Desert Rose Band Chris Hillman The Byrds Related Live Austin City Limits Aug 5th 1987 Herb Pedersen

[@gregdray8199]

You'll not find a more perfectly matched combination of talent than the Desert Rose Band. I've listened to Chris and Herb all my life but the addition of John Jorgensen, J D Maness, Bill Bryson, and Steve Duncan became that once in a lifetime perfect band. Great songwriting, vocals and musicianship.

[@DobroDharma]

I remember this band on the GTA San Andreas soundtrack in 2004 when I was a teenager. Little did I know that 10 years later I'd be hanging out with Jorgenson and Pedersen supporting John's bluegrass band.

[@paulgibby6932]

Came here to catch Jorgenson on Tele. ❤

[@stevestrout3437]

Rockin the Nudie Suits! Awesome band!

[@Arisfon1]

In my mind an in my heart Desert Rose Band are the only group of people who made country music as powerful and exiting as rock music. Astonishing accomplishment Your music means “summer” in my heart , YOU ARE GREAT

[@evylysk1367]

I just love the Desert Rose Band. All these guys are great.

[@WildPhotoShooter]

I love Jay Dee's steel playing , his melodic style fits in perfectly .

[@thebigwhodo]

I was in LA during the 70's and 80's when the "LA Country Sound" was booming. Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, Eagles, etc. I had musical aspirations myself- guitar, writing, etc. I was around a lot of the folks who were making it big at the time. I must say this: The Desert Rose Band is, I believe, one of the tightest, most talented groups I have ever heard. Right at the top! Plus these guys were really nice, down to earth people. GREAT BAND!!!

[@sharoncort8719]

I can attest to all you have said. Knew them too, and was fortunate to hear their last concert here in Nashville a couple of months ago, and even without Bill, they still sounded as fantastic as ever. Chris isn’t feeling too spry these days. Walks with a cane, says he’s tired, been performing and working hard since he was a teen. Plus Jorgenson and Pedersen have their own band thing going on. The were and always be the best

[@brucediamond4703]

Yes , there never has been a better more rounded out top notch band . Wish I could say I had seen them live in their heyday .

[@dougmisantoni4384]

AMEN....NONE BETTER...,

[@cindy-followerofjesuschris6572]

Chris has a great show on The Bakersfield Beat channel on XM radio: The Burrito Stand. Check it out.

[@56Truex]

The talent on that stage !! Desert Rose Band was a staple of the 80's country music scene.

[@basswars7060]

The Desert Rose Band are one of the best bands from the 80's. I will always love them.

[@glenhenning9261]

Jay Dee Maness on pedal steel, plays live almost exactly like the recording! That "stuttter step" solo intro at 16:30 is insane! I'm a steel player in Ft Laud. looking to move mid state to find bands to join playing exactly this kind of country. Anything 70's on up especially 80's, 90's, and anything Alan Jackson!

[@barrysmith7710]

Living in Europe, I never heard about them until long long after they split up. The jackets and hairspray were from another planet, but top drawer material. One of the best bands of ANY genre

[@dougmisantoni4384]

Bad ass M'FRS.....SMOKIN....None better...Each player is superb....JJ is out of this world Woo hoo......

[@alexanderv7702]

Gram Parsons would appreciate and approve this sound.

[@glennweaver3014]

Excellent performance. Whatever band Chris Hillman is associated with is top-notch, superb musicianship.

[@nuclearjesus421]

Massive thanks to GTA San Andreas for making 12yo me in Sweden discover these guys. Been a massive fan since 2004.

[@davidratliff807]

The best line up of musicians for this newer Country sound at the time, still relevant in 2022 and always!!!

[@multicaruana]

How would you describe the "newer country sound " and why did it fade away?

[@davidratliff807]

@@multicaruana that’s a great question, in my opinion the DRB brought a completely new sound of music with their styles of playing at that time. They were the best line up of musicians mixing Hillman in, provided a stong 60’s rock sound mixed with a modern Country west coast style of Country, is wasn’t the typical country sound like Jones or Haggard. The mix was new and extremely refreshing. Overall mixing in as a perfect combination in 80’s/90’s Country, I know this because I was a full time working musician at that whole time. That’s just my take or opinion on it. The musicians were brilliant and their vocals were awesome making such a short history on country music but it was different. I hope the answers my opinion to that question. I love all that 90’s stuff very much and dear to my heart. I don’t listen to today’s country on a regular basis, I’m still riding on the older stuff that I can appreciate and all of these artists actually had a lot of talent. The 90’s is still the most dominant Country decade ever as the charts proved. It was HUGE. The DRB was awesome

[@multicaruana]

@@davidratliff807 Thank you for your insights into the Desert Rose Band and country music in the 90's. Actually, I couldn't agree with you more. Being a musician you knew what was going on and you know what good is. Since I was a record collector I was still buying 45's- I'd drive 70 miles round trip to pick up Country 45's while our son was in class- Kathy Mattea, Suzy Bogguss, Bailey and the Boys, Highway 101, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dwight Yokum, the Desert Rose Band, Pirates of the Mississippi, Michael Martin Murphy, etc. Coming from a kind of folk/bluegrass tradition I was enthralled with these new sounds. And, of course, Chris Hillman started out in bluegrass with The Hillmen. Which market do you think this kind of country music appealed to, and why did it fade away? What happened ? I am VERY nostalgic for this music. Thank you again!

[@davidratliff807]

@@multicaruana it’s hard to say why the band broke up? Maybe it was a lack of sales? I really don’t know. In my opinion it was one of the top 10 best bands ever to hit the stage. The talent was off the charts while sometimes much lesser bands made it huge. ??? I really don’t know. John left the band in 91 to form the guitar band the Hellecasters and that had a cult following including myself. He later went on to perform with Elton John and as a musician that was probably a very smart move, I’m sure he was doing extremely well and never had to worry about work again. You have to remember at that time the amount of talent was just unbelievable and will never happen again. The band ended sometime in the early 90’s but replacing JJ would have been extremely hard. They all went on to do other various careers in music, but as I still listen to their cds I’m still in complete, oh my Goddddddddd mode as a musician. So many acts at that time were coming out, all of the MEGA performers were being heard and it would have been so hard to make it to super stardom. If the DRB had come out a few years earlier they would have dominated the radio at that time, just my opinion of course. I was so young at that time doing demos for songwriters, playing guitar tracks that would be given to a number of artists to listen too. I remember listening to the DRB on the radio back then saying to myself, these guys are phenomenal. I hope my opinions answer your questions and curiosity as a working musician at that time, just my opinion of course but I can still say a huge wow for the best band musically and JJ as a guitarist I followed his career and even the equipment he used and started using some of the same amps and guitars still using them and collecting them in 2023. Thank you for taking my mind back, as a youngster I was so lucky to get to meet and share stages with so many acts as a mostly opening act, we performed with a few artists learning there stuff that was made in the studios in Nashville. The DRB played their own stuff I’m sure, not using the session players to lay the tracks down. Hope this answers your questions a little more? Sorry I got off track a little reliving the time. It was absolutely fantastic!!!! All the acts you mentioned were so great,

[@multicaruana]

@@davidratliff807 Thank you, Mr. Ratliff for your thoughtful- and humble-response. Frankly I knew nothing of the career of Mr. Jorgenson at all until you mentioned his name. Yes, he is incredible.- I would like to see if there are any You Tube videos of the Hellecasters. Being a musician , can I ask if you have anything on You Tube or for sale? Did you like the music of Dwight Yokum? What's happened to him? I hope you don't mind if I send you a question now and then? I enjoy hearing from you-someone who was there- reliving this time.. You also must be an incredible musician. Thank you again!

[@craigphillips6308]

I had the privilege of seeing the Desert Rose Band on this tour in San Juan Capistrano. Roger McGuinn was the warmup, doing a solo set. After the Desert Rose Band's set (which, as you can see from the video above, was sterling), they came out with Roger for the encore and did several Byrds classics. It was one of those indelible moments from my concert-going days.

[@tomthomas8472]

My gawd but I love this band. Such great musicianship and energy.

[@georgettedebuhr2660]

The best country rock band ever. These guys are SMOKIN!!

[@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE]

The Byrds’ were more cutting edge. But any Band Hillman’ fronted was top notch- but this was the pinnacle of Songwriting, Musicians and flat out stellar 🇺🇸hard to believe it’s pushing 40 years this stellar line-up was formed.

[@davidmurray2539]

Great songwriting was not the strong suit of either this band or the born again countrified version of The Byrds. In this case it's a compatible accessory to the band's stellar musicianship but was, as time went by, an increasingly glaring defect that ultimately and permanently grounded the latter day Byrds.

[@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE]

@@davidmurray2539 Yeah David the more I think about it, you are correct. The Byrd boys most often capitalized on other songwriters. Fury’ and the boys from Poco though formed up a few years later. We’re heavy in the original song material. They were good musicians too, but Poco never got the recognition, though they put out a few LP’s of great songs. Now -Robertson/Helm and the boys from the Band’ were writing good songs when the Byrds were singing Tambourine Man🇺🇸

[@davidmurray2539]

@@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE It's an absolute pleasure and rare occasion to be in complete agreement with the opinions of another music lover, AC. I think you mean that McGuinn and co. were performing Mr Tambourine Man and even more memorably a horrendously distorted and protracted 12-15 minute stoner version of Gene Clark's Byrd masterpiece, Eight Miles High, on arena stages for the first part of the 70's, yes? And too true about Poco. I loved that band and Richie Furay's interpretations of Neil's early Buffalo Springfield songs. I think the Poco magic may have been born there. Have a great day!

[@MrPhilfridge]

@@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE The problem with Poco was very simple their songs were duds . The Byrds had a great songwriter in Gene Clark, i don't see Poco had anyone who could touch him. Hillman and McGuinn wrote 'rock n roll star' and 'chestnut mare' was a McGuinn cowrite. Their strength though was McGuinn's arrangement skills. Don't disagree that the Band were a great band but your time line is a little skewed and funny how a couple of ex band members ended up playing in Michael Clarkes bogus Byrd bands .

[@MaureenDeVries-wd9mh]

Chris Hillman is so good that he's effortless.

[@johnpriest5245]

Oh man takes me back to my early twenties riding around listening to the local Sunday evening Country Music station countdown! Maybe’ 87 -‘88 ? Loved DRB ever since!

[@BumPetty]

Damnit now I want an ASAT Special with an AC30

[@namcat53]

This should be commercially available.

[@greekflatpicker]

What a band! Super pros

[@muchosmasfrijoles]

John Jorgenson is such a consummate pro

[@Garybob-e9q]

like Herb Pederson and Chris Hillman ain't, or Tom Brumley???

[@brucediamond4703]

Good lord !! Absolutely the best country rock band ever . And at the peak of their powers!

[@teresacroft7409]

Loved this band, watched them on the old Ralph Emery show Nashville Now. What a great super group

[@bmx8862]

The (far) best band for country music !!! Each musician is fantastic.

[@jacquespicard7233]

The best country rock band ever

[@allanfranklin9615]

My sentiments exactly.

[@johnstephen7610]

@@allanfranklin9615 Ditto!

[@davidmurray2539]

That's clearly an opinion, and hardly a compelling one. Typically the playing is superb, the lyrics, melody and vocals not so much. Go back to the second most significant band Hillman played in, The Flying Burrito Bros, featuring alt country's greatest interpreter of lyric and melody, Gram Parsons. In contrast to what you hear here, every song, every line sung and note struck in The Gilded Palace of Sin, set a standard that's never been equaled for this, at the time, fledgling genre of American music. Pity then that the original band members had to call it quits so early and abruptly. Understandable that McGuinn, (with the "new" Byrds), and Hillman sought safer havens from which to express their music talents after emotionally tumultuous years with The Byrds and Chris's dealing with Parsons' self-destructive ways. It's likely called preserving your self-confidence, (and sanity) by reining in your urges to experiment musically outside the boundaries of the accepted "norms".

[@allanfranklin9615]

David Murray, that's your opinion and you are certainly entitled to it.

[@davidmurray2539]

@@allanfranklin9615 Thank you and respect to you for respecting someone else's reasonable opinion. Far too little of that sort of consideration today.

[@sallyfischer1204]

Chris Hillman is one of the bigest countrystars.

[@maitlen4021]

Blows away just about anything the Flying Burrito Brothers ever did, or the countrified Byrds.

[@jamesburrows6226]

What a great show. I hope gram was in the audience smiling from ear to ear.

[@adamwakelymusic]

They rocked back then!!!!!

[@alexanderv7702]

We wish they had performed in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@richardmindemann6935]

Great band. Big fan of Chris since early Byrds.

[@robertfelton8802]

The members of the Desert Rose Band have been members of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, the Dillards, the Doug Dillard Expedition, the International Submarine Band, the Earl Scruggs Revue, Linda Ronstadt's band, the Country Gazette, the Stone Canyon Band, the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, McGuinn Clark & Hillman, Old and in the Gray, the Hellecasters, Mudcrutch, the Laurel Canyon Ramblers, the Kentucky Colonels, and many more bands. It's hard to imagine a more accomplished band. Great playing and great singing.

[@EmersumBiggins]

And that’s just Hillman 🙂👍

[@margaretross9150]

😂@@EmersumBiggins

[@scottbader-x1p]

@@EmersumBiggins What a Job Resume!!! The last of the red-hot Burrito's !!!!

[@drrjim]

The crowd-band energy in the Price I Pay is through the roof ! Jorgensen shreds in that song. Love his Day Tripper lick at the end...

[@JoePastorgomez]

From Southern California to You

[@christopherkahn6522]

What an awesome display of musicianship.

[@calebneff5777]

Just discovered them like a week ago by way of Brad Paisley, and man these dudes and play. John and Steve are especially awesome.

[@jeffsutton950]

Can’t stomach brad paisley

[@dashriprock2065]

A developing interest in Clarence White & Nashville West brought me here - listen all the time

[@Grindstaff09]

yes, this must be a new upload, and i just searched this out (after watching chris hillman interview) and learning Sin CIty

[@michaelspottswood5771]

I've watched this 14k times out of the total 15k views.

[@GKASEY1424]

Me too!

[@canaldoyoutube2383]

Me too!

[@susanpilcher482]

Me too!

[@jimconnelly2851]

Jorgensen shreds!

[@enispenvy9174]

He's a beast.

[@ashleyfolden5933]

It’s J-O-R-G-E-N-S-O-N.

[@krakatoa1200]

These guys are damned good.

[@calvinloudermilk4404]

I was lucky enough to see and meet these guys. Incredible Amazing Band to say the least !

[@Jim-H]

Look at what country has devolved to in 2022. Merle and George come back please.

[@richardmindemann6935]

Devolved is right. But there's always good music. Sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper.

[@RoryLynott]

There's some great country from contemporary artists. Just not super mainstream. Charlie Crockett, Colter Wall et al.

[@ashleyfolden5933]

0:00 Why You Been Gone So Long 3:37 One Step Forward 7:00 Love Reunited 9:48 Time Between 12:09 He’s Back And I’m Blue 15:42 Hello Trouble 17:55 Ashes Of Love 21:00 The Price I Pay

[@MOCHOLENCHO]

Don't forget the one and only John Jorgenson

[@antoniooviedo1345]

Maravilloso grupo

[@toshionishiuchi7314]

Thanks Austin City Limits. The Desert Rose Band vs Highway101 Time Passed and a legend was born.

[@BrotherBurr]

Just miraculous in every way. Have been a Hillman / Peterson fan for decades. Now we catch John J in Savannah, GA when he brings one of his variations through town. The DRB was however, my most favorite of all. Heard ‘em in Atlanta at some dive dance bar on I-75 .. had never heard a baritone guitar. JJ didn’t disappoint. Left that night thinking “I’m selling all my stuff .. that’s a gig with which I’m not familiar”. Love it boys. You inspired, entertained, wow’d and left us wondering … “how exactly did they DO that”? 👍🏻🎶

[@johncooper5124]

As talented as Hillman is, a big part of his success is the confidence to share the stage with the more talented.

[@chrisboyd4641]

Phew....What a band !

[@jeshely]

Never did I heard a G&L ASAT sound cooler than that.

[@namcat53]

J.D. is perfect.

[@guitardan46]

LOVE IT - - - !!!

[@raphaelrousso7124]

Comment c'est Bon !

[@jojoheartspaypay]

EXCELLENT UP!!!!

[@kareljbeer]

extraordinary

[@namcat53]

I'm so glad I've been able to grow up as a teenager when the Byrds started to see Chris and Herb with J.D. and John. Evolution can be very cool. Thanks for this video; I wish it was commercially released. Chris?

[@NoCoverCharge]

This is the bomb

[@jesperandersen3354]

Thanks so much for this upload! The quality is noticeably better than the other uploads here.

[@marvinmaricic9006]

Smokin'

[@acecarmona4203]

Horse with

[@elvasko9261]

QUÉ GRANDES!!

[@brain995]

My Fetish Band !!!

[@roadjuice7536]

wonderful...

[@dalecauthen9086]

Always been a huge Chris Hillman fan ... seems strange to see him playing a six string acoustic instead of the bass, but great to see him out front, even without Gram

[@johnjohnson9093]

Some pretty good pickers there.

[@robtman9199]

I hope they had as much playing and they appeared to be here. Nothing out there these days compares.

[@maxryder995]

Terry Keith Quesenberry Approves of this Post!

[@RoryLynott]

Ass Kickin' Country.

[@linda.cafaro4284]

Miss Gram ? Glad you had a great life, too bad Gram didn’t, you could of tried harder😢

[@margaretross9150]

I'm not sure that a young Chris in his 20s would have had the wisdom and compassion to really help Gram, but he could have muzzled himself better in his later years when talking about him. "A cancer on the band." Really? That was pretty cruel.

[@bendummitt888]

Dig it.

[@canaldoyoutube2383]

👏

[@markmcintosh1832]

Oh yeah!

[@shadeshadyshade254]

These guys were very decent….which isn’t a shocker with the lineup of talent. I had a tape or two of theirs in the 80’s……but I prefer the early burritos and Byrds tunes.

[@naturisnaturaleza9116]

God!

[@timinla64]

Just stumbled across this. Hoping against hope they’d do “Do you know how it feels”. Wasn’t meant to be. Otherwise awesome, though!

[@kosn13]

WOW THANKS GTA SAN ANDREAS FOR THIS BAND

[@shafersongs]

I like the set list on John’s monitor. What’s next??!!

[@SolidShroom]

It's almost too 80s (the studio recordings definitely are), but this stuff''s smokin

[@jackarcher7495]

There's no such thing as too 80s for me.

[@greghenderson4582]

No such thing

[@RoryLynott]

Agreed. 80s production sucks. DRB certainly is killin' live!

[@codym8897]

Do you have a 1987 Austin City Limits episode, featuring Michael Martin Murphey and Marty Stuart?👍

[@Oleplugger]

That would be AWESOME! You ever find it?

[@Oleplugger]

Did you ever find it? That would be as good as it gets!

[@canaldoyoutube2383]

Deixa eu escutar um sonzinho

[@marioct130]

Forgot John Jorgenson

[@NikFarr]

This is really good but how many people are in this band? 140?

[@alan4sure]

6. You're welcome.

[@taimeuppe6174]

Austin has seen better days

[@codybuffoord3172]

Grams guitar?

[@johnloftus6043]

I think Emmylou has Gram’s Gibson

[@margaretross9150]

She bought it from Gram's daughter. @@johnloftus6043

[@weewillywanka5904]

Are there 2 Marty Stuarts in country music? This Marty doesn't look like the mandolin player

[@glencoe6305]

there's only one. He plays guitar and mandolin and plays every kind of country music in the country category and that includes bluegrass,Gospel,and rockabilly,twang.

[@santacruzman]

Where do you see Marty Stuart here?

[@4Naturalgreen]

I don’t know who was having more fun, them playing this music, or me listening to it. Thanks for posting this great performance. Gotta watch this another 50 times or more.