John York (musician)
John York | |
---|---|
Birth name | John Foley York |
Born |
White Plains, New York, U.S. | August 3, 1946
Genres | Rock, country rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar, oud, vocals |
Years active | 1965–present |
Labels | Tribe, Columbia, Debris, Taxim |
Associated acts | The Bees, Sir Douglas Quintet, The Byrds, The Museums, CRY, |
Website |
www |
John Foley York (born August 3, 1946)[1] is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with The Byrds.
History
Prior to joining The Byrds, John York was a member of The Bees and the Sir Douglas Quintet, and also worked as a session musician for The Mamas & the Papas and Johnny Rivers.[2] He was also the bassist in ex-Byrd Gene Clark's touring band.[2]
York joined The Byrds in September 1968, as a replacement for the band's original bass player Chris Hillman.[3] He remained with the group until September 1969, when he was fired by the other three members of the band and replaced by Skip Battin.[4]
Despite only being with The Byrds for a year, his bass playing and singing appear on two of the group's studio albums, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde and Ballad of Easy Rider, as well as on the non-album single "Lay Lady Lay".[1] He wrote "Fido", which appears on Ballad of Easy Rider, and co-wrote "Candy", which is included on Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde.[4][5] He also appears on the Columbia/Legacy Byrds' live album Live at the Fillmore - February 1969.[6]
Following his dismissal from The Byrds, York worked with Clark during the mid-1980s, along with Pat Robinson, in the group CRY.[7] York has maintained a lengthy career as a guitarist and bass player, and since the 1980s has worked with artists including Chris Darrow, Katie Trickett, Steven T., and Nick Binkley among others.[8]
In 1988, he recorded a number of songs with fellow ex-Byrds bass player Skip Battin, and these recordings were issued as the Family Tree album in 2001.[8] He released three solo albums, Sacred Path Songs (1991), Claremont Dragon (1998), and Arigatou Baby (2006),[8] and recorded the albums Clan Mother Songs with Jamie Sams, and Koto with Yukiko Matsuyama.[9] In 2008, York teamed-up with singer-songwriter Barry McGuire for a live tour entitled Trippin' the 60's.
Selected discography
The Bees
- "Leave Me Be"/"She's an Artist" (7" single – 1965)
- "Forget Me Girl"/"Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" (7" single – 1966)
Sir Douglas Quintet
- "She Digs My Love"/"When I Sing the Blues" (7" single – 1966)
The Byrds
- Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969)
- "Lay Lady Lay"/"Old Blue" (7" single – 1969)
- Ballad of Easy Rider (1969)
- Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 (2000)
The Museuns
- "Train in the Desert"/"Sweet Names of Spanish Ladies" (7" single – circa 1974–1976)
John York
- Sacred Path Songs (1991)
- Clan Mother Songs [with Jamie Sams] (1992)
- Claremont Dragon (1998)
- Koto [with Yukiko Matsuyama] (2003)
- Arigatou Baby (2006)
- West Coast Revelation [with Kim Fowley – download only] (2007)
- Trippin' the 60's: The Show Songs Live [with Barry McGuire] (2009)
- West Coast Revelation [with Kim Fowley (GRA Records; 2011)[10]
CRY
- After the Storm (2000)
Family Tree
- Family Tree [with Skip Battin] (2001)
Selected album guest appearances
- The Mamas & the Papas – The Papas & The Mamas (1968)
- Jack Street Band – Jack Street Band (1982)
- Katie Trickett – The Next Time (1994)
- Mojave – Tumbleweed Circuit (1995)
- Peter Lewis – Peter Lewis (1995)
- Nick Binkley – Pin Stripe Brain (1996)
- Chris Darrow – Coyote + Straight from the Heart (1997)
- Chris Darrow and Max Buda – Harem Girl (1998)
- Anita Kruse – Creation Flight (1998)
- Toulouse Engelhardt and Remi Kabaka – A Child's Guide to Einstein (2004)
- Steven T. – Damage (2004)
- Carla Olson – Have Harmony, Will Travel (2013) ~ John sings lead on 2 songs: "First In Line" (written by Paul Kennerley) and "Upon A Painted Ocean" (written by PF Sloan). He also plays guitar on the album including on the Richie Furay / Carla Olson version of Gene Clark's "She Don't Care About Time".
References
- 1 2 "John York Biography". Taxim Records. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- 1 2 Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 279. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- ↑ Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 190–191. ISBN 1-906002-15-0.
- 1 2 Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 295–299. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- ↑ Rogan, Johnny (1997). Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (CD booklet). The Byrds. Columbia/Legacy.
- ↑ Fricke, David (2000). "Knights on the Road". Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 (CD booklet). The Byrds. Columbia/Legacy.
- ↑ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. pp. 264–265. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
- 1 2 3 "John York Discography". Byrds Flyght. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ↑ "John York Bio". johnyorkmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ↑ "John York on Outsight Radio Hours". Retrieved July 19, 2015.