Gene Clark's Byrds - Chimes of Freedom & Christine (Live on Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon 1986)

Will delete upon request!
Decided to upload this on it's own because why not? I don't even know what they were called at this point in time, they're only introduced as The Byrds so, whatever I guess. Admittedly I'm not much of a fan of this reunion stuff, but some of it comes out good. Hope you enjoy.

[@THEScottCampbell]

Good to see John York as well as Gene.

[@johnjackson8401]

Gene was "White Light" just like his song of that name from his 1975 solo album. Great soulful singer and tremendous songwriter.👍👍

[@Schnoodles46]

There was no one ever quite like him.

[@christineparker8020]

And there never will be again. He was unique and brilliant, no matter how Crosby disparaged his lack of formal education

[@pamelahay6242]

It’s not all about “ formal education” & Crosby would have known it at the time & most certainly in his latter years. Crumbs, in the 1960’s a lot of people never reached the end of High School years let alone “ went to College” or University ( in my country). Crosby came from a fairly privileged , comfortable Californian homelife environment. He was naive in his own way too…

[@bwprag123]

What a shame they introduced them as the Byrds. This was Gene Clark''s band in the 70's which at the time he called The Firebyrds in tribute to his former band. He did not claim that this band without McGuinn or Crosby or Hillman was "the Byrds"... But they made terrific music in the Byrds' style and tradition which no one had a more significant role in creating than the late great Gene Clark.

[@northernlight4614]

I saw them in 1984(?). They were billed as The Byrds from what I remember.

[@kimbarrett9734]

I think there was also Gene Clark's Byrd's. Michael Clarke also toured using Byrd's name.. There were legal issues, I think both had to stop using the name before playing at rock n roll hall of fame as original Byrds. Sadly Gene died a few months later

[@pbrucpaul]

It seemed to be when Folk and Rock & Roll came together. The Byrds put it together with a very Cool sound of Beat Rhythm and Harmony in the Mid to Late '60's.

[@davidaston5773]

I watch all these legends and I'm in awe of people who at best saw them later AFTER their hey day, OR even more lucky, when they were together making music history. But, what we must remember, every single one of them past or present creating their legacy are all normal human beings. People, especially, forget that. And Gene Clark was proof of that. All we egos, bills to pay and worries. They never were immortal or immune. But they will always be remembered. David

[@MrPhilfridge]

Gene did not form the Firebyrds till the early 80's and post the McGuinn /Clark/ Hillman trio who had chart success with 'Don't you write her off ' Gene's 'band's in the 70's were the Silverados and the KC Southern Band he formed the latter unit with Tommy Kaye and toured internationally

[@tunanorth]

Awesome!

[@quigonginge7875]

This is fantastic! What year was this? Gene is on fire here, shame Clarke is absent

[@northernlight4614]

1986. Gene and John York in the middle. The only Byrds.

[@rickalan5871]

Can someone tell me who is the guitarist to Gene's right?

[@jkfan2005]

I think it's Billy Darnell. When he's appeared around here, I always see "... and a member of Gene Clark's Byrds..." in the write-up.

[@berndtherrenvolk1951]

"And here they are, ladies and gentleman, The Byrd!"

[@charlesflett2818]

Michael was there too

[@imahappyvirus5]

If anyone's interested, here's 'Mary Sue' from the same show. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJeUmGiOn8arkJo

[@Jefferson1969-u4s]

Gene was a wonderful singer and musician. Never forgotten

[@JRPetruk]

My word, this was a pleasant surprise. I expected a hackneyed version for a telethon. This is one of the best renditions ever!

[@douglasalan5783]

The Byrds start with McGuinn. Any lineup w/o McGuinn is another band. That said, the original lineup with Gene was their best period, IMHO. “Feel A Whole Lot Better” is up there with “Mr Tambourine Man” and “Eight Miles High” as their most quintessential tracks.

[@jerrykibbe6363]

You can see the wear on his face. 😢🙏RIP Gene

[@pageribe2399]

He made his life so hard. I've met a lot of people lately who are rediscovering him. I hope the trend continues.

[@MrSheiling]

Great version - beautifully loose & easy!

[@noelsalisbury7448]

Another classic Bob Dylan rendition done with style.

[@charlesflett2818]

John York is such a versatile musician.

[@larrymiller4]

Unfortunately, this was not The Byrds. Gene Clark, leader of this combo, left The Byrds in 1966. Only the remaining members (i.e., Roger McGuinn had a legal claim to that name. Gene Clark was an astonishingly fine and prolific songwriter, and a marvelous singer, but this decent band was not The Byrds.

[@pamelahay6242]

And I don’t think they ever actually claimed to be. They are The Firebyrds. 🙂

[@Anymouse6457]

Gene Clark was an underrated musical treasure. Hard to believe he was only in his early 40s here, he has a very weathered appearance and was only a few years from the end of the road.

[@tony22745]

Still a very handsome man.

[@jamescollins7913]

What a Great Vocal.... A powerful performance that equals The other version by the BYRDS........Not taking anything away from them

[@MarigoldThyme]

Gene Clark forever!💖

[@jimajello1028]

Not the original byrds. Just Gene Clark & a band he put together after the Byrds broke up. Nonsense.

[@northernlight4614]

John York is a former Byrd and great singer.

[@PaulConnolly-in5jv]

Miss the great Gene Clark - love you bro

[@ДарьяСамарцева-к3м]

Сумашедшая группа! Я Битломан но Б ёрдз слушаю больше,особенно ранние.

[@thedesertroseband]

Weren’t this band called Gene Clark and the Firebyrds as a reference to Gene Clark and Michael Clarke from the Byrds and Rick Roberts from Firefall ? They got a lot of shit with lawsuits from Roger Mcguinn because being billed as The Byrds instead of the FireByrds. As a reaction getting the brand name “the Byrds” back Mcguinn reformed the original Byrds in 1989 with Crosby, Hillman and himself and Gene Clark was forbidden to use the name anymore.

[@MisterBill593]

Actually, Hillman and McGuinn have both stated on numerous occasions that it was David Crosby - not McGuinn - that initiated the reforming of the Byrds and the ensuing lawsuit. And the lawsuit was primarily against Michael Clarke not Gene Clark. And Michael Clarke won the lawsuit. Eventually, David Crosby managed to get ownership of the trademark on the Byrds name while McGuinn owns the rights to www.byrds.com.

[@MrPhilfridge]

@@MisterBill593 Crosby was a great harmony singer, but an arsehole of a bloke and its a great shame he owns the name now

[@pamelahay6242]

Nice clarification. People read different parts to the whole Byrds Name saga. Gees, even MCH got promoted & referred to as The Byrds, by Press, Venue operators & Agents etc when they never called themselves that right from their beginning early 1978.

[@carlrudd1858]

Here they are... the (NOT) Byrds!

[@irafutterman5557]

First time hearing Gene Clark's version of Chimes of Freedom, grittier than then the original Byrds, sorry Bruce you to did a nice job but I like this one and I know you do too!

[@gittahfiend]

No McGuinn, NO BYRDS!

[@franciscoferreirasantos4402]

fantastic music.

[@karyluhernandez5966]

Wonderfull !!!!!

[@richardbono5540]

if not Gene Clark, why not?

[@thisistheworldtoday]

They had a more country folk sound back then ... their sound was a precursor to country rock...Gene Clark could have been as big a country singer as Waylon ... if only...

[@MrPhilfridge]

Gene was in the vanguard of that movement with Dillard and Clark and his first solo album, this is 20 years later !! and sadly as i loved it the country rock days were long gone by the time of this clip. This is an excellent performance though and superior to many 'real' Byrd performances

[@ivark8201]

Clark and York together. Thanks! I don't think they called their band The Byrds

[@tantraman10]

Yes they did! Gene Clark and John York along with Rick Roberts of Firefall, Michael Clarke of the original Byrds, and Rick Danko of The Band toured as The Byrds in the mid eighties. Clark was in the original Byrds and York was in a later Byrds incarnation. Their touring caused Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman, three of the original Byrds to tour in order to lay claim to the band's name!!

[@TR-yi8up]

The lawsuits say different

[@tony22745]

Please do not delete! Add My Back Pages if you can find it!

[@iljagitaar]

And 'Tried So Hard'...

[@indigomariana7093]

Nice!

[@The5thGen]

First time seeing this. A great performance!

[@jamesrippner672]

Who is thee handsome guitarist a who is the handsome blonde fellow that introduces them?

[@ad8065]

US Olympic Gymnast Bart Conner introduces the song Christine

[@rickalan5871]

Thanks Tortoise, as a songwriter he was a Monster, Dylan doesn't compare to him. And as a singe-songwriter only Joni Mitchell is in his league. After the Byrds broke up in 67-8 Gene and Mcguinn both off and on fronted their own Byrds bands. I saw Gene and his Byrds in 1970 in a small, packed college auditorium. I never saw such a dynamic stage presence before or since. None of his pictures come close to doing justice to what he looked like or otherwise radiated in person, and similar sentiments were intimated by the original band members. You should listen to every song Gene recorded, beginning with his first solo album Echoes (which has a names sake song).

[@rickalan5871]

@rob lagan TELL US WHAT IT WHAT IT WAS LIKE.

[@MrPhilfridge]

The Byrds broke up in Feb 73 ......Gene was certainly not going out with any band called the Byrds in 1970. I therefore doubt the authenticity of your post unless your very confused

[@northernlight4614]

I saw the latter day Byrds, (McGuinn, White, Parsons, and Battin) play at a small college gymnasium in 1972. Great show. I don't think Gene was playing Byrd songs at that time.

[@MrPhilfridge]

@@northernlight4614 That certainly fits the correct timeline , Gene would have been working on what was later released as 'Roadmaster; at the time . He would often still play Byrds songs he wrote eg Feel a whole lot better, Eight miles high in his live sets . The Byrds tribute stuff didn't come out till the eighties post the McGuinn ,Clark, Hillman band.

[@jamesfitzgerald6636]

No one better than Dylan as a songwriter! Gene was good but

[@rickalan5871]

Dylan had a number of really great songs, won't argue that. But my preferrence is for Gene's consistantly superior use of metaphor, which was also more accessible than the pretentiously cryptic stuff Dylan often employed. And, personally, I feel most of Dylan's songs were very forgetable, can't say the same for Gene. And Gene's voice. Gene, Joni, Dylon, they make up the small handful of GOAT's here. And you really have to think of Townes, Smithers and Cohen here also.

[@kimbarrett9734]

Dylan even said he wished he had written Spanish Guitar, the Gene Clark song.

[@broken1394]

Dylan is the goat. Nearest is Hank Williams for me.

[@LaughingStock_]

Ray Davies is. And Gene Clark's "No Other" is simply one of the greatest LPs ever made by anyone, eclipsing any LP Dylan has written.

[@carlosbockor5798]

@@LaughingStock_ Blonde on Blonde... Ufff why are fanatics???????

[@theecanmole]

1:11 mega mullet alert!😁

[@rogermurray8553]

Hey, McGuinn should've shared some of the Dylan cover lead vocals with Gene. Aside from Crosby who was simply the best high harmony singer on the planet, Gene had the best voice in The Byrds. These harmonies are truly abysmal here by the way.

[@edmurphy6556]

Is that Tom Petty?

[@TR-yi8up]

To his right? Think that’s John York. Believe Blondie Champlain on Gene’s right