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Chris Hillman’s still flying high |
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Written by Glenn BurnSilver
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Thursday, 22 February 2007 |
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Chris Hillman is a musician of many colors, all of them hued with a twang.
As a founding member of the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and later the Desert Rose Band, Hillman was at the forefront of the shifting country-rock movement for more than three decades. The 1990s saw Hillman take a step back with a series of striped-down acoustic albums that had less to do with band dynamics and were more of a return to his early roots.
“My sister turned me onto the more traditional parts of folk music, The Weavers and Leadbelly,” Hillman explained during a phone interview, as he recalled his musical inspirations of the early 1960s. “Then I stumbled onto Flatt & Scruggs and I just loved it, the singing, the two- and three-part harmonies. That’s where I wanted to go. I approached it from the guitar, but then went into the mandolin. I was drawn to the traditional roots part of the folk music.”
But he was also drawn to rock ‘n’ roll, and with the British Invasion beginning with The Beatles in 1964, Hillman put his bluegrass ways on hold and picked up the bass when he hooked up with ex-folkers David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark and Mike Clarke, to form the Byrds. The band was an instant success, with hits like “Turn Turn Turn” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
Eventually, the Byrds came full circle, taking a more country/folk turn with “Sweetheart at the Rodeo.”
“It was an easy transition for us to do that,” he said. “Our whole background was oriented for that kind of music. Mine was more bluegrass, but it was folk for the other guys. It wasn’t like Metallica putting down their instruments and picking up banjos and fiddles.
“But it was our worst selling record,” he added with a laugh. “Rock ‘n’ roll people were not ready for that yet.”
The Byrds dissolved and Hillman formed the Flying Burrito Brothers and then the Desert Rose Band, continually inching closer to those traditional roots. He had great success with Desert Rose, including five chart-topping country hits, before mainstream country reared its ugly head.
Today, Hillman works primarily with former DRB member, lifelong friend and banjo player Herb Pedersen — though 2006 found Hillman pulling an acoustic band together for an album. His focus has returned to bluegrass and folk but with hints of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Desert Rose Band mixed in.
“When I started out we played the music just to be playing it. Now, I’m back to square one,” he said with another laugh. “I’m playing the mandolin and singing just like I did 40 years ago.”
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TO GO TO THE SHOW
Chris Hillman
Saturday, Feb. 24
Rialto Theater, 228 E. 4h St., Loveland
Call: 962.2120 or go online to www.ci.loveland.co.us/rialto/rialto.htm
Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m.
$23.
Online: www.ChrisHillman.com
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PUTTING THE ALT BEFORE THE COUNTRY
“There is nothing that’s out there that we didn’t do in the Burritos,” Chris Hillman, godfather of what became known as alternative country said. “We didn’t have that particular name for it back in 1969, but … that was the movement going on then. This alternative country, it’s OK, but I haven’t really heard enough. Or maybe I’m jaded and I’ve heard too much.”
DRESS TO KILL
When Hillman was in the Flying Burrito Brothers, the band all had Nudie suits - you know, those gaudy, wide-lapelled, flowered country singer suits - made up. Hillman said he couldn’t fit into his if he wanted to, plus, he’d have to “borrow” it from the Gene Autry Country Western Heritage Museum.
“My suit is there right next to some of Roy and Gene’s stuff. That’s pretty good. I like it right where it is,” he said. “It was really funny, sort of a tongue-and-cheek play on the Nashville guys and the early country artists with those country suits.”
Glenn BurnSilver
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Great Story!
Written by SmilingDog on 2007-02-28 19:35:16
A great show too. It's amazing how unaffected he is by all of it. This guy used to hang with the Beatles, Stones, and Dylan and you'd think he was the guy next door. Nice bluegrass version of Turn, Turn, Turn too. |
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