Gene Clark - "Mr. Tambourine Man" - live 1980's

[mojostephen]

Truly rare footage. Not exactly The Byrds, but the sound is very close. Too bad the 5 original members never could get back together...

[MrStratocaster1949]

Gene Clark was a great singer and musician and also one of the original Byrds but for me there is only one Byrds group and that was the one featuring Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke. I've been a Byrds fan since Mr. Tambourine Man came out in '65 and although they are now broken up, they'll always be number 1 in my book.

[whobody40]

I loved Gene Clark more than any other Byrd; but it was dead wrong for Solid Gold to label this 'tribute' band as The Byrds. That said, Gene was the most talented original Byrd of all, and this is as good as this song can be done. He left us much too soon.

[bobbilse]

I saw this line-up at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, and they were GREAT! The only bad "Byrds" performance, original or off-shoot, I ever saw was with David Crosby at the original Fillmore Auditorium. He was a complete jackass and ruined the whole show. At least this band performed with complete professionalism, as did Michael Clarke's group, who I saw in Jackpot, Nevada, at Cactus Pete's. I'd rather watch newer recruits who are true to the sound than originals who put on a sub-par performance.

[kloudzjia]

everyone was looking at McGuinn and Crosby when the Byrds became a success, and they were awesome no doubt, but i like Gene Clark s voice and performance a lot! i m happy for him. he s a nice guy.

[visualart139]

wtf?!?! how can one dislike this old time classic rock ?

[MrDaisydooker]

best singer of this song.

[Kohntarkosz]

I remember seeing this when it first aired. I was only just starting to get into The Byrds at the time, but I knew enough to know that this wasn't "the real" Byrds, as I could tell McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman weren't in the group. Still a good performance, though. I seem to recall reading where McGuinn or Crosby said that at least Gene was one of the original singers and songwriters, unlike Mike Clarke (who soon afterwards toured with his own version of The Byrds).

[dbailey62]

Gene is singing absolutely magnificently here.

[Nezwart]

Which one is Roger McGuinn?

[byrdsmaniac]

@Nezwart Roger wasn't in this group.

[StanKindly]

Is that Michael Clarke on drums, I saw this tour with Michael but can't quite tell if that's him in this performance?

[johnnyrockintalkin]

set aside the fake byrds issue, gene clark delivers a great soulful vocal here. the original used to be my favorite all-time song, but actually this a tremendous version. i don't mind gene clark taking his turn, he deserves it.......

[johnnyrockintalkin]

normal i hate these fake bands, but i like to see gene clark get some long overdue credit.....actually this is very, very close to the original...they did a great job on it. let gene clark have a few long overdue minutes in the sun...........he has been shamefully ignored and underappreciated all these years...........

[bloderme]

A lesser Byrd? Hell, he wrote some of the best songs in the Byrds. Feel A Whole Lot Better, Set You Free This Time,Eight Miles High, She Don't Care About Tiime, If Your Gone, I Still Think The World Turns All Around Her, I'm Feeling Higher and others I just can't think of. Chris Hillman said many years after Gene died that he was the one with the gift for writing songs in the Byrds and that none of the others had developed that skill yet!

[thymecube1]

on the same show Gene also performed Turn Turn Turn with this band... anyone have it to post? Please do

[unclebobunclebob]

Not bad, all things considered.

[milankey]

"But who the #$&^$#@$! are those other guys."

John York, Billy Darnell, Carlos Bernal...not sure of the drummer...

[67psych]

Yuk!! I love Gene & his music but Bloody hell the 1980's were dire. What the bollocks are these guys thinking here.Its like the 60s/70s never happened.i know you cant live in the past but a lot of the music in the 80s sounded thin & tinny,just sort of empty! I have no Nosalgia for then!!

[procroustis]

better performance than roger rip JENE you the best.

[wildchildofthe70s]

This is absolutely wonderful in every way !!

Thank-you so much for posting this TheByrdsman :))

(also for the information.. very interesting and a

bit sad too.. when legalities mess things up)

Thanks again for the rare footage, just super stuff!

[ejectorerector]

LOL 80s HAIR!

[skierbarry]

Great to see Gene Clark playing again before he died. But who the #$&^$#@$! are those other guys. Ugh. I hate when great bands degrade into this.

[CrankCase08]

@skierbarry I agree. The Byrds without at least Roger McGuinn is inconceivable. At this rate we might as well have Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr plus a couple of nobodies and call it The Beatles, even though it won't be The Beatles. The Shadows have been doing it for years, with Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch plus two or three unknown session musicians. It may be annoying but people still tolerate and pay for it.

[harirex]

awesome, thanks for posting this

[thesyd1975]

Gawd!! i really dislike nearly everything bout the 80's and my favourite musicians who started in the 60's early 70's looked like they struggled in the 80's,the music is not bad here though and i love gene clark,even in those awful clothes.i dont't get the current 80's revivial which has been going on for years now,if it continues it will go on longer than the 80s did!!!

[jymnmer]

I wish I could condemn Gene Clark for misrepresenting The Byrds but what a great job he does of a band who so badly ripped him off

[johnnyrockintalkin]

@jymnmer so,so true.i feel the exactly the same way about situation on both counts.....

[wildbilco55]

I dont see Rick Roberts in this???? Hello?

[MrBruceBarham]

well ALSo at the time Crrosby wouldnt hook up and tour with Gene, nor Roger...so, gene decided to do his own thing, after all McGuinn had his "byrds" too

[gamoonbat]

Cousin Mike says - Gene Clark (guitar, vocals), John York (guitar, vocals), Rick Roberts (guitar, vocals), Billy Darnell (guitar, vocals), Carlos Bernal (bass), Greg Thomas (drums)

[johnarthurknight]

I remember the Byrds played in a strip mall in my home town in 1996 with none of the founding members.

[mcraygb]

Gene Clark with John York and John Jorgenson ( was with Chris Hillmans "Desert Rose Band" ).

[dbailey62]

@mcraygb That's definitely NOT John Jorgenson. It would have been cool it had been though.

[smashingintoneon]

Gotta admit, though, that nice girl has great hair

[KerryGrl]

And to think he died just 5 years later. He looks so healthy and is in fine voice. What a loss.

[rockon1898]

figured out who's on bass. it's Carlos Bernal, who played "Gram" on that disastrous South African tour after Gram (as usual) jettisoned to hang with Keefie.

[Wisegeorge]

Which one is Roger McGuinn? Where's Clarence White. I thought the drummer was taller. Why doesn't Chris Hillman have curly hair anymore? Gene, you are my hero and this was not one of your brighter moments. Thanks for posting this, it is amazing. Hell, a guy's gotta make a living.

[reborn5310]

Rare and interesting footage. Thank you so much for posting it.

[macaibhistin]

Wow! Never saw this footage before. I can't believe they were calling themselves the Byrds.  Gene got nailed for this, from what I gather. Poor guy. He was looking rough here.

[DonJack1776]

At least Gene had enough sense not to have a mullet.

[Byrds1967]

Well I guess any original member can call their band The Byrds....McGuinn did it for years. It's cool seeing Gene perform a Byrds classic here.

[reborn5310]

@Byrds1967 Very true. Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn, and Michael Clarke all fronted groups of "Byrds" at one time or another, and it is cool to see Gene out there.

[fpetrozz]

I cant see no Byrds...I see Gene Clarck and some dumbs from the 80s.

[rockon1898]

I recognize Clark, Billy Darnell, John York, of course, but who are the other two (the one on drums and the other guitarist?)

[gamoonbat]

@rockon1898 - I was thinking Rick Roberts was up there as well, perhaps? York on bass, I assume.

[HaFannyHa]

Gene is the only one that doesn't look ridiculous! The hair..... But it's a great clip. Sadly, it shows Gene having to degrade himself to keep some money on the table. He was wonderful.

[manny44]

cool...thanks for the upload

[TheByrdsman]

You're right, its not the Byrds, but it is indeed Lester Byrd ! In the mid-eighties, when both McGuinn & Crosby were trying to gain legal control of the BYRDS name with court action, Gene saw himself deemed by a Judge ruling as a "Lesser Byrd" than the others & thus assumed his new identity as Lester Byrd & took his fake Byrds (including John York) out on the road to fight back - This is very rare footage as the tour was quite short lived before all the Lawyers came a'knockin' ...

[captainfairfield]

I should add, however, that it is great that you posted this. It's always great to see Gene Clark and John York as well. Great quality video.

[captainfairfield]

I have a lot of respect for Gene, but this is NOT The Byrds.