December 1 2018 vol. 2 no. 12 |
|
|
Photo of the month: Gene Clark from "The Byrds: Where Are They Now?", Rolling Stone Issue no. 482, September 11, 1986. Full article available in the Archives! Photo by Bonnie Schiffman (thanks to Ken Claybaugh for the article). |
|
|
Missouri Music Hall of Fame inducts Gene Clark in two categories! |
|
|
The Missouri Music Hall of Fame in St. Joseph, MO held its ceremony for the 2018 inductees on Saturday November 24, 2018. Receiving the award on Gene's behalf were Gene's siblings Chris (Clark) Davis, Bonnie (Clark) Laible, Brian Clark and Dan Clark. Gene was inducted in two separate categories, Musician and Performer. The other inductees were Folk musician Esther Kreek and Opera conductor and stage director Sarah Caldwell. Also in attendance were Wayne Kasper and Lesley Allen, both residents of Gene's birthplace in Tipton, MO who had a hand in getting Gene nominated for the award. You can see Gene's family accept the award in the video below. (Special thanks to Dick and Carolyn Feilbach for the video.) |
|
|
From left: Dan Clark, Brian Clark, Bonnie (Clark) Liable, Chris (Clark) Davis and host Travis Urban (photo courtesy of Wayne Kasper). |
|
|
R.I.P. Bill Rinehart (The Leaves/Gene Clark Group/Merry-Go-Round) February 14, 1946—April 18, 2017 Echoes was saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Rinehart last April. TOM SANDFORD shares some excerpts from an interview he did with Bill in 2010 and information on an article he's writing for an upcoming issue of Ugly Things magazine. (Photo: Gene with Bill Rinehart when he was a member of The Gene Clark Group, 1966. Thanks to the 'Clarkophile' Tom Sandford for this article.) |
|
|
by TOM SANDFORD I interviewed Bill Rinehart in 2010, and ever since then I had been hoping to circle back at some point, reestablish contact, and fill in some of that blanks we didn’t cover. A few months ago, I dug out my old interviews and began to transcribe them. While it proved to be an unbearably slow slog for me (a hopeless hunt-and-peck typist), I found myself fondly remembering Bill’s stories, and was inspired to begin initial searches to track him down, hoping to chat with him again for an article that I’d recently pitched to Mike Stax at Ugly Things.. |
|
|
A short time ago I came to learn that Bill Rinehart, a pivotal, if largely unheralded and woefully under-documented figure in L.A.'s Sunset Strip scene during the 1960s, died last year at the age of 71. At the time of writing, I have not ascertained the exact cause of death, but after a recent chat with musician/luthier Mike DeTemple (a name that may be familiar to fans of Dave Mason’s Alone Together), I learned that Bill had been suffering from a chronic heart ailment. I have made contact with members of Bill’s family, and they’ve graciously offered to assist me with my research in filling in the blanks in the times before and after those halcyon days on the Sunset Strip. I’ve written a provisional obituary for Bill on my blog here. I expect the Ugly Things article will materialize sometime in 2019. Below, for the first time, I’m sharing a snippet from my 2010 interview with Bill. While he sometimes had difficulty in remembering the chronology of events, he was still a great storyteller. I was impressed by the fact that even though Bill had lived a hard life with many disappointments, his memories of Gene remained even-handed and gentlemanly. Whenever he mentioned Gene’s name, he always spoke with utmost respect and reverence. On the decision to play the Whisky a Go-Go so soon after the formation of the Gene Clark Group Gene wanted to play. It was his thing; he arranged it. Elmer Valentine, the guy that owned the Whisky, gave Gene a gig right away because it was Gene Clark. We probably should have spent a lot of time rehearsing, because then we would’ve had all the confidence that we would’ve needed to really make it come off. When you get in front of people in that kind of situation and everybody’s expecting to hear something that really is perfect and then it’s not perfect, I think that freaked Gene out, and he couldn’t handle that. I didn’t really like it that much either, the way it turned out. It was a little bit on the embarrassing side because none of us really played up to par that night. That was our chance and we blew it—all of us, it wasn’t just him. |
|
|
Gene Clark and The Group at the Whisky A-Go-Go, June, 1966. From left, Bill Rinehart, Chip Douglas, Joel Larson and Gene Clark. |
|
|
He just had his own way that he wanted to do things. I don’t think it turned out the way he wanted it to turn out. He was expecting it—just like we all did—we expected it to be a big hit, and it wasn’t. There might’ve been a few little clashes of personalities, but Gene was the main guy, and it just didn’t work out, for whatever reason. On Gene’s departure from the Byrds He was a really great guy, fantastic person, very talented—super-talented. But you know the thing that happened with the Byrds and how they broke up and—he had a lot of regrets about all that, I think. What, I don’t know. I mean, I never sat down and questioned him. But we just hung out as friends, and did a lot of things together, and went out every night and stuff like that. He was quite a guy—very good-looking guy. He had a thing going with Michelle Phillips from the Mamas and Papas. And so she would show up over at his house all the time. She was still married, of course, to John Phillips, so it was kind of an undercover kind of thing. But he confided in me, told me a lot of stuff about the Byrds. You know —David Crosby actually — kind of a very arrogant guy that … I don’t think they got along. Gene was the lead guy in the Byrds. He was the lead singer. He was the guy up front. He was a great songwriter. But they didn’t do his songs the way they should have, I don’t think. Because he wrote great songs. |
|
|
Back in 1966 Gene had some equally nice things to say about Bill Rinehart in this interview from Hit Parader magazine. To read the full article, click the link below. (Thanks to Ken Claybaugh for this article.) | | |
|
|
MOJO Magazine ranked Gene Clark Sings For You at no. 10 on its Top 20 Reissues of 2018 list! From MOJO: "The holy grail for Clark collectors: eight long-bootlegged tracks demoed in 1967 in the midst of his post-Byrds depression, bolstered by an acetate of songs given to folk rockers Rose Garden, it proved that even Clark's wilderness years were fertile creatively." [N.B.: We don't know about the "post-Byrds depression" bit, but Gene will always be no. 1 around here!] |
|
|
The 3-hour Gene Clark Retrospective was a big hit on Laurel Canyon Radio! They tell us that they had twice as many listeners during the first broadcast! For any of you who missed the show, it has been archived on the Laurel Canyon Radio website and can be streamed at any time at the link below: | | |
|
|
Episode 3 of Gene Therapy is here! This month we have some live tracks and deep cuts for you. Look for 6 podcasts "in the plan" for 2019. If you would like to suggest a theme or have a request, please send an email to GeneClarkWebsite@gmail.com. Click the link below to hear the current podcast. | | |
|
|
Making the scene with Gene! We hear that Gene's song "Winter In" is in the closing credits of the recent feature film about the ill-fated run for president by Gary Hart called "The Front Runner" starring Hugh Jackman! Echoes is happy to see that Gene's songs are finally getting more exposure! |
|
|
"The Byrds: Where Are They Now?" from Rolling Stone, Issue No. 482, September 11, 1986. Interesting look back at what the original five were doing in 1986. The article still lists the wrong age for Gene Clark! | | |
|
|
Here comes S.C.! Can't decide what to get the music-lover on your gift list for the holidays? Here's a quick list of some suggestions for all the good boys and girls on your list! |
|
|
| | So Rebellious A Lover Gene Clark & Carla Olson Sunset Boulevard Records Expanded edtion “So Rebellious A Lover, the proclaimed return of one of modern music’s most underrated artist, Gene Clark." —Rolling Stone | | |
|
| | White Light Intervention Records "Highly recommended, even if, no, especially if you have a treasured original A&M pressing. This reissue kills the original in every possible way!" —Michael Fremer, Analog Planet Available in CD/SACD and 180 gram vinyl | | |
|
|
Gene Clark Sings For You Omnivore Recordings 14 previously unreleased awesome tracks from '66-'67. A must have for Gene fans! Available in CD, digital download or vinyl. | | |
|
|
Last month of Gene Clark Month we asked fans to email us with "what Gene Clark means to me" for a chance to win a Gene Clark Sings For You CD courtesy of Omnivore Recordings. Here is the winning submission from Belinda L. Congratulations!
Gene moves me and inspires me. His voice seems to know so much, to comprehend suffering, to transcend it. His songs make me want to write poems about him although I never heard his music while he was alive. the sublime cracks and wavers of an old man’s sufferings caught in a young man’s throat. his voice already has a roughness to its sweetness, a swan that's been dragged through a hedge backwards, beautifully bedraggled, renascent. has his tragedy been written – predestined, encapsulated in the way he sings a song? like it all comes down to this and we should have known this all along. sabotaging each new success like an ego set on self-destruct since before he was even born. he storms out when he should stand still and pushes in where he’s not wanted. you would follow him to hell and back but he’d only turn and flee - you could love him but not hold him so uncage him, set him free. love, Belinda |
|
|
Gene Clark Tributes this month! |
|
|
There will be two big Gene Clark tributes happening in the month of December - both featuring KAI CLARK! Kai will be in Melbourne Australia (!) fo The Gene Clark Show on Saturday, December 8 at The Old Bar. Sharing the stage with Kai are some top-notch performers! If you're in Melbourne, don't miss out on this great show! For tickets and info, click HERE. On Saturday, December 22nd, Kai will be at The Chapel in San Francisco, CA for "Here Tonight: The Fourth Annual Tribute to Gene Clark" A late addition to this roster is none other than CARLA OLSON! Tickets and info for this event can be found HERE. |
|
|
In The Plan - "Who's Who" List of people associated with Gene Clark to be added to the website.
All I Want - "Backstage Pass" - Did you see Gene perform in concert with the Byrds or solo? Echoes is always looking for recollections from fans who met Gene at a show and maybe even snapped a photo or two. Email: GeneClarkWebsite@gmail.com if you have anything you'd like to share.
- Guest Blog Spot - Do you have a talent for writing? Have you always wanted to write about your favorite Gene Clark album, or share your interpretions of his songs? If you would like to submit an interesting blog piece about Gene Clark for our website, please contact Echoes at GeneClarkWebsite@gmail.com with your pitch, Echoes would love to hear from you!
|
|
|
Just a note from Gene Clark... Echoes is pleased to share with you this sweet poem written by Gene in his own beautiful handwriting for his mother and father dated 12/12/89 courtesy of The Clark Family. |
|
|
Dear Mom & Dad, The 1990's before us flare While the 80's fade away from here I thought that when Four score and four, had come about I'd know for sure The meaning of the joy and rage My twenties played on histories stage But where did all the answers go? That only famous youth could know. And now here six years passed the four Time just hastens, score by score. And now I cry out, loud & clear Mother! Father! I hold you dear, For if we have yet one score more I will be home with you once more. — Gene Clark |
|
|
Echoes would like to wish you all a very Happy Holiday and all the best in 2019! Thank you all for your support! |
|
|
Gene ClarkWebsite dedicated to Gene Clark | Singer | Songwriter | Legend, co-founder of The Byrds |
|
|
Sign the PetitionGet Gene In! Show your support to induct Gene Clark into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. |
|
|
|
|