John York (musician)
John York ( born August 3, 1946 in New York) is an American musician who was known among other things for his involvement in the group The Byrds.
Beginnings in New York
John York was born into a musical family in New York. Both his mother and his grandmother were organists and choir directors of a Lutheran church. Thus he became known early on with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and singing at the age of six years in the church choir. His love for popular music was awakened by vocal groups like Dion & the Belmonts and rock and roll guitarists like Duane Eddy. In 1961 he founded, at the age of 14 years, his first band, The Tradewinds, a year later, The Night Riders. In 1963, the Night Riders called to Brooklyn Bridge and took on a single, which is considered lost.
Los Angeles
York also enthusiastic for Shakespeare and signed to become an actor with the idea. When considering either take a course of study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, or to seek to join the rock music scene in Los Angeles, he chose LA. In 1965 he joined there by the band The Bees, who initially played a folk rock repertoire, from 1966, however, drew her style in psychedelic direction and with York recorded three singles.
In 1966 he was the bassist Sir Douglas Quintet Doug Sahm and Augie Myers with and participated in four singles this band. After a short-lived project called Tender Trap ( with Terry Hand and David Marks ), he joined in 1967 the touring band of the Mamas and Papas and played, alongside Eddie Hoh (drums) and Eric Hord (guitar) on their last album for Dunhill Records And The Papas The Mamas Presented By The Mamas And The Papas (1968 published). After dissolution of the famous singing group he was a member of several short-lived projects such as Lamp Of Childhood, Farina Omaline and Sounds Of Piccardy. He worked at this time as a studio musician, among other things, Steppenwolf, before Gene Clark, a founding member of the Byrds joined.
Gene Clark Group 1967
Gene Clark had taken after leaving the Byrds in 1966, an album with various studio musicians, former Byrds colleagues and brothers Rex and Vern Gosdin. After the release of the LP and the single Echoes these did to its own formation, The Gosdin Brothers together, so Clark had to form a new band to support him. The Gene Clark Group consisted, next to Clark himself, from John York (bass, vocals), Eddie Hoh (drums) and Clarence White (guitar, vocals), and in 1967, took the songs Only Colombe and The French Girl on. The single was not released by Columbia Records and the songs appeared in 1991 on the CD Gene Clark - Echoes. During his time with the Gene Clark Group York accepted an engagement as a bassist in the backing band for Johnny Rivers, where he played until 1968.
The Byrds 1968-1969
When the ex- Byrds Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman in 1968, the Flying Burrito Brothers founded, they recommended Clarence White, who was now joined with the Byrds, John York as a bass player. Instead, York came even with the Byrds, with whom he toured extensively until 1969 and the albums Dr.Byrds And Mr.Hyde and Ballad Of Easy Rider, as well as several singles recorded. York, who had always been a great admirer of the Byrds had to realize significant problems that he himself was now a Byrd. This self-doubt and other pressures led in 1969 to his departure from the group. He turned his back for several years in the world of rock and devoted himself to spiritual issues.
Only in the 1970s, he became involved again in bands such as the Museum (1974 ), John York & The Innocent Bystanders ( 1976-1977 ) and Nu York ( 1977). In 1984 he played in the band Claudia Nygard and then at the Hindu Masters.
Tribute To The Byrds and CRY 1986-1987
Beginning of 1985, Gene Clark had the idea to mark the release of the Byrds Single Man Mr.Tambourine twenty years earlier, put together a touring band, the old Byrds hits should perform live. His ex- colleague Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman and David Crosby had no time was not interested. Also, Gene Parsons, a Byrd from the Clarence White era was otherwise required so that the formation Tribute To The Byrds Gene Clark and Michael Clarke only ( Drums ) could produce as original members. The other musicians were a Who's Who of folk rock and country rock. In addition to John York played in different combinations, Rick Roberts (formerly Flying Burrito Brothers and Firefall ), Rick Danko and Richard Manuel (Formerly The Band), Greg Harris ( ex- Flying Burrito Brothers), Blondie Chaplin (formerly Beach Boys), Billy Darnell ( a former colleague of York from the time of Hindu Masters ), Carlos Bernal (former Byrds roadie ) and pianist Nicky Hopkins.
1986 Tribute To The Byrds disbanded and John York founded, along with Billy Darnell, Randy Meisner (formerly Eagles ) and Dewey Martin (formerly Buffalo Springfield ), the group Pink Slip, which in turn, after a few performances, broke up in 1987. York worked, in parallel, continue with Gene Clark. Together with Pat Robinson, they founded the project CRY ( Clark, York & Robinson), wrote many songs and took many of them in Robinson's studio. Nicky Hopkins also came back to them, no record company, however, was interested in publishing the photographs. As of 2000, the song appeared on several CDs that falsely showed either on their covers, the original Byrds or the Byrds from the early 1970s.
1987-2009
1987 did John York with Skip Battin, his replacement as bassist for the Byrds together, traveled to Italy where she learned that the musician Ricky Mantoan and Beppe D' Angelo ( drums), with whom he one under the name of the Family Tree recorded music and played some gigs.
1991 published his first book Sacred York Paths Of song, followed by a music cassette with pieces in the tradition of North American Indian music, which were related to the contents of the book, which he had recorded with Jamie Sams. With Sam, he played in 1997 and 2004 more music in this genre.
1994 played York, along with Chris Darrow (guitar, vocals) and Ian Beardsley (guitar, vocals ), the trio Californios. This formation took three years later, on the first solo album by Darrow Coyote ( Taxim Records).
In 1995 he founded The John York band and began to play Asian and exotic instruments such as the koto, oud ( Arabic lute ), Irish harp and various Native American flutes. 1999 and 2003 published two albums on which he brings his skills to ear.
In 2008 he recorded the album Arigatou Baby, in which, with his 12-string acoustic guitar its rich musical experience with Japanese and American influences ur - linked.
In August 2008 he accompanied Barry McGuire at its ' Trippin ' The Sixties ' tour of Germany and Switzerland. This project was continued in 2009.
Discography
Brooklyn Bridge:
The Bees:
Sir Douglas Quintet:
The Gene Clark Group:
The Mamas & The Papas:
The Byrds:
Museum:
Tribute To The Byrds:
CRY:
Family Tree:
Jamie Sams & John York:
Chris Darrow:
John York:
John York & Yokiko Matsuyama:
- 2003 - Koto (Album)
John York:
- 2008 - Arigatou Baby ( Album)