back in the 1980’s. Until now, very few people have had the privilege of hearing these tracks. Gene Clark Sings for You was recorded in 1967, right after he left the Byrds. Also included in this release are five more never before heard songs that Gene gave to the band Rose Garden for recording consideration. And as if that weren’t enough, there is also a live track , featuring Gene playing his song “Till Today.” Rose Garden would go on to record the song on their only album, the self titled Rose Garden on Atco Records. Die hard Clark fans have long dreamed of
these recordings getting the full-on deluxe release
treatment.That dream is now a reality, with the masters restored by Grammy-Winning engineer Michael Graves, and a very well written liner notes booklet from the pen of Byrds biographer John Einarson. The album features a total of 14 tracks,
each one special in its own way. All of them spe- cial in that most of us felt that the recordings were just the rumor mill at5 work, and didn’t truly exist. It;s so special to hear songs like “Yes- terday. Am I Right,” “7:30 Mode, ” “On Tenth Street,” “A Long Time” - with Gene on acoustic guitar and harmonica, the sparse songs will take you back the ‘60’s feel of Dylan and the folk scene. There are, however some straight up elec- tric rockers, such as “Big City Girl,” a song that would easily feel natural in a Gov’t Mule set. Or Past Tense, bopping along with a real Tom Petty vibe. ‘Doctor, Doctor” is ripe with the Byrds vibe. Gene Clark Sings for You is the diamond in
the rough. Nothing short of a musical miracle. A trip though time and space. Although we lost this great writer and musician back in 1991, this re- lease serves as a staunch reminder of just how good he really was. It’s a must have.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
The Decoys Live at the Nut- thouse (Crazy Chester) The Decoys have been
rockin’ around Ala- bama for a few years now, and this writer has been fortunate
enough to catch the band several times live, and I gotta be honest, they rock my world. The first time I heard of ‘em was when they released their CD Shot from the Saddle, a disc that stayed in my CD changer for months before I finally changed up. To this day, I love that record. Now we have Live at the Nutthouse. The same studio turned venue where Boyer and Talton recorded their wonderful album. The Decoys include Muscle Shoals
Swamper David Hood on bass; Little Richard lead guitar wiz Kelvin Holly; well-loved keyboard master N.C. Thurman; drummer Mike Dillon, and until his recent tragic passing, singer/gui- tarist Scott Boyer. If you wonder where the band name comes from, it goes back to 1989 when Boyer and former Capricorn Records producer and musician, the late Johnny Sandlin, formed the band. Johnny’s nickname had always been “the Duck,” henceforth the Decoys., For this smoking live set, the band was
joined by the famed Muscle Shoals horns and special guest, the legendary songwriter “Funky” Donnie Fritts. The show kicks off with the title track from the aforementioned album “Shot from the Saddle,” and includes Boyers classic “All My Friends,” a song recorded by the late great Gregg Allman, as well as a hot cover of the Staple Singers “Respect Yourself.” This astounding set includes their cover of Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1927,” and “Strike Like Lightning,” penned by none other than Lonnie Mack, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Will Jennings and Tim Drum- mond. Later in the set, another tribute is paid to Stevie Ray with “Pride and Joy,” and a nice “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” a classic Buddy Guy tune often rocked out by SRV. Arthur Alexander’s “You Better Move On”
is given the full Shoals respect and sounds great with the horns. A classic for sure. The stage gets a whole lot funkier when Donnie Fritts joins in for his song “Sumptin’ Funky Goin’ On,” which he co-wrote with Tony Joe White, followed by his “We Had it All,” (co-written with Troy Seals). The Leanin’ Man of Alabam’ never fails to entertain! The whole set rocks, and the guys close it
all out with a Lennon/McCartney classic, “A Little Help from My Friends.” Another essential disc.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
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