Photo of the month:

Gene Clark on Clark Street! Photographed by Henry Diltz in front of the Whisky A-Go-Go, summer 1966. Photo courtesy of John Delgatto of Sierra Records.

NEWS

Sierra Records Ceases Mail Orders  

If you are on the SIERRA RECORDS email distribution list, you would have received an email from its founder and president, JOHN DELGATTO announcing the closing of their mail order website. Sierra most recently released Gene Clark Back Street Mirror under its specialty label Entrée Records and also Gene Clark The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982. Sierra will cease accepting mail orders on their website effective August 1st.

SPECIAL FEATURE

A CONVERSATION WITH KAI CLARK!

Gene's youngest son KAI CLARK is a man of many talents. In addition to being an excellent singer-songwriter in his own right, Kai is a culinary chef, a husband and a father of three. Incredibly, Kai somehow manages to find time for working on a new album, making live appearances and overseeing the estate of his father. Echoes is pleased to bring you some more information on Kai's upcoming appearances, some insight to his musical background and his father's growing legacy.

Visit Kai's website at www.KaiClarkMusic.com and be sure to sign up for his newsletter for information on live shows and more!

I understand that you are working on a new album! Can you tell us a little bit about that and when we can expect it?

Yes, I am currently working on a new recording project. This is something special to me as I am planning to record a full album’s worth of Gene Clark material while also recording a full album’s worth of my own original songs and release them together as a double album. No pressure, right? I am hoping to have some of the great artists who were a part of my father’s musical history join me and contribute to the Gene Clark part of this project. There is a whole back story to this endeavor and I hope to share that with everyone in the liner notes of the release. These projects take some time, especially when you have different artists joining me at different times. But I hope to have something in the rough by spring 2019 and hopefully a finished product by summer/fall 2019. I am hoping that the remaining original members of the Byrds will be able to contribute to this project as I think that would be something really special.

"Sunlight" by Kai Clark (an Echoes/Neon Brambles favorite!)

How did you assemble the band for the album?

My band came about by playing music with different musicians for over 20 years. You learn a lot about people when you play in a band with them. These guys are good friends of mine, great musicians and truly professional. I waited my whole life for a group of musicians that I could walk up on stage with and never have to worry about anything. They are truly professionals and I have to say it makes my job a whole lot easier when I have a group like that behind me. You can learn all about the group at my website.

Tell us a bit about when you started playing and writing music. Did your father ever get to hear any of your songs?

I started playing guitar and singing when I was about 11 or 12 years old. There were many times growing up when people had tried to teach me at a younger age to pick up the guitar. But my interest was mostly in sports then. I started carrying a guitar with me everywhere I went while in high school and realized just how much I enjoyed writing and playing. Often my guitar and I were the only entertainment my group of friends had when we were hanging out as kids. I got to go to my father’s last few live shows at the Cinegrill in Hollywood. I remember playing a few songs on the guitar for him in the hotel room. I remember it was kind of crazy with all the people coming in and out of the room. I do remember him being impressed by the fact that I could tune my guitar harmonically.

In the genes: left, Carla Olson and Gene share a laugh onstage (photo: Gary Nichamin). Fast forward some 30 years later, Carla with Kai at the Gene Clark 50th Anniversary show in South Pasadena, February, 2017.

Who are your musical influences?

My first musical influences were definitely of the rock and roll genre and what I was being exposed to at the time growing up. I remember I had an old cassette tape of Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced. I used to listen to that tape over and over and I was hooked. I especially like the song “All Along The Watchtower”. I didn't really know too much about my father's music or history back then. It was only after he passed away that I started to learn more about his musical legacy. I have grown a lot musically over the years. I was prideful and stubborn when I was a young musician. Now that I am older I have definitely become a huge fan of my father's music, country, bluegrass, Americana, blues and more. I think diving into my father's music helped open up new horizons for me.

You've got a few live dates lined up for the month of August and also The Gene Clark Tribute at the City Folk Fest on September 15. Do you enjoy playing to a live audience? What does a typical set list consist of?

I absolutely love playing live venues! There is something magic about being on stage and playing live. I have an awesome band and I think that we shine the brightest when we are all up there playing together. We play a wide variety of songs at our shows. We play a lot of my father's music of course and we're always throwing in some of The Byrds greatest hits as well. We do a lot of classic rock, country, blues, bluegrass and roots music. Our sets often include Gram Parsons, Chuck Berry, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Beatles, various country artists (new and old), of course a good amount of my own original material and a whole lot more.  Our shows reach old and young alike.

I would imagine that singing songs that your father composed must be an interesting experience. It's rare that we get to experience the deeper, artistic side of our parents and get into their heads so-to-speak. What is like for you when you sing those songs? Have you experienced any revelations about Gene as a man rather than as your Dad through his music?

As I mentioned before playing my father's music has opened a lot of doors musically for me. Listening to a Gene Clark song is one thing, but learning them and playing them is a whole other journey in itself. A lot of times your mind will want to go one direction and Gene would take that song in another direction entirely. His writing style was quite unique. I try to imagine what he was feeling when writing some of his songs. Some of them the subject is obvious. Others have deep underlying meaning to them. His poetry was amazing and the use of words were truly one of a kind. I never thought of my father as scholarly or a genius, but often when I'm playing and singing his songs I definitely become more aware of that side of him.

What are some of your favorite songs by your father?

There are so many great songs that my father wrote. I have many favorites. Some of my all-time favorites are "Silver Raven" (which was one of the 1st Gene Clark songs I ever learned), "Your Fire Burning", a lot of the Dillard and Clark, especially "Train Leaves Here This Morning", "Kansas City Southern" and "Gypsy Rider". I also love some of his cover songs done in his own style such as "In The Pines", "Give My Love To Marie" and "Stand By Me" (the only song he ever taught me). The list goes on, but those are a few of my favorites.

There has been quite a bit of Gene Clark archival material being release lately, most notably The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982,  Back Street Mirror EP and Gene Clark Sings For You, all of which has been met with very positive reviews. What do you make of your father's lasting legacy and the newfound interest in his work?

It still amazes me how prolific my father was. We keep finding more work that he had done. Many of which were never released or heard before. It’s like he was leaving a trail of buried treasures that we keep finding and digging up. I think there is still so much more out there that we still have to discover and I can't wait to see what's next. The name Gene Clark is definitely growing, even so many years after he has left us.  I will often be out wearing Gene Clark T-shirt and someone will come up to me and say, “I love Gene Clark” and I am always taken back by the fact of how many people out there love my father's music. His name has always been under the radar so-to-speak from other names like Gram Parsons and other singer-songwriters of the era that are more household names. It is really great to see his name sharing the same notoriety as these other more well-known artists.  His talent is undeniable and it makes me happy to see him get the recognition he so truly deserves. I can picture him smiling and saying some smart comedic remark like "better late than never"!

Tell us about the upcoming show at the City Folk Festival and what fans can expect who can make their way to see it.

I'm really excited to be playing at the City Folk Festival in Ottawa, Canada in September. I will be playing to honor my father's music along with some other great artists who will come up to perform versions of my father's songs that they enjoy and play. It’s super cool to see these kinds of shows popping up at festivals and shows around the world. I am very honored to be performing at this event! We have a really special show planned that I know fans are going to love. You can find out more details at the City Folk Festival website.

Any closing thoughts that you'd like to leave for Gene's fans?

I would like to thank all the fans and those who have played a part in this growing Gene Clark movement, we are planning some really cool events for 2019 already. So keep your eyes out here on the newsletter or you can also subscribe to my website by going to www.KaiClarkMusic.com.

Onwards and upwards!

– Kai Clark

Out on the Side

Play guitar with Gene!

For all the guitar players out there, Echoes recently came across a nifty instructional video on YouTube for the lead on Gene's song "Life's Greatest Fool" from the album No Other.The video is part of a series for the website "Anyone Can Play Guitar" by Adrian Woodward. Break out your axe and check out the video below!

We Hear...

​​​​​In The Plan

• “Gene Therapy” a Gene Clark podcast – topics & music specific to Gene’s career (yes folks this is still in the works!)

• "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!

                                                                 TRACE HARRILL

TRACE HARRILL is a musician and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He is a Grammy Award recipient and has performed and/or recorded with Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Duane Allman, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Steve Winwood, Jackson Browne, The Wailers, Terry Reid, Paul Kossoff and others. A talented songwriter himself, Trace collaborated with Gene while briefly living with him in the early 1980s. Trace and Gene worked on several compositions together which were captured on home recordings, but were never properly recorded or released. Author Johnny Rogan has credited Trace with providing Gene "a necessary injection of inspiration" at a time when he needed it most. Trace is currently an associate producer at Andre Champagne's multi-media facility in the North Hollywood area involved in music production, multitrack restoration and video productions which include music and documentary projects.
Contact: AndreChampagne.com or email andremedia@aol.com.

1. When was the first time you met Gene?

March of ’83. I had just returned from a grueling tour with Les Dudek. We had one final show in LA., when Gene’s personal management came down to look me over and I was subsequently invited to their table. I was told Gene Clark’s bass player (Mark Andes) was leaving for Heart, and asked if I’d be interested. Even though a pay cut was involved, I accepted the invitation as I had long been intrigued with this Gene Clark fella. So I met Gene and Michael Clarke at Alley Rehearsal Studios in the Valley, along with Mark and his brother, Matt Andes who anyone will tell you are both instantly likable. I plugged in my bass and sang two rockers with Gene joining in and all went well. As it turned out Mark wasn’t quite moving on just yet so I mentioned to Gene that I had a guitar in the car and if he liked I could use it to learn the new material allowing Mark to have a bit of fun. Gene said “grab it”. I sang two more and we finished up the evening with songs from the Firebyrd album. It felt good. Later on it was decided I would remain on guitar. That line-up would be the first to go out live. Afterwards we all stood around shaking hands, with the notable exception of Michael (Clarke), which I soon learned would always be that way. I got a phone call at home round midnight that same evening. It was Gene and he asked if he might come over. Within the hour Gene showed up with his Martin guitar.

Gene Clark and Trace Harrill with the Firebyrds

at the Belly Up Tavern, San Diego, CA.

2. What is your favorite Gene Clark story/memory?

It was an everyday thing. Every day was both. We had so much in common. We had both walked away from the “Star Thang” and somehow managed to make a total shambles of our personal lives. What Gene understood was performance. He was well known for his spine-tingling and captivating delivery, yet consistency eluded him. Did I say we had much in common? That was the rub and what we delved into as songwriters. We found in order to accomplish this we would have to reach deeper and be brutally honest with ourselves, so it got intimate fast. It had to. This led up to my favorite memory. We were nearing our last leg of the Canadian tour. The rift between Michael and Gene over my mere existence just couldn’t be overlooked anymore. With Gene’s optimism and boundless hope he believed things would turn round. By now I was certain they wouldn’t. What really bothered me about this was how Gene and I had violated the honesty rule we had put into the songs we had been working on. This tension had begun on day one and in ignoring it we had made it impossible for the band much less Gene to deliver a true performance. Certainly the fans who came out had a good time but we were cheating them as much as ourselves. 

Above: The Firebyrds — from left: Michael Clarke, Peter Oliva, Gene Clark, Trace Harrill and Matt Andes at Valley Alley.

Suddenly interrupted, Gene was told he had to split if he were to make his radio promos on time. Due to this we weren’t able to see one another before showtime. That evening the band members were milling around separately amongst the crowd and I was in the sound booth. I didn’t see Gene. We had a good 20 mins. before showtime to wait out when quite unexpectedly, and without notice to anyone, Gene took the stage which caused a bit of a scurry with the sound tech, but soon all was calm. Gene slowly approached the mike as the audience grew more attentive and said, “I would like to dedicate this song to someone very special in my life” and went straight into “Set You Free This Time”. There it was! You could have heard the old pin drop. With total command and a professionalism I had not witnessed in Gene before, he held captive the entire audience, myself included. Three songs, each observed in reverence, each followed with standing and thunderous applause of appreciation. I was overjoyed! More than that I felt calm for the first time in a long time. Gene had replied. Now all I had to do was ride out my commitment. Gene Clark was back, and better than ever he had been. I’ve never wondered who that dedication was for.

3. What do you know about Gene that you would want his fans to know?

“My life mystifies me just because it still goes on” Gene Clark, 1983. Take a beat and read that again. That’s what Gene had to say about it. Personally, I didn’t want to write about Gene. It seems with all that’s been written and said, no one escapes unscathed. The only reason I am is because I was asked to by a fellow who keeps his word. That is a rare attribute nowadays and a quality Gene possessed and sought in others. He placed the highest value on one’s handshake and word.

Trace Harrill, left, performing with Gene at the
San Diego Sports Arena, mid-1980s. (Photo: Kenny Newberry.)

4. What is your favorite Gene Clark song/album?

My favorite song has to be “Set You Free This Time”; that’s what got me involved with Gene in the first place. My favorite album is No Other. But the one that sticks with me is “Sleep Will Return”. That was the soundtrack and backdrop for the time that I spent with him.

Live performance of "No Other" by  Gene Clark and The Firebyrds (courtesy of Michael Griffiths and Trace Harrill).

5. Complete the sentence: "I think Gene Clark should be in the Songwriters Hall of Fame because..."

All photos courtesy Trace Harrill except where noted. Special thanks to Trace and Michael Griffiths for sharing the live recording of "No Other" with Echoes readers and also to Paul Kendall for his help with this interview.

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