JOHN BELAND (Part 4)

THE BURRITO BROTHERS John Beland & Gib Guilbeau

John | Skip | Gib | Sneaky

Back together again, Beland and Guilbeau began writing together and stockpiled an amazing output of solid commercial country songs.
John Beland, Gib Guilbeau, Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Skip Battin did demos at Criterion Music on Selma Avenue in the heart of Hollywood which were eventually released in 1989 as:

Also released in Europe under a few different titels:

The Burrito Brothers: John, Sneaky, Gib & Skip

Albums 1981:

Note: Skip Battin plays not on the "Hearts on the line" album although his pic is on the cover. The Burritos used a studio bass player, Dennis Bellfield, on Michael Lloyd's (producer) suggestion. Dennis also played on the next studio album "Sunset Sundown". Skip made no recording contribution to the album whatso ever - neither was Mickey McGee. The drums were played by Ron Krasinski. Both Mickey and Skip were let go just prior to recording. Nor was Mark Hudson or David Wheatley involved in that album.
On the next Burrito studio album "Sunset Sundown" Sneaky Pete was only a guest musician and so the Burrito Brothers were a duo: Gib Guilbeau & John Beland.

Singles:

Albums 1982:

In "Billboard Magazine" the "Sunset Sundown" album got good reviews (Originally reviewed for week ending 2/20/82):

"The Burrito Brothers are rapidly proving that groups sometimes get better the second time around. Guilbeau, a Burrito since 1974, and Beland, a two-year veteran of the group, have turned this band around to create one of the strongest new acts in country. Burrito harmonies are richly magnetic; Guilbeau's in particular has a sincerity that makes lyrics shimmer. Their collaboration on writing seven of the cuts proves their roots go deep and their instincts are right on target. Country, as seen through the Burritos' eyes, is a matter of sparkling instrumentation and melodic commerciality. Best cuts:"I'm Drinkin' Canada Dry," "Closer To You," "When You're Giving Yourself To A Stranger," "If Something Should Come Between Us," and "Louisiana"."

Singles:

Note: The song "I'm drinking Canada Dry" was used in the movie "Tender Mercie", the Acadamy award winer starring Robert Duvall. But it was the band that was acting in the movie who played the song.

In 1982 the Burrito's achieved a greater honor by helping to get their idol, Lefty Frizzell inducted into the "Country Music Hall of Fame". Lefty's widow, the late Alice Frizzell gave Gib and John an unfinished song Lefty had started years earlier ... and the permisssion to finish it as well!! This song was "My abandoned heart" and it was recorded by the Burritos for the unreleased album "Tast of the country". But a version of this song is on the "Hollywood nights" demo album.

On their Australia tour in March 1983 (they did their own television special in Australia) Gib & John used on stage in Melbourne a borrowed band "The Pick - Ups". The Burritos played a mixture of Flying Burrito numbers like Christine's Tune, Wild Horses, Sin City as well as their own songs like Big Bayou, She A Friend Of A Friend, Louisiana Man and Toe Tapping Music. Gib also performed a pretty version of Hickory Wind and then at the end of the night Australian rocker Brian Cadd (member of the Flying Burrito Brothers early 90's) joined the guys on piano and they launched into a set of rock'n'roll standards including Blue Suede Shoes and Hound Dog. Eight years later Brian Cadd became a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers for one album in 1993.

Albums 1983:

Note: The real title of that album was to be "OUR ROOTS ARE COUNTRY MUSIC". Nobody knows where "Taste of the country" came in, although there is a song by that name on the album. Cover of this unreleased album featured Gib & John in front of old posters from "The Louisiana Hayride" & "Chicago Barn Dance"...with Lefty Frizzell's origininal guitar in the background.

Track list: Our roots are country music Louisiana lonely You made a grown man cry tonight Blue and broken hearted me Mountain rose Cheatin' kind of love You're all there is My abandoned heart There is a comfort A taste of country

Gib Guilbeau & John

John & Earl Scruggs

Note: 2001 Curb Records released a "Best of BURRITO BROTHERS" CD with songs from the "Hearts on the line" and "Sunset sundown" albums and the singles "Blue and broken hearted me", "Our roots are country music" and "Almost Satlurday night".

The BURRITO BROTHERS signed to Leon Russell's label - Paradise Records - in Nashville. They were going to do a double album and had just completed parts of the record when the label went bankrupt and the tapes went on the shelf where they remained till 1996. But before the label went bankrupt the Burrito Brothers appeared on a TNN "New Country" TV show to promote the album which at that time was called by John Beland "A new shade of blue" and not "Double barrel"!

Albums 1984:

Note: 2001 Magnum music in the UK re-released the "Double Barrel" CD (Magmidi MM 077).

1984 the Burrito Brothers sung the soundtrack for the movie "The Dream Chasers" starring Harold Gould and Justin Dana. Songs and lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn - performed by the Burrito Brothers, produced by Michael Lloyd and Al Kasha. Three songs were recorded by The Burrito Brothers for the movie:

Never take my dream away

Note: " My kind of lady" and "Dream chaser" were released as a single but "Never take my dream away" never came out on record. This song was played over the "end titles" of the motion picture.

Single:

Gib Guilbeau & John

Burrito Brothers single 1984
from the movie "Dream chaser" - BURRITO BROTHERS: My kind of lady / Dream chaser (MCA-Curb 52379)
Billboard country charts peak pos. 53

Note. John Beland said: "MY KIND OF LADY was the worst record we ever made and we hated to be associated with it. It was originally to be the theme for a film "Dream Chaser" but they released this terrible song long before the movie came out. It was written by the two guys who wrote the music for PETE'S DRAGON. Gib & I hated this song and the production was just as bad...as was the movie that eventually flopped."

3 of the single tracks (non album) above were issued on a German compilation LP in 1985:

Burrito singles also released on Various Artist album

- Various Artists: Nuggets of Country & Western (Intercord Int. DLP 155.059) Songs by the Burrito's: Blue and broken hearted me/My kind of lady/Almost Saturday night

Also 1984 the Burrito Brothers made a couple of appearences at the Palomino, with Gib's son Ronnie, a surprise guest, playing twin Clarence White style guitar with John.

1985

The Burrito's gave a farewell performance on Nashville's biggest TV show "Music City Tonight" with Ralph Emery, who dubbed the event an "historic night". The BURRITO BROTHERS said goodbye to a standing ovation. The BURRITO BROTHERS were one of the first bands or duo's from California to score big on the commercial country charts. They toured the world .... from the Grand ol' Opry to London's Wembly Stadium. Shared bills with George Jones, Hank Williams, Jr., The Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Wynette and many more. A new version of the FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS was formed which did not involve Gib or John Beland.

John Beland produced the following single in 1984/5:

Single produced by John Beland
- RED HORSE: It's all whisky to me / ??? (Red Horse RHP51084)

Red Horse were a Texas based band.

John also produced an album for Jimmie Grokett (keyboards and background vocals for "Red Horse") 1985. But this album - "Country Lady" - was never released.

1986 - 1987

Gib and John Beland recorded tracks in Sheffield/Alabama for an exclusive to Europe double album set as part of the agreement allowing the 1985 FBB band to tour.

Burrito Brothers farewell album
- BURRITO BROTHERS: Back to the sweethearts of the rodeo (Disky SDLP2025) later re-issued in Italy with the addition of another 8 tracks on Appaloosa Records (APO54/55) and on the UK label Sundown (CDSD502) with: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland guests: Alan Jones, James Hooker, Steve Nathan, Roger Clark, Wayne Bridge, Butch Johnson

Note: In 1988 John Beland (via his Tuxedo Terrace Productions) was selling by mail order a 2LP record set called "The Burrito Brothers Farewell Album". He advertised this release and ordering details on a whole page advert in "Cosmic American Music News" Vol 7 Issue 1.

Note: 2000 Sundown Records splitted the "Back to the sweethearts .... " 2 CD set. First release with the title " Back to the ... Volume 1" (Sundown CDSD085) has all the 13 tracks from the first disc of the double CD set!

For more Burrito Brothers and related pics visit Belgium's American Music Radio Show web-page and read interviews with John Beland and Gib Guilbeau done 1987.

Gib and John recorded demos at "Muscle Shoals" for the "Back to the sweethearts of the rodeo" album. The songs that didn't make it to that album, and some of the original demos for the songs that did make it were relased 2001 as:

Burrito Brothers Muscle Shoals demos sessions
- John Beland & Gib Guilbeau "The BURRITO BROTHERS": The Muscle Shoals demos sessions (Connoisseur SDVSO CD 357) with: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland guests: Alan Jones, Butch Johnson and maybe others

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