GIB GUILBEAU (Part 5)

After the SWAMPWATER sessions broke up Gib and John were joined by Sneaky Pete and Skip Battin for further sessions to record demo's at Criterion Music on Selma Avenue in the heart of Hollywood for yet another reunion of ex-Burrito's which were eventually released in 1990 as the FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS.

Mark Vidito, Charlie Harwood, Gib Guilbeau John Beland & Sneaky Pete Kleinow

Mark Vidito, Charlie Harwood, Guilbeau, Beland Mickey McGee on drums & Sneaky Pete

Charlie Harwood / Gib Guilbeau / Mark Vidito Sneaky Pete / John Beland / Ted Zambetti

1981 The Burritos did some dates with Emmylou Harris.

Note: The picture right was taken at "Billy Bob's Texas" on 27th April 1981 in Forth Worth, Texas.
Mickey McGee's replacement, Ted Zambetti had joined the Burritos just a few days earlier.

Also released in Europe under a few different titels:

Gib, Sneaky & John

These demo's led to a record contract with Curb             and with the band name shortened from             The Flying Burrito Brothers to the             BURRITO BROTHERS             a number of very successful singles and albums             appeared over the next 3 - 4 years.

album promo

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.

Skip Edwards / Richard Bowden / Gib Guilbeau Ted Zambetti (on drums) / John Beland / Mark Vidito

Note: The "Palomino" club photo above was taken on 13th Dec. 1981 in North Hollywood, California. This was the band that played together from July to December 1981.
Sneaky Pete Kleinow had left for a film project and Charlie Harwood quit. They were replaced by Skip Edwards on steel guitar and Richard Bowden on bass.
The four support players were dismissed sometime around Christmas and Gib Guilbeau and John Beland headed for Nashville after New Year.

Note: The Burrito Brothers almost made a trip to Europe that summer but it fell through.

Note: Before Gib moved to Nashville he recorded his song "She's loving him" (co-written with his son Ronnie Guilbeau) with Ronnie Guilbeau, Steve Berry, Dennis Morse, Eric White and Paula Berry. This song is released on the Gib Guilbeau CD "Classic Guilbeau 1968-1986".

Singles:

In 1981 "Billboard Magazine" and "Record World Magazine" awarded the BURRITO BROTHERS number one "Crossover Group" and "Best New Vocal Group of the Year" awards.

Albums 1982:

Burrito Brothers albums 1982

- BURRITO BROTHERS: Sunset sundown (Columbia-Curb FZ37705) with: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland guests: Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Ron Krasinski, Dennis Bellfield, John Hobbs, Larry McNeely, Tom Scott, Alan Estes, Billy Thomas, Lynn Nilles - BURRITO BROTHERS: Silver eagle cross country music show (Radio album) Recorded live at the Sundown Club, Manhatten N.Y. with: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland and guests (Jerry Reed) - BURRITO BROTHERS: Country sessions (Radio album) Recorded live at the Lone Star Cafe/N.Y. with: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland guests: Larry Marvell and others - BURRITO BROTHERS /Jerry Graham: US-Air Force country music time (Radio album - prog. 800) with Interviews and songs from "Sunset sundown"

Note: 1981 Gib and John played at the "Grand Ole Opry". Click here for pictures!!!.

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: "Closer to you" was released on a compilation album by "Bush Beer" on CBS Records (AE7 1429).

Note: The song "Blue and broken hearted me" is also available on the Gib Guilbeau CD "Classic Guilbeau 1968-1986" released 2001.

Note: The song "I'm drinking Canada Dry" was used in the movie "Tender Mercie", the Acadamy award winner 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. In April 1983 the Burrito Brothers played in Frankfurt/Germany. Click here for pictures!!!

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" singing into a gold microphone...with Lefty Frizzell's original 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

Note: A few tracks from that album (and one song from the same sessions - a duet with Mel Tillis - were released on the Gib Guilbeau CD "Classic Guilbeau 1968-1986" (BEA 225001) released 2001 on the new Beau Twon Records label.

Singles:

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. Picture left is from Billboard Magazine Nov. 1984. A larger version of the Burrito info is below! 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 1995. 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"!

Note: On the Billboard Magazine page is written: "Gib and John - The Burrito Brothers. Soon to be released a new single from the long awaited album "Double Barrell"! (See picture below).

Albums 1984:

Burrito Brothers albums 1984

- BURRITO BROTHERS: Double barrel (Paradise PRL 0004) eventually released 1995 in the UK on Sundown (Sundown CDSD079) with: Gib Guilbeau, John Beland guests: David Hungate, James Hooker, Roger Hawkins, Ferrill Morris, Larry Sasser, The Jordanaires - BURRITO BROTHERS / Cristy Lane: US-Air Force country music time (Radio album - prog. 885) with Interviews and unreleased single "Cheatin' kind of love" - different version to the track on "Hollywood nights" CD!

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

Note: A few tracks from the "Double barrel" album were released on the Gib Guilbeau CD "Classic Guilbeau 1968-1986" (BEA 225001) released 2001 on the new Beau Town Records label.

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: Dream chaser My kind of lady 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.

Picture from TV of the "end titles"

Single:

Gib & John

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

At the Palomino John Beland, Gib & Ronnie Guilbeau

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.

Gib Guilbeau

A new version of the FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS was formed which did not involve Gib or John Beland.

1985 Gib plays fiddle on a Pinkard & Bowden single released on Warner Bros.
Gib plays fiddle on the flip side, a joyous instrumental medley of well known Christmas songs done Cajun style to celebrate Sandy Pinkard's South Louisiana heritage.

On September 12th 1986 the Burrito Brothers performed at the "First Gram Parsons Tribute" concert in Nashville. They performed "She's a friend of a friend", "Big Bayou" and "My bucket's got a hole in it", which brought the crowd to their feet.

John & Gib

1986 Gib recorded the song "Careless lover" (written by Gib and Buddy Cannon) with son Ronnie Guilbeau and Buddy Cannon. This song is released on the Gib Guilbeau CD "Classic Guilbeau 1968-1986".

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.

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!

One single was released from that album on the Disky label:

The Burrito Brothers in Holland

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:

Here are the Burrito Brothers country hits from the book Joel Whitburn's "Billboard Top Country Singles".

Debut Date | Peak Pos. | Weeks on chart | Title | Label & Number