Long Lost Gene Clark Recordings Are The Sound Of A Byrd Finding His Wings
Gene Clark seemed the most likely of all the five original Byrds to become a solo superstar: he had the looks, a beautifully emotive voice and, most importantly of all, an extraordinary talent as a songwriter. For a myriad of reasons, Clark never made it on his own despite producing some truly wonderful solo albums but over the years the cult of Clark has been growing, as more and more people are discovering his work beyond The Byrds.
For any Clark fan the growing appreciation of his work is not only gratifying but has also led to a number of collections of unreleased songs being unearthed from Here Tonight: The White Light Demos to The Lost Studio Sessions to, most recently, the Record Store Day release, Back Street Mirror.
Of all these, Gene Clark Sings For You, is maybe the most intriguing for any Clark devotee. Its existence has long been rumored and hearing these songs finally, it’s incredible to think it’s taken so long to release them.
Make no mistake, this is not an unreleased studio album, with all the polish and finish of Clark’s other solo releases, these are raw demos, made in 1967, when Clark was between record deals and looking to find a new home for his music.
His first solo album, Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers, had been a commercial failure, maybe due to his label Columbia releasing it the same month as his old band The Byrds’ fourth album Younger Than Yesterday but, despite being the principal songwriter on The Byrds’ first two records, Columbia it seems had no idea what to do with Clark. He had the good looks of a teen dream but his brooding songs and poetic lyrics were a world away from the kind of bubblegum pop that appeared on the record charts.
Aside from the solo album (now rightly considered a classic), at Columbia’s urging, he also recorded a cover of Ian & Sylvia’s “The French Girl” for release as a single but the label, still unconvinced at his solo appeal, instead shelved it and then cut its losses by not renewing his record contract.
Clark though was at his most prolific during these years. He later admitted he wrote hundreds of songs at this time, which accounts for why, when things he recorded didn’t work out or were shelved, Clark just moved on to other things (the songs for the recent Back Street Mirror EP were also recorded during this time).
It could be that Clark was happy to be released from the same label that housed his former band, The Byrds, because he certainly seemed undeterred, heading back into the studio to record the demos that were sweetly labelled “Gene Clark Sings For You” on an acetate that was sent around to try and secure a new record contract. Clark did eventually find a new home at A&M, where he recorded the two Dillard & Clark albums and his stunning White Light LP, but none of the songs featured on Sings For You, made it onto these subsequent releases and it’s only due to the discovery, in the 1980s, of the original acetate in the vaults of one of the labels Clark tried his luck with, Liberty Records, that we have these tracks, which were long rumored lost, today.
This new release includes all eight songs from the original acetate and see Clark moving away from the Byrds-esque folk-pop sounds heard on his debut album and nearer to the beautifully brooding sound he would later perfect on albums like White Light and No Other. First though you have to look past the rather shoddy production – these are quickly recorded demos after all – and some terrible drumming at times, to hear each song’s true beauty.
“On Her Own,” a tale of a free-wheeling San Francisco girl, seems like a disillusioned response to Scott McKenzie’s classic hippie anthem. “Seven days a week I wake up and look out my window/Sometimes I feel so low I can hardly speak,” Clark moodily sings about their doomed romance, over an unnecessary marching rhythm. It’s a beautiful song and it’s easy to imagine it becoming something far more plaintive and moving with more sympathetic production.
“Past Tense” actually starts out sounding like a Neil Young tune but turns into an upbeat folk tale with a Dylan-esque feel, driven by some nice piano courtesy of Alex Del Zoppo (from the band Sweetwater, famous for being the first band to perform at Woodstock). “Yesterday, Am I Right” is a beautifully aching ballad with gorgeous vocals from Clark (another more fully produced version of this song was recently released on the Back Street Mirror EP).
“Past My Door” is more ambitious in its sound with a rousing Mellotron and tempo changes throughout the song that hint at what Clark would go on to do on his masterpiece, No Other. “That’s Alright By Me” has some lovely violins during the chorus, although, again, the drum part is hugely distracting (why Clark or any of the other musicians hadn’t kicked him out of the studio by this point is anyone’s guess). There’s actually a much nicer later version of this song (with better drums) on the compilation album, Flying High but it’s certainly interesting to hear the song in a more primitive form with a more ‘60s feel.
“One Way Road” is a little more upbeat and bluesy while “Down On The Pier” is pure Clark heartbreak in a sweet folk setting and shuffling beat. The final song of the original eight, “7:30 Mode” is a country-flavored lament, with Clark on harmonica, that could have easily fit on his 1971 White Light album, and leaves you wondering why it, along with most of these songs, were just abandoned and never revisited in years to come.
Also, included on the release are five more songs from another session altogether. The songs are taken from another earlier acetate, this time given to the group the Rose Garden, who Clark had seen and become friendly with at the Ash Grove folk music club in Los Angeles, and the Rose Garden did go on to record two of the tracks, “Long Time” and “Till Today” (Omnivore is also releasing an expanded version of their only album, which Clark also played on – look out for our review).
The quality of these songs is slightly better and actually fit quite well with the Sings For You tracks. Most of these songs are completely acoustic, just Clark’s voice and a guitar, and range from the folky “On Tenth Street” to the Beatles-pop of “Understand Me” (it’s easy to imagine some nice Byrds harmonies on this one). Two of the tracks are played with a band, including the garagey blues of “Big City Girl” and, best of all, the haunting, slightly psychedelic “Doctor Doctor” is the Byrds classic that never was.
The final song is Clark running through the track “‘Till Today” for the Rose Garden and again is just a stripped down, simple acoustic demo and an interesting contrast to the band’s final harmony-filled studio version that appears on their debut album.
Gene Clark Sings For You is definitely not an entry point if you are unfamiliar with Clark’s solo oeuvre. For fans though it is a thrilling listen, if just to hear how Clark’s songwriting kept progressing during this time, finding the confidence that would finally blossom on later albums. It’s also interesting to imagine how these demos would have sounded like if they were recorded as a full solo album: there is certainly the makings of something truly special here.
By the time Clark did find himself another record contract with A&M he was already on another musical adventure with Dillard & Clark, and had probably moved on from the uncertainty and sadness expressed in these tunes. The recordings are rough, yes, but still Clark’s beauty, both in voice and lyrics, still manages to shine through on every track and leaves no doubt, that Clark’s is a voice worth hearing sing to you, 50 years on.
Gene Clark Sings For You is out June 15 from Omnivore Records. Pre-order your copy here.
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Neon Brambles