Del Shannon "Early in the Morning"

Been on a massive Everly Brothers and Del Shannon kick of recent.  I keep coming back to possibly my favorite Del Shannon track, "Early in the Morning." This early 70's one hits the sweet spot somewhere between Gene Clark, Vince Martin, Dion, Tim Buckley and Fred Neil. Pure gold. The only way to get this track currently is as an extra on the “The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover” cd reissue which itself is deserving of another write-up. Did Del record a whole lp in this style?

And now I can kick myself for not seeing Del when he was playing around a lot in the 1980’s, including some appearances at the Country Club in Reseda (when Steven Hufsteter from the Quick/Cruzados was in the band – see below), which was also the time Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were working with him (“Drop Down and Get Me”era).



 

Radio Free Hollywood #2 June 1977/The Whisky Presents Gene Clark, Van Halen and Kim Fowley's Ten New Wave Bands

Digging in the barn I came across the first two issues of the great Radio Free Hollywood from April 1977 and June 1977. Cover stars the Dogs ripping into "Slash Your Face" no doubt. June 1977 at the Whisky? In 2013, it is a no brainer to see all three multi night shows. Wasn't quite the case back in 1977. Yeah, I am enjoying "Two Sides to Every Story" (in parts) and that picture of Gene could be a portrait of me in front of my barn today in a vintage Swandri. Just listened to the Van Halen boot "Demo Daze" with the world premier of "Running With the Devil" and "House of Pain" live on Rodney on the Roq December 14, 1976. Great covers by Van Halen circa 1974 of James Gang, Bad Company and Sugarloaf with Mark Stone on bass. Sweet! The Rodney/Fowley THREE night TEN New Wave Bands? That dear friends, is the source of GERMICIDE by the Germs with the great Belinda intro. Where were you? Waiting in line to see Star Wars again that month. Hah! Also dig (cut-off) Shock without Kip and before "This Generations on Vacation." Lookin' far more Dubrow than Masque at that point. More RFH here soon . . . /waitakere+clark+001.jpg" /> Finally, the Dogs back in 1971 at Lansing Catholic Central High School, in Lansing, MI caught on super 8 with a dub over of "John Rock":

Gene Clark's Descent From the Cosmic Mount

And the LORD said unto Gene, come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. Exodus 24:12-13. Of course a paraphrase, but Gene did return with two tablets, "No Other" and "Roadmaster" (with "White Light" and various Byrds tracks in his denim hip pocket).



According to Thomas Jefferson Kaye, in 1973 Dylan and Neuwirth said their three favorite songwriters in the world were Dylan (duh!), Bobby Charles and Gene Clark. See Zigzag, June 1977. Gene below as stand-in for Rock Action. Anyone ever see those two guys together in the same room?


Saw Gene perform almost 30 years ago thanks to Danny Benair and Michael Quercio inviting the man to sing. A commanding and compelling figure on stage. On the bookshelf again for some Dillard & Clark and Gosdin Brothers research: Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark by John Einarson.