Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel
On this episode, we discuss Grievous Angel, the last album recorded by one of the most interesting, tragic, and influential people in modern music: Gram Parsons.
In just six short years, from 1967 until his death in the fall of 1973, Gram Parson help pioneer what would become known as country rock, or what he preferred to call "Cosmic American Music." In those six years, he made several landmark albums with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, as well recording two solo albums. None were commercially successful at the time of their release, but they cast a long shadow on the music of the later half of the 20th Century, and continue to do so today. Its difficult for modern listeners to understand how unique and innovative Parsons vision of blending elements of country, rock, folk, and (most importantly) soul was at the time because it has influenced so much that came after that its uniqueness gets lost crowd.
For Grievous Angel, Parsons was able to get some of the best musicians in the business backing him. He also could recognize talent when he saw it and knew having Emmy Lou Harris as his duet partner would create magic, which it most certainly did.
Released just months after Parsons untimely death, and containing some of his most beautiful, songs Grievous Angel is a remarkable and poignant album that chronicles Parsons influences and his devotion to traditional country music, while showcasing his ability to blend those influences with other genres into something entirely original.
No recommendation for this episode.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
Gram Parsons.
Gram’s joined his band when he was 12 years old: the Pacers.
The Pacers were short lived. His next band was the Legends.
The Legends, Circa 1962.pictured (L to R): Jim Stafford, Gram Parsons, Bill Waldrop, and Lamar Braxton.
It didn’t take long for the Legends to become big on the local scene.
Here is Gram (center) with his manager Buddy Freeman (right) and Freeman’s brother (left).
Freeman got Gram on the bill of the Coca-Cola Hi-Fi Hootenanny, a talent show held in Greenville, South Carolina, where Gram was acting MC, the top-billed attraction, and one of the judges. It is here that he met two members of a hot new folk trio, the Shilohs, whom he would later join.
The Shilos circa 1963.
Pictured (L to R) George Wrigley, Joe Kelly, Paul Surratt, and Gram Parsons.
Shortly after starting college at Harvard, Gram started a new band - the Like who would later be called the International Submarine Band. Here they are posing on the steps if the Widener Library.
After the changed their name to the International Submarine Band, they moved to Los Angeles, CA, where their blend of country, rock and soul would be better appreciated.
The International Submarine Band circa 1966.
The International Submarine Band appeared in the 1967 Peter Fonda movie, The Trip. Gram wrote the song “Lazy Days” for the movie. Unfortunately a decision was made to drop the song and replace it with one by Electric Flag.
Fonda did give them a change to appear in the film where they mime the Electric Flag song.
Gram joined the Byrds in April of 1968. He was only in the band for 4 months but had such a enormous impact on their sound, essentially helping to transform them into a straight country band for their Sweetheart of the Rodeo LP. They recorded the album in Nashville, and while they were there, they appeared on the Grand Ole Opry.
Pictured (L to R) Gram Parsons, Roger McGuinn, and Chris Hillman.
After Gram left the Byrds, he formed the Flying Burrito Brothers with former Byrds Chris Hillman and Michael Clark.
Pictured (L to R) Michael Clarke, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Chris Ethridge, Chris Hillman, and Gram Parsons.
“Tailor to the stars” Nudie Cohn (Left), who was famous for his elaborate, rhinestone-covered suits, or "Nudie Suits,” made suits for the members of the Flying Burrito Brothers. Gram’s suit was infamous for having all sorts of drug related imagery embroidered into it.
Footage of the Flying Burrito Brothers playing the Altamont Speedway Festival i December 1969.
Here’s the Flying Burrito Brothers doing Older Guys" off the album Burrito Deluxe, on the 1970 TV music anthology, Something Else. That’s comedian John Byner introducing the band.
While touring England with the Byrds, Gram met the Rolling Stones and became fast friends with Keith Richards. After he was fired from the Flying Burrito Brothers, he lived with Richards where the two of them would jam to county and blues songs and imbibe in various drugs together. Gram was a huge influence on the Stones’ sound, moving them in a more country direction.
When Gram was starting his solo career, he looking for a female duet partner. Chris Hillman told him to check out a singer from the Washington, DC area that he had just seen perform named Emmy Lou Harris. Gram took him up on it, and after seeing her sing, asked her to come Los Angeles to record with him. She would be his duet partner until his death.
Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris perform "Sin City" ion Boston, MA in 1973.
