''Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers'' is the debut solo album of

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

, released in February 1967 on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

, catalogue CS 9418. It was his first effort after his departure from folk-rock group

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

in 1966. The music is a unique mixture of pop, country rock and baroque psychedelic tracks, which received favorable reviews and reinforced Clark's stature as a talented singer-songwriter. Unfortunately for Clark, it was released almost simultaneously with the Byrds' ''

Younger Than Yesterday ''Younger Than Yesterday'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released on February 6, 1967 on Columbia Records. It saw the band continuing to integrate elements of psychedelia and jazz into their music, a proce ...

'', also on Columbia, and partly because of his 18-month absence from public attention was a commercial failure. Musicians on the album include: former bandmates

Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of and one of the original members of the Byrds, which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clarke. With frequent ...

and Michael Clarke; Wrecking Crew session musicians

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...

Jerry Cole Jerald Edward Kolbrak (September 23, 1939 – May 28, 2008), known professionally as Jerry Cole, was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician. Biography ...

, Jim Gordon, and

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

; future Byrd

Clarence White Clarence White (born Clarence Joseph LeBlanc; June 7, 1944 – July 15, 1973) was an American bluegrass and country guitarist and singer. He is best known as a member of the bluegrass ensemble the Kentucky Colonels and the rock band the Byrds, ...

; and Clark's future collaborator

Doug Dillard Douglas Flint Dillard (March 6, 1937 – May 16, 2012) was an American musician noted for his banjo proficiency and his pioneering participation in late-60s country rock. Biography Early life Dillard, who grew up on a farm near Salem, Missouri, ...

. The folk/country vocal duo the Gosdin Brothers added backing vocals, and subsequently received co-billing.

Reissues

The album was first reissued in the US in 1972, omitting "Elevator Operator" and with re-recorded vocals and remixed backing tracks designed to "soften" the sound, under the title ''Collector's Series: Early LA Sessions''. The album's first compact disc reissue appeared in 1988 on the Edsel Records label (UK), using the original 1966 stereo mix. Two years later, CBS Special Products (US) elected to use the original mono master for their CD reissue, which added a previously-unreleased alternate mono mix of "Tried So Hard" as a bonus track. A repackage on the

Columbia/Legacy Legacy Recordings is an American record label that is a division of Sony Music. Formed in 1990 after Sony's acquisition of CBS Records, Legacy originally handled the archives of Sony Music-owned labels Columbia Records and Epic Records. In ...

imprint in 1991 was titled ''Echoes'', and was (mostly) remixed, though closer to the sound of the original album than the 1972 ''Collector's Series: Early LA Sessions'' – the most significant changes were the removal of vocal

double-tracking Double tracking or doubling is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or bigger sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. ...

and some extended song endings. ''Echoes'' altered the original album running order, added "The French Girl" (an

Ian and Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. ...

cover), "Only Colombe," an acoustic demo of "So You Say You Lost Your Baby," and several Clark-penned songs from early Byrds recordings (also remixed). Both the 1997 reissue on Edsel Records and the 2007 reissue on

Sundazed Records Sundazed Music is an American independent record label based in Coxsackie, New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 2000, Sundazed had a staff of 15 and two mixing studios, including a vintage audio ...

(produced by Bob Irwin) restored the original album mix and track order, with the latter including a number of alternate takes from the album sessions. A 2014 CD from Sony Music Japan included the original 1966 mono mix, the 1972 ''Collector's Series: Early LA Sessions'' remix, and eleven mono and stereo bonus tracks – a total of thirty-two tracks.

Track listing

All tracks by Gene Clark, except where noted.

Side one

#"Echoes" (3:15) #"Think I'm Gonna Feel Better" (1:32) #"Tried So Hard" (2:18) #"Is Yours Is Mine" (2:25) #"Keep on Pushin'" (Clark, Bill Rinehart) (1:44) #"I Found You" (3:00)

Side two

#"So You Say You Lost Your Baby" (2:07) #"Elevator Operator" (Clark, Rinehart) (2:53) #"The Same One" (3:27) #"Couldn't Believe Her" (1:52) #"Needing Someone" (2:03)

2007 Sundazed reissue bonus tracks

#"Tried So Hard" (previously unissued alternate version) (2:18) #"Elevator Operator" (previously unissued alternate version) (2:53) #"Only Colombe" (previously unissued mono version) (2:18) #"The French Girl" (

Ian Tyson Ian Dawson Tyson (September 25, 1933 – December 29, 2022) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who wrote several folk songs, including "Four Strong Winds" and " Someday Soon", and performed with partner Sylvia Tyson as the duo Ian & Sylvia. Ear ...

Sylvia Fricker Sylvia may refer to: People *Sylvia (given name) *Sylvia (singer), American country music and country pop singer and songwriter *Sylvia Robinson, American singer, record producer, and record label executive *Sylvia Vrethammar, Swedish singer credi ...

) (previously unissued mono version) (2:18) #"So You Say You Lost Your Baby" (previously unissued acoustic demo) (2:07) #"Is Yours Is Mine" (previously unissued acoustic demo) (2:25)

Personnel

– guitar, harmonica, vocals *

Vern Gosdin Vernon Gosdin (August 5, 1934 – April 28, 2009) was an American country music singer. He had 19 top-10 solo hits on the country music charts from 1977 through 1990. Three of these hits went to Number One: " I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You ...

– backing vocals * Rex Gosdin – backing vocals *

– electric guitar *

– guitars * Bill Rinehart – guitars *

– guitar on "Tried So Hard" "The Same One" and "Needing Someone" *

–

electric banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

on "Keep on Pushin'" *

– piano,

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

; string arrangements on "Echoes" and "So You Say You Lost Your Baby" *

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle (album), Song Cycle'' and for his ...

– keyboards *

– bass * Jim Gordon – drums * Michael Clarke – drums *

Joel Larson Joel Larson (born April 29, 1947) is an American rock drummer and percussionist who is known as a founding member of The Merry-Go-Round and for being associated with The Turtles and The Grass Roots. Early life He lived near Lincoln Park unti ...

– drums uncredited

References

{{Authority control 1967 debut albums Gene Clark albums Albums produced by Gary Usher Columbia Records albums Sundazed Records albums