In July 1968 The Byrds played a charity gig at the "Royal Albert Hall" in London and were due to start a tour of South Africa the next day, however on the morning of departure Gram Parsons told McGuinn he wouldn't tour and immediately left the band.
In July 1968 The Byrds played a charity gig at the "Royal Albert Hall" in London and were due to start a tour of South Africa the next day, however on the morning of departure Gram Parsons told McGuinn he wouldn't tour and immediately left the band.
 THE BYRDS |
In late 1968 Clarence was in a studio in Hollywood. John York - still worked as a studio musician - remembers: "I remember doing some sessions with Clarence White, Gene Parsons and Gib Guilbeau in a studio in Hollywood in late 1968. On the northside of a group of offices called "Crossroads Of The World" on Sunset Boulevard. The song that sticks in my mind was called "Louisiana Woman". There were others that I don't recall at the moment."
 THE BYRDS |
In the space of the next couple of months The Byrds saw various changes. Firstly Kevin Kelley was fired and replaced on drums by Gene Parsons and by late September Chris Hillman had also left to form the Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons and John York took over on bass.
 "PLAYBOY AFTER DARK" |
In early October the new four man line-up of the Byrds were back in Columbia Studios in Hollywood recording a new album, "Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde",which was completed with further sessions during October and December. Vocally this album was all McGuinn although Clarence and Gene did get the chance to record another version of "Nashville West" from their Bakersfield International days. Clarence and Gene also included the Gib Guilbeau song "Your Gentle Way Of Loving Me". Gene Parsons recorded that song 1967 together with Gib Guilbeau as "Cajun Gib & Gene" for Gary Paxton's "Bakersfield International" label.
This is the first album Clarence played the "Parsons-White String Bender"! Visit Clarence White's gear list!
The album was released on February 3, 1969.
| THE BYRDS - album |  |
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- THE BYRDS: Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (Columbia 9755) Produced by Bob Johnston. With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & John York.
Tracks:
Bonus tracks on CD re-release (Columbia/Legacy 486753 2)
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A list of Byrds shows 1968 can be found on Raoul's great Byrds Flyght web-page.
The Everly Brothers released a single on "Warner Brothers" (WB 7290) 1969 which was produced by Lenny Waronker and has Clarence White and Gene Parsons playing all instruments. "I'm on my way home again / Cuckoo bird". This single was also released on the Sierra Records sampler "Silver Meteor".
The Byrds were now an excellent touring unit and their shows at the Fillmore West in San Francisco on February 7 & 8th 1969 were recorded but remained in Columbia's vaults until 2000 when an album from the shows was released as the final part of the Legacy CD reissue project.
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THE BYRDS - live CD |
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- THE BYRDS: Live At The Fillmore - February 1969 (Columbia/Legacy 65910) Produced by Bob Irwin and Roger McGuinn. With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & John York.
Tracks:
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 THE BYRDS |
The release of this single resulted in Terry Melcher taking over the producer's chair for the remainder of the album sessions replacing Bob Johnston.
For these sessions there was a distinct lack of original material especially from Roger McGuinn resulting in the other three members not only contributing material but also singing lead vocals. Clarence's first vocal outing for the band, recorded in June, was his arrangement of an old traditional song "Oil In My Lamp".
This album also includes a song back from the "Bakersfield International" years. The Gosdin Brothers composition "There Must Be Someone (I Can Turn To)" was recorded by the Gosdin Brothers in 1966 with Clarence White, Gene Parsons, Gib Guilbeau and Wayne Moore and released as a "Bakersfield International" single.
"Ballad Of Easy Rider" was released on October 29, 1969.
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THE BYRDS - album |
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- THE BYRDS: Ballad Of Easy Rider (Columbia 9942) Produced by Terry Melcher. With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & John York.
Tracks:
Bonus tracksk on CD re-release (Columbia/Legacy 486754 2)
|
During the summer of 1969 The Flying Burrito Brothers (Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Michael Clarke & Chris Ethridge) were playing at "The Palomino" in Los Angeles.
 THE BYRDS |
Mid 1969 Gib Guilbeau recorded a single in Hollywood - "Home Of The Blues" / "Lodi" - which included the whole ex-Nashville West band (Gib, Clarence, Gene and Wayne) and Red Rhodes & Glen D. Hardin". This single was released on CD by Beau Town Records as Classic Guilbeau - 1968 - 1986.
Note: "Home Of The Blues" has one of the best String Bender intros Clarence ever played!
In late summer of 1969 John York who had become increasingly dissatisfied with his role in the band left The Byrds and the choice of his replacement was basically left to White & Parsons. Their choice was the "veteran" member of the Los Angeles music fraternity Skip Battin.
The band toured extensively for the remainder of 1969 through into 1970 becoming a really tight unit extremely popular on the College circuit on the East Coast of America.
A list of Byrds shows 1969 can be found on Raoul's great Byrds Flyght web-page.
At the end of May and throughout June 1970 The Byrds were back in Columbia's Hollywood Studios to recorded tracks for their next album.
The planned album was to be a two record set with one disc comprising the studio sessions and the second being a live disc taken from recordings of a couple of shows in January 1970 at the Felt Forum & Queen's College in New York.
Clarence recorded two vocal tracks "Truck Stop Girl" & "Take A Whiff" during the studio sessions and both were included on the released album "Untitled". The album was released on September 16, 1970.
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THE BYRDS - album |
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- THE BYRDS: Untitled (Columbia 30181) Produced by Terry Melcher and Jim Dickson. With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & Skip Battin.
Tracks:
Bonus tracks on CD re-release (Columbia/Legacy 65847):
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Note: The Columbia/Legacy BYRDS Box-Set released 1990 contains some live exclusive songs (alternate versions) to the ones released on the individual re-issued Legacy albums. Additional live recordings: Lover Of The Bayou - Willin' - Black Mountain Rag (Soldier's Joy).
Many good quality live recordings from this period are in circulation and all show little variation in the setlists. However one interesting song was performed at some shows late in 1970, this song "Home Sweet Home" was not particularly strong but the lead vocals were sung by Clarence. There is no information to suggest it was ever attempted in the studio.
The "Bath Festival" was particularly interesting because just as The Byrds were to begin their set there was a tremendous thunderstrom which meant the band played an entirely acousitc set as it was far too dangerous to perform with their electric instruments.
Another untypical show was 1970 at the Ash Grove. The Byrds invited Gib Guilbeau on stage to sing his "Take a city bride". Three members of THE REASONS aka NASHVILLE WEST shared the same stage again (Clarence White, Gene Parsons and Gib Guilbeau). Linda Ronstadt was singing "Break my mind" with the Byrds. John Beland was in the audience too. Other guests at this show were: Gram Parsons, John Hammond and Thad Maxwell. Thad Maxwell played bass on the song Linda did "Break my mind".
Thad Maxwell remembers: " It is one of my greatest memories, that night. I was new with Ronstadt - we had played at the "Greek Theater" that night, went to the Ash Grove after. Linda sat in, and asked to have me come up and play the bass for her tunes. So Roger, on the mic, says, "Is Thad Maxwell here?" I probably knocked over a dozen chairs and people in my euphoric haste to get to the stage!"
This show was released on CD many years later as "The Byrds: Ash Grove".
| THE BYRDS - CD with guests |  |
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- THE BYRDS: Ash Grove (Deep Six 37) With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & Skip Battin. Guests: Gib Guilbeau, Gram Parsons, Linda Ronstadt, Thad Maxwell & John Hammond.
Tracks: |
 Earl, Clarence & Randy (Scruggs) |
In the fall of 1970 The Byrds appeared with the Earl Scruggs Revue for an impromptu outdoor session at Doug Underwood's Ranch just outside of Nashville with two songs being released on the Earl Scruggs album "Earl Scruggs Performing With His Family And Friends".
"The Nashville Tennessean" wrote on January 1, 1971: "Gary Scruggs' hair is longer than Randy's, and the hair of most of the members of the Byrds is longer than that of Gary. In keepin with their San Francisco acid rock tradcition, theirs is very long. Wisps of it fall over the rims of their dark glasses.
They got to know Earl Scruggs two years ago, just when country licks, especially on such instruments as the steel guitar, were first becoming a fad for hard rock groups. The Byrds were one of the first on the San Francisco scene to incorporate a country steel into their music and to turn toward, if not to, a country sound.
"Gary knew one of them", Randy said. "We went to a session of theirs here, and they were interested in Daddy's music, and so we invited them out to the house. WE all just sat around and played".
Which is waht they do in the film by PBS' NET division. In a backyard in Nashville, with the Scruggses, they sit around and play."
The performance was also filmed and aired on TV in January 1971 and released on video as "Scruggs - A Festival Of Music" and many years later on DVD as "The Complete Earl Scruggs Story".
 Album |
EARL SCRUGGS - album with THE BYRDS |  Video |
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- EARL SCRUGGS: Performing With His Family And Friends (Columbia 30584) Produced by Neil Wilburn With Earl Scruggs, Clarence White, Roger McGuinn, Gene Parsons, Skip Battin, Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs Doc Watson, Joan Baez, Gil Trythal, Morris Brothers, Merle Watson, Steve Scruggs.
Tracks with The Byrds:
Other tracks: |
2006 Sierra Records released the Clarence White CD "Flatpick" with recordings from 1964 and additional a limited 1000 piece double CD "Collectors Edition" of the "Flatpick" CD with recordings from 1970.
The additional second disc, which is only available in this special Collector's Edition, begins with the original 1970 tapes recorded in true two channel stereo featuring Clarence on lead guitar and Roger Bush on rhythm guitar. This is followed by three examples of Clarence's guitar instruction tape that he made for his guitar students. Yes, Clarence did give guitar lessons back in the early 60s. You hear Clarence play a flatpick tune, slowed down, as he picks it note for note then the same tune at "normal" speed. This special limited, second disc closes with instrumental recordings made in Spring of 1973, with the last track being a special surprise giving the listener a glimpse of what is in the works for the future! It's the song "Lost highway" from the studio album recording session March 1973!!!!
| CLARENCE WHITE - CD |  |
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- CLARENCE WHTIE: Flatpick (Sierra Records 6026) With Clarence White and Roger Bush
Tracks:
Bonus tracks:
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 Private reunion |
A list of Byrds shows 1970 can be found on Raoul's great Byrds Flyght web-page.
In January 1971 THE KENTUCKY COLONELS aka COUNTRY BOYS from the early 60s (Clarence & Roland White, Roger Bush, Billy Ray Lathum and LeRoy Mack) reunited (with Byron Berline on fiddle) for a private session at Clarence's house in Topanga Canyon.
LeRoy Mack remembers: "It was the first time together in six years and the last.".
The Byrds recorded again, in January 1971, for their next album "Byrdmaniax".
Clarence major contributions were a couple of vocals outings "Jamaica Say You Will" & "My Destiny" as well as "Green Apple Quickstep", a bluegrass instrumental written with Gene Parsons.
Clarence sings another song on one of the bonus tracks of the Columbia/Legacy CD release. It's Gene Clark's "Think I'm Gonna Feel Better" which appeared on Clark's 1966 solo album "Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers". Clarence was appeared as a session musician on that album and recorded it late 1970 with the Byrds. (Does NOT appear on the original album!)
The original Byrdmaniax album was released on June 23, 1971.
| THE BYRDS - album |  |
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- THE BYRDS: Byrdmaniax (Columbia 30640) Produced by Terry Melcher and Chris Henishaw. With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & Skip Battin. Guests: Jimmie Seiter, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Byron Berline, Larry Knechtel & Terry Melcher.
Tracks:
Bonus tracks on CD re-release (Columbia/Legacy 65848):
|
 THE BYRDS |
The band weren't happy with with Byrdmaniax and Terry Melcher's overdubbing and production work and decided to record this next album quickly with minimum overdubbing and so over the space of six days they had eleven songs recorded.
The resultant album "Father Along" had two vocals by Clarence "Farther Along" and what is generally acknowledged his best recording for the Byrds, the Larry Murray song, "Bugler".
Clarence later admitted he purposely "messed up" his vocal take on "Bugler" in London so he could really nail a good vocal on the band's return to Los Angeles.
In August 1971 Clarence played with Byron Berline, Herb Pedersen, Roger Bush, John Hickman etc... a kind of pre-Country Gazette show at the "Ash Grove".
The Farther Along album was released on November 17, 1971.
| THE BYRDS - album |  |
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- THE BYRDS: Farther Along (Columbia 65849) Produced by The Byrds. With Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Gene Parsons & Skip Battin.
Tracks:
Bonus tracks on CD re-release (Columbia/Legacy 65849):
And a hidden track by the Byrds (at the end of "Bag Full Of Money")
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A list of Byrds shows 1971 can be found on Raoul's great Byrds Flyght web-page.
 THE BYRDS |
 Smoke Dawson (?), Roland, Pat Cloud |
After the release of the "Farther Along" album The Byrds continued the hectic schedule of touring through 1972 until the summer when Gene Parsons was fired from the band and was replaced by top L.A. session drummer John Guerin.
This was the end of the longest lived line-up of THE BYRDS.
The new line-up began performing at the end of September 1972.
This line-up did not make any studio recordings and the only officially released material are two songs recorded at an indoor concert 20-21 January 1973 which were finally released on the "Banjoman" soundtrack album five years later in 1977.
In the liner-notes to the album is written: "Banjoman is the film based on the concert conceived and staged by Steve Hermes to honor his musical idol, Earl Scruggs. Long time frineds of Earl's like Johan Baez, Doc Watson and Jack Elliott were invited to join him that evening. On the snowy day of the concert, musicians from Los Angeles, New York, Nashville and Colorado boarded planes and flew to the small university town of Manhatten, Kansas, located a few miles from the geographical center of the United States. Eight acts, each linked in some way to Earl Scruggs, performed before and audience of 10,000. The concert began at seven o'clock in the evening and ended with Earl rolling through the final notes of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" at seven o'clock the following morning.
The film forms a portrait of a night's performance in each musician's creative life and reveals their deep musical and personal relationships with Earl. These were the real forces that made the concert more than just an eight-act bill.
Guitarist Clarence White performed with The Byrds that evening. Six month later he was killed in a senseless car accident. This album, like several others, is dedicated to the remembrance of his music."
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BANJOMAN - Soundtrack album feat. THE BYRDS |
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- BANJOMAN: The Original Soundtrack (Sire 7527) Produced by Richard G. Abramson & Michael C. Varhol. With Earl Scruggs Revue, The Byrds (Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Skip Battin & John Guerin) The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Joan Baez, Doc & Merle Watson, Ramblin' Jack Elliott.
Tracks performed by The Byrds (Roger, Clarence, Skip & John Guerin):
Other tracks: |
A list of Byrds shows 1972 can be found on Raoul's great Byrds Flyght web-page.