THE BURRITO BROTHERS
John Beland & Gib Guilbeau
THE BURRITO BROTHERS |
The double album "Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" credited to the Burrito Brothers was first released in Holland on the Disky label in late 1987 containing twenty songs mainly by Guilbeau / Beland and some well known cover versions.
However as mentioned before nothing is ever that straightforward with the Burritos because in 1990 Appaloosa records released their version of the album as a double set, both vinyl and CD, including a further eight songs using the same title as the Disky release.
Of the 28 songs available on the 1990 release none of had been attempted by the band before seventeen were written by Guilbeau & Beland, one by John and a couple by Guilbeau / Jones (with Frank Dycus co - writing one of these) and the eight outside songs being associated with the likes of the Everly Brothers, Louvin Brothers, Buck Owens & Freddy Weller amongst others make this a very strong and excellent value release and a fine "thank you" from the Guilbeau & Beland duo to their fans in Europe.
The album did not get a full commercial release in the USA although a 20 track double album called "The Farewell Album" had a limited availability by mail order only direct from John Beland.
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THE BURRITO BROTHERS - Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo |  |
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- THE BURRITO BROTHERS: Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo (DISKY SDLP 2025 (HOLLAND) 2 LP1987 / APPALOOSA AP 054 / 055 (ITALY) 2LP / CD SET(1990) SUNDOWN CDSD 502 (UK) 2 CD) Disky LP: The original 20 track vinyl release in Holland . A farewell album by the Burrito Brothers (Guilbeau & Beland) for Europe but sometimes credited to Flying Burrito Brothers. Appaloosa 2LP / CD set: The 20 track original Holland vinyl release plus 8 additional songs (bold)
Produced by John Beland
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| BURRITO BROTHERS - single |
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| LIKE A SHADOW / SHOOT FROM THE MOON (DISKY 1080) |
The Alan Jones & Butch Johnson release "John Beland and Gib Guilbeau formerly The Burrito Brothers - The Muscle Shoals Demo Sessions" contains the demo recordings to "Back To The Sweethhearts Of The Rodeo" with additional unreleased songs.
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THE BURRITO BROTHERS - The Muscle Shoals Demo Sessions |
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- THE BURRITO BROTHERS: The Muscle Shoals Demo Sessions (CONNOISSEUR COLLECTION SDV SOP CD 357 (UK) 2001) These are demo or alternate versions of material from "Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" & "Southern Tracks" albums and 5 songs released for the first time. Band: John Beland, Gib Guilbeau, Alan Jones, Roger Clark, Butch Johnson ...
Tracks: |
Also around this period Sneaky Pete, Gib and his old friend from Nashville West, Wayne Moore recorded a few things with Alan Jones that are still unreleased, Wayne never played live with the band.
 Memphis sessions |
In September 1987 Gib and Sneaky Pete along with Gib's son Ronnie Guilbeau & Ray Tabia (a member of Ronnie's band) completed some recordings in Memphis for a new Flying Burrito Brothers album.
Local musicians Don Singleton (Steel), Ray Jones (Bass) with Daniel Jones on drums also played on the sessions which were produced by Gib & Daniel Jones but not for the first time the recordings were consigned to the vaults and are still unreleased.
This new line up joined by another guy from Ronnie's band, Chad Cromwell, played at the Beale Street Music festival in Memphis during May 1988 when amongst a set with some familiar songs were six or seven supposedly recorded at the aborted Memphis sessions:
With the exception of an earlier version of "Moonlight Rider" released on the 1987 Burrito Brothers "Sweethearts Of the Rodeo" set and a later solo version by Gib of "We Shall Rise Above It" all remain unreleased songs.
2012 Ronnie Guilbeau runs a recording studio in Nashville "Sound Villa Recorders".
A short tour of Southern California and Las Vegas in January 1989 sees Kleinow, Guilbeau, Beland reuniting for the first time in seven years being joined by two other former colleagues, Thad Maxwell & Jim Goodall just for this short tour.
For most of 1989 individual projects and commitments take precedence although in October play a number of low key shows in the Florida area, Sneaky was unavailable so Nashville steelie Gene O'Neill fills the breach with Larry Patton & Rick Lonow making a new rhythm section, Rick a songwriting partner of Ronnie Guilbeau takes over on drums and Larry from Bobby Bare's backing band is on bass & vocals.
This new line up with Sneaky Pete soon returning perform intermittently but in 1990 during a short tour of Southern France and Spain some of the shows are taped for a possible live album.
The recordings were not available until 1991 when "Encore - Live In Europe" came out in the UK on Sundown. These recordings taken from the sound board show the band to be a little under - rehearsed but still performing songs from their large band and solo repertoire although a few newer songs had been added to the set namely Merle Haggard's "Silverwings" and three new Guilbeau / Beland songs "Sweet Little Colette", "Help Wanted" & "When It Comes Down To Love". An unofficial video taken from a TV show broadcast in Spain during this short tour also circulates.
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THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS - Encore - Live In Europe |
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- THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS: Encore - Live In Europe (SUNDOWN CDSDF 069 (UK) 1991 SUMMIT SUMCD 4157 (EUROPEAN reissue) 1997) Recorded live during a short tour of France & Spain in 1990. The Summit release has a totally incorrect picture of the A & M line-up
Produced by John Beland & Gib Guilbeau
Tracks: |
The year 1990 at the request of a French record label, Voodoo, saw John Beland put together a new album by The Flying Burrito Brothers "Southern Tracks". The resultant album although featuring Gib, John Sneaky and other Burritos , Ronnie Guilbeau, Larry Patton & Rick Lonow along with associates like Alan Jones & James Hooker did not contain any songs on which the three major members played together on.
Basically the disc contained material from various sources including Gib, Sneaky & Ronnie, some songs recorded by John with a song-writing partner DeWayne Blackwell plus some solo stuff by both John & Gib. The presence of Alan Jones & James Hooker may indicate further material from the Sheffield Alabama sessions from 1986 - 87.
A couple of live tracks by the FBB supposedly recorded in Europe in 1988 but more likely from a show recorded for US radio from Dayton, Ohio in June 1988 completes the album.
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THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS - Southern Tracks |
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- THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS: Southern Tracks VOODOO CD 103-270 (FRANCE) 1990) A collection of mainly solo tracks by Gib Guilbeau & John Beland with Sneaky Pete Kleinow on some tracks but released under the Flying Burrito Brothers name.
Band: John Beland, Gib Guilbeau, Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Tracks: |
One of these live tracks "Devil In Diguise" had previously appeared on a compilation album "Wheels", on Appaloosa, recorded at the annual Gram Parsons & Clarence White Tribute Show in Nashville in 1987 with another song from Dayton "Wheels".
More changes to the band take place later in 1990 when Chris Ethridge rejoins on bass along with ex Poco drummer George Grantham to play some shows and reportedly recording a number of demos.
George Grantham soon leaves for another Poco reunion and the band retreated to their various bases across the US.
Various compilation albums and re-releases from that period:
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- BACK TO THE SWEETHEARTS OF THE RODEO VOL. 1 (SUNDOWN CDSD 085 (UK) 2001) First volume of reissued material from the original double set. The second volume has never appeared.
- THE BURRITO BROTHERS FAREWELL ALBUM (TUXEDO TERRACE PRODUCTIONS)
- WHEELS - A TRIBUTE TO CLARENCE WHITE & GRAM PARSONS (APPALOOSA AP 049 (ITALY) 1989) |