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Gene Clark's slice of Colorado rock history
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In discourse about the Byrds, the names Roger McGuinn, David Crosby and perhaps Chris Hillman or Gram Parsons invariably come up. But few mention Gene Clark, a founding member of the first American supergroup and one of the strongest vocal presences in rock history.
Clark’s memorable stint with the Byrds was only two years, between 1964 and 1966, but he quickly became the band’s primary songwriter, penning many superb originals in their early days, including “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better,” “I Knew I’d Want You,” “Here Without You,” “The World Turns Around Her,” “Set You Free This Time” and “If You’re Gone.” Whatever the reason for Clark’s departure from the Byrds (a fear of flying, envy from other bandmates over his songwriting royalties, or an urge to strike out on his own), it’s still a shame that his fine legacy hasn't been fully appreciated – and that his subsequent career luck was often bad. The self-destructive Clark died in May 1991.
But even so, he never stopped trying to start anew. One of the very first to experiment with mingling rock and country music, Clark released a remarkable array of albums whose quality far exceeded the modest quantity of sales.
In 1974, Clark cut No Other, the neglected masterpiece that should have made him a household name. But he had hoped to release it as a double album, which put him in the doghouse with Asylum Records chief David Geffen, and within months it was regarded as a costly failure. Clark was reduced to doing club dates to pay the rent and keep his name in front of his fans.
On February 19, 1975, Clark performed at Ebbets Field, a tiny locale in downtown Denver. The show was professionally recorded by ListenUp, the local audio/video retailer and Ebbets Field’s sound company. That master tape has survived decades later, and it has finally been given an official release as Silverado ‘75 – Live & Unreleased on Collectors’ Choice Music (www.ccmusic.com).
That Wednesday evening, Clark played a pair of numbers from No Other, the title track and the great “Silver Raven,” but it’s evident he was hardly taking the trouble to support his latest album, and the gig offered an interesting cross-section of treats. A few rarities are featured (“Home Run King” and “Daylight Line”), two Byrds cuts (“Here Without You” and “Set You Free This Time”), even a song from his Dillard & Clark days (“Train Leaves Here This Morning,” which he co-wrote with Bernie Leadon and the Eagles covered on their debut album).
Accompanied by Duke Bardwell on bass, banjo and acoustic guitar and Roger White on guitar (the trio was billed as Gene Clark & Silverado), the set often sounds a bit rough and relaxed, that they were creating music on the fly for a few patrons. But White’s handsome lead guitar work presents a nice framework for Clark’s arresting vocals, and the harmonies are exceptional. Silverado ‘75 – Live & Unreleased isn’t indispensable, but it’s a memento of just how reliably extraordinary Gene Clark was as a creative force.
