Gene Clark in Concert: 1985

Gene Clark Live

Singer-songwriter Gene Clark passed away on May 24, 1991 in Sherman Oaks, California.  The cause of his death was listed as “natural causes” and a bleeding ulcer, but for much of his life he had battled alcohol addiction.

Clark, who was born on November 17, 1944 — was only 46 at the time of his death.  His death came a little more than four months after appearing with The Byrds at the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Gene Clark’s Career

The Missouri-born Clark is worth remembering just for his work as a founding member of The Byrds from 1964-1966 that led to such works as “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” (later covered by Tom Petty), “She Don’t Care About Time,” and “Set You Free This Time.” But there was much more to Clark’s career.

With The Byrds, Clark’s work was at the forefront of folk, country-rock, and psychedelic rock.  For example, Clark was the primary writer of “Eight Miles High.”

Yet, after Clark left The Byrds, reportedly over his fear of flying, he created substantial work as a solo artist and with others, such as with Carla Olson and with banjo player Doug Dillard. Considering his entire body of work, it is easy to see him as one of America’s under-appreciated music gems and understand why he still inspires indie musicians like Fleet Foxes.

Clark only had four major-label solo albums during his lifetime, and he never found widespread success. Rolling Stone magazine never even did an interview with him as a solo artist, although the magazine has heaped much posthumous praise upon the singer-songwriter.

Despite the alcoholism and the demons that Clark battled during many of those those years, he still made great music, including “Spanish Guitar,” which Bob Dylan has praised. His 1974 album No Other has come to be seen as a classic.

Gene Clark Live in New York City in 1985

For a taste of Clark’s post-Byrds work, we are lucky to have this 1985 performance in New York City. The video and audio quality are decent for the time period.

The video is worth watching for a number of reasons, including the final song.  It is a bittersweet reinterpretation of the Byrds’ reinterpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Tambourine Man.”

Clark’s Ongoing Influence

A documentary about Clark, Byrd Who Flew Alone, was released in 2013.  Unfortunately, it seems to be hard to track down. In other recent news, Sierra Records is releasing a new Gene Clark album of thought-to-be lost recordings on The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982.

As noted above, Gene Clark continues to influence a number of musicians today. For example, the Skydiggers recently released an album of Gene Clark songs, Here Without You: The Songs of Gene Clark.

Finally, if you are a fan of Gene Clark, you may want to sign a petition for him to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

What is your favorite Gene Clark song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Skydiggers (and the brothers Cash) Still “Ramblin’ On”

    Chimesfreedom has written a few posts about being sad about the demise of rootsy musical group The Cash Brothers, confirmed by Andrew Cash‘s election to Parliament in Canada. But other brother Peter Cash is still making music and has been touring with his old band Skydiggers (a band he helped start) on their “Slow Burnin’ Fire” tour.

    The Skydiggers recently released a new performance of a song that Peter wrote called “Ramblin’ On.” On the new version, the band is joined by singer Jessy Bell Smith. Check it out.

    SKYDIGGERS – Rambln’ On from Southern Souls on Vimeo.

    Meanwhile, brother Andrew does what he can to stay in touch with his musical roots. He recently made a statement in Parliament about the importance of music education.

    Long live The Cash Brothers.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Book Stores Close: A Cash Brothers Song for Workers

    Borders Book Stores Closing

    Cash Brothers – Night Shift Guru

    {Night Shift Guru – The Cash Brothers}

    The Closings. In a previous post, Chimesfreedom wrote about the closing of a CD store and the losses from changes in technology. That post concluded by reminding us that at least we still have bookstores. But Borders just recently declared bankruptcy and announced it is closing most of its stores.

    While I enjoy smaller independent bookstores, there were two Borders stores that I sometimes visited because of their location and selection. Both of them are among those closing. Although you may get anything you want through the Internet, there is something about seeing the physical objects in a store. I have found a number of my favorite books while browsing a book store, and I never would have found the books online. For some people, Borders was the only book store in their area. So, yes, I am sad about the closings. And I felt like a vulture picking through the going-out-of-business sale.

    The Workers. But there are other casualties. As I stood in the long winding line, annoyed that I had to wait for so long to get my 20%-off books, I noticed the two cashiers struggling to handle the extra load. The customers were annoyed that the long line was so slow, the store was a mess from everything being out of place, people where complaining that the store would not take coupons, etc. It must be horrible to work under those depressing conditions as you face unemployment. One of the cashiers who had been working since early in the morning was trying to arrange with a supervisor to be able to take a lunch break before 4:00 p.m.

    Someone who works at a Borders told me that the employees are not getting any severance pay or anything — just declining working conditions until the final day when they become unemployed. It may be hard to blame the company because they are in bankruptcy. There have been some articles arguing that Borders executives mismanaged the business and that had they been more creative they would be doing better, as is Barnes & Noble. I do not know if that is true, but I am sure that they did not want to go out of business when they were making the decisions. Still, it really sucks for the workers, while usually the executives end up okay.

    We have seen too many of these types of layoffs in the last few years during the recession, even though people lose jobs in good times too. So, if you happen to be shopping in a store that is going out of business, take a minute to acknowledge the workers and say a kind word as you grab up your bargains.

    The Song. There are various songs about the working life, and one of my favorites is “Night Shift Guru” by The Cash Brothers. The above song, while not about working in a book store, is about working in the service industry waiting on people.
    Cash Brothers How Was Tomorrow
    Oh I know my job’s just working in a store
    I’ve got an L on my forehead and a stupid uniform
    It’s 7/11, it’s twenty-four seven
    I’m the night shift guru, made to serve you
    How do you do

    The Cash Brothers are two brothers from Canada, Andrew and Peter Cash. They had separate careers, including Peter’s work with the Skydiggers. But after they sang a song together, they decided to form their own band in 1996. Once you hear their voices together you will understand why. Several years ago, I heard The Cash Brothers perform at a free outdoor performance at Lincoln Center in New York City. It was a small affair, and I was able to talk to them about their guitar pedals, etc. I also bought another copy of a CD I already owned and a t-shirt that was too small for me because I wanted to support their music.

    “Night Shift Guru” is off of their album How Was Tomorrow (2001), which is one of my favorite CDs. If you like their sound on “Night Shift Guru,” check out the entire album as all of the songs are outstanding. For Chimesfreedom readers who are Springsteen fans, you might be interested in the song “Nebraska” off How Was Tomorrow, which is about driving around listening to the Springsteen Nebraska album. Their other albums are good too, although I suggest starting with How Was Tomorrow. You may hear Nebraska and some of their other music on free mp3’s on the website. [Sept. 2011 Update: The Cash Brothers website is no longer available.]

    Unfortunately, like Borders, the Cash Brothers appear to be out of business, or at least they are on hiatus. The last music I have from them is from a 2006 collaboration with the Skydiggers. The Cash Brothers website is up but does not have any recent news. Andrew Cash has his own up-to-date website and is recording his own music, working as a journalist, and recording television soundtracks. Peter Cash also has his own website, with plans to add music and more information soon. So even if it is unfortunate they no longer perform together, at least they are still working — unlike the Border employees who are losing their jobs.

    I found How Was Tomorrow while browsing through a record store. That store is now closed.

    Update (May 2011): Andrew Cash was recently elected to Canada’s House of Commons.

    What do you think about Borders closing? Leave a comment.

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