked at No 3 in the United States to Clark Flush with money he began to neglect his professional obligations Although the circumstances remain nebulous with Carla Olson citing alleged financial improprieties the binge also precipitated his final break up with Terri Messina who had had a two decade on again off again relationship with Clark 65 During this period The Byrds set aside their differences long enough to appear together at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1991 at which the original lineup performed several songs together including Clark s I ll Feel a Whole Lot Better 66 Clark s health continued to decline as his substance abuse accelerated and he was diagnosed with throat cancer in early 1991 He died on May 24 1991 at the age of 46 from a heart attack as a result of a bleeding ulcer Drug and alcohol addiction were determined to have contributed to his death 67 He was buried at St Andrews Catholic Cemetery in Tipton Missouri beneath an epitaph that reads No Other 68 Covers and tribute songs edit During his career and after his death Clark s songs have been covered by a number of artists Iain Matthews was an early promoter of Clark s songs covering Polly on his 1972 album Journeys from Gospel Oak and Tried So Hard on his 1974 album Some Days You Eat the Bear Tried So Hard was later covered by Yo la Tengo on Fakebook in 1990 Death in Vegas and Paul Weller covered his song So You Say You Lost Your Baby on their 2003 album Scorpio Rising In 1993 the Scottish band Teenage Fanclub recorded a tribute entitled Gene Clark on their album Thirteen In 2007 two of his songs were recorded by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant on the T Bone Burnett produced Raising Sand Polly Come Home and Through the Morning Through the Night Also in 2007 Chris and Rich Robinson released a live version of Polly on their album Brothers of a Feather Live at the Roxy This Mortal Coil covered Strength of Strings from his album No Other and With Tomorrow from his album White Light Soulsavers with Mark Lanegan recorded a version of Some Misunderstanding from No Other on their 2009 release Broken The song Gorgeous from Kanye West s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is based on elements of The Turtles cover of You Showed Me 69 Documentary editA documentary about Clark s life and career entitled The Byrd Who Flew Alone was released in 2013 featuring contributions from family friends the three surviving original members of the Byrds latter day Byrd John York and late era collaborators Carla Olson and Pat Robinson The documentary revealed that Clark was suffering from throat cancer at the time of his death 70 Discography editWith The Byrds edit Main article The Byrds discography Studio albums edit Title Album detailsMr Tambourine Man Released June 21 1965 Label Columbia Format LPTurn Turn Turn Released December 6 1965 Label Columbia Format LPByrds Released March 7 1973 Label Asylum Format LPExtended plays edit Title ReleasedThe Times They Are a Changin February 1966Eight Miles High October 1966Singles edit Title Date Please Let Me Love You Don t Be Long October 7 1964 Mr Tambourine Man I Knew I d Want You April 12 1965 All I Really Want to Do I ll Feel a Whole Lot Better June 14 1965 Turn Turn Turn She Don t Care About Time October 1 1965 Set You Free This Time January 10 1966 It Won t Be Wrong B side Eight Miles High Why March 14 1966 Full Circle Long Live the King April 11 1973 Things Will Be Better For Free April 24 1973 Cowgirl in the Sand Long Live the King June 1973Solo edit Main article Gene Clark discography Albums edit Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers aka Echoes 1967 White Light 1971 Collector s Series Early L A Sessions 1972 Roadmaster 1973 No Other 1974 Two Sides to Every Story 1977 Firebyrd 1984 Gypsy Angel The Gene Clark Demos 1983 1990 2001 Under the Silvery Moon 2003 Silverado Live amp Unreleased 2008 Here Tonight The White Light Demos 2013 Back Street Mirror 2018 The Lost Studio Sessions 1964 1982 2018 Collaborations edit The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard amp Clark 1968 with Doug Dillard Through the Morning Through the Night 1969 with Doug Dillard McGuinn Clark amp Hillman 1979 with Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman City 1980 with Roger Mcguinn and Chris Hillman So Rebellious a Lover 1987 with Carla Olson Silhouetted in Light Live in Concert 1992 with Carla Olson References edit Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 6 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 a b Deming Mark Gene Clark Biography AllMusic Rovi Retrieved July 17 2013 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 2 4 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 23 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 24 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 25 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 28 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 29 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 31 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 33 39 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 44 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 50 51 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited the Sequel London Rogan House pp 512 513 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 88 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 97 109 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 113 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 116 117 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 a b Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 126 127 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Hjort Christopher 2008 So You Want to Be a Rock n Roll Star The Byrds Day By Day 1965 1973 Jawbone Press p 148 ISBN 978 1 906002 15 2 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 130 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 131 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 147 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 149 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Hoskyns Barney 2006 Hotel California The True Life Adventures of Crosby Stills Nash Young Mitchell Taylor Browne Ronstadt Geffen the Eagles and Their Many Friends Hoboken New Jersey John Wiley amp Sons p 65 ISBN 0 471 73173 0 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 134 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Unterberger Richie 2003 Eight Miles High Folk Rock s Flight from Haight Ashbury to Woodstock San Francisco Backbeat Books p 191 ISBN 0 87930 743 9 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books pp 161 162 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 164 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London Rogan House p 487 ISBN 978 0 9529540 1 9 Bush John The Turtles Awards AllMusic Retrieved October 14 2015 a b c Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 167 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 4 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Hoskyns Barney 2006 Hotel California The True Life Adventures of Crosby Stills Nash Young Mitchell Taylor Browne Ronstadt Geffen the Eagles and Their Many Friends Hoboken New Jersey John Wiley amp Sons p 157 ISBN 0 471 73173 0 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 168 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited the Sequel London Rogan House p 486 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 176 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 487 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 a b Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 182 ISBN 0 95295 401 X Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited the Sequel London Rogan House p 354 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 369 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Hoskyns Barney 2006 Hotel California The True Life Adventures of Crosby Stills Nash Young Mitchell Taylor Browne Ronstadt Geffen the Eagles and Their Many Friends Hoboken New Jersey Wiley amp Sons Inc p 140 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 488 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 No Other Gene Clark Songs Reviews Credits AllMusic AllMusic Retrieved June 21 2018 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 192 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 193 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Beach House Fleet Foxes Walkmen Grizzly Bear Members to Perform Gene Clark s No Other on Tour News Pitchfork December 3 2013 Retrieved April 17 2014 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 189 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books p 194 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 370 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House pp 490 491 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Wasserzieher Bill In Memoriam The Byrds Gene Clark 1944 1991 www rocksbackpages com September 1991 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 372 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 382 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House pp 385 387 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 McGuinn Clark amp Hillman Chart history Billboard May 12 1979 Retrieved October 14 2015 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books pp 227 231 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogan Johnny 2008 The Byrds Timeless Flight Revisited The Sequel London England Rogan House p 492 ISBN 978 0 95295 401 9 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books pp 239 242 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco CA Backbeat Books pp 250 251 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Michael Huey Credits AllMusic AllMusic Retrieved July 8 2017 a b Connors Tim Byrds v Byrds The 20th Anniversary Tribute to The Byrds 1984 1988 ByrdWatcher A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles Archived from the original on April 29 2010 Retrieved May 25 2010 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of The Byrds Gene Clark Backbeat Books p 255 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 Rogers Terry Jones Younger Than Yesterday Biography terryjonesrogers com Archived from the original on July 16 2011 Retrieved April 25 2011 Varga George September 24 2006 CD Proves to Everything There Is a Season San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on October 18 2012 Retrieved April 25 2011 Einarson John 2005 Mr Tambourine Man The Life and Legacy of the Byrds Gene Clark San Francisco Backbeat Books p 286 ISBN 0 87930 793 5 The Byrds Setlist at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 6 setlist fm Retrieved July 8 2017 Torn Luke September 20 2019 Gene Clark remembered Genius and insanity hand in hand Uncut Retrieved January 19 2022 What happened to GENE CLARK YouTube Archived from the original on December 21 2021 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy CD booklet Kanye West Roc A Fella Records 2010 p 11 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link The Byrd Who Flew Alone The Triumphs And Tragedy Of Gene Clark Documentary www foursunsproductions com Retrieved October 30 2013 External links editGene Clark biography at Country Music Television Gene Clark discography at Byrds Flyght Archived March 20 2015 at the Wayback Machine Gene Clark at AllMusic Gene Clark discography at Discogs Gene Clark The once again Byrd A true American dreamer Gene Clark at Find a Grave Gene Clark com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gene Clark amp oldid 1204740677, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.