The name Chris Hillman may not be familiar to you, but you have heard him sing, play guitar, bass, and mandolin on many hit songs and other music from the 1960's through today. He is one of the most talented, accomplished, professionals in music business history, and he has played in several notable bands, worked as a session musician, in a duo and as a solo artist.If you recognize the clues in the title of this piece, you will guess that Hillman has been in the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Desert Rose Band. He was also a prominent member of the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, Manassas, and McGuinn-Clark-Hillman. Hillman is a first-rate singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist; a professional in every respect. He wasn't always the so-called 'star' of the band, but every band he has been in benefited enormously from his talents.
Hillman's sister sparked his interest in country and folk music in the late 1950's. He started on guitar and then mandolin, quickly becoming proficient enough at age 16 to be asked to join the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, a San Diego area bluegrass band (with later Flying Burrito Brother and Eagle Bernie Leadon.) After a brief stint with another bluegrass group, the Golden Boys (then the Hillmen) led to frustration, he nearly quit the music business in 1964.
The Byrds
Former Hillmen manager Jim Dickson offered Hillman a job playing bass in a new band that included Roger (then called Jim) McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke – The Byrds. Although he had not played the instrument before, he quickly became proficient and the Byrds soon became a premier folk/rock act. Their style was new and exciting, playing folk songs set to a rock beat with electric instruments and multi-layered vocal harmonies. They enjoyed world-wide success with huge hit singles, Mr. Tambourine Man, (written by Bob Dylan) and Turn! Turn! Turn! (a Bible verse first set to music by Pete Seeger.) With McGuinn, Clark, and Crosby handling the bulk of the singing and songwriting, Hillman remained in the background until Clark quit in early 1966.
The Byrds fourth album Younger Than Yesterday was an opportunity for Hillman to step up as a singer and songwriter. On this album, released in early 1967, Hillman wrote four and co-wrote another of the 11 album tracks – his first major contribution as a writer (Have You Seen Her Face, Time Between, Thoughts and Words, The Girl With No Name.) Personnel changes, including the firing of David Crosby and Michael Clarke led to recruiting country rocker Gram Parsons, first on piano, soon switching to guitar.Parsons wanted to move the band toward a country sound and Hillman, the former bluegrass player, agreed, soon followed by McGuinn. The result was the seminal album Sweetheart of the Rodeo, (August 1968) a preview of what Hillman and Parsons would do in their next band, the Flying Burrito Brothers. Hillman played bass, guitar, mandolin, and some vocals. He sang lead on I Am A Pilgrim and Blue Canadian Rockies, (written by Cindy Walker) sharing lead vocals with McGuinn on One Hundred Years From Now. Although he had written songs for the previous album, none of the songs on Sweetheart were his.
Parsons left the Byrds in July 1968, and Hillman suggest session guitarist Clarence White as his replacement, but then Hillman quit in September. He wasn't pleased with the band's recent performances or business manager Larry Spector's practices. After a disagreement on finances, the pair traded punches after a mid-summer concert in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, leading Hillman quit the Byrds.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The busy, talented Hillman didn't stay idle for long, joining with Parsons to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. This band was a sort of extension of what they had done on the Byrds Sweetheart album, music that Parsons called 'American Cosmic Music,' what we now call 'country rock.' Their first album was the critically acclaimed yet not commercially successful The Gilded Palace of Sin, released in 1969. Later named by Rolling Stone Magazine as #192 in the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and among their list of the 100 Best Debut Albums.
Although this record was not a big seller (about 50,000 copies) it did have an impact, as noted by author/musician Sid Griffin in the liner notes for the 1997 reissue: "...like the first album by the Velvet Underground, it would seem every one of those 50,000 went out and formed a band inspired by what they'd heard."
Hillman shared writing credits with Parsons on six of the 11 album tracks, including, Christine's Tune, Sin City, My Uncle, Wheels, Juanita, and Hippy Boy. Records like this (along with Sweetheart and Parson's previous group, The International Submarine Band's album Safe At Home) were forerunners of the country and L.A. rock of the 1970's and later, outlaw and alternative country (The Eagles, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Pure Prairie League, and bands well into the 2000's.)
The FBB declined an invitation to play at Woodstock, but did perform at Altamont in December 1969, appearing onstage at the infamous concert between the Jefferson Airplane and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. They played seven songs, including their cover of the old country song Six Days on the Road, which was shown in the film of the concert, Gimme Shelter. Violence and death marred the event, but Mick Jagger biographer Anthony Scaduto wrote that the crowd seemed to calm during the Burrito's set of mostly mellow country rock.
While they had a good thing going with Gilded Palace, it came apart soon after. The second album was a flop, Parsons started to flake out, and Hillman fired him. The next record, The Flying Burrito Brothers (1971) with new guitarist Rick Roberts (later of the band Firefall) did better, but Hillman moved on in October 1971.
Manassas
Hillman's next stop was the band Manassas from 1971-1972, fronted by Stephen Stills. From the first album, Manassas, Hillman co-wrote with Stills, Both of Us (Bound to Lose) and It Doesn't Matter, with Stills and Roberts, and on the second record, Down the Road, wrote Lies, and So Many Times (with Stills.) Manassas was a good band with solid players; a showcase for Stills, but not much of a creative outlet for Hillman, and he didn't stay long.
Back to the Byrds
In late 1972, David Geffen, founder of Asylum Records, offered the five original Byrds big money to record another album in an attempt to recapture the magic of their first records. For the 1973 release titled Byrds, Hillman contributed Things Will Be Better (with Dallas Taylor), and Borrowing Time (with Joe Lala.) The album reached #20 on the Billboard charts but was not generally well-received, and the members themselves were critical of their own work. Although it was the same five guys, the formula that had produced hit songs the first time around, wasn't working this time. A planned tour was cancelled, and the Byrds broke up again.
The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
Geffen had a hand in Hillman's next project as well, offering to put Hillman together with singer/songwriter/guitarist J.D. Souther, who had worked with later Eagle Glenn Frey as a folk duo in the late 1960's. They added Richie Furay, formerly of Buffalo Springfield and Poco, and became the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. They put together a great group with Paul Harris, (keyboards, Manassas) Joe Lala, (percussion, Manassas) Al Perkins, (pedal steel guitar, Manassas and the Flying Burrito Brothers) and ace session drummer and former member of Derek and the Dominos and Traffic, Jim Gordon.The band's first release was The Souther Hillman Furay Band, in 1974. It was a good country rock record, well produced with smooth vocal harmonies and consistently good instrumentation. The album reached #11 on the Billboard chart, with the Furay-penned single Fallin' In Love reaching #27. Hillman wrote Safe At Home, a good, stomping rocker, and with Len Fagan, Rise and Fall and Heavenly Fire. The album was a solid debut, but personality clashes and disagreements torpedoed the band, which broke up soon after the 1975 release of their second album, Trouble In Paradise.
Solo and Session Work
Hillman went solo and in 1976 and 1977, releasing two records, Slippin' Away (1976) and Clear Sailin' (1977). Slippin' Away featured some heavy hitters, including Steve Cropper, George Terry, Al Perkins, and Bernie Leadon on guitar, Jim Gordon and Russ Kunkel, (drums) Lee Sklar and Duck Dunn, (bass) Flo and Eddie (the Turtles) and Herb Pedersen on vocals, and others. Clear Sailin' had an entirely different set of musicians. Both records were well done, and produced some good material. It was the kind of effort you came to expect from Hillman – good songs, vocal harmonies, and tasteful playing.
Over the next few years, Hillman was recruited often for session work, laying down solid work for old and new friends, including Gene Clark, Dillard & Clark, Poco, and Dan Fogelberg to name a few. During this time, he reunited with McGuinn and Clark for a tour and two albums, then recorded two mostly acoustic albums, Morning Sky (1982) and Desert Rose (1984.) Pedersen appeared on both records, a preview of what the two would do the following year when they started the Desert Rose Band.
The Desert Rose Band
Hillman and Pedersen in 1985, recruited guitarist John Jorgenson, bassist Bill Bryson, pedal steel guitarist Jay Dee Maness, and drummer Steve Duncan for the Desert Rose Band. Over the next nine years this group cranked out hit after hit in a highly successful effort. Seven top-ten singles, and 16 overall hits followed from this tight country outfit.It was some of Hillman's best commercial work since the Byrds, and it seemed that he really came into his own with this band. He was a front man, and he played the part well, along with Pederson. A number of songwriters contributed to their repertoire, and the DRB was a force in the country music world. They rode the wave until 1994, when they dissolved the band (Jorgenson and Duncan had left in 1991.)
Later Work
In 1996, Hillman again teamed with Herb Pederson for Bakersfield Bound, another excellent piece of work. The two had a long history of harmonizing together, and the harmonies on this CD are wall to wall. Included on Bakersfield was Lost Highway, an old country song written by Leon Payne in 1948 and popularized by Hank Williams in 1949. The Hillman/Pedersen version features stunning harmony vocals, the fine bass playing of Lee Sklar, the tasteful pedal steel licks of Jay Dee Maness, and lead guitar of Jim Monahan.
Other albums and tours followed, the veteran Hillman continued to record and play shows for appreciative audiences. Although he wasn't turning out hit songs, the music he made continued to be compelling, interesting, and well worth your time. It is proof positive that an artist doesn't have to have songs on the charts to be relevant, although many of his songs from that time were very good.
His latest album is Bidin' My Time, released in 2017, co-produced by Tom Petty (who also appeared on guitar and harmonica.) Hillman is still in full, clear voice, at the top of his form at age 74. Assisted by former DRB friends Herb Pederson, John Jorgenson, and Jay Dee Maness, with old friends McGuinn and Crosby, this is yet another excellent Hillman album.
Throughout Hillman's career, whether he was fronting a band or in the background, he has been a consistent presence. His creative bass playing, inspired mandolin licks, and his strong, clear voice mark Chris Hillman as a consummate professional and one of our favorite performers.
The frequent band changes over the decades may seem on the surface, frivolous. Musicians tend to be nomadic, and a great many move from band to band, looking for better or at least different opportunities. For sure, some make changes simply because they have short attention spans. Not this guy though.
With Chris Hillman, you get the distinct impression that his career moves were fueled by a desire to seek out better professional opportunities. This is, after all, a guy who with his level of talent, knew he wasn't going to be bagging groceries or flipping burgers. There would always be opportunities for a musician with his advanced talents.
The contrast is with a character like Gram Parsons. His talents were unquestioned, but his motivation was. He was a talented singer and instrumentalist, but throughout his short life it appeared he was more interested in partying – drinking and doing drugs, hanging out with friends, than in pursuing music. His addictions led to his early death, at age 29.
Chris Hillman kept a steady path, lived, worked, and perfected his talents. Fortunately for him, his family, and music fans, he did not fall victim to the kinds of behaviors that claimed Parsons and so many others.
We can, of course, still enjoy Hillman's work from decades past on vinyl and CD. But it is fun and refreshing to see an accomplished artist like him, still on stage, white hair and all, performing and playing – still in his element and obviously enjoying it.
He still plays some of the old songs (see the last video below, Hillman and Pedersen on stage with Eight Miles High.) He may have evolved long past the days of the big, curly head of hair that he sported back in the day, but he is still part Byrd, part Burrito, and part Desert Rose – a man who, over the decades, produced a wealth of excellent, entertaining music.
The Byrds
The Flying Burrito Brothers
Manassas
The Byrds Reunion
The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
Solo Recordings
The Desert Rose Band
The Latest
Live Chris and Herb
Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist. He has written 20 books; all available in paperback on Amazon.com.
He writes about sports for Season Tickets, food and travel on Miles & Meals, and music/guitars on The Backbeat.
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