PMM
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Gene Clark
Mar 31, 2004, 23:32
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I listened to Gene Clark because he did two songs covered by This Mortal Coil. I think "Strength of Strings" is bloody marvellous, while "With Tomorrow" is, at least to my ears now, even better than TMCs cover, although I probably wouldn't have said that the first time I heard it.
I knew bugger all about him until I started looking, but found that he was a founder member and major songwriter of/with the Byrds. He's continued to craft music ever since.
He has a website....
http://www.geneclark.com/
...which contains plenty of information should you wish to know more.
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duckbreath
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Re: Gene Clark
Apr 01, 2004, 09:15
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'you should get the 'roadmaster' album - every song is fantastic but 'don't you come down' is my favourite - I think there have been a lot of re-issued LPs over the last few years - including some really good oldy countryish stuff he did as 'dillard & clark' if you like that kind of thing
roger mcguinn fell out with him and apparently plays down his role in the early incarnations of the byrds - he did write 'i'll feel a whole lot better' though which is a great byrds song i think
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Stevo
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Re: Gene Clark
Apr 01, 2004, 12:39
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hate to quibble but the 'ever since' is limited by him having died several years back.
what I've heard of the guy's stuff is pretty sublime throughout though.
The reissue of No Other that isn't on Collector's Choice is seriously worth getting. Can't quite say the same about the CC version cos its mastered pretty quietly and lacks the extra tracks from the other. (Still the CCcame out a year earlier so wasn't a total loss at the time)
i've also got a cd on the Raven label called Echoes which is stuff he recorded with the Byrds plus the Gosdin brothers lp. I think the first Dillard and Clark lp is pretty great too, it comes as a 2fer with the 2nd.
I oughta've bought that 2cd compi of his stuff by now, not 100% sure why I ain't.
Stevo
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Jasonaparkes
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Re: Gene Clark
Apr 01, 2004, 13:04
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Yes Gene rocks- I'm sure I did No Other in Unsung, having first read about it in a free NME book and knowing Strength of Strings from Filigree & Shadow (& knowing the name from Byrds records). He did sometimes get back together with McGuinn, Crosby et al (Hillman was on many of his records) & the unreleased One in a Hundred/She's the Kind of Girl from an almost Byrds-reformation. The Flying High-compilation is a brilliant overview- though some of the oddities have turned up on the White Light/No Other reissues...
Gene Clark was the greatest- sad to think that after No Other, he lapsed into alcoholism and shortly before his death was peddling a version of The Byrds with Michael Clarke (which saw Crosby, McGuinn & Hillman reform briefly to settle the legal claim). Then he was gone...
As much as I like Gram Parsons, I think Clark is more the real deal, much more that cosmic American thang on No Other and a pioneer of that country-rock thing. A great vocalist and a brilliant songwriter- so many great songs: Spanish Guitar, From a Silver Phial, With Tomorrow, Here Without You, Train Leaves Here This Morning, Lady of the North, Feel a Whole Lot Better etc...
Gene ruled and deserves to be revered...Chris Hillman points out that Gene freaked out on a plane, so his fear of flying, Crosby making him not play guitar and McGuinn's jealousy of his songwriting saw him turfed out. Oh well...
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Jasonaparkes
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Re: Gene Clark
Apr 01, 2004, 13:07
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The Unsung reviews in these parts have a review of Echoes/I Found You, as well as my reviews of the Flying High compilation and No Other- the latter was reissued with bonus tracks etc that are much better than the Collectors Choice version, which did in the meantime...
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1001realapes
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Edited Sep 19, 2014, 00:26
Re: Gene Clark
Sep 19, 2014, 00:26
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Been digging into his catalogue
recently , very keen to see the
new doc !
http://foursunsproductions.com/Gene-Clark-Documentary/
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Stevo
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Re: Gene Clark
Sep 19, 2014, 08:47
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Was there a doc shown in BBC4's Friday night slot a while back? Think so & it was good if I remember right.
Also the John Einarson biography is good but depressing.
Stevo
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bauheed
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Re: Gene Clark
Sep 19, 2014, 11:38
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Yes, there was a really good documentary on BBC4 recently. It prompted me to dig out his albums again , which I hadn't done for a while. Excellent stuff. It also prompted me to buy the two Dillard and Clarke albums which I had never got round to getting in the past.
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Popel Vooje
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Edited Sep 19, 2014, 16:49
Re: Gene Clark
Sep 19, 2014, 16:49
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Stevo wrote: Was there a doc shown in BBC4's Friday night slot a while back? Think so & it was good if I remember right.
Also the John Einarson biography is good but depressing.
Stevo
Yes, there was a doc called "The Byrd Who Flew Alone" - ironically broadcast a couple of weeks after I'd made a comment on here about how Gram Parsons had already had a BBC4 docu made about him and that Gene Clark was equally deserving of one, but that I couldn't imagine it happening. Oops..!
And yes, the Einarson book is a grim but compelling read.
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vince
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Re: Gene Clark
Sep 20, 2014, 06:44
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What everyone else said. 'No Other' is a bona fide classic and the reissue with extra tracks as mentioned by Steve is an essential purchase.
There is a 'Gene Clark No Other Band' which gets together every now & again featuring assorted members of Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, Wye Oak, Beach House, Ian Mathews & The Walkmen. Good Official live show to be found here in glorious HD: http://youtu.be/OaF3znVBWe8
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