Michael Ubaldini returns with 5-song vinyl EP on colored vinyl

Listen to the fantastic advance track "Storms of Trouble" from singer-songwriter great Michael Ubaldini available to stream now. His forthcoming EP is set for release on April 30, 2025...Robert Kinsler 

Michael Ubaldini is back with ‘STORMS OF TROUBLE’ - listen to the new song HERE

On 12 inch Limited edition vinyl 5 song  EP on colored vinyl

#6 In the Top Ten Mojo Magazine Playlist In-House Top Picks
#1 on CMP-UK’s Kickin’ Cuts Chart

“He wants nothing to do with contrived pop and it shows”

“Truer to the Uncompromising spirit of Hank Williams than most have been over the last six decades & not at the expense of his own sound ”-Americana roots magazine UK

 

Michael Ubaldini was on his way up.  Los Angeles Times Music Critic, Mike Boehm had declared, “Michael Ubaldini is better than Bruce Springsteen at probing the National soul.”  Ubaldini was either playing or sharing the stage with Brian Setzer, Lucinda Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Alvin, Judy Collins, Dwight Yoakum, John Doe, or The Blind Boys of Alabama.  His book, “Lost American Nights:  Lyrics and Poems” had published.  The late Joe Strummer and the legendary John Fogerty were showing up at shows, as was Seymour Stein of Warner Brothers. He toured all over the US and UK and won numerous awards including Disc of the Year and #10 best album of the decade and 21st Best song of the decade ‘Poem To my Country  from the LA Times for his record, “Acoustic Rumble”( reissued in a legacy edition in 2023). 
 
But Ubaldini was about to be thrown a curve.  Unbeknownst to him, the Orange County, CA musician was suffering from a heart-valve infection known as endocarditis and on Thanksgiving Day 2009 the disease announced its presence.  Unable to stand or move his left arm, Ubaldini was rushed to the hospital. Once diagnosed, doctors told him that he wouldn’t be able to walk or play guitar again, but on Christmas Day his hand opened up and he was able to play guitar.  “It was a miracle,” states Ubaldini.  Hospitalized for 6 more weeks the musician underwent intense physical therapy and was able to complete his recovery. Five years later in 2015 he collapsed onstage &flat lined – but was saved again by yet another Godly miracle.
 
It’s been a hard climb back, (the story was reported by CNN, as well as several newspapers) but Michael Ubaldini was determined to make his mark in the music world.  Less than a year later he was opening for the Blasters and Judy Collins and recorded acclaimed records the pure honky tonkin’, Last of the Honky Tonks.  More recently raw Folk albums Song Of Our Time & Music Notes from the underground  & his Roots Rockin’ Gospel Blues & countrified barrelhouse  Rabbit Foot Carnival - all released in the last four years filled with his poetic verse like no other songwriter on the scene.

With the new EP under his belt as a prelude to his new album now being recorded in Nashville TN, Storms Of Trouble the limited edition EP will be released in the U.S. on April 30 & all songs will also be available on all streaming services.  Storms of Trouble was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs and on analogue tape vocals and all.  Michael Ubaldini’s known for stripping things down until all that’s left is raw and honest music and this record, holds true to that credo. “I want to lay waste to this fake, studio-created music”, Ubaldini told The Orange County Register, noting that in these days of overproduction and tracking &  people not in the same room playing together his album being recorded in Nashville  and new EP like his past releases is  “Feel over fraud.”
 
The record presents 3 brand new songs  (along with two bonus tracks) songs all written by Ubaldini whose nickname, “The Rock and Roll Poet” was given to him by fans.  From the superb opener "Storms Of Trouble" to "Lost In The Shuffle" and "Long Road back to Californy" we hear a true American roots inspired songwriter.  Recalling the music of Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan,Grams Parson, Hank Williams and even Joe Strummer, his songs on past records have held mirrors up to society also filled with characters  and echoed the forgotten regular folks where as these new songs and bonus tracks recall his own troubled fortunes and path to personal  redemption and relationships. The record has the feel of old-style roots without seeming retro. Along with Michael on guitar and vocals is Jeremy Long on Piano/organ, John Mctuige the third drums and Jared Manzo on Bass

The two rare bonus tracks  ‘Tombstone Woman’ and ‘One Good Woman Blues’ were recorded in Austin TX mastered by Jerry Tubb who’s worked on records by  John Lennon, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Paul McCartney.
 
Ubaldini has been playing all over Nashville TN. & the Los Angeles area and plans to be back on the road in 2025  with regular stints at The Bluebird Café In Nashville TN.  Coming full circle, his book “Lost American Nights” is in it’s 2nd Edition released by Moontide Press and Michael is also the founder creator  of ‘Outlaws Of Folk Music Series™ -a showcase that along with himself performing includes different folk singers each month & is in its 17th year and created the new 21st century Folk Music Scene on the West Coast- He also has an indie Radio show of the same name.

When asked about his immediate music career goals, Ubaldini takes a moment and then answers genuinely, “I’d like to be a link in the chain of American music songwriters”. 

Storms of Trouble  certainly helps to lay the groundwork for that goal and his poetry within lyrics caused the UK’s R2 Magazine to call him “A gifted wordsmith with an ear for fine turn-of-phrase”
 
The release of “Storms Of Trouble heralds a new start for Michael Ubaldini and 2025 holds a wealth of promise.  Picking up where he left off, it’s full steam ahead for the musician who is glad to be back to normal.  Speaking of his illness & collapsing on “It’s in my rear view mirror. I don’t look back.” 
 
We’re glad to make the forward journey with him. 
 
For more information: www.rocknrollpoet.com

Country-rock pioneer Chris Hillman's 'Time Between' audiobook features 20 song excerpts; foreword narrated by Dwight Yoakam; directed by Scott Sherratt

I loved Chris Hillman's incredible autobiography "Time Between" released last year. Now comes the highly-anticipated audiobook with a myriad of bonus features and a foreword read by the great Dwight Yoakam. Read on...Robert Kinsler

Country rock pioneer Chris Hillman's Time Between audiobook features 20 song excerpts; foreword narrated by Dwight Yoakam - title directed by Scott Sherratt

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Chris Hillman’s new audiobook, Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother, and Beyond (Random House Audio; on sale October 19, 2021), features newly recorded excerpts of 21 songs that have been part of the artist’s musical legacy. Hillman is a three-time ACM award winner and inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of the Byrds.    “Recording my narration for the book was far more challenging than I could have ever imagined. For me it was completely different from going into a studio and recording music, and vocals, which I’ve been doing for nearly six decades,” Hillman says of the experience. “We tossed around the idea of adding a bit of music to embellish the title of each chapter. Each chapter was named after a song I had written, and or had recorded. This began to take on a whole new dimension in the presentation.”   As a co-founder of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman is arguably the primary architect of what’s come to be known as country rock. He went on to record and perform in various configurations, including as a member of Stephen Stills’s Manassas and as a co-founder of the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. In the 1980s he formed the Desert Rose Band, scoring eight Top 10 Billboard country hits. He’s released a number of solo efforts, including 2017’s highly acclaimed Bidin’ My Time — the final album produced by the late Tom Petty.   In Time Between, Hillman shares his quintessentially Southern Californian experience, from an idyllic, rural 1950s childhood to achieving worldwide fame with hits such as “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and “Eight Miles High.”    While the book features behind-the-scenes insights on his time in the Byrds, his productive but sometimes complicated relationship with Gram Parsons, his role in launching the careers of Buffalo Springfield and Emmylou Harris, and the ups and downs of life in various bands, music is only part of Hillman’s story. In Time Between, he also reveals the details of his personal life with candor and vulnerability, speaking honestly about the shocking tragedy that struck his family when he was a teenager, his subsequent struggles with anger, and how his spiritual journey led him to a place of deep faith that allowed him to extend forgiveness and experience wholeness.   As Time Between shows, Chris Hillman is much more than a rock star. He is a man who has faced down the challenges of life to discover what really matters.   “This is a great journey into the magic and madness of the time… [a] remarkable book.” —American Songwriter   “This autobiography is a wow-inducing memoir of life inside [an] incredible musical ride, and shows not only how it happened, but also why… [Hillman] tells his own story is like an american fairytale of sonic delights…This ably-written and undeniably fascinating tale of a still-running musical wonder is not to be missed.” —Americana Highways   “An eyewitness account of the advent of folk rock and the foundations of country rock…. A cleareyed, evenhanded tale from a pivotal figure in the development of country rock." —Kirkus Reviews   “Reading Chris Hillman’s new memoir. . . is like sitting down with an old friend to listen to his stories of his days on the road and in the studio.” —No Depression   “Chris Hillman [is] the unvarnished gem of every band he has inhabited. It’s time to applaud his legacy.” —Bernie Taupin

TIME BETWEEN My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother, and Beyond By Chris Hillman, read by the author Random House Audio| Audio Download ISBN: 9780593508091 BOT | Library Audio Download ISBN: 9780593508107 On sale October 19, 2021   Also available in print from BMG Books   About Chris Hillman Chris Hillman is a four-time Grammy nominee, three-time CMA award nominee, three-time ACM award winner, and inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of the Byrds. The recipient of both the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Mojo magazine’s Roots Award, the country rock pioneer has been making music for nearly six decades. He lives in Ventura, California, with his wife Connie.    Dwight Yoakam is a multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, musician, and actor who has made more than a dozen Top 10 singles and sold over 25 million records.   Scott Sherratt is a multi-Audi, Audible, Audie, Earphones and Grammy award winning director.    About Penguin Random House Audio As the premier publisher in the audiobook industry, Penguin Random House Audio is dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business, including books by bestselling authors like Margaret Atwood, Brené Brown, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Elizabeth Gilbert, John Grisham, George R. R. Martin, Toni Morrison, Celeste Ng, Delia Owens, Rick Riordan, Jacqueline Woodson, and Colson Whitehead, as well as Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, and First Lady Michelle Obama. Our audiobooks have won 17 GRAMMY® Awards, 98 Audie® Awards, and 23 Odyssey Awards and Honors. Random House Audio, Penguin Audio, Listening Library, and Books on Tape are imprints of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Buck Owens' 'The Complete Capitol Singles, 1957-1975' collects 130 tracks from original single masters in 6-CD slip case, from Omnivore on March 12

 Buck Owens' tremendous legacy will be celebrated in spades via a forthcoming collection set for release on March 12, 2021. Here is the official media release...

Comprehensive compilation, due from Omnivore Recordings on Friday, March 12, 2021, traces the recorded history of the influential country star and Bakersfield's most famous resident

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with the Buck Owens Estate, will release Buck Owens and the Buckaroos’ The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957–1976, including all three of Omnivore’s previously released acclaimed two-CD sets: The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957–1966, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967–1970, and The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975. Gathered together in a slipcase, and at available at a new low price, the compilation will be available March 12, 2021.

 

Taken from the original mono master tapes, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957–1966collects all 28 singles from that period, including 13 No. 1 hits, in their original, chronological form, and Buck’s duets with Rose Maddox.

 

Packaging features liner notes from Buck’s autobiography (written with author/historian Randy Poe), plus an introduction by Dwight Yoakam.

 

The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967–1970 collects the A- and B-sides from the original mono and stereo masters to all 18 singles from that period, including 14 Top Ten hits, and duets with Buddy Alan and Susan Raye.

 

The third and final volume in the series, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971–1975, collects the A- and B-sides to all 21 singles from that period, including nine Top Ten hits, and four duets with Rose Maddox. Packaging features liner notes from Bakersfield country historian Scott B. Bomar.

 

These are the records that made Buck Owens a legend and defined the Bakersfield Sound. It’s history. It’s The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957–1975.

 

Track List:

DISC 1

1. Come Back
2. I Know What It Means
3. Sweet Thing
4. I Only Know That I Love You
5. I’ll Take A Chance On Loving You
6. Walk The Floor
7. Second Fiddle
8. Everlasting Love
9. Under Your Spell Again
10. Tired Of Livin’
11. Above And Beyond
12. ‘Til These Dreams Come True
13. Excuse Me (I Think I've Got A Heartache) 14. I’ve Got A Right To Know
15. Foolin' Around
16. High As The Mountains

17. Mental Cruelty - Buck Owens & Rose Maddox

18. Loose Talk - Buck Owens & Rose Maddox
19. Under The Influence Of Love
20. Bad Bad Dream

21. Nobody's Fool But Yours
22. Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

23. Save The Last Dance For Me

24. King Of Fools
25. Kickin' Our Hearts Around

26. I Can't Stop (My Lovin' You)

27. You're For Me
28. The House Down The Block

 

DISC 2

1. Act Naturally
2. Over And Over Again
3. We're The Talk Of The Town - Buck Owens & Rose Maddox

4. Sweethearts In Heaven - Buck Owens & Rose Maddox
5. Love's Gonna Live Here
6. Getting Used To Losing You
7. My Heart Skips A Beat
8. Together Again
9. I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)
10. Don't Let Her Know
11. I've Got A Tiger By The Tail
12. Cryin' Time
13. Before You Go
14. (I Want) No One But You
15. Only You (Can Break My Heart)
16. Gonna Have Love
17. Buckaroo
18. If You Want A Love
19. Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy
20. All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You
21. Waitin' In Your Welfare Line
22. In The Palm Of Your Hand (Mono)
23. Think Of Me
24. Heart Of Glass
25. Open Up Your Heart
26. No More Me And You
27. Where Does The Good Times Go
28. The Way That I Love You

 

DISC 3

1. Sam's Place
2. Don’t Ever Tell Me Goodbye
3. Your Tender Loving Care (Mono)
4. What A Liar I Am
5. It Takes People Like You (To Make People Like Me)
6. You Left Her Lonely Too Long
7. How Long Will My Baby Be Gone
8. Everybody Needs Somebody (Mono)
9. Sweet Rosie Jones
10. Happy Times Are Here Again
11. Let The World Keep On A Turnin’ - Buck Owens & Buddy Alan
12. I’ll Love You Forever And Ever - Buck Owens & Buddy Alan
13. I've Got You On My Mind Again
14. That’s All Right With Me (If It’s All Right With You)
15. Christmas Shopping
16. One Of Everything You Got (Mono)
17. Things I Saw Happening At The Fountain On The Plaza When I Was Visiting Rome Or Amore
18. Turkish Holiday

 

DISC 4

1. Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass
2. There’s Gotta Be Some Changes Made
3. Johnny B. Goode
4. Maybe If I Close My Eyes (It’ll Go Away)
5. Tall Dark Stranger
6. Sing That Kind Of Song
7. Big In Vegas
8. White Satin Bed
9. We’re Gonna Get Together - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
10. Everybody Needs Somebody - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
11. Togetherness - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
12. Fallin’ For You - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
13. The Kansas City Song
14. I’d Love To Be Your Man
15. The Great White Horse - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
16. Your Tender Loving Care - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
17. I Wouldn't Live In New York City (If They Gave Me The Whole Dang Town)

18. No Milk And Honey In Baltimore

 

DISC 5

1. Bridge Over Troubled Water 2. (I’m Goin’) Home
3. Ruby
4. Heartbreak Mountain
5. Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
6. Corn Likker
7. Too Old To Cut The Mustard - Buck & Buddy
8. Wham Bam - Buck & Buddy
9. Santa’s Gonna Come In A Stagecoach - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
10. One Of Everything You Got - Buck Owens & Susan Raye

11. I'll Still Be Waiting For You
12. Full Time Daddy
13. Made In Japan

14. Black Texas Dirt
15. Looking Back To See - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
16. Cryin’ Time (Duet Version) - Buck Owens & Susan Raye

17. You Ain't Gonna Have Ol' Buck To Kick Around No More

18. I Love You So Much It Hurts
19. In The Palm Of Your Hand
20. Get Out Of Town Before Sundown
21. Ain't It Amazing, Gracie
22. The Good Old Days (Are Here Again) (Duet Version)

 

DISC 6

1. The Good Old Days (Are Here Again) - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
2. When You Get To Heaven (I’ll Be There) - Buck Owens & Susan Raye 3. Arms Full Of Empty
4. Songwriter’s Lament
5. Big Game Hunter
6. That Loving Feeling
7. On The Cover Of The Music City News
8. Stony Mountain West Virginia
9. (It's A) Monster's Holiday
10. Great Expectations (B-Side Version)
11. Great Expectations (A-Side Version)
12. Let The Fun Begin
13. 41st Street Lonely Hearts' Club
14. Weekend Daddy
15. Love Is Strange - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
16. Sweethearts In Heaven (Duet Version) - Buck Owens & Susan Raye

17. The Battle Of New Orleans
18. Run Him To The Round House Nellie (You Might Corner Him There)

19. Country Singer's Prayer
20. Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

 

Pre-sale link: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/complete-capitol-singles

 

###

Rockin' Gift Guide: AC/DC, Jesse Colin Young, John Lennon, Peggy Lee, Gypsy Soul, Chris Hillman

Here is a crop of terrific releases including spectacular classic rock returns, an essential autobiography from a rock and roll great, as well as several fantastic new holiday music titles in tune with the season.

Artist: AC/DC

Title: Power Up (Columbia Records Group)

You might like if you enjoy: AC/DC, Deep Purple's 2020 "Whoosh!" 

Tell me more: Few bands have faced their demons and battled back with the kind of aplomb displayed by AC/DC. This is band that was seemingly doomed from the time founding lead singer Bon Scott died in February 1980. Major hearing issues for long-time vocalist Brian Johnson that led him to being temporarily replaced by Axl Rose in 2016, the death of founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017 and legal issues aplenty for drummer Phil Rudd were somehow overcome as evidenced on the hard rockers' brilliant return Power Up. Those worrying the Australia-spawned Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have lost a step fear not; this album rocks as hard as anything in their storied discography. My favorite tracks are the head-banging "Shot In The Dark" and "Systems Down," catchy instant-classic "Witch's Spell," bluesy "Kick You When You're Down" and "No Man's Land," and probing "Through The Mists Of Time." Truth be told, every cut on the album rocks. No wonder within a week of its official release, Power Up had reached the #1 spot on charts across the globe. 

Power Up is available in multiple configurations that will excite collectors and die-hard fans alike, including digital, CD, and deluxe versions. The limited edition, one-of-a-kind deluxe Power Up box is the ultimate fan package. Hit the button on the side of the box and watch the flashing neon AC/DC logo light up while the opening bars of “Shot In The Dark” blast out of the built-in speaker. Inside the box is the full CD package in a soft-pack with a 20-page booklet that features exclusive photos and USB charging cable allowing the box to remain powered up and on display. The vinyl LP is pressed on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket.  Information: acdc.com.

Artist: Jesse Colin Young

Title: Highway Troubadour (BMG)

You might like if you enjoy: The Youngbloods, Jesse Colin Young, Bruce Cockburn 

Tell me more: Singer-songwriter/guitarist Jesse Colin Young has just returned with Highway Troubadour, his 22nd solo album (but first truly solo acoustic record since his 1964 debut The Soul of a City Boy). Beloved for his work as lead singer for The Youngbloods in the late 1960s and early '70s, Young went on to establish an equally successful career thanks to strong albums such as Song for Juli (1972), Songbird (1975) and On the Road (1976). Now 79, Young's signature vocals and virtuoso finger style guitar work shine across Highway Troubadour. A true survivor, Young put his recording career on hiatus in 2012 when he was diagnosed with Lyme disease. He returned to the ring with his highly-acclaimed February 2019 release Dreamers and is now back with a disc full of compositions pulled from across his catalog; the sessions were recorded with two two AEA A440 ribbon microphones — one for his voice and one for his Taylor 910 CE guitar. Highlights abound; an intoxicating "Cast a Stone" from last year's Dreamers, intimate "Song for Juli" and potent "Darkness, Darkness." He also revisits several Youngbloods classics, including offering up a reworked bluesy take on the Americana rocker "Sugar Babe" and George Remaily's "Euphoria." Information: JesseColinYoung.com.

Artist: John Lennon

Title: Gimme Some Truth (Capitol Records)

You might like if you enjoy: John Lennon, The Beatles

Tell me more: In celebration of what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday, Capitol/UMe released Gimme Some Truth on Oct. 9, 2020. Released via several configurations (including a Deluxe 2CD/Blu-ray edition that includes a 124-page book and much more), the 2CD version I have revisits three dozen of the artist's most beloved solo songs, all upgraded via the work of engineer Paul Hicks, engineer Sam Gannon and mastering pro Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios. Listening to these glorious new mixes is to be swept up again by Lennon's monumental talent as a singer-songwriter able to address love, loss, social justice, marriage, world peace, racism, feminism and a myriad of other topics with a brutal honesty that rings true long after his tragic death in December 1980. The range of songs astound even today; the timeless rocker "Instant Karma!," sparse "Working Class Hero," intimate "Love," adored "Imagine," stirring "Oh My Love" and timely "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" are among this writer's favorites. Gimme Some Truth is available as a 19-track CD or 2LP, a 36-track 2CD, or 4 LP, the aforementioned Deluxe edition, and several digital versions for download and streaming including in 24 bit/96 KHz audio and hi-res Dolby Atmos. Information: JohnLennon.com.

CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS

Artist: Peggy Lee

Title: Ultimate Christmas (Capitol Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Peggy Lee, traditional holiday music 

Tell me more: With 2020 marking the 100th birthday of the late jazz and popular music singer Peggy Lee, the yuletide set Ultimate Christmas features 22 holiday favorites including "Winter Wonderland," "The Christmas Song," "Happy Holiday," "The Christmas Waltz," Winter Wonderland" and the rare "Peace on Earth." Several of the selections were written by Lee, including the cheerful "Christmas Carousel" (the title track from her 1960 holiday album), sparkling "Don't Forget to Feed the Reindeer," radiant "The Tree" and poignant "My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)." Lee's signature top-tier vocals and the wonderful orchestral arrangements captured between 1949 and 1968 on audio CD are bolstered by a colorful booklet filled with historical Christmastime photos of Lee and detailed liner notes and information on each of the memorable tracks. Information: umgcatalog.com.

Artist: Gypsy Soul

Title: Comfort and Joy (Off The Beaten Track Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Gypsy Soul, Clannad

Tell me more: Talented Oregon-based duo Gypsy Soul is back with a new holiday-minded album, Comfort and Joy. Released Nov. 27, the album features six new recordings; all other tracks on the 14-track disc have been remastered. Cilette Swann's expressive vocals (which spans four octaves) and Roman Morykit's skills on a multiple of instruments are able to musically deliver the warmth and jubilation of the season to be sure, including their jazz-meets-world music versions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "We Three Kings of Orient Are," "The First Noel" and other traditional favorites. Other standouts include "Little Drummer Boy" and "Away In A Manger." Their own "The Snow, The Sea" is a welcome addition on the set. Many modern-day Christmas music collections are stuffed with an excess of bombast and artificial sweetening; Gypsy Soul's Comfort and Joy is a genuinely beautiful and touching tribute to the holiday season. Information: GypsySoul.com.

ROCK 'N' ROLL READ

Title: Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond

Author: Chris Hillman

Publisher: BMG Books

Hardcover: 315 pages

Tell me more: In his moving "Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond," Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chris Hillman provides a compelling and fascinating look at his life and singular career. A founding member of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and the Desert Rose Band, Hillman reflects on the ups and downs of a life spent in the music world but mines equal depth with his reflections on love, family, faith and the loss of so many of his musical mates. He writes in a straightforward way, completely immersing the reader in a wide-ranging life spanning legendary gigs, recording sessions, band breakups, overcoming seemingly-fatal health scares and — his biggest joys — his wife Connie and their children. His relationships with greats ranging from Gram Parsons and David Crosby to Roger McGuinn, Richie Furay and Tom Petty come alive in the wonderful autobiography. Country great Dwight Yoakam pens the foreword. Information: bmg.com.

Robert Kinsler

Chris Hillman's memoir, 'Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond,' coming from BMG Books on Nov. 17

'Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond' memoir from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chris Hillman coming Nov. 17, 2020 via BMG Books

"Chris Hillman has been a well-kept secret in the history of rock. Yeah, we all know how great he was in the Byrds, but his contributions go well beyond that. Chris was a true innovator — the man who invented country rock. Every time the Eagles board their private jet Chris at least paid for the fuel." — Tom Petty

"Chris Hillman is a bona fide pioneering godfather to generations of musical souls who've sought inspiration at that divine crossroads where rock & roll, country, bluegrass, folk, honky tonk, and gospel music intersect and harmonize. He's a national treasure, truly a statesman." — Marty Stuart

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Chris Hillman is arguably the primary architect of what’s come to be known as country rock. After playing the Southern California folk and bluegrass circuit, he joined Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke as an original member of The Byrds. He went on to partner with Gram Parsons to launch The Flying Burrito Brothers, recording a handful of albums that have become touchstones of the Americana genre.

The Byrds in the studio / Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Hillman then embarked on a prolific recording career as a member of Stephen Stills’ Manassas, as a solo artist, and as a member of several groups that he insists sound more like law firms than bands: Souther-Hillman-Furay with acclaimed songwriter J.D. Souther and former Buffalo Springfield and Poco member Richie Furay; McGuinn, Clark & Hillman with two of his fellow former Byrds; and Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen with Tony Rice, Larry Rice, and longtime collaborator and duo partner Herb Pedersen. As a songwriter, he appeared on the Billboard singles charts in four consecutive decades, and his songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists, from Steve Earle to Patti Smith to Roy Rogers. 

Chris Hillman on stage with the Byrds in the mid-'60s.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images

In the 1980s, Hillman launched a successful mainstream country group when he formed The Desert Rose Band with Pedersen and John Jorgenson, scoring eight Billboard Top 10 country hits. In the midst of his country success he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the other original members of the Byrds. He has since released a number of solo efforts, including 2017’s highly-acclaimed Bidin’ My Time, which was the final album produced by Tom Petty with executive producer Pedersen.

In Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond, due out November 17, 2020 via BMG Books, Hillman takes readers behind the curtain of his quintessentially Southern Californian experience. Raised in San Diego County’s then-rural Rancho Santa Fe, Chris grew up in an idyllic 1950s environment that was filled with TV cowboys, horseback riding, exploring the outdoors, surfing, discovering girls, and falling in love with music. When his older sister came home from college with a stack of records by folk artists such as Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, Chris was hooked. He soon fell in love with the bluegrass music of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and The Stanley Brothers, spending hours mastering the guitar and mandolin. Once the Beatles invaded America, the various aspects of his musical DNA came together that would eventually lead to him become a pioneering founding father of country-rock.

Written in an honest and unadorned style, Hillman’s memoir recounts his early experience in bands like The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers and The Golden State Boys, which included future country music legend Vern Gosdin. He shares the story of getting his hands on a borrowed bass — an instrument he’d never played — to try out for the Byrds, and offers up details on why Miles Davis was responsible for their success. He shares about the moment the Byrds were nearly axed from The Ed Sullivan Showfollowing an explosive showdown with the producers, and reveals how participating in a recording session with South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela inspired him to write his very first song, “Time Between,” which then became the first true country rock record. “To me,” Tom Petty once revealed in an interview, “Chris invented country rock, more than anyone I can think of. As far as taking country music and trying to nurture it into a new form, he is absolutely the first guy that really did that.”

Additionally, Chris sheds new light on his productive but sometimes-complicated relationship with Gram Parsons and offers insight into the real man behind the ever-growing myth. He tells us what really happened on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry when the Byrds made their controversial appearance during the recording of the Sweetheart of the Rodeo sessions, and offers up the details on the band’s disastrous trip to South Africa. From becoming one of the first musicians to move to the artistic enclave of Laurel Canyon, to the historic moment he quit the Byrds, to breaking new “outlaw country” ground with the Flying Burrito Brothers, to recording with Manassas, to making the connections that launched the careers of Buffalo Springfield and Emmylou Harris, to his vastly different experiences as a performer at both Monterey and Altamont, Hillman opens up the fascinating pages of his life and career with engaging detail.   

While giving insight into the recording of classics like “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and “Eight Miles High,” the musical details of Time Between are only half the story. Pulling back the curtain like never before, Chris reveals the details of his personal life with candor and vulnerability. He writes honestly about his father’s suicide, his subsequent struggles with anger, and how his spiritual journey led him to a place of deep faith that allowed him to extend forgiveness and experience wholeness. He writes of overcoming his overwhelming shyness, building a family with his beloved wife Connie, earning a second degree blackbelt in karate, battling a life-threatening disease, and escaping three (!) house fires.

Featuring a foreword by Dwight Yoakam and dozens of photos from Chris’s personal collection, Time Betweenis filled with Hillman’s encounters with characters such as Lenny Bruce, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, and Buck Owens, as well as his musical collaborations with Clarence White, Bernie Leadon, Stephen Stills, Dan Fogelberg, Herb Pedersen, John Jorgenson, Al Perkins, Jay Dee Maness,Tom Brumley, and more. From tales of hanging out at the famed Ash Grove club in Los Angeles as a teenager to Hillman’s 2018 Sweetheart of the Rodeo anniversary tour with Roger McGuinn and Marty Stuart, this engaging memoir always comes back around to Hillman’s first love. “I never thought about the money, the future, or chasing down stardom,” he writes. “It was always allabout the music.” 

Though he’s a four-time Grammy nominee, three-time CMA nominee, three-time ACM Award winner, and recipient of both the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Mojo magazine’s Roots Award, Hillman remains a disarmingly humble man. Though he would never say it about himself, as his story unfolds in the pages of Time Between it becomes clear that Chris Hillman is much more than a rock star. He is truly one of the architects of American music.

“I’ve had a great life,” says Hillman. “And it’s not over — we’re not done.”  With that affirmation, it is safe to say, moreof the best is yet to come. 

“This book brought back a lot of great memories, the humorous origins of the Byrds and subsequent adventures.”

—Roger McGuinn

“Without Chris Hillman acting as the connective tissue between West Coast country music traditions and the rock ’n’ roll generation, from Buck Owens to the Byrds, there would be no modern country music.”

—Dwight Yoakam

For more information about Chris Hillman, visit:
www.chrishillman.com
www.rounder.com (label)www.skylineonline.com (for booking)