Gene Clark Sings For You + The Rose Garden - June 15 - Omnivore Recordings*

Gene hardly revisited songs once he was done with them. He was prolific enough to move on to his most current material. I would suspect that this is why he didn't go back to any of these tracks later on with Dillard & Clark. Gene stated in an interview with Dominic Priore from 1986 (released with the deluxe Lost Studio Sessions from Sierra Records) that he would like to see some of the tracks from this period be released (Back Street Mirror was mentioned specifically).

 

It's interesting to me that there was a more polished version of That's Alright By Me that also didn't get released at the time and we didn't get to hear until 1998. I think the finished version is great. The naked one on "Sings" is compelling, but it makes you contemplate how some of these other songs would have sounded with full production. That's the value of this release from a historical perspective.

 

I just ordered the Rose Garden CD from Amazon and should receive it tomorrow. Surprised that there hasn't been more discussion about this one on the thread.

 

Yeah, I’m totally baffled that he scrapped most of these songs. “Yesterday, Am I Right” and “Past My Door” seem tailor made to be recast as Dillard & Clark country weepers. Sometimes I really wish Gene had stronger guidance during this period... no one around him (except maybe Jim Dickson or Chip Douglas?) seemed to realize what an exceptional singer and songwriter he was. As much as I love the Dillard & Clark years (and Gene shares the blame), Doug Dillard seemed to be a horrible influence.

 

True Gene did need better guidance/management. I think Dickson had his hands in too many things to give his full attention to Gene. A manager who understood him would have been ideal. Chip I don't think provided any guidance whatsoever. Doug Dillard was good and bad for Gene. That first album is stellar, so in that respect he was a positive influence.

 

You’re right - I’m being too harsh on Doug. I just find the wasted potential of that second album so frustrating (even though I still love it).

 

I think if you rank No Other and then ST/"White Light" as the pinnacle you might be coming from a direction different from someone (like me) who rates the 1967 album with the Gosdins and Two Sides higher. I still haven't warmed up to No Other and really prefer demos, but others claim it is his greatest masterpiece. Maybe like Pet Sounds it'll finally hit me one day.

 

Well when Bernie Leadon left and Byron Berline and Donna Washburn came in it changed the dynamics if the band. Suddenly Doug and Byron were doing more of a pure bluegrass thing and Donna wanted her moment in the spotlight and Gene was kind of pushed out, so it changed quite a bit. Still the album has its moments, though I would have left out Rocky Top and Corner Street Bar in favor of Wall Around Your Heart and No Longer A Sweetheart of Mine.

 

Got my copy of the Rose Garden CD today. The 16 bonus tracks are simply awesome. Amazing sound quality throughout. A real delight to hear these tracks. If My World Falls Through could have been a major hit follow up to Next Plane To London.

 

Astonishing to consider if the Byrds had this material after 'Sweetheart', not to mention Gene as an onstage and creative foil to Roger. Instead of a series of albums with incrementally diminishing returns as their career wound down ('Untitled perhaps being an exception), the Byrds would have reclaimed their sense of vision and purpose. sure, Clarence was a great guitarist, but he was too reserved, too 'professional' if you will and often expressed himself via polite little curlicues and fills. Sure the other passing through were very good musicians, but their talent was at the service increasingly dull material. It's just regrettable...

 

I totally agree with this. The Byrds could have really had a second life with Gene back in the band. I wish I had a time machine and convince Roger and Gene to stay together.

 

Easier said than done. But even if Gene couldn't come back as a full time Byrd, at least drawing on a couple of his songs for the last 5 albums would have dramatically improved them. And given the live some more interesting material to play. Did their set list even change by more thna one or two songs in the last 3 years?

 

Personally I'm glad Gene didn't go back to they Byrds as I think they were artistically stagnant and would not have allowed him the freedom to flourish as an artist and a songwriter. I don't agree at all with his idea/dream that somehow things would have been so much greater if Gene had stayed and/or gone back to that band. He moved on and he got better despite the lack of commercial success. Staying within that band would not have allowed him the freedom and opportunity he had as a solo artist. All it would have done was made the post-Gene Byrds albums a lot better than they are. I hate to imagine the majority of those songs from his solo albums being rejected and ignored or treated with the same old tired sound had he stayed.

 

I disagree with you (but not strongly). Just enough to point out that improving those Byrds albums would have been no small thing. And it would have given Gene some credibility and visibility that may have helped his solo career.

 

Perhaps, but I'm still glad we have what we have.

 

anyone from the UK received Sings for You and Rose Garden cd's yet? I got the Sierra release very efficiently last year but have had no info from Omnivore re any delay.

 

SO HERE IS MY ALTERNATE GENE CLARK WORLD. WHERE HE STAYED IN THE BYRDS AND HAD A SOLO CAREER. AS YOU CAN SEE ALL HIS SONGS ARE STILL THERE BUT IN DIFFERENT SPOTS. THIS IS HOW I HAVE IT PROGRAMMED IN MY PHONE. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.


5D
1. 5D 2. Wild Mountain 3. Mr. Spaceman 4. What's Happening 5. I See You 6. If I hang around 7. Eight Miles High 8. Tried So Hard 9. Why B-side version
10. I Found You 11. John Riley12. The Lear Jet

YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY
1. Rock Star 2. Have You seen her face 3. Elevator Operator 4. Renaissance Fair 5. Time Between 6. Everybody's Been Burned 7. So You lost your Baby
8. Thoughts and words 9. Couldn't Believe her 10. My back pages 11. Girl with no name 12. It Happens each day

SANCTUARY - RELEASE IN 1967 instead of Greatest hits
1. Lady Friend 2. On Her own 3. CTA - 102 4. Past Tense 5. Yesterday. Am I right 6. One Way Road 7. Know My Rider
8. Down the pier 9. 7:30 Mode 10. Mind Gardens 11. Doctor Doctor

Gene is mad cause David is a dick. Does solo record.
ECHOES
1. Echoes 2. Back Street Mirror 3.Yesterday Am I right 4. Only Colmbe 5. French Girl 6. Don't fall through 7. Think I'm gonna feel better. 8. Is Yours not mine 9. The Same one 10. Keep on pushing 11. Needing someone

THE NOTORIUS BRYD BROTHERS - Gene has one song. BYRDS MASTERPIECE
1. Artificial energy 2. Going back 3. Natural harmony 4. Draft Morning 5. Wasn't born to follow 6. Get To you 7. Echoes - Starry eyes and laughing version
8. change is now 9. Old John robertson 10. tribal Gathering 11. Dolphins smile 12. Triad 13. Space Odyssey

DAVID CROSBY IS KICKED OUT

SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO (DOUBLE ALBUM WITH GENE)
1. You Aint going nowhere 2. Dark Hallow 3. Christian life 4. She darked out the sun 5. You don't miss your water 6. Pretty boy floyd
7. Hickory Wind 8. One Hundred Years 9. Train leaves 10. You're still on my mind 11. Nothing was delivered. 12. I am a pilgrim
13. Drug store truck 14. All I have are memories 15. In The plan 16. You got a reputation 17. Pretty Polly 18. Lazy Days
19. Blue Canadian 20. With care from someone 21. Life in prison 22. No Longer a sweetheart

DR. BYRDS AND MR. HYDE - David comes back for one song and harmonies
1. This Wheels On Fire 2. Old Blue 3. Your Gentle Way 4. Child Of the Universe 5. That's alright By Me 6. Laughing (the solo version)
7. Los Angeles 8. King Apathy III 9. Candy 10. Bad Night At the whiskey. 11. I pity the poor immigrant.

GENE LEAVES BAND FOR BALLAD AND UNTITLED AND DOES IS SOLO RECORD GENE CLARK.

BYRDMANIAX - Gene returns and makes this record great. The production actually works and the songs flow.
1. Glory Glory 2. Pale Blue 3. I trust 4. She's the kind of Girl 5. One in a hundred 6. I wanna grow up 7. I remember the railroad 8. my destiny 9. Kathleen's song 10. Jamaica Say You will 11. In A misty morning

FARTHER ALONG - Gene stays and makes this record great.
1. Tiffany Queen 2. Roll in my sweet baby's arms (lost sessions) 3. Farther along 4. Don't that road look rough and rocky (lost sessions) 5. Bugler 6. Lost Highway (clarence white cover) 7. Antique Sally 8. Precious Kate 9. She Don't care about time (roadmaster) 10. Lost my driving wheel 11. Bars made a prisoner out of me (lost sessions)

BYRDS - STAYS THE SAME

RETURN OF THE GREVIOUS ANGELS - Gram Parsons wants to do another Byrds album.
1. Return of the grievous angel 2. Bag full of money 3. Ramona 4. Here tonight 5. The Water is wide 6. Tried so hard (burrito version) 7. Close up the honkey tonks
8. Just Like a woman 9. Kansas city southern 10. All alone 11. Sing me back home.

GENE DOES NO OTHER

 

If he's going to rename it "Is Yours Not Mine," he should give that one to the Byrds!

 

Except for mind gardens and spaceman. Which I equally disdain.

 

It's great to see the good reviews of "Gene Clark Sings For You". It would be greater still if I could actually listen to it. It seems that a number of people have received their copies, so I emailed Omnivore to check whether and when mine was dispatched. In reply, I was told that the record was out of stock and was asked if I wanted to keep the order open! This is extraordinary since I had placed my order more than two months before it was released! Is anyone else still waiting for their LP/CD to arrive?

 

I expect to be waiting awhile for both CDs, at least a month longer I'm figuring. All kinds of things seem to be messed up this summer, had more book orders cancelled and refunded lately too, and many things and mail moving much slower than usual at least from the U.S., within Canada and from England/U.K. seem the same actually so am trying to order more from businesses located there when possible even at a slight extra cost, sorry U.S.

 

Still waiting for my copy from Omnivore. Have heard nothing from them since I ordered it on May 1st.

 

I'm sure we'll get it eventually, but it would be nice to be kept informed of delays.

 

Same thing for me with the Rose Garden CD, they couldn't give me a date when it would ship. It's in stock at Amazon, why wouldn't they send out the pre-orders first? Frustrating.

 

If anything what this list does is clearly illustrate my point of all the songs we would have not heard had Gene stayed with the Byrds. I'm glad he left!