The Byrds.......... perfect example of an ever-evolving musical band, covering more than just a few genres at any given moment. They were quite extraordinary, in all their varied incarnations. I'm guessing late 1968, just after Gram Parsons left; getting close to 50 years now, since this type of brilliance blinded us with overwhelming emotions................I was fourteen then. WOW!!!!!! Those were great days in music to grow up in. Peace
I also remember it as being on the Playboy After Dark TV program. The year 1969 seems right also. What a wonderful era for music. I'm glad to have lived through it. As a young guitarist, Clarence was, and still is, my all time favorite.
Michael...returning home from the military late dec 67 ...almost 20 gone 3 yrs listenin to some serious Harmony's of Doo Wop we had a group on the ship from Brooklyn....so comin home all friends had just left are leaving sooo ready for a change and Clarence White, Gram ,and the Austin Music scene was just starting so I was also blessed to have lived through this time in life....being able to see these Musicians who played with different groups through the era seeing them numerous times Wow...could go on and on Thanks Yall for sharing this Hall of Fame Video ! And all the Great Comments ! ol man way down in TX JD. GREAT POST !
Clarence with his "B-bender"-tele built by Gene Parsons. A great player. Only recently is he getting the credit he's due! Thanks for sharing this clip!!
saw mcguinn last year in nj,, was very cool being 32 years old and being into this music and being able to see him perform, and just to look at the guy and think holy fuck he played with Clarence and gram
Clarence White - one of the ALL TIME great flatpickers. If you like him, check out Bryan Sutton playing Beaumont Rag and Doc Watson playing Black Mountain Rag. Hard to imagine anyone topping these 3 guys. Sure miss Clarence and Doc.
me too i loved this line up of the byrds,,saw them live in 1970/music hall in cleveland ohio..and...elton john opened for them!! (as it should have been) they smoked elton good they did...
What was always so amazing about Clarence was his economy of movement while at the same time putting so much into what he played with the paradox of what he DIDN'T play being just as vital as what he DID play, and his dedication to playing the melody while reaching the outer limits of it.
John York sings the high harmony vocal. Plus, I wish he would have continued to performed with THE BYRDS. His lead vocal on FIDO sounds like GENE CLARK.
Clarence really brings on a steel guitar sound from a six string which evn overshadows McGuinns 12 string sound - whoooo! Aint Goin Nowhere / Wheels on Fire are these really danceable in that freaky 60s way? haha
Ricky Scaggs, Albert Lee, Jimmy Olander (lead player in Diamond Rio) to name a few. But I haven't heard a guitar player recording in Nashville, L.A., New York or ANYWHERE that would make me think "Yeah, this guy's REALLY been listening to Clarence".
This is actually the latter-day Byrds, after all the other guys left.Post-Gram Parsons, I'm guessin,' not too long after Sweetheart of the Rodeo.Clarence White was truly a genius of Country-rock Guitar, SO innovative with the tele-B-Bender combo.So tragic how early he went.
Gene has been making them for 30 years at least and they are beautifully crafted. The two may have discussed the concept, but Gene is a high-level machinist as well as a hell of a musician. You should contact him if you want one. Tq
love this. absolutely love this. for some reason reminds me of altamont before all hell broke lose.. must be the dancers? roger & clarence in their prime i think.
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere and This Wheel's On Fire both by Bob Dylan; wonderful performance by The Byrds. Thanks for putting this up! It's awesome, and there I go, using that over-used word again, haha.
I have a copy of The Byrds (Untitled) that I bought in 1970. Inside the cover it says "it's something he (Clarence) and Gene Parsons invented". I also have a copy of Gene's "Kindling" bought in 1974. Clarence plays on this. As you say Gene is a hell of a musician.
The Byrds - 1968-"Sweetheart Of The Rodeo"-is awesome album!!! C.White invented the B-Bender device. This device raises the b (second) string of the guitar a whole step by the use of pulleys and levers attached to the upper strap knob and the second string on the guitar. It is activated by pushing down on the neck, and produces a "pedal steel" type sound. White play 1954 Fender Telecaster with the prototype B-Bender.
I think Marty Stuart also plays one and if I'm not mistaken, he may have given one of his "B Benders" to Marty. Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreaks is also using one as of late for Petty's reunion of his first band, Mudcrutch.
I think this clip is from Playboy After Dark. HH had some great music on the show. But the camera crew were clueless about where to point the cameras! They totally missed covering Clarence's lead playing in favor of the dancers. Silly.
@HoGraz The name of the first song is "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere." The name of the second song is "This Wheel's On Fire." Both were written by Bob Dylan. The originals are both on the "Basement Tapes" album by Bob Dylan and the Band. The Byrds versions of these songs are on "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and "Dr. Byrds, Mr. Hyde" respectively (both lead off tracks for each album).
@fiveslots I agree. Byrds are really peaking at this point, Jim's in charge, Clarence- a major talent and John York has the looks! This is an excellent post.
@DanStar707 Well there you have it. I have a copy and I play it once in a while, makes me feel great to listen. My old eyes have a problem reading though so I haven't looked at the notes. Thanks for the heads-up. :- )
I only saw Clarence live 1 time, but was heavily influenced by him. I actually had a B-string bender on my Les Paul back in '71-'72. Can I please get a copy of this, to download?\ Thanks, Steve
I think you mean that you used to see Nashville West, but this is the Byrds, after NW broke up and Clarence and Gene joined the Byrds (late '68). Great clip from Playboy After Dark.
Actually they both invented it. It was in Palmdale CA. They played at a Country Bar at night and had a Auto machine shop during the day. I actually played the first one they made.
You would've thought that by now they would've dropped the whole matching suit thing. I mean it was 1968, even The Beatles stopped it after they stopped touring in 1966.
I don't know if you'll even see this cause this comment is thirteen years old, but it was probably Clarence's influence given that he was a touring bluegrass musician and that's tradition
Why is this only tagged Clarence White? I think anyone lookin for the byrds should be able to find this. I've been hunting for good videos from this era of the byrds, but i only found this on accident while looking at Clarence videos...
I think Marty sees himself as the "custodian" of the guitar known as "Clarence".In Guitar Player magazine's "Vintage Gallery" in 1994 he said "I don't feel like I bought the guitar, I just bought the rights to borrow it".
I'm guessin' from all the "groovey" dancers and surrealistic set, this may have been the old Playboy/Hugh Hefner show??Cool Clarence White Solo! Man.. for a guy who pretty came out of the Bluegrass world, he sure turned into an AWEsome electric player, didn't he? Some people knock this later version of the Byrds..but I think they were great!!
McGuinn at 17 was friends with Master Cylinder and recorded this in Master Cylinder's Hollywood Hills groove house......If you look close you can see the Block Heads from Gumby & Pokey dancing at the 4:20 time stamp
I don't believe that is Clarence on "Kindling." That's Gene on the stringbender and he tunes to open G. Do you actually see Clarence listed as a musician? :- ) Tq
Ha, That acid story is hilarious, wonder if Marty found out if it was any good. Boy Clarence sure does sound like a steel guitar on the first song for sure!
@januarysixteenth You should watch Grateful Dead on Playboy After Dark,when their roadies dosed the cast and crew of the show with LSD. That was some dancing, even Hugh Hefner was tripping balls,haha
