Amanda and I had the pleasure to talk with Chris Hillman on the phone earlier this week. We recorded the interview and played it back tonight. Chris was great to talk with and it is obvious that his knowledge of the Bakersfield Sound is deep and his music during The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers was very influenced by the music coming out of Bakersfield and Los Angeles during the early 60’s.
It was during Chris’ time with The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers that he was one of the architects in the “country rock” genre of music. It’s rare that one can be involved in the beginning of a new sound, even more rare to be among the originators. Within the next couple of days, we’ll upload the entire interview with Chris for your listening pleasure. In the mean time, here are some clips and the playlist from tonight’s show. Thanks for listening and thank you, Chris Hillman, for taking the time to talk with us.
Here’s a great clip of Chris singing, the song he co-wrote with Gram Parsons, “Sin City,” with Emmylou Harris and Herb Pedersen.
I found a great CD at Amoeba Records in San Francisco last week titled Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collins. Here’s a great track from that disc.
One of the best quotes from the interview with Chris was “Dwight Yoakam is what Gram could have been.”
This one is a long one, but a very good listen to understand.
| Artist | Cut | Album | Label |
| Tim Hus | Bakersfield Music | Bushpilot Buckaroo | Stony Plain Records |
| Chris Hillman & Steve Earle | High Fashion Queen | Tribute to GP: Grievous Angel | Almo |
| Buck Owens | BEFORE YOU GO | Before you go/No One But You | Capitol |
| Buck Owens | It Tickles | Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collns | Sundazed |
| Buck Owens | I Always Get a Souvenir | Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collins | Sundazed |
| Wynn Stewart | It’s Such A Pretty World Today | Swing West – Vol 1 – Bakersfield | RAZOR AND TIE |
| Maddox Brothers & Rose | I Want To Live And Love | The Maddox Brothers and Rose 1946-1951 Volume 2 | Arhoolie Records |
| Tommy Collins | What’Cha Gonna Do Now | Swing West Volume, Vol 1 | RAZOR AND TIE |
| Red Meat | Truck Driving Man | Worlds Smallest Honky Tonk | Ranchero Records |
| Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen | Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There Is a Season) | At Edwards Barn | New Rounder |
| The Byrds | I Am A Pilgrim | Sweethearts of the Rodeo | Columbia |
| Beck and Emmylou Harris | SiN City | Return of the Greivous Angel, a tribute to Gram Parsons | Almo |
| Gram Parson | Ooh Las Vegas | Country and West Coast The Birth of Country Music | Ace Records |
| The International Submarine Band | Blue Eyes | Safe At Home | Sundazed Music |
| Clarence White | Mental Revenge | Nashville West Featuring Clarence White | Sierra Records |
| The Byrds | Eight Miles High | The Byrds, There is a Season | Sony BMG |
| Merle Haggard | I’m An Old, Old Man | If We Make it Through December | Capitol |
| Dwight Yoakam & Maria McKee | Bury Me | Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc Etc | Warner Brothers |
| 77 El Deora | I Just Dodged a Bullet | The Crown and the Crows Confession | Western Independent Recording |
| Red Meat | Inner Redneck | Meet Red Meat | Ranchero Records |
| Ruby Dee & The Snakehandlers | MAKE IT LAST | North of Bakersfield | Dionysus Records |
Bakersfield and Beyond 