1973 byrds lyrics

Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Clarence White and Joe Lala performed at the final Byrds gig in February 1973 (picture right) when the reunion of the original Byrds was already in the making. The result of the re-uniting was the album "Byrds" on Asylum Records, later regretted by most of the members because they felt that the recordings neither were based on good material except Clark's nor done with the required care. (picture below)

Dissapointed with the result and bad reviews McGuinn's only reunion follow up happened on his first solo album "Roger McGuinn" with the original Byrds on one and Crosby on two more tracks. Chris Hillman teamed up with John David Souther and Richie Furay to record two albums as the Souther Hillman Furay Band: "The Souther Hillman Furay Band" (1974) and "Trouble In Paradise" (1975) as another attempt of Geffen to establish another American supergroup.

The band broke up in '75 but Hillman kept jamming with members Joe Lala, Paul Harris and Al Perkins and to record his first solo album in 1976 "Slippin'Away". Here he also teamed up with Herb Pederson (ex Dillards) and renewed his collaboration with Rick Roberts and Bernie Leadon. For his second solo "Clear Sailin'" (1977) he had a completely different line-up, the Chris Hillman Band.

McGuinn stayed busy throughout the '70s performing with different line-ups and recording albums "Peace On You" (1974), "Roger McGuinn & Band" (1975), "Cardiff Rose" (1976) and "Thunderbyrd" (1977). His performing group he called Roger McGuinn's Thunderbyrd. After the failed reunion in 1973 he, Clark, Crosby, Hillman and Clarke had agreed that the name "Byrds" should be used only with all originals members included.

Gene Clark recorded another masterpiece with "No Other" in 1974 and played small gigs in the U.S. The follow up, "Two Sides To Every Story" was released on RSO in 1975, country-rooted and produced by Thomas Jefferson Kaye. In the same year he put together a group called the KC Southern Band and toured Europe, where he was booked in 1977 with McGuinn's and Hillman's bands for an ex-Byrds'package tour.
For Gene Clark's interview with "Dark Star" click HERE .

When the three bands played at the Hammersmith Odeon they also got together for a special Byrds classics set. The recordings of the concert were released only in 1997 on "Three Byrds Land In London". Michael Clarke meanwhile joined Rick Roberts to form the very successful group Firefall soon after the failed Byrds reunion in 1973 (picture left).

David Crosby got together again with Graham Nash to record "Wind On The Water" in 1975 and "Whistling Down The Wire" in 1976. 1976 also saw Crosby, Stills & Nash teaming up to record their album "CSN".
Gram Parsons, a great admirer of the Stones, had beeen hanging around a lot with Keith Richards and it is said that "Wild Horses" had been inspired by him. He discovered country singer Emmylou Harris and recorded "GP" in 1972 with her. She also shared vocal parts with him on his second and last solo album "Grievous Angel" in 1973. (picture right)

On 14 July 1973 Clarence White was tragically killed by a drunken driver while loading equipment into a van. 100 musicians attended his funeral. On 19 September 1973 Gram Parsons was found dead in a room at the Joshua Tree Inn, the victim of a heart attack brought on by drug toxicity. When his family prepared everything for the funeral, the body was stolen from the airport. Gram's roadies Phil Kaufman and Michael Martin had stolen and cremated the body in the Mojave Desert to fulfill a wish Parsons had expressed following Clarence White's funeral.