Weekend Retro Music Twofer

First, happy birthday to a founding member of The Byrds/ Flying Burrito Brothers/ Manassas/ Desert Rose Band, bassist Chris Hillman, who turns 76 (!) today. He co- wrote "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" with Roger McGuinn in late 1966, supposedly as a swipe at manufactured rock groups like the Monkees.  It was included in the 1967 album "Younger Than Yesterday," features South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela, and has been covered by a host of musicians (including great ones by Patti Smith and Tom Petty).

We also want to feature a somewhat hidden gem from The Beatles, "I'll Be On My Way," a Lennon/ McCartney song that they gave to fellow Liverpudlians Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, who released it in 1963. This is the only recording The Beatles made of it -- a tight, live version at the BBC in June 1963.  It's been remarked how it demonstrates the influence Buddy Holly had on the group, and it would be hard to argue with that after hearing it.  Hope you enjoy.

 

  

 

Weekend Music Twofer

Texas trio Khruangbin and fellow Texan/ soul singer/ songwriter Leon Bridges collaborated on an EP, "Texas Sun," which will be out in February 2020.  We're highlighting the catchy title track from that EP.

We're also offering a belated happy 75th birthday to original Byrd, bassist Chris Hillman, whose birthday was December 4.  Here's an early composition by Hillman, "Have You Seen Her Face," from The Byrds' "Younger Than Yesterday" album.  The Allmusic guide considers it one of The Byrds' greatest songs, and we won't argue with that. Hope you enjoy the twofer.

Weekend Songs - Byrds In Hand

We'd like to wish a belated happy birthday to two of the original members of the Byrds, Chris Hillman (whose 70th birthday was yesterday) and Gene Clark (who would have been 70 on November 17 - he passed away in 1991 at the waaay too young age of 46).  Both are talented songwriters, Clark contributing some beautiful music to the Byrds songbook ("I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better," and "Here Without You" are two of our favorites) and then as a solo artist, and Hillman beginning to come into his own as a songwriter just as the Byrds were starting to disintegrate.  Hillman was a founder of the country rock groups Manassas and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and later formed the country group Desert Rose Band.

We're going to start with a Gene Clark composition which appeared on the "Preflyte" album, essentially a collection of demos that were cut before the Byrds were the Byrds.  It's the beautiful, somewhat melancholy (like a lot of Clark's songs) "For Me Again."  The second song is by Chris Hillman written for the Byrds' "Younger Than Yesterday" album, "Have You Seen Her Face."  Enjoy the songs and your weekend.