Gene Clark Solo Albums-album by album & *now* track by track on p. 23*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by lemonade kid, Jan 23, 2018.

  1. indigo_m

    indigo_m @Neon_Brambles

    Location:
    Tipton, MO
    Or just the imagery of a "silver" raven
     
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  2. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

    I don't think it's hard to imagine he got the idea of a "silver raven" from his wife's shoes. What's ridiculous is concluding from that that that is what the song is "about."

    Wow, three "that"s in a row....Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo...
     
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  3. I suspect it's more that Geffen didn't like what he heard from the album especially given what Gene had recorded before. Perhaps he was expecting something like The Byrds or Gene's "White Light" ("Gene Clark") album. I think that Geffen wanted something like the Eagles figured that Gene would provide it. None of us was there so there's no way to figure out a definitive answer, perhaps it was something as simple as Geffen making a pass at Gene or words that were traded (rather than a physical altercation). There's no way for sure to know--ever as the only person directly involved was Geffen and he hasn't illuminated it either.

    One thing is for certain the cover and back cover photo certainly didn't help.
     
  4. I love the unadorned versions added as bonus tracks on the Rhino reissue as well especially "Silver Raven". Regardless of how one feels about the sound of the album, the songs themselves are brilliant and stand on their own.
     
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  5. Wright

    Wright Forum Resident

    I could never figure out the problem with the back cover of No Other. It's a small photo, proportionally speaking, and to me, Gene blends in with the other '20s figures in the artwork.
     
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  6. indigo_m

    indigo_m @Neon_Brambles

    Location:
    Tipton, MO
    Exactly.
     
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  7. indigo_m

    indigo_m @Neon_Brambles

    Location:
    Tipton, MO
    Even if Geffen hated the music and the cover and Gene, it doesn't make sense that he would kill it and just write off that much money. But you're right, we probably will never know the full story since Gene is gone and Geffen ain't talkun'.
     
  8. jkauff

    jkauff Senior Member

    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Just a guess, but it's possible Geffen thought he would get a country rock album or a "sensitive singer-songwriter" album of the kind he was used to marketing. I'm not sure how anyone could have marketed No Other, just like WB couldn't market Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle. After all, there's not a large audience for unique masterpieces.

    In any case, you can bet the money was simply advanced to Gene and that he technically owed it to Asylum Records. Then they took a tax deduction on the loss. Standard operating procedure in the music business.
     
  9. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    1974 Gene Clark – No Other

    1 Life’s Greatest Fool

    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Russ Kunkel
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Guitar Jesse Ed Davis
    Guitar Steve Bruton
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Percussion Joe Lala
    Background Vocals Carlene Williams
    Background Vocals Cindy Bullens
    Background Vocals Claudia Linnear
    Background Vocals Clydie King
    Background Vocals Ronnie Barron
    Background Vocals Sherlie Matthews
    Background Vocals Venetta Fields
    Vocals Gene Clark
    2 Silver Raven
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Russ Kunkel
    Guitar Danny Kortchmar
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Guitar Jesse Ed Davis
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Background Vocals Timothy B. Schmit
    Background Vocals Cindy Bullens
    Background Vocals Claudia Linnear
    Background Vocals Ronnie Barron
    Vocals Gene Clark
    3 No Other
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Butch Trucks
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Percussion Joe Lala
    Background Vocals Cindy Bullens
    Background Vocals Claudia Linnear
    Background Vocals Ronnie Barron
    Background Vocals Timothy B. Schmit
    Vocals Gene Clark
    4 Strength Of Strings
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Russ Kunkel
    Guitar Buzz Feiten
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Keyboards Craig Doerge
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Violin Richard Greene
    Background Vocals Cindy Bullens
    Background Vocals Claudia Linnear
    Background Vocals Ronnie Barron
    Background Vocals Timothy B. Schmit
    Vocals Gene Clark
    5 From A Silver Phial
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Russ Kunkel
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Guitar Jesse Ed Davis
    Mandolin Chris Hillman
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Vocals Lalah Hathaway
    Background Vocals Timothy B. Schmit
    Vocals Gene Clark
    6 Some Misunderstanding
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Russ Kunkel
    Guitar Buzz Feiten
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Guitar Steve Bruton
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Organ Bill Cuomo
    Violin Richard Greene
    Background Vocals Carlene Williams
    Background Vocals Cindy Bullens
    Background Vocals Claudia Linnear
    Background Vocals Clydie King
    Background Vocals Ronnie Barron
    Background Vocals Sherlie Matthews
    Background Vocals Venetta Fields
    Vocals Gene Clark
    7 The True One
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Butch Trucks
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Keyboards Mike Utley
    Percussion Joe Lala
    Vocals Gene Clark
    8 Lady Of The North
    Bass Leland Sklar
    Drums Russ Kunkel
    Guitar Gene Clark
    Guitar Jerry McGee
    Guitar Mike Utley
    Keyboards Craig Doerge
    Violin Richard Greene
    Vocals Gene Clark
     
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  10. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    I asked Dylan once, Did you make Gene Clark famous? And he said, No, Gene Clark made me famous.
    -Bobby Neuwirth
     
  11. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing Thread Starter

    Good to hear.
     
  12. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    Billboard

    Billboard's Top Album Picks

    From October 5, 1974

    Gene Clark-No Other,
    Asylum 7E-1016 (Elektra)
    Gene Clark has long been somewhat of a legend among music fans
    as well as those in the business, following his stints as a original Byrd,
    a member of the Dillard & Clark Expedition and several excellent solo
    efforts. Now he's back with his usual superb mix of country and rock
    tunes, his melodic vocals and his beautiful set of songs. The complaint
    has long been that Clark was not commercial. Perhaps he was just a bit
    ahead of his time, for with the growing popularity of country-like material
    and the move by many artists from the long, often boring "concept" and
    "intellectual" material of recent years to simpler things, Clark seems in the
    forefront rather than on the fringes. A magnificent effort.
    Best cuts: "Life's Greatest Fool," "Silver Raven," "From A Silver Phial,"
    "Some Misunderstanding," "Lady Of The North."
    Dealers: Clark has a hard core of fans, so let them know he's back.
     
  13. Safeway 1

    Safeway 1 "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"

    Location:
    Manzanillo, Mexico
    And maybe "Blue Raven" was written about her purse!
     
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  14. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing Thread Starter

    Now that would have been a good song--"A Blue Purse & Silver Boots".
     
  15. cedarbrew

    cedarbrew Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    To square the circle, I have another Gene Clark related tribute band story. He was touring with Rick Danko, Blondie Chaplin, maybe Sneaky Pete, and a few others that I can't remember (Rick Roberts? Michael Clarke?) in a Byrds tribute band in the mid-80s, 1985 I think when I saw them in the Bay Area (the other Byrds weren't thrilled about that name use, IIRC). It was a really enjoyable and unique show, and Gene and Rick Danko seemed to be smiling constantly and digging playing together quite a bit. Blondie Chaplin sang a version of Can't find my way back Home that was haunting and seemed every bit as good to me at the time as Blind Faith's.

    I mentioned in an earlier post here that I bought the No Other LP about when it came out. But then I went back and saw it was released in 1974. I came upon Gene Clark through the Byrds originally after being wowed by what I think was Clarence White's electric solo on Have you seen her Face from Younger than Yesterday from hearing it around 1976-77 or so. From there I dug into the various versions of the Byrds and their albums pretty maniacally, and thus soon into Gene Clark's solo albums, getting the Dillard and Clark ones first, and White Light, then No Other I think. So that must have been around 1977-78, though 40 years blurs the memory on such details pretty effectively.
     
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  16. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Saw the Philly show which included Gene, Michael Clarke, John York, Blondie Chaplin, Rick Roberts, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko. A fine and memorable evening I captured on a couple cassettes.
     
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  17. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Mike Utley played keyboards, not guitar.
     
  18. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    Thanks for the correction.
     
  19. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    It’s pretty cool to see it all laid out like that.
     
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  20. rockerreds

    rockerreds Senior Member

    I was at that show also.
     
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  21. johnny staccato

    johnny staccato Forum Resident

    Location:
    essex
    Talking of Gene's " Byrds" the later line up York, Darnell etc. i was told at the time by a connected source that Relix Records the label division of the then Greatful Dead zine RELIX offered Gene and the group a chance to record a album,but Gene gave it short thrift. Possibly believing a bigger label was waiting.Shame,Relix may have been small but released some good product in the eighties ,Lesh,Savoy Brown,Burritos etc.They gave a recording outlet to many sixties artstes
     
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  22. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing Thread Starter

    There weren't as many successful "indie" labels like nowadays in the 80's, correct? Not like today. Or even starting one's own indie label. Nowadays starting your own with bandcamp etc has really opened the doors that were closed to many back then.

    Gene and others like him had been signed by several big label companies - that was every artists' dream. Signing to a label like Relix may have seemed like giving up to Gene who had been with some pretty big ones. Gene's signing with Tahoma was the closest thing to an indie that are now so common. Relix might have been just what he needed--a label that would have backed him up after his album was released, instead of labels who nursed their own bruised egos and agendas over their own artists' success.

    But then as always, Gene's music was just a little ahead of its time, setting up the playing field for those to come, while never achieving the success he so richly deserved. So maybe it wouldn't have mattered who he signed with. Life's like that - arbitrary and sometimes pretty unfair.

    But one thing's for sure: through all the ups and downs, Gene never gave up on his music. And we are the richer for it.
     
  23. MarcS

    MarcS Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I picked No Other for $1 in about 1985. My other Byrd fan friends always bad mouthed it but it blew me away and remains my favorite of his.
     
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  24. johnny staccato

    johnny staccato Forum Resident

    Location:
    essex
    At least we got to hear all those great, great songs from that time ---Mary Sue, Christine, Carry On etc.
     
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  25. cedarbrew

    cedarbrew Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Savoy Brown's kind of a curveball there. Their Hellbound Train is one of the first cassette albums I had when I was in about 7th or 8th grade, bought in a batch mail order from the old Record Club of America, along with such others of the time like Steely Dan, Moody Blues, James Gang, Santana, Keef Hartley and others.
     

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