I Rodeo: The Gram Parsons Project

On this day in 1968, the Byrds released Sweetheart of the Rodeo. It wasn't their first foray into country or even countrified rock. Nor was it the first country-rock album. The International Submarine band had put out Safe at Home in the spring, Jerry Lee Lewis had gone country two months earlier with Another Place, Another Time, and Merle Haggard had been putting out similar albums for two years.

For most, it did serve as an introduction to Gram Parsons, the only Byrd to contribute any new material to the album. Gram had been the leading creative force in the International Submarine Band, and upon joining the Byrds he joined forces with Chris Hillman to transform the current project from an album that covered SOME country into one in which country was the sole focus.

Gram sang lead on not only his two songs - "One Hundred Years From Now" and "Hickory Wind" - but on the Louvin Brothers' "Christian Life" and the Stax number "You Don't Miss Your Water", Merle Haggard's "Life in Prison", and "You're Still on My Mind".

It seems, however, that Gram was still under contract to Lee Hazlewood, whose label put out the ISB album and the threat of legal action arose. McGuinn re-recorded the lead vocals on "Christian Life" and "You Don't Miss Your Water", and replaced Parsons's vocals on "One Hundred Years" with a Byrdsier McGuinn/Hillman mix.

Was it the threat of legal action, or was it the threat of the new kid singing lead on 6 of 11 songs? Who knows? The one song that sounds markedly different is "One Hundred Years From Now".

Gram, of course, left the band before the album's release (as he had done in the case of Safe at Home), citing reservations about touring South Africa, preferring to remain in England, hanging out with the Stones.
This playlist restores the original Parsons vocals and adds outtakes: "Lazy Days" by Parsons, McGuinn's take on "Pretty Polly", "Reputation" and "All I Have Are Memories", written and sung by the new drummer, Hillman's cousin, Kevin Kelley.
Here we have some earlier and original versions of the songs.
Hillman followed Parsons out of the band to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. McGuinn reformed the Byrds around a nucleus of himself, drummer Gene Parsons and guitarist Clarence White. Here they are performing "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" on Playboy After Hours.
Wow. I sure wish I could dance like that.

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