Happy Music Monday! If you've ever listened to something that sounded like country and rock at the same time, you possibly owe a debt to Gram Parsons. His name doesn't often come up these days, but those who love him always love him, and those who don't are often convinced to start. Scott's got five songs selected from Gram's career. Enjoy.
The International Submarine Band - I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known
Gram Parsons passed away on September 19th, 1973 of an overdose of morphine. His road manager stole his body and set it on fire in a national park. The cops showed up before the burning was done and the manager had to give the body back to the family. That's the kind of death most rock stars only dream about.
And that's just how we START! More to come...
The Byrds - One Hundred Years From Now
Parsons was pretty much the driving force behind the Byrds album "Sweetheart Of the Rodeo" which really says something considering he wasn't even technically a full member. Actual Byrd Roger McGuinn wanted to take this record in a very different direction. He lost. To someone who wasn't even technically in the band. And they made a great record because of it.
The Flying Burrito Brothers - Wild Horses
This is in fact a Rolling Stones cover. It is also in fact the first released version of the song. Gram Parsons heard a demo, and knew right away he had to make his own version. So he did. And it came out before the original. By this point you should really be starting to understand why so many rock stars have been impressed/annoyed with Gram Parsons.
Gram Parsons - The New Soft Shoe
Around the time this song was released, country was cutting edge. It was the age of the outlaw! In keeping with this bunch, Parsons accidentally burned his house down, losing everything but his guitar and his sports car. Could anything be more country than that? Maybe if it was a pickup truck.
You're of course hearing the great Emmylou Harris floating around the background of some of these songs. The two were musical partners for some time and they sounded great together. If you've never heard of Gram Parsons before today, take a look at the history of some of your favorite musicians. You might find a connection has been hiding there all along.
Let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use. See you next week.