Chris Hillman
As 1966 came to a close, The Byrds were in the studio recording songs for Younger Than Yesterday. Chris Hillman, inspired by his recent session work with Letta Mbulu and Hugh Masekela, brought his first songwriting efforts to the studio. I don’t think there’s enough critical appreciation of Hillman’s artistic leap from Fifth Dimension to Younger Than Yesterday. He was an inventive, melodic bassist and provided great harmonies, but in a group with Roger/Jim McGuinn, David Crosby, and Gene Clark, he was a role player. He wrote zero Byrds songs prior to these sessions, only getting songwriting credits on instrumentals and folk rearrangements. And yet, on Younger he unleashed a murderer’s row of excellence: “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (co-written w/McGuinn and featuring Masakela on trumpet), “Have You Seen Her Face,” “Thoughts And Words,” and two straight-up country-rock songs, “Time Between” and “The Girl With No Name.” For the latter two, Hillman enlisted his old buddy Clarence White to lay down the law. So, he did.
Byrds – Time Between
Younger Than Yesterday, 1967
Amazon
Clarence, panned left, steals the show. The vocal harmonies and insistent right channel maraca is pure Beatles (or Sir Douglas Quintet, with whom The Byrds played many dates in 1965-66). White dominates the left channel, channeling Don Rich and then going way beyond Bakersfield. The solo from 1:13-1:31 is great, but his dive bomber run from :44-:58 is CW turning the corner and figuring out his electric guitar sound. In so doing, he also foreshadows his monster solo on the Gosdin Brothers‘ “Tell Me.”
Can't wait for the Alex ride! I look forward to your posts like a kid looks forward to Christmas.
I'm very excited to find your site from twitter.
I'm so missing Clarence and waiting for his unrelease album coming from the Sierra Record.
On Youger Than Yesterday, Chris sang for the first time for the Byrds and Clarence played.
And to listiningt to the great drummings by poor Jim Gordon is so much fan for me.
Hey, man
Do you know about Jason Odd, from Australia?
Given that you're doing this sort of research, he could be a huge resource for you.
monsieurboule@gmail.com
I do not know Jason. This might need to be rectified. Thanks!
Strangely enough I can't think who monsieur boule is, but they were kind enough to name drop me.
One of my country-rock specialties is trying to track down more info on Clarence's other band from the Nashville West, The Roustabouts.
Thomas used some info I passed on to him, on this page:
http://www.burritobrother.com/reasons.htm
thomas included some of my thoughts and observations tat I'd sandwhiched between quotes he gained from Gib and Wayne, as can be seen below:
“I don't know how Clarence could do it … in 1967/68 Clarence played with The Reasons/Nashville West, The Roustabouts (Bo Wagner, Bob Warford, John Delgatto and Dennis Mathes consider the Roustabouts a full-time band).
Wayne Moore remembers: “I really don't know much about the second band (The Roustabouts) Clarence played with. The only name I remember is Richard Arlen.”
Gib Guilbeau remembers: “Clarence really didn't have a second band (The Roustabouts). He did play a few gigs with these guys, same as he played some with the Reasons. The only bands that he was an active member of was “The Bakersfield band with same members as Nashville West” and of course “Nashville West”.
There was some sort of rotation of the Roustabouts and the Reasons at the Nashville West through 1967-68, y'know, six weeks on, six weeks off, so they hardly ever met in the middle. Bo Wagner claims to have known Gib, Gene and Wayne, he's certain he actually played on sessions with them, they weren't buddies, but their paths did cross in Paxton's studio.”
Obviously there's an issue where both band's didn't really have much to do with each other, I assume mostly because they worked different runs, and each though they were a unique band. There's more to it than that, the Reasons/Nashville West outfit tried to get a record deal, where the singers from the Roustabouts were looking for their own deals, not as a group.
Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and that I enjoy the work you do here.
J.
Wayne Moore remembers: “I really don't know much about the second band (The Roustabouts) Clarence played with. The only name I remember is Richard Arlen.” -Richard Arlen was my dad. He loved his music and played until he died on October 21st 2002 at the age of 73 from cancer. He had a record I'm Tied Down To You / I Keep Givin' In To You(Ion 104)
Hiegirl, thanks for writing and I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I really do love hearing from musicians or family members of musicians. Take care of yourself.